Tips on making dummy rounds with powder in hopper?

[G19]

I'd like to make some dummy rounds - no primer, no powder. Is there an easy way to do this without emptying the hopper (and without spilling powder by powdering a deprimed case)? Basically I'd like to bell the case without activating powder drop.

Edited May 17, 2015 by G19

[UncleTK]

Depends on the press you are using.

Dillon 650 take out the fail safe rod and no powder will drop.

Edited May 17, 2015 by UncleTK

[atbarr]

On my 550,I use old brass and put them in the 2nd stage. I just dump the powder then place a bullet on it.

Rotate,and repeat.

[G19]

Depends on the press you are using.

Dillon 650 take out the fail safe rod and no powder will drop.

It's a 650. Removing the failsafe rod does not eliminate the powder drop for me. Even with the failsafe rod pulled out of the failsafe return bracket, the powder bar moves far enough forward to pick up some powder (though perhaps not the full charge).

On my 550,I use old brass and put them in the 2nd stage. I just dump the powder then place a bullet on it.

Rotate,and repeat.

That's an option, but I'd prefer to use a round without any primer, even an old one. Just makes it more obvious that it's a dummy round. Though I suppose if I went with your option, I could paint or otherwise mark the round.

[CZinSC]

on the 650, take out the failsafe rod. Put a case WITH the spent primer intact ( ie: dont run it through station one ) in the powder station. Then pull the handle all the way down and leave it. Now rig something ( i use a big rubber band ) and pin the powder bar and prevent it from moving. Now release handle. the powder bar will stay put, but the belling die will return to normal and you can bang out as many dummy rounds as you want. I'll try and post a picture in a few minutes of what i mean.

[dansedgli]

Remove the rod. Empty the powder slide by hand into a container of your choice then lower the tool head when the slide is in the empty position?

[CZinSC]

just make sure the rubber band is tight, otherwise the powder bar can still move if it is bumped. but i think you get the idea.

[G19]

on the 650, take out the failsafe rod. Put a case WITH the spent primer intact ( ie: dont run it through station one ) in the powder station. Then pull the handle all the way down and leave it. Now rig something ( i use a big rubber band ) and pin the powder bar and prevent it from moving. Now release handle. the powder bar will stay put, but the belling die will return to normal and you can bang out as many dummy rounds as you want. I'll try and post a picture in a few minutes of what i mean.

just make sure the rubber band is tight, otherwise the powder bar can still move if it is bumped. but i think you get the idea.

Thanks for the explanation and the pics!

[Pat Miles]

Ya know, it take about 45 seconds to empty the powder hopper, so what's the problem!

[explosivewhale]

Empty the hopper lol in the time it would have taken you to post this...you would have finished

[jmorris]

Size and deprime the case in station 1, pull it out in station 2 and put spent primer in the cup, replace case and reseat spent primer.

Throw powder charge then remove case and dump powder back into hopper, then seat and crimp bullet.

[G19]

Ya know, it take about 45 seconds to empty the powder hopper, so what's the problem!

Empty the hopper lol in the time it would have taken you to post this...you would have finished

Yeah guys, I get it, I could empty the hopper. I was specifically looking for ways to avoid doing that:

I'd like to make some dummy rounds - no primer, no powder. Is there an easy way to do this without emptying the hopper (and without spilling powder by powdering a deprimed case)? Basically I'd like to bell the case without activating powder drop.

Size and deprime the case in station 1, pull it out in station 2 and put spent primer in the cup, replace case and reseat spent primer.

Throw powder charge then remove case and dump powder back into hopper, then seat and crimp bullet.

@jmorris, interesting, similar to an earlier suggestion, but you resize instead of using an unresized fired case. I have a Lee factory crimp die with a sizing collar, so I think I could skip station 1 and just drop the fired case in station 2.

Edited May 18, 2015 by G19

[Bkreutz]

Instead of emptying the powder hopper, just pop the rod off, loosen the two screws, and take the hopper off the top of the die. Set it aside until you're ready to load for real.

[TDA]

Instead of emptying the powder hopper, just pop the rod off, loosen the two screws, and take the hopper off the top of the die. Set it aside until you're ready to load for real.

The case will not bell with the hopper removed.

[UncleTK]

if you are practice dummy rounds then put caunk in the primer hole to protect the firing pin.

[jmorris]

@jmorris, interesting, similar to an earlier suggestion, but you resize instead of using an unresized fired case. I have a Lee factory crimp die with a sizing collar, so I think I could skip station 1 and just drop the fired case in station 2.

If you just want one for looking at that would work, guess it really wouldn't matter if it had powder in it with a spent primer.

That said it won't have proper neck tension. The bullet won't be held the same as if you sized the case so if you are wanting it to be an action proving round the bullet might move around on you.

If factory crimp die does not accomplish the came thing as a size die or no one would use both. If you don't have enough neck tension you can't just crimp more and be good.

The way it works out is, bullet is loose so you adjust for more crimp. With more crimp the case is reduced in OD and it reduces the OD of the bullet at the same time, then when when the round is removed from the die the brass has more "spring back" than lead and the projectile is looser than it was before.

[G19]

@jmorris, interesting, similar to an earlier suggestion, but you resize instead of using an unresized fired case. I have a Lee factory crimp die with a sizing collar, so I think I could skip station 1 and just drop the fired case in station 2.

If you just want one for looking at that would work, guess it really wouldn't matter if it had powder in it with a spent primer.

That said it won't have proper neck tension. The bullet won't be held the same as if you sized the case so if you are wanting it to be an action proving round the bullet might move around on you.

If factory crimp die does not accomplish the came thing as a size die or no one would use both. If you don't have enough neck tension you can't just crimp more and be good.

The way it works out is, bullet is loose so you adjust for more crimp. With more crimp the case is reduced in OD and it reduces the OD of the bullet at the same time, then when when the round is removed from the die the brass has more "spring back" than lead and the projectile is looser than it was before.

Good point on neck tension! Yeah, I want to be able to use them as action proving rounds.

[G19]

if you are practice dummy rounds then put caunk in the primer hole to protect the firing pin.

Why is this necessary for centerfire pistols? Wouldn't the empty primer hole be akin to having an empty pistol, which would be fine to dryfire?

[HOGRIDER]

Size and deprime the case in station 1, pull it out in station 2 and put spent primer in the cup, replace case and reseat spent primer.

Throw powder charge then remove case and dump powder back into hopper, then seat and crimp bullet.

+^

Exactly the way I do it.

Works fine for me!

[polizei1]

jmorris was spot on, if you want to size/deprime and then put a spent primer back in.

Otherwise, just flare the case and dump the powder back in the hopper...you're WAY overthinking it!

[Youngeyes]

What a thread. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khSIYmTzt6U

[jmorris]

What a thread. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khSIYmTzt6U

+1

[Meyer23]

I thought about starting a thread like this a while back but thought it'd sound dumb but I'm glad it was started.

I like the rubber band idea, thanks for posting that. I usually make a bunch of dummy rounds when I change bullets and I don't like taking anything apart or empty the hopper.