Primer System went South

[Mistral404]

I purchased a used RL1050. Things were going pretty good for the first 4,000 rounds. Then the primers started getting mashed and it would not index.

So, I take the priming system off then on then off then on then off.......

It still is not working right. I tweak it, I swear at it, I call Dillon, still not working.

Finally, I decided to take the whole thing apart, well down to the shell plate at least.

I do an ok job of cleaning the old grease and grime out of every nook and cranny I can find.

Go to Wally World and buy some grease-- a cool red color. Regrease all the needed parts, assemble it, put on the priming system. Put one primer in and run one case through it.

IT WORKED,

ran another, again it worked, ran a third, and it worked. The action seems pretty smooth too.

Measure the oal and it is a little short so I will have to readjust that bullet sizing die.

Seems to me, that the cleaning and regreasing did wonders for the operation.

Tomorrow, I will load this primer tube up and try for a whole batch.

Bottom line is that Dillon is a great piece of equipment.

[DougCarden]

The primer slide channel(what the slide slides in.... ) has to be clean, or you will crush primers as you did. I clean my press every20-40k, taking off the shellplate and the primer slide. It also makes a difference what type of powder you use and if you have any spillage of powder. For gods sake dont run an unprimed case through with VV powder. That shell plate will lock up good quick! Enjoy your press, DougC

[Mistral404]

tks for the advice DougC,

Yeppers I use VV 320.

The manuals from Dillon (poor by most standards) say the bottom of the primer bar should be greased. So I did that for now.

I am going to do a full test; load the primer tube up and run the machine within the nest hour or so.

[dillon]

Don't grease the primer slide- You lightly grease the underside of the primer seating punch, where the rocker pushes up on it. No grease on the primer slide or in the track the slide scoots back and forth through. Where did you see that in the manual? What version of the manual? What page?

[Mistral404]

Sorry, My mistake!

I thought I read it in the online manual but upon reviewing it again, I do not see anything about greasing that part.

Thanks for the information. I will clean those parts today.