XL 650 on order

[jejb]

Bench is solid, primer feed is locked in place. I guess just another drawback to the Dillon primer system, since you can't see the primer as they get carried into position. Not hating on the loader, but the primer feed is the weak point of it, IMO.

[jhgtyre]

I've only had sideways primers when the primers were so out of round that they tipped going into the primer pocket or the anvil was sticking up on one side which made the primer drag on the disk.  I'd provide an example of a primer that looked like this but I fought through those batches and used them all.

[Youngeyes]

Check that the station locator arm is adjusted properly. If it is off the primer can catch on the edge of the case and flip or be sideways. I had the same problem until I adjusted the locator. 

[L3324temp]

I agree with cvincnet that during a reloading session, I just load another 100 and roll on, BUT i load in 500-1000 round batches and all my loaded rounds get dumped in bulk in an ammo can.
 
When I am completely finished loading.
 
When my primer alarm goes off I shut off the case feeder.
 
I keep loading as usual until I dont feel a primer seat.
 
Then I pull the case feed tube out and dump those cases back in the case feeder.
 
I then remove the case from station 2, station 1, etc... and finish off my loading.  Its so easy to pull a case from station 2 with the little spring loaded arm there.  IMO no reason to "count" or whatever... Dont feel a primer, pull the case, empty the rest, done.

This is how I do it as well. Works every time.


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[jejb]

On 6/4/2018 at 1:31 PM, Youngeyes said:

Check that the station locator arm is adjusted properly. If it is off the primer can catch on the edge of the case and flip or be sideways. I had the same problem until I adjusted the locator. 

Still having this issue. Kind of comes and goes a bit. It was getting better, but I'd started to use a vibrating primer loader, and found the occasional (1 out of 200 or so) flipped. So went back to loading the primer tubes by hand. Then I had 3 out of 200 yesterday. So it's the press, not the way they are coming out of the tubes.

 

What is the station locator arm? Is that the part under the shell plate that indexes the plate?

 

Called Dillon yesterday and worked with the guy for a bit. We made some checks and adjustments, but nothing seemed to have moved much. Will pull some more rounds through it today, but I'm not convinced we have found the root of the problem yet.

[Youngeyes]

It's the one in the picture that the screwdriver is pointing to. It holds the case in place. If it's out of adjustment it will not position the case properly and can cause flipped or sideways primers.

[SCTaylor]

On 6/4/2018 at 5:50 AM, jejb said:

Bench is solid, primer feed is locked in place. I guess just another drawback to the Dillon primer system, since you can't see the primer as they get carried into position. Not hating on the loader, but the primer feed is the weak point of it, IMO.

 

No, it's not. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it a weak spot. I've loaded ~15k on a 650 without a flipped or sideways primer.  Unfortunately, your press needs some adjusting or it's something to do with your bench/process/press operation.

[jejb]

1 hour ago, Youngeyes said:

It's the one in the picture that the screwdriver is pointing to. It holds the case in place. If it's out of adjustment it will not position the case properly and can cause flipped or sideways primers.

Thanks. That is the last thing the tech had me check/adjust yesterday. It was actually touching the brass. He had me adjust a "business card" of distance between it and the brass. Hopefully that will cure my problem, as it did yours.

[jejb]

1 hour ago, SCTaylor said:

 

No, it's not. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it a weak spot. I've loaded ~15k on a 650 without a flipped or sideways primer.  Unfortunately, your press needs some adjusting or it's something to do with your bench/process/press operation.

Didn't mean to insult anyone. But even w/o the flipped primer issue, I still regard the primer system as a step down from the one on my RCBS progressive. It is just better to be able to see the primer go into the priming station on each shell. And it's better to not have to even need a live primer catcher. If the primer does not get used, it just keeps shuttling back and forth until a primer-less shell is in the station to accept it. Then the shuttle pulls the next one directly from the tube. Having owned both, I prefer the RCBS system. But I'm learning to work with the blue one. I've got 1300-1400 rounds through it now, and I've got most of its intricacies figured out.

 

But other than the primer feed, I think the Dillon is a better machine. And it's for sure a lot faster w/o having to manually insert the brass.

[tanks]

The Dillon machines are fine. The issue I have with them is when things fail, get worn out etc. then the onus of fixing it is on the user. For example on my 650 it will no longer feed cases in that I have to manually push the case for it to drop. Reason is a part worn out. Dillon's solution is to take it apart and move the part that pushes the case into the hole further forward. I quit using the 650 and will just send it to Dillon, have them fix it and then sell it.

 

On my 1050 the bolt that goes to the other side of the handle sheared off. Dillon's solution was to use an "easy out" to drill out the sheared bolt and replace it. I feel if it is within the warranty period there should be a better way to fix it. Not to mention it should not have sheared off after a few months (maybe 10K rounds) of use period. I will keep the 1050 as a backup once my Evolution Pro arrives.

[jejb]

I'd never heard of an Evolution Pro. Looks like quite a press! I shoot a fair amount, 2-300 rounds a week, but I'm not sure I'd ever load enough to pay for a $5k+ loader like that. It'd sure take a very long while, at any rate.

[jejb]

Got 150 through it yesterday with flipped primers. That has happened before, so I'm not ready to say it's fixed yet, but I'm hopeful. I need to load up several 100 in the next week, so I'll give it a good testing.

[Chills1994]

When I was loading .223...which was probably last fall/winter, I had issues with the primers indexing and the shellplate indexing just right and had some try to go in sideways.

 

I switched the press over to .45ACP and large primers.  I had previously commented  on another forum about my .223 primer issue.  Several posters said it was a shellplate and toolhead alignment issue.

 

So when I switched to the .45ACP and large primer assembly I made sure the alignment was better.  Sure enough, I have not had any issues with sideways primers.

 

Dillon will sell you a toolhead (shellplate?) alignment tool. 

 

Also, that 650 spare parts kit has one of those locator arms pictured above in it.

 

You could try swapping that out too.

[jejb]

I've got 700 rounds through it since making all the adjustments the Dillon walked me through. Not sure which adjustment made the difference, but not one flipped primer in the lot. I'm about ready to call this one fixed.

 

Having issues with getting upside down shells from my Dillon case feeder. Probably averages 1 in 100. Is that considered normal? The case feeder came from the factory setup for 9mm, and I've not adjusted anything on it. I checked the setup against the book, and it agrees with that.

 

 

[RiggerJJ]

The case feeder wobbling around when it's dropping cases is the most common cause of upside down cases. Sturdier bench and/or brace the case feeder is usually the answer...

jj

[jejb]

Bringing this back to life just to say that I'm really happy with the XL650. Very glad I picked it over the Hornady LNL. I did go through some setup issues, some were my bad, some adjustments needed from factory settings. And I added a few accessories, like a UFO light and primer cut out. But it's very solid now. I've pulled 7K rounds through it now since buying it at the end of March, and it is just what I was hoping, a no tinkering solution. Just pour in powder and primers and go to town. I've not had to adjust anything for the last several 1000 rounds. I would highly recommend this press for loading handgun ammo.

 

Oh, I do have one bother. Every once in a while, a spent primer will fall out of the press onto the floor, instead of into the hopper. I don't understand how that can happen, but it does. Not a huge deal, but weird.