lockmup68 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Been loading 40 and 45 on S1050 for years, finally bit the bullet and ordered the 9mm conversion a couple of years ago, but never shot through all the 9mm I had, so never bothered with it. Well, girls are shooting more now and I just picked up a Dawson/STI CRP 1911 in 9mm for my girls (VZ posey pink grips installed immediately) and need to do some 9mm. I've been collecting 9mm brass for a long time and have it all cleaned and stored. 99% is mil brass. Anyway, after getting through my ratchet/indexing problems the last couple of weeks, finally finished up the large 40 run I had going and tore the press down to clean, lube, and setup the 9mm head from scratch. Got the dies adjusted properly (I think), powder measure doing good, cut case in half and adjusted the swager properly, went through a few cases with no primer or powder to get the OAL and crimp set right. So after all that, I need to crank out 10-15 each at various powder charges to take to the range and chrono to figure out what I want to crank out. Started smashing primers pretty quickly. Haven't had any smashed primers in a long time, so went through all the steps (double checked down tube with light to make sure tray was lined up, made sure the bushing was tight and the primer rod was level with the top of the bushing, no rubber on the slide tray, primer cup on the tray is clean and has been polished, etc.) So did a manual test with no brass by cycling and pulling the primer off with my finger for 30 in a row, working good. Then tried a single piece of brass, smashed primer. Noticed the primer was catching just on one side of the pocket. Check the swager adjustment again and it looks good. Then start looking at the swaging rod itself. It is not uniform around the entire top, looks like one side is rounded/broken off. So, I "think" that that is the problem, the swager is not swaging the entire pocket and leaving a little piece out, which is then catching the primer and hanging it up. Took the swager rod off and it looks worse holding it in your hand and up to the light. Was on hold music with Dillon for 37 min before call was connected today to order a new small primer swage rod. Only took 3 min after got through, but rods are backordered (not made yet), so will be a few days. Pricey little sucker at $30 for the rod. I think this will fix the problem, but we'll see. Oh yeah, took the ratchet thing off the new head before installing it. And, I hate setting up new heads....Much more fun to just switch heads and start loading. Shannon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiggerJJ Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 The only part of the swage rod that is important is the belled out part about 1/8 from the end. I have even gone as far as shortening the end just a bit (and dressed it up) on a grinder so the belling part can do its thing on the swaged part on the brass better by pushing the edge out just a bit further. Going down deep into the pocket is not needed because just below the edge that is swaged the pocket is correct, all you need to do is push the corner out so its rounded so it will accept a primer easily. jj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted February 24, 2013 Author Share Posted February 24, 2013 Thanks. Yes the very top of the part that goes into the pocket a piece chipped off or something. For example if you look at it head on from the top, it is not round. It is a circle with a 35 degree piece missing. I think that is the part catching the primers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Also check your priming station and the white tab adjustment. Sounds like you don't have enough tension against the case and the case is pushing up and away when priming. The tab needs to hold it tight so the case doesn't move when you are priming. If it is too loose it will push away and you will have priming problems. If that station is adjusted properly you can get away with not swaging a lot of brass. Good luck, DougC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SD1 Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Remove the swage punch. Do a run with NON-CRIMPED brass to confirm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted February 27, 2013 Author Share Posted February 27, 2013 White tab is hard up against the brass. I really think it is the broken part of the swager. Will know when replacement gets here. Hope it is there when I get home from this trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too_Slow Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 The tab should not be hard up against the brass. It needs to be about the thickness of 1 or 2 dollars away so it doesn't touch. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted March 3, 2013 Author Share Posted March 3, 2013 Tight or not tight? I usually keep them tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 If the tab is too tight the brass can't move if it needs to when it centers up for the primer coming up. You need a little space, not a lot. Primer pockets on 9mm are not uniform and a pain in the butt. You do need to run the swage for best results and keep the tab a little loose. You have to experiment and figure it out. Give it a try. DougC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Service Desk Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 If the tab is too tight the brass can't move if it needs to when it centers up for the primer coming up. You need a little space, not a lot. Primer pockets on 9mm are not uniform and a pain in the butt. You do need to run the swage for best results and keep the tab a little loose. You have to experiment and figure it out. Give it a try. DougC I just space it out with a business card, as per Dillon's instructions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 I loosened the tab a tad and the new swager finally got here. I think 4 weeks since I ordered it. Going to replace and run some this weekend to see if it helps. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 Seems to have helped with primers going in smoothly. Now getting smashed primers again. Was working so smooth on the 40 and I didn't change anything, so not sure why the 9mm is suddenly smashing them again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxshooter Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 What brand of brass are you using? Have you checked the primer punch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 All mil range brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcracco Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I had the best luck with my crimped brass when I first kissed the primer pocket with a Hornady reamer then ran them through the 1050. The reamer flares the leading edge of the pocket which makes for easier seating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SD1 Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Seems to have helped with primers going in smoothly. Now getting smashed primers again. Was working so smooth on the 40 and I didn't change anything, so not sure why the 9mm is suddenly smashing them again. 99% of 40 has no crimp. give the swage punch another 1/4, 1/2 turn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 This is all 9mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjb45 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 I have loaded over 100,000 rounds on my RL1050 without using the swage; 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP, and 223. I also took off the rachet. I would restart at readjusting the primer depth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted April 7, 2013 Author Share Posted April 7, 2013 This is all mil brass with crimp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G29SF Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 I would double check the swage and make sure it is doing its job. -- AND -- I would make sure the white tab in the priming station is not too tight. I struggled with smashed primers for a long time and finally realized that I should have the white tab loose and not tight. When the white tab is tight, it is slamming the case all the way in the shell-plate. More often than not, when tight, the case it not 100% aligned with the primer... and because the tab is tight against the case, the case cannot move to align itself to receive the primer. When the tab it loose, it allows the case to "float" a bit (but also keeping the case in the shell-plate) and allows the case to align itself when a primer is being pushed into the hole. If you know the swage is opening up the pocket correctly, and are having primers get smashed on one side of the primer, that is a dead giveaway that the tab is too tight. If the case is not centered, only one side of the primer gets hung up. I researched EVERYTHING on this issue (primer tube alignment, primer shuttle alignment, dirt, etc.) and at the end of the day it was my primer tab! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 OK, so after walking away from it after many weeks, turning into a few months of playing with it one or two hours at a time, then some unplanned surgery downtime, traveling like a maddog for work overseas, etc., here we are six months later and still haven't solved the problem. In last few days, I've loaded about 300 rounds, but missing/spitting/smashing more primers than ever. I've completely disassembled everything twice, it is very clean; repolished the primer slide and the channel it resides in, readjusted swager, primer depth, reshimmed, reshimmed, and reshimmed, the primer slide to be aligned properly, white tab tight, slightly off, way off, all the way off; I'm really at a loss. I don't consider myself an expert reloader, but I have put about 32,000 rounds of 40 and 45 through this machine and I think I understand how to adjust to get things working properly. But 9mm is kicking my butt. All of my brass is mil range brass WCC 10 or WCC 4. Both come through without primers or smashed primers. This is seriously frustrating the crap out of me. I just want to knock out some 9mm and go shooting. Any ideas? Maybe I can load 40 or 45 for someone and you can do 9mm for me? Thanks, Shannon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dillon Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I suggest falling back and regrouping a bit. Be sure you have a #5 shellplate, #3 locator buttons and none of the shellplate cutouts are damaged or filled with debris. Adjust the white plastic wedge at the priming station to within .002-.004" of touching the side of the case. (thickness of a piece of paper). Next, be sure the small primer slide is installed. Now, cycle the handle, make sure the primer comes up smoothly. If this all goes well, try a few pieces of commercial brass, see how that primes. If that primes okay, then recheck the swage setting and try some military brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Do you have pics of your brass after swaging? This is a before and after of crimped .223 off of one of mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmup68 Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 Thanks. I did just that. #3 locator, check; #5 shellplate, no debris in the cutouts. Readjusted white tab with a piece of paper; confirmed small primer tray (hadn't changed trays since loading about 10k of 40, but double checked anyway; emptied primer tube and made sure tray pocket was lined up; replaced blue tip on primer tube with spare, small primer size check. With no brass in handle cycles smoothly, Same thing, about 3 out of every ten smashed, 2 missing/spitting out bottom. So backed up even further, got my cut case out and reset swager. to be exactly like picture in manual. Ran a few through and started thinking maybe not enough swage, so ran it all the way up til it is just a hair from touching bottom of case. Top is pushing down flat with top of primer pocket like it should. I do not have any commercial brass to try, I have about 200 lbs of WCC 10 and 4 brass, and this is what the 1050 is made for, so have to get it working. Here's a pic of a couple of smashed primers. I'm starting to think it might be the swage, but it is swaging as it should, so not sure. Here's a couple of pics of the smashed primers. http://s1315.photobucket.com/user/lockmup68/library/Dillion%201050 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Sure looks like they are not swaged right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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