Primers not always picked up on 550b

[bigarm]

I changed to the large primer slide to load 45 acp. The primer slide seems not to be going all the way back to pick up the next primer. I can move it back with my hand and it picks up the primer. Not a huge problem as I am going slowly anyway, but would be nice to work properly. I have done a little searching on this forum. It seems that several things are mentioned including lubing the slide with dry lube (which I am pretty sure I did, although I can do this again), bending the bar, polishing the slide and other parts. Which should I try first and how do you bend the bar and polish the parts?

[Vlad]

Start with cleaning the bar, make sure there are no burrs and the edges are clean of metal distoration. I find that every now and then I have to take a stone to the bar to clean up the edges.

Make sure you don't over tighten the magazine to the press, don't crazy torque the screws.

Make sure that the actuator arm (whatever its called, the long bent wire that moves it) is bent enough to move it back.

Make sure the magazine plastic tip didn't get damaged and it is correctly seated in its notch.

[daves_not_here]

Check and clean the surfaces the primer bar slides against. There could be some crud to include cleaning media.

Check and clean the pin that holds the primers from falling out of the tube.

I use alcohol wipes.

DNH

[ss+P]

as VLAD said just add a little more bend to the actuator bar. I just did that and it works great now as long as I clean it.

[benos]

550 Priming Assembly Adjustment Notes:

• Thoroughly polish frame, wherever priming slide touches it, with green Scotch Brite. (Approx. every 3000 rounds)
  
• Wipe off Primer Slide with solvent or alcohol. Leave it all dry.
  
• At rest primer slide adjustment: Set so that one primer, dropped down the tube, goes all the way into the Primer Seating Cup, 10 times in a row.
  
• 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.
  
• Be sure both screws (14530) that tighten Roller Bracket Shell Platform (14280) from bottom (to the Shellplate Platform) are tight!
  
• Make sure Priming Seating Punch Assembly is fully bottomed out before tightening screw (13996): Measured from bottom of Primer Slide (13920) to top of seated Primer Seating Cup (13284/5), dimension should be between 1.125 - 1.220 inches.
  
• Be sure Priming Operating Rod Bracket (13887) is adjusted so it's within a few thousands of an inch from the top of frame/Toplhead.
  
• Be sure the plastic tips of all your Primer Pickup Tubes and the plastic tip on the bottom of the Priming Magazine are seated fully against the tubes.
  
• Grease the short end of the op-rod where it inserts into the bracket clamped around the primer shield.
  

[bigarm]

Thanks for the help. I took it apart and polished all pieces that rub together with steel wool, cleaned everything well, tried to bend the bar (not sure did much here) and put ti back together. There was a couple of really rough gouges on the slide bar. I was really surprised by these. Took a while to buff them out. Seems to work great now.