RudyVey Posted October 27, 2022 Share Posted October 27, 2022 13 minutes ago, Farmer said: Don’t know if it’ll help but when I sort brass I set up several boxes or plastic tubs for each headstamp. I put a name tag on each and just sit back and toss them in the appropriate tub. Usually I’ll have a WW, Fed, RP or whatever is the majority tagged tub, and then one that’s miscellaneous. Later I can sort the misc into sub groups if there’s enough or a good headstamp, ie Starline, Speer, ect. Once you get rolling it goes pretty quick and you can even watch TV while sorting although that slows things down. That's what I do: three tubs to sort them pretty much like you do. FED,WIN and RP goes in one; Blazer, Speer, Fiocchi, PMC in the second one, and in the third one goes the brass i do not care to loose (Aguila, CBC, S+B, PPU, NNY and all the other odd stuff). And the rest goes to the recycling bin...like all the stepped stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 14, 2022 Author Share Posted November 14, 2022 On 10/27/2022 at 3:25 PM, Farmer said: although that slows things down. couldn't slow it down much more than it already is. Hands are a mess after reconstructive surgery a few years back. it is tiny manipulation that suffers. so picking up a couple-4 cases at a time is a bottle neck. I check headstamp and caliber. sort as follows( since I know which cases easily reload) one tub has Win, FC, Blazer, S+b 9x19, Speer. another is a tub f cases that will probably reload fine : R-P, USa,cbc, cfl.. the rest is taken to my range so they can turn them in for the $$ they get for brass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 14, 2022 Author Share Posted November 14, 2022 finally had a chance to reload with the sorted brass. I was doing fine--about 100 rounds/ 20 minutes. then Murphys law kicked in. couple of small issues cropped up and slowed me down to 200 rounds a hour. the thrill of loading 100 safe round/20 min was a treat. looking forward to hitting those #s again..hopefully still better than 150 rounds per hour and many stoppages per session Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomstick303 Posted November 14, 2022 Share Posted November 14, 2022 (edited) On 10/27/2022 at 1:42 PM, RudyVey said: S+B, PPU, Just curious, why do you treat S&B and PPU like stepped brass? I have not found any issue loading this brass. Edited November 14, 2022 by Boomstick303 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyVey Posted November 14, 2022 Share Posted November 14, 2022 40 minutes ago, Boomstick303 said: Just curious, why do you treat S&B and PPU like stepped brass? I have not found any issue loading this brass. Just do not like them, that's all. No special reasoning. S&B can be sometimes harder to resize, at least that's what I feel on my 550. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomstick303 Posted November 14, 2022 Share Posted November 14, 2022 2 minutes ago, RudyVey said: S&B can be sometimes harder to resize, Interesting, I will have to pay more attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer Posted November 14, 2022 Share Posted November 14, 2022 10 hours ago, boatdoc173 said: finally had a chance to reload with the sorted brass. I was doing fine--about 100 rounds/ 20 minutes. then Murphys law kicked in. couple of small issues cropped up and slowed me down to 200 rounds a hour. the thrill of loading 100 safe round/20 min was a treat. looking forward to hitting those #s again..hopefully still better than 150 rounds per hour and many stoppages per session Sort of like the first time a guy goes from a single stage to a progressive. You pull, pull, pull and go, holy crap that was a quick 100! For me 9mm is the smallest I’d ever go. I started my loading career with 38spec, 45 Colt and 45 ACP and those are easy. Can’t imagine loading 25 acp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer Posted November 14, 2022 Share Posted November 14, 2022 7 hours ago, Boomstick303 said: Interesting, I will have to pay more attention. I have noticed that on my turret press, also nny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 21, 2022 Author Share Posted November 21, 2022 (edited) my hands and back are messed up. I have a disability rating of 30% for the right hand alone. The following observations are due to my hands not being 100% where I am now: update. having fixed most of the issues presented during depriming and case shaping( primer system>) as I manually reload on the 550c, I have noted the following 2-3 seconds to place a case in station #1 2-3 seconds to place a bullet in station #2 3-4 seconds to operate the reloader. I am able to make 5-6 rounds/minute (IF no problems present to slow me down). I have had only 1 problem free session making 100 rounds in 20 minutes. in the past 3 weeks manual indexing has allowed me to catch little issue s before they become bigger. sure it costs me a bit of time, but I do not waste primers or crush cases and my rounds are safe to use considering case and bullet feeders to speed things up. case feeder is most important,I think. This is because some cases are a bit tough to size and the case moves as I reload. I must them stop,push the case back into position to prime. I am guessing a case feeder will hold the cases in place and eliminate the need to reposition them( which adds time to my loading process ) I load 15,000 rounds each winter. I like reloading but would prefer spending less time doing it. 2 hours or more to make 400 rounds is a bit tiresome. Edited November 21, 2022 by boatdoc173 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted November 21, 2022 Share Posted November 21, 2022 5 hours ago, boatdoc173 said: my hands and back are messed up. I have a disability rating of 30% for the right hand alone. The following observations are due to my hands not being 100% where I am now: update. having fixed most of the issues presented during depriming and case shaping( primer system>) as I manually reload on the 550c, I have noted the following 2-3 seconds to place a case in station #1 2-3 seconds to place a bullet in station #2 3-4 seconds to operate the reloader. I am able to make 5-6 rounds/minute (IF no problems present to slow me down). I have had only 1 problem free session making 100 rounds in 20 minutes. in the past 3 weeks manual indexing has allowed me to catch little issue s before they become bigger. sure it costs me a bit of time, but I do not waste primers or crush cases and my rounds are safe to use considering case and bullet feeders to speed things up. case feeder is most important,I think. This is because some cases are a bit tough to size and the case moves as I reload. I must them stop,push the case back into position to prime. I am guessing a case feeder will hold the cases in place and eliminate the need to reposition them( which adds time to my loading process ) I load 15,000 rounds each winter. I like reloading but would prefer spending less time doing it. 2 hours or more to make 400 rounds is a bit tiresome. The case should not move as you resize it. You possibly need to adjust the paperclip case holder to hold the case better. A case feder is just that, a case feeder. It is NOT going to hold the case in any way in the reloading process. It will speed you up, but only because you are not having to manually set the case...you will still have the reposition problem that you mentioned. Also, if you aren't using a case lube, I highly recommend starting. It will make resizing much easier. I'm still lost as to why it takes you so long to set a piece of brass and a bullet. You should be trying to set a bullet head on a case and setting a case at the same time. Are you sure you have the right shellplate in the press for the case you are loading? Is the shellplate tightened down to the ram properly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 22, 2022 Author Share Posted November 22, 2022 (edited) @grumpyone-- thanks for the suggestion.The paper clip would help I guess but it adds to what I need to do to reload a round(one mor e thing to manipulate). the reason it takes 2-3 seconds to place a bullet or place an empty case is that my hands lose dexterity ( fine manipulation) due to surgical reconstruction of one hand and overus e of the other. gets worse as time reloading passes each session It is the best I can do to pick up a case or bullet and get it where it needs to be to reload in 2-3 seconds for each ye s my shell plate is correct and tightened down properly I do use one -shot to reload and that lube makes a huge difference for sure. I am on board with case lube. case lube is the best for me. tried other lanolin products bu they seem to be a bit sticky thanks for the reply happy thanksgiving Edited November 22, 2022 by boatdoc173 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddc Posted November 22, 2022 Share Posted November 22, 2022 I realize you are committed to the 550 which will do everything you need it to do. The thought occurs to me that with your limitations a 650 with a bullet feeder would take care of a lot of dexterity related issues. It would change your reloading session into semi-mindless lever pulls. Yeah, it's not quite that easy but you get my drift... If you are slow and methodical, which it appears you, are then a auto-indexing full progressive can be very safe and in some ways is safer than a manual machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 22, 2022 Author Share Posted November 22, 2022 funny that you brought that up @ddc. I have my eyes out for a lightly used 650 or might go with a 750xl. I wa s looking into a case feeder for the 550 but I am a bit confused as to the stations. the manual discusses using station #1` for a powder drop. I am still trying to figure out what station the primers are loaded and how a 4 station loader can use a case feeder. Obviously Dillon had this figured out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyVey Posted November 22, 2022 Share Posted November 22, 2022 2 hours ago, boatdoc173 said: funny that you brought that up @ddc. I have my eyes out for a lightly used 650 or might go with a 750xl. I wa s looking into a case feeder for the 550 but I am a bit confused as to the stations. the manual discusses using station #1` for a powder drop. I am still trying to figure out what station the primers are loaded and how a 4 station loader can use a case feeder. Obviously Dillon had this figured out Forget the casefeeder for the 550. I have one, the DAA, and took it off after a few weeks. Was great for 357 mag, but slowed me down with 9 mm. You always have to look that the case is properly aligned in shellplate and not tipping, and it was a pita every time to make sure that was the case (pun intended), and often I needed my fingers to clear things. Took it off and be back to my normal speed. I can do easily 500 rounds an hour, and have done this. But, I do enjoy reloading and it relaxes me, so if I do 400 I am happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 22, 2022 Author Share Posted November 22, 2022 thanks for the insight @RudyVey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 (edited) those who want to know why I load slower than others and hesitate to move up from a 550c. here is what my reloading session was like today: started out loading 1 round every 10-12 seconds for the first 150 rounds,THEN the primers( ginex which usually work fine in my press although can be a bit tight sometimes in some cases) stopped dropping with every pull. . stopped reloading. found a couple of loos eprimers near the primer slide but not in it. took the primer section down, cleaned it and reinstalled the retaining screws "just right" reloading again @ 10-12 seconds/ round. couple of primers did not seat deep enough, put thos e rounds aside for hand priming. continue d to reload until...the undersized depriming pin pulle d out in a case. had to get the pin out of the case and put in back in place. reloading starts again. 400 rou nds in 90 minutes+ 20 minutes of down times with disruptions. I have had very, very few trouble free and smooth reloading session sin almost 3 years due to days like this. The primer section of this press is a constant problem to me. when it works right--all is well and I can enjoy reloading. Most of the time, I spend part of my session cleaning, reinstalling the primer section as alignment and primer drops are off. imaging if I had a 750 or 1100 with auto indexing( not the ability to just rotate the shell plate a sI need to in order to clean things when they go wrong. I am exhausted happy thanksgiving to all Edited November 23, 2022 by boatdoc173 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HesedTech Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 21 hours ago, RudyVey said: Forget the casefeeder for the 550. I have one, the DAA, and took it off after a few weeks. Haven't used it for 9MM, but for 223 and 40SW it works great for me. Yes an occasional adjustment but speeds up the process by at least 2Xs On 11/22/2022 at 10:24 AM, boatdoc173 said: I wa s looking into a case feeder for the 550 but I am a bit confused as to the stations. No difference in station die set up. All it does is feed the case instead of you hand inserting it. Now if you add a bullet feeder in station 3 you will need a combo seating and crimping die in station 4. he only problem with this setup is one can't load coated bullets. No matter what is posted the crimping scrape off some coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddc Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 (edited) 55 minutes ago, boatdoc173 said: those who want to know why I load slower than others and hesitate to move up from a 550c. here is what my reloading session was like today: started out loading 1 round every 10-12 seconds for the first 150 rounds,THEN the primers( ginex which usually work fine in my press although can be a bit tight sometimes in some cases) stopped dropping with every pull. . stopped reloading. found a couple of loos eprimers near the primer slide but not in it. took the primer section down, cleaned it and reinstalled the retaining screws "just right" reloading again @ 10-12 seconds/ round. couple of primers did not seat deep enough, put thos e rounds aside for hand priming. continue d to reload until...the undersized depriming pin pulle d out in a case. had to get the pin out of the case and put in back in place. reloading starts again. 400 rou nds in 90 minutes+ 20 minutes of down times with disruptions. I have had very, very few trouble free and smooth reloading session sin almost 3 years due to days like this. The primer section of this press is a constant problem to me. when it works right--all is well and I can enjoy reloading. Most of the time, I spend part of my session cleaning, reinstalling the primer section as alignment and primer drops are off. imaging if I had a 750 or 1100 with auto indexing( not the ability to just rotate the shell plate a sI need to in order to clean things when they go wrong. I am exhausted happy thanksgiving to all I can see why you are tired, lol... IMHO you are having significantly more issues than are typically experienced. I realize I am probably stating the obvious but the majority of your issues, other than due to physical limitations, are due to operating a machine that has at least one or probably more than one issue Whether it is a problem with machine setup, cleaning, lubrication, something is broke or out of spec, incorrect parts... whatever.. no way to know. But until that machine gets squared away nothing is going to change and you will continue to be very frustrated. That is not the way it is supposed to work. These machines can be finicky but 90+% of the time there is a path to an eventual solution. Would it be possible to find someone in your local shooting/reloading community who could come over and help you debug this? Edited November 23, 2022 by ddc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 (edited) @ddc. wish I had a buddy who could have helped day 1. seems that the op rod was out of spec and I did not know it. so the primer towers screws loosened and tightened due to the excess torque of reloading and priming . LOTS of issues due to that. finally realized that the op rod was a culprit and the new one works FAR better than the first. had a few r eally great sessions of reloading without priming issues until today. not sure why the primers did not drop. On ce I cleaned and reassembled the primer station, all was well and I was able to reload without issue for the last 150 rounds. all is good , until it is not. There were no spent primers or other debris that would block the primer sklide froma llowing a primer to drop. Not much to clean when I strip down the primer section. it seems to be an alignment issu e. when a primer doe s not drop, I can pull the handle moving the slide into position to accept a primer and give it a wiggle to drop a primer. so odd!! with the new guide rod, I have a smooth primer slide with very very little torque seen. YES it made a huge difference. NO ONE discussed the op rod as a potential issue until recently.( and I did mention excessive torque when seeking help). live and learn Edited November 23, 2022 by boatdoc173 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 24, 2022 Author Share Posted November 24, 2022 your bring up a good point @ddc. a new op rod for the primer slide sure made my priming issues better. I am haunted by todays incident. I am wondering if the length of time I used the reloader with a ba d op rod( which wa s o ver torquing the primer slide and required constantly needing to remove, reinstall and properly tighten the primer section and the primer tower bolts) has left the primer tower bolt holes damaged. I need to get dillon to review the primer tower and the bolt holes. as we all know, these bolts determine the proper functioning of the priming section( alignment of the slide is key). even though I secure the bolts by locking the threads which has eliminated most of my priming issues, something is amiss still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddc Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 2 hours ago, boatdoc173 said: your bring up a good point @ddc. a new op rod for the primer slide sure made my priming issues better. I am haunted by todays incident. I am wondering if the length of time I used the reloader with a ba d op rod( which wa s o ver torquing the primer slide and required constantly needing to remove, reinstall and properly tighten the primer section and the primer tower bolts) has left the primer tower bolt holes damaged. I need to get dillon to review the primer tower and the bolt holes. as we all know, these bolts determine the proper functioning of the priming section( alignment of the slide is key). even though I secure the bolts by locking the threads which has eliminated most of my priming issues, something is amiss still. Not exactly your scenario because I have an 1100 but I have removed/reinstalled the primer mechanism numerous times over the past couple years. Whenever I do a deep cleaning of the top end I take the primer mechanism off and detail clean it also. I have noticed no undue wear or any issues with that level of activity. I'd guess close to ten times give or take... Same thing with my 650. I believe as long as care is taken with when assembling and using clean and lubricated bolts there shouldn't be a problem. Again not the same scenario but the commercial guys using 1050/1100 machines have to be doing this on a regular basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 24, 2022 Author Share Posted November 24, 2022 (edited) interesting update. while waiting to speak to dillon, it dawned on me that I could swap out the primer assembly--sans slide--with my other 55oc that I use for LP 45 acp. did just that, perfect op rod, primer assembly i ncluding tower all meshed well and I produced 1000 rounds without any hang ups due to my machine. I will monitor this and discuss the issue with dillon. Now I believe that I need a primer tower as it appears the bolt holes must not be snug enough on the " damaged" primer tower. just enough slack must be present to allow the primer slide to not be properly aligned as it should be. maybe some enjoyable reloading of 9mm is in my future;) Edited November 24, 2022 by boatdoc173 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatdoc173 Posted November 28, 2022 Author Share Posted November 28, 2022 happiness isa properly functioningloader and far less frustration 250-300 rounds/hour is in sight. primers loading and priming. frustration melted away dillon is replacing the op rod and primer tower ( which was damaged due to the primer slide torque for so many months). makes me glad I went with dillon. their warranty is priceless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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