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550b Primer Feed Problem


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My primer slide is not reliably coming back far enough to take a primer from the primer magazine.

It will work for fifty rounds,

Miss one,

Work for two rounds,

Miss two,

Work for forty rounds,

Etc.

Sometimes, it is obvious when a primer is not feeding because the primer feed stop spring will pop out barely or not at all. Then if I pull the primer slide return spring post back maybe an extra eighth of an inch, a primer will fall into the primer seating cup.

But it’s really frustrating and slow to have to nudge it back... and look into the primer seating cup each time.

I look around the back and the primers are coming out flat, not vertical.

Details:

* It happened for about 500 rounds. Then I totally dismantled and cleaned the primer system parts. That was probably a few hundred rounds ago.

* 9mm 124-grain JHP, found brass, Federal and Winchester primers, Dillon dies

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How old is the press? Was it working better before this? That type of irregular problem is usually due to an irregular surface on the slide or housing. The burr catches on occasion. Did you try polishing the slide and housing? Try another slide as well to rule it out. There are a gazillion(thats more than 10) threads here on this issue. Welcome to the Forums. :cheers:

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Hello: I had this same problem with my 550b and still do occasionally. I dismanteld the assembly and polished all surfaces including the little template that the primer bar rides on. I also bent the bar out towards me a little which caused it to push the bar out more forcibly(?). Next I took out the little pin that holds the primers in the magazine and polish it up with fine sandpaper. It does have to be kept clean. Good luck and oh, dont use lube. it will get real gummy

Edited by gmg
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Bend the rod that pushes the primer slide bar a little so it will have a longer stroke.

Try powder Graphite as a lube for the primer slide bar, it won't gum in fact it only takes a blast of air to clean usually. Don't have a compressor purchase air in a can at an office supply store.

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Make sure your operating rod that moves the primer cup isn't wiggling out of the block it pivots in. Drove me crazy on my 550 till I noticed what was going on.

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How old is the press? Was it working better before this? That type of irregular problem is usually due to an irregular surface on the slide or housing. The burr catches on occasion. Did you try polishing the slide and housing? Try another slide as well to rule it out. There are a gazillion(thats more than 10) threads here on this issue. Welcome to the Forums. :cheers:

I got the press last year and loaded a few thousand rounds through it before these hiccups started.

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You need to clean and polish it. DO NOT POLISH the black piece under the slider. But get some 600+ grit wet sandpaper and polish the slider and the housing. Scotch Brite Pad works as well.

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Is your primer bar hollow on the bottom or solid? I bought my press used and fought that problem for months having to disassemble and clean every 500 rounds. Went down to Dillon and Gayle gave my a new plate and the newer designed (hollow) primer bar which cured it immediately.

---

I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?twd14k

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I finally had to send my primer bar and tube and shield back to Dillon for a new one. The were so worn they wobbled while going back and forth. It drove me crazy trying to load. Dillon was great about the replacement. Wouldn't buy anything else.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Bend the rod that pushes the primer slide bar a little so it will have a longer stroke.

This is what I tried and my primers have fed fine since then... a couple hundred rounds.

Please excuse me as I'm not the most mechanically inclined person...If you're standing behind the reloader so do you bend the rod back towards you or forward (away from you)? Which part of the rod should you bend?

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The rod has two bends in it. With it off the primer feed push on the rod so that the upper bend is opened up some more. This causes the bottom of the rod to have more travel and still allows both bends to flex. If you adjust the bottom bend then you can stop the bar from traveling far enough forward to enter the shell plate.

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  • 4 years later...

A very late reply from a Johannesburg:

 

This snippet from AR15.com helped me a lot:

 

•Angle of Primer Slide Operating Rod (13869) - Release rod from rollers and swivel it 180º so it's pointing straight up - it should be parallel with the Primer Housing Shield, or maybe outward "a little"; it should not be "inward" at all.

 

 

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Try the Quick and easy fix.

I use a used dryer sheet to polish up the parts. I get thousands of round before I have to do it again. 

WARNING: if your going to bend your rod that pushes the primer bar, look it up on here first, the part you need to bend is not what you think.

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it only needs to be clean and debris and oil free, I've been running mine since 1986. By the way, I've never had any primer feed issues since I put in a brass tipped primer magazine from a 650. Dillon does not recommend this, but I use them on both my old 550 and Square Deal....

Edited by 9x45
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