RL550B primer slide/cup problem

[jmbaccolyte]

I was loading along happily and I heard a crunch or snapping sound. Now on my RL550B the primer slide or cup or something is bent or broken. The primer in the cup was sitting at an angle (not flat). Now, something will snag and the primer will be flipped away across the room (I think by the spring under the primer cup) if there's no case in the way. If there is a case in place, sometimes it works normally and sometimes the primer goes into the case sideways. Any ideas what parts to look carefully at when I take it apart to see what is bent or broken?

More info:

press is from about 1989, small pistol primers, have run about 20,000 rounds through the press, same winchester primers and Remington/Federal cases (in .40 S&W) I always use

[Tom D.]

Call Dillon!!

[jmbaccolyte]

Thanks Tom. Are their tech guys working on Saturday?

[Youngeyes]

It's possible you cracked the primer punch or the spring. There's no way to know till you take the setup apart. Take it apart and try to post some pictures.

[Alvarez Kelly]

I would look hard at the primer magazine tube plastic tip also.

Take off the primer magazine assembly and carefully inspect all the parts. It is very likely you will find primer residue. Clean, inspect, replace the plastic tip if is it at all questionable, and try again.

Lining the primer slide/punch assembly with the shellplate platform takes a little trial and error, but take your time and you can get it. You want the primer cup to go up into the shellplate platform without rubbing the platform itself. It can be done. Anything less wil cause you problems.

Good luck. Let us know how you came out!

[jmbaccolyte]

Thanks, guys. I loosened the two bolts that hold the primer magazine tube assembly (or whatever that's called) and the primer slide moved sideways like some pressure or binding had been released. So I centered it and re-tightened it and the press worked fine. The primer slide/punch assembly alignment with the shellplate platform must have gotten screwed up. Re-centering it seems to have solved the problem. So I took it apart and cleaned it as suggested and it runs perfectly again. Thanks for the help, all of you.

[Alvarez Kelly]

Thanks, guys. I loosened the two bolts that hold the primer magazine tube assembly (or whatever that's called) and the primer slide moved sideways like some pressure or binding had been released. So I centered it and re-tightened it and the press worked fine. The primer slide/punch assembly alignment with the shellplate platform must have gotten screwed up. Re-centering it seems to have solved the problem. So I took it apart and cleaned it as suggested and it runs perfectly again. Thanks for the help, all of you.

Congrats! Nice to be reloading smoothly again, isn't it.