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Dented primers on 550B


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I'm a new reloader and I've finally gotten around to getting my 550B setup. So far there hasn't been any major disasters. I'm at the point of having everything installed and working as it should. I have not put powder to it yet as I wanted to make sure each station was setup and fumctioning correctly. I've got it adjusted so that I can hit the planned load - 147g BBI, Fed SPP, 3.4g IMR PB and OAL of 1.14.

Having said all that, I do have a primer system glitch I can't figure out. At the top of the upstorke where I give it a little extra push to seat the primer it feels like someting is humg up (or caught). With a little more push there is a "pop" sound and the primer seats. The issue is about every 3rd primer has a dent in it. They are seating correctly level and flush with the bottom of the round. I don't have enough experince (none actually) to tell if the "pop" sound and feeling like the handle is stuck is normal or not.

And of course the dented primers concern me. Anyone have any ideas of where I can start looking for a solution or fix?

Any ideas or help would be appreciated.

SWH

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If you are using mixed brass some have crimped primer pockets. When trying to seat primers in a crimped pocket it can feel like your stuck then with extra effort it wil push the primer past the crimp and cause a dent or it will cut the crimp and leave a sliver of brass in the primer cup. Or your primer feed needs to be alligned.

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Double check that the primer assembly is not hitting the edge of the shellplate. That has happened on my 550 and it feels like a little bump. As far as dented primers check that a piece of tumbler media isn't caught in the primer below the primer.

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Priming assembly is not lined up with shellplate.

Well, you were close. The primer seating cup was lined up with the shellplate OK, but it is hitting the shellplate platform. I have the small primer assembly installed so that's not the problem.

I took the shellplate off just make sure and it looks like the hole in the shellplate platform is off just a hair or two, but enough to catch the primer seating cup. The bang or pop noise was the shellplate platfom coming off the edge of the primer cup and everything slaming down on the machine. I can see where the primer seating cup is chewed up a little on the edge. It would be the back edge.

I tried adjusting the clamp screw (14037) but it didn't seem to help no matter which way I moved it so I'm kind of stuck. I'll try calling Dillion tomorrow to see what they can tell me.

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It sounds to me like your shell plate isn't aligned incorrectly. Do you have the alignment tool? If not, ask Dillon for one. You take an empty tool head and put a powder die in station 1 and drop the alignment tool in. Loosen the two screws in the shell plate, and then run the ram up to the alignment tool. It's supposed to go into the primer hole on the shell plate. You then tighten down the plate and make sure the alignment tool goes in freely to the primer hole. I believe that's the process.

Edited by johnsons1480
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johnsons1480, thanks for the heads up on the alignment tool. I called Dillon today and told them about my problem. The tech I spoke to said it sounded like the shellplate platform needed to be aligned. He is sending me an alignment tool with a set of instructions. If that doesn't fix it, he said I would need to send the press back to them and they would fix it.

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