Primer Question - Light Strikes

[Onikudaki]

I have a Dillon 650 that I have been loading on for a few years now. Never had any issues until now..

 

I loaded 500 rounds for a range session last month and had 60%-70% or more of the rounds give me light strikes with two different Gen 5 Glocks. These guns are all stock as far as the internals go and confirmed with a friends gun and ammo that was with me that its not the guns but definitely this batch of ammo I loaded.

 

Can anyone provide some insight on the most probable causes of light strikes or what to look for on the 650 to see what could have changed to start causing this?

 

 

Thank you!!

[AHI]

More information needed. Will the failed rounds fire if you try them a second time?Did you change primer brand and what brand?Do you wet clean your brass? Could ask more questions but start there.

[Guy Neill]

Quite commonly the first firing pin strike on a high primer looks like a light hit.

 

If any fired on a second firing pin hit, it is high primers.

 

 

[CHA-LEE]

Make sure that your primer seating punch/die hasn't come loose. That is a common issue with 650's.

[Onikudaki]

2 hours ago, AHI said:

More information needed. Will the failed rounds fire if you try them a second time?Did you change primer brand and what brand?Do you wet clean your brass? Could ask more questions but start there.

 

Yes, they all fired on the second strike.

 

2 hours ago, Guy Neill said:

Quite commonly the first firing pin strike on a high primer looks like a light hit.

 

If any fired on a second firing pin hit, it is high primers.

 

 

 

Sounds like high primers is the issue.

 

2 hours ago, CHA-LEE said:

Make sure that your primer seating punch/die hasn't come loose. That is a common issue with 650's.

 

I will check that. Thank you!

 

[Onikudaki]

On 8/3/2020 at 3:08 PM, CHA-LEE said:

Make sure that your primer seating punch/die hasn't come loose. That is a common issue with 650's.

 

 

 

The seating punch/die seems to be tight.

 

I tightened down the shell plate and I think that might have solved my problem.

 

Can the shell plate being too loose have an effect on primer seating?

 

 

[hello0o0o0o]

 

 

 

The seating punch/die seems to be tight.

 

I tightened down the shell plate and I think that might have solved my problem.

 

Can the shell plate being too loose have an effect on primer seating?

 

 

Yes I found this out the hard way as well. The shell plate tolerance has a huge effect on the primer seating. Thing must be pretty snug then really really minorly backed off.

 

 

Went and ordered the 650 grand slam upgrade kit. And I hope that will take some slack out of the system.

[CHA-LEE]

13 hours ago, Onikudaki said:

 

 

 

The seating punch/die seems to be tight.

 

I tightened down the shell plate and I think that might have solved my problem.

 

Can the shell plate being too loose have an effect on primer seating?

 

 

 

Just to be clear, you put a wrench on the Gold nut in that picture and verified that it was tight? That gold nut portion is what secures that die to the bottom of the Ram.

[Furrly]

I just replaced mine recently, the spring wore out.. Dillion sent me a new... Wasn't sitting my primers correctly anymore. 

[hello0o0o0o]

I just replaced mine recently, the spring wore out.. Dillion sent me a new... Wasn't sitting my primers correctly anymore. 

How many rounds before the spring wore out?

[Furrly]

4 hours ago, hello0o0o0o said:

How many rounds before the spring wore out?

Around 30k 

[MemphisMechanic]

All of your primers should be driven below flush in order to ensure proper function.

 

With a high primer, the first hit drives the primer into the pocket fully instead of denting it, making the issue look like light strikes if it’s visually inspected.

 

The second strike sets off the freshly seated primer.

 

Inspect all of your loaded ammo by touch, looking for primers which feel flush or high.

 

If you can set the base of round on an absolutely flat surface like a pane of glass, and it rocks back and forth? That’s a round which will be problematic.

 

For one... push harder. Pay attention to how each primer feels when seating it. Raise the handle slowly so you can feel it go in, then PUSH HARD at the end.

[hello0o0o0o]

All of your primers should be driven below flush in order to ensure proper function.
 
With a high primer, the first hit drives the primer into the pocket fully instead of denting it, making the issue look like light strikes if it’s visually inspected.
 
The second strike sets off the freshly seated primer.
 
Inspect all of your loaded ammo by touch, looking for primers which feel flush or high.
 
If you can set the base of round on an absolutely flat surface like a pane of glass, and it rocks back and forth? That’s a round which will be problematic.
 
For one... push harder. Pay attention to how each primer feels when seating it. Raise the handle slowly so you can feel it go in, then PUSH HARD at the end. [emoji106]

To get my primers seated properly I need to push with an insane amount of force.
Like way too hard for the normal action of reloading, which is why I think something else is off in the tolerances... shell plate or assembly etc

[Onikudaki]

On 8/5/2020 at 7:58 AM, CHA-LEE said:

 

Just to be clear, you put a wrench on the Gold nut in that picture and verified that it was tight? That gold nut portion is what secures that die to the bottom of the Ram.

 

Yes, it is tight.

 

I loaded 300 rounds Sunday after tightening down the shell plate and will be testing this weekend.

 

On 8/6/2020 at 1:51 PM, MemphisMechanic said:

All of your primers should be driven below flush in order to ensure proper function.

 

With a high primer, the first hit drives the primer into the pocket fully instead of denting it, making the issue look like light strikes if it’s visually inspected.

 

The second strike sets off the freshly seated primer.

 

Inspect all of your loaded ammo by touch, looking for primers which feel flush or high.

 

If you can set the base of round on an absolutely flat surface like a pane of glass, and it rocks back and forth? That’s a round which will be problematic.

 

For one... push harder. Pay attention to how each primer feels when seating it. Raise the handle slowly so you can feel it go in, then PUSH HARD at the end.

 

Thank you for the insight! Now that the shell plate is tightened back down the rounds are sittings flat on flat surfaces with no rocking back and forth.

 

After I get to the range this weekend I will report back.

 

[hello0o0o0o]

 
Just to be clear, you put a wrench on the Gold nut in that picture and verified that it was tight? That gold nut portion is what secures that die to the bottom of the Ram.

Hmmm. I am interested in that. The gold nut tightens the primer tray or does the tiny Allen key on the spring plunger tighten it?

[CHA-LEE]

11 hours ago, hello0o0o0o said:

Hmmm. I am interested in that. The gold nut tightens the primer tray or does the tiny Allen key on the spring plunger tighten it?

 

The Gold Nut on the Primer Seating die only tightens the Die to the shell plate Ram. There really isn't a seating depth adjustment to the Primer Seating Die. Its either Tight and that puts it at the correct dept, or its loose and it is not deep enough and will cause high primers.

[IHAVEGAS]

https://www.lightinthebox.com/en/p/g09-calipers-0-150mm-light-weight-convenient-measure_p7112116.html?currency=USD&litb_from=bing_shopping&sku=1_47&country_code=us&utm_source=bingshopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=bingshopping&&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campaign=[EN][BSC][LITB][c2619][P%26E](US)(shopping)(L1)&msclkid=231aa3d94a361b23a400fcec14564de3

 

I would buy something a bit nicer, but you do not need to spend much to be able to measure and track primer seating depth. 

[hello0o0o0o]

2 hours ago, CHA-LEE said:

 

The Gold Nut on the Primer Seating die only tightens the Die to the shell plate Ram. There really isn't a seating depth adjustment to the Primer Seating Die. Its either Tight and that puts it at the correct dept, or its loose and it is not deep enough and will cause high primers.

 

Understood!  so what exactly does the tiny allen key do?  Is it to capture the spring?

[Sarge]

19 minutes ago, hello0o0o0o said:

 

Understood!  so what exactly does the tiny allen key do?  Is it to capture the spring?

not one on 650. You talking 750 or 550? There is a set screw on 550 that holds seating punch in place. It fits into a recess. If it comes loose it will not seat deep enough.

[hello0o0o0o]

9 minutes ago, Sarge said:

not one on 650. You talking 750 or 550? There is a set screw on 550 that holds seating punch in place. It fits into a recess. If it comes loose it will not seat deep enough.

 

on the 650, the bottom of the spring, there is a tiny allen key.  I'm not sure what it is for other than capturing the spring.

 

On 8/4/2020 at 9:46 PM, Onikudaki said:

 

 

 

The seating punch/die seems to be tight.

 

I tightened down the shell plate and I think that might have solved my problem.

 

Can the shell plate being too loose have an effect on primer seating?

 

 

The picture posted above, underneath the spring and the bottom black piece.  

 

I just don't know what it's for exactly.

I'll send a picture in a few days when I can.

Edited August 13, 2020 by hello0o0o0o
will add picture

[Sarge]

9 minutes ago, hello0o0o0o said:

 

on the 650, the bottom of the spring, there is a tiny allen key.  I'm not sure what it is for other than capturing the spring.

 

The picture posted above, underneath the spring and the bottom black piece.  

 

I just don't know what it's for exactly.

I'll send a picture in a few days when I can.

Mine has an E clip but no set screw

[hello0o0o0o]

https://imgur.com/a/dVSpZyq

Apologies Sarge, this is a photo of the bottom of my primer plunger.

Just a single small allen key slot

I think it is tightening the spring captured base.

 

On 8/13/2020 at 1:58 PM, Sarge said:

Mine has an E clip but no set screw

 

[Sarge]

Yeah I guess it’s just a design change. 

[Boudreaux78]

I had the same problem with a bunch of my forty ammo. It was caused by high primers and I have a 650. Fixing 450 rounds is not going to be fun, but oh well, not pulling that many rounds.

[Stephen7942]

I am willing to get the shell plate being loose was causing your issues. Hope you got it taken care of!! Happy Shooting!