82Blackbird Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Has anyone on this forum adapted the 550 casefeeder to load 380 ACP? Dillon says it was not dependable enough to market. Surely someone on here has overcome this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aug1911 Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) I havn't as of yet, but , I have been thinking about getting another plunger and seeing if one could mill a slope to it, to where it would drop a case onto the station 1 locator and then the slope on the plunger would raise the cases in the feed tube to let the plunger push the case on into the shell plate. Sorry for thinking out loud. Edited January 12, 2015 by aug1911 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooke Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 I've been thinking about why Dillon does not offer a .380 conversion for the feeder. Seems to me the lower section, plunger, ramp, ect, is simple. It must be the upper section. The short, light cases may not orient reliably out of the bowl. Sure would help me if they would get something. I have two 550's with case feeders for 9mm. The only way for me to do 380 ( without a third 550) is to resize and prime on a single stage press and hand feed into the powder station on my 550 .380 tool head. It works, but it would be fun to use the whole system. I would be willing to hand load tubes if Dillon would offer the conversion parts for the lower end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmt Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) I've been thinking about why Dillon does not offer a .380 conversion for the feeder. Seems to me the lower section, plunger, ramp, ect, is simple. It must be the upper section. The short, light cases may not orient reliably out of the bowl.Sure would help me if they would get something. I have two 550's with case feeders for 9mm. The only way for me to do 380 ( without a third 550) is to resize and prime on a single stage press and hand feed into the powder station on my 550 .380 tool head. It works, but it would be fun to use the whole system.I would be willing to hand load tubes if Dillon would offer the conversion parts for the lower end. Wouldn't the lower end for 9mm work to push .380 cases into station #1? I'm guessing the cases would/could turn in the tube as they dropped. My 9mm cases used to do this before Dillon sent me the aluminum sleeve for the upper tube. Edited January 13, 2015 by pmt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooke Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 "Wouldn't the lower end for 9mm work to push .380 cases into station #1?" The ramp (and plunger) might work. I've tested it a little bit. The colored lower section of the drop tube allows the shorter case to fall over onto the ramp. It is possible that some tape to shorten the cutout might fix that. It would help if I knew what problem Dillon found so I could guess what does not work and quit thinking about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82Blackbird Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 From my observations the plunger is too tall to push the 380 case without binding on the one above it. The 9mm station one locator is too sloppy but might work in a pinch also the 9mm case feed adapter is too tall. I called Dillon and talked to their engineer amout this and he gave me some ideas and part numbers to try. He agreed with all my observations. I've ordered a plunger and a 380 XL650 station one locator to experiment with. He gave me a number for a case feed adapter that is supposed to work with a little modification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aug1911 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 (edited) 82Blackbird, keep us informed of your progress,please. I would be very interested in what come with. With me having a 3 yr old and a 14 month old here at home it's been tough to do extra curricclar things. aug Edited January 15, 2015 by aug1911 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooke Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 From my observations the plunger is too tall to push the 380 case without binding on the one above it. The 9mm station one locator is too sloppy but might work in a pinch also the 9mm case feed adapter is too tall. I called Dillon and talked to their engineer amout this and he gave me some ideas and part numbers to try. He agreed with all my observations. I've ordered a plunger and a 380 XL650 station one locator to experiment with. He gave me a number for a case feed adapter that is supposed to work with a little modification. Good analysis of the situation. Keep us informed please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82Blackbird Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 Update: I bought a new plunger and machined a 3/8 wide grove down the center .065 deep the full length it. Then I filed the sharp edge off the sides and polished the cut. I then took the 650 station1 locator (Part No. 13614) and used a belt sander to duplicate a 9mm station 1 locator. As stated before I used a 650 case feed adaptor (Part No. 11573). So far it has worked flawless. Just sizing and depriming I can out run the casefeeder. My problem now is cases clogging at the top of the funnel and the taper in the switch housing. It does not occur often just after you begin to trust it. Any ideas on how to stop the clogging??? I got pictures just don't know how to attach them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aug1911 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Can you close off/adjust the plate at the hole where the cases drop out of the feeder plate? I had to do that to prevent clogging w/ 9mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82Blackbird Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 aug1911, I did that and it did not help much. I made a cardboard insert to place in the funnel that would cover three sides and that helped the most. If you started the cases out straight they would not give trouble in the upper bowl assembly (housing that holds the micro switch). When everything was feeding properly you could actually size more cases than the feeder could feed. If a 9mm case would come along the plunger would lock up and you could raise the casefeed adapter about a eighth of an inch and the plunger would push it. I liked this. It would also lock up if a case was upside down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aug1911 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) 82Blackbird, I wasn't sure if if that would work or not. But I think you are on to something w/ the cardboard insert, maybe a small narrow funnel made of clear thin plastic insert will help to give the case a straight shot down the tube. I am really liking the sound of your results. I think I will right down the parts you listed and get them ordered for mine in near future. I have been just reaching in from the left side setting the 380 case 1 at a time on the platform and letting the stock plunger push the case into the shell plate. It's a slow process but was still better than than loading on a single press. Would you happen to have the part # for the plunger? Edited January 21, 2015 by aug1911 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82Blackbird Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) Plunger part no. 18905. So far I have run about 3000 cases just sizing and depriming. I like to clean them with stainless steel first before I load them. Edited January 21, 2015 by 82Blackbird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmt Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Dillon has a small black plastic funnel to fit inside the upper funnel. They gave me one when I complained about my 9mm brass clogging up the funnel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aug1911 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Thank you 82Blackbird and pmt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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