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Dillion rl1100 with mark 7 auto drive


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Has anyone had any problems setting up a rl1100 with mark 7 auto drive . I am trying to load 9mm and I am having nothing but problems with this unit . It’s only a month old . I keep getting rounds jamming at the end where it hits the ejector finger. I’ve tried diff setting on the controller as far as dwell time , index speed , etc . If I knew how to post a video I would . Also any suggestions on fixing their primer system ? 

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I dont have one yet. Have you tried running a single case through to confirm its the ejection finger that's the issue. My finger required a little tweeking to get it to run perfect without the mark 7. you can loosen the hardware and move it

 

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25 minutes ago, Broke82 said:

Has anyone had any problems setting up a rl1100 with mark 7 auto drive . I am trying to load 9mm and I am having nothing but problems with this unit . It’s only a month old . I keep getting rounds jamming at the end where it hits the ejector finger. I’ve tried diff setting on the controller as far as dwell time , index speed , etc . If I knew how to post a video I would . Also any suggestions on fixing their primer system ? 

As mentioned, I would highly recommend setting up the RL1100 to perfection running it MANUALLY, then add the autodrive!

 

Also, do your research:

 

https://www.dillonprecision.com/rl1100-product-videos.html

 

https://www.youtube.com/@Mark7Reloading

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Mark7Reloaders

 

Good luck!

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If you have not ran that press manually for sometime I highly recommend operating it for awhile manually before automating it.  This allows you to identify issues and work them out 1 by 1 until you can load say like 1000 rounds error free at one sitting.  

 

As far as the issues you are describing I had to tweak/bend the shell ejector after station 8 slightly towards the crimp die.  Do not tweak it too much or you will crush the shell ejector.

 

We have no idea what to help you fix with the priming system because you have not given any detail on what it is doing.  

 

Much of the priming system issues have to do with the height of that clamp that holds the priming system in place.  This clamp is clamped to the armored primer case above the tool head.

 

In the thread linked below the 1050 is discussed but as I understand it the linkage is similar on the 1100.  Here is an excellent thread from this forum that might help.

 

 

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I ran it manually for about 1k 223 before switching to 9mm and then auto drive . I’ve figured I’ve been doing reloading for almost 15 years how bad can this new system be . I think you’re right in going back to manual for awhile and going one by one . I’ll give it a try 

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2 hours ago, Broke82 said:

I keep getting rounds jamming at the end where it hits the ejector finger

I assume you have the plastic tabs for the station guide pins (#3 for 9mm) installed. If so remove the tab from the final station. I have found that sometimes the tab will get in the way.

 

Make sure the ejector tab is clean with no rough edges.

 

The ejector can be bent with a little more angle to help the case start ejecting a little sooner.

 

Also dwell time really won't help. 

 

The RL1100 has a different shell plate advance than the 1050 so make sure it is advancing smoothly and stops correctly at whatever speeds you are loading at. 

 

 

Edited by HesedTech
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23 hours ago, Broke82 said:

I am gonna try bending the ejector and cleaning the little groves in the shell plate 

 

I had to bend the ejector slightly to run automated.

 

And just to pile on... sorry! ... as others have indicated error free manual operation is mandatory before turning on the automation.

 

1 problem per 1000 rounds was mentioned. I think that is a good goal. Any more frequent than that and you will start wondering if automation is really worth it.

 

Also: I'm not familiar with the Mark 7 as I am using an Ammobot but assuming some similarity with indexing issues...

Make sure your indexing is adjusted exactly; if not you will have nothing but trouble.

 

For the Ammobot you need to ensure that the shell plated snaps firmly into position due to the indexing lever travel and not just because the indexing ball pulls it the last little bit into the proper position or because the index pin needs to do the same. If there is any movement of the shell plate when the index pin comes down then figure out why and fix it.

 

This all presumes that the Mark 7 behaves similarly. I don't know if it does or doesn't.

 

As far as priming system problems are concerned: This is a RL1100 problem; not an automation problem.

 

1050/1100 priming system issues are widely discussed and a bit of Googling will turn up things to look at.

Number one is make sure the knurled knob at the top of the primer stack is not too tight. I run mine loose enough to rotate a little back and forth as the machine goes through its motions.

Check the condition of the plastic tip at the bottom of the primer tube.

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On 8/24/2023 at 7:00 AM, Broke82 said:

Also any suggestions on fixing their primer system ? 

What needs to be fixed? After some minor tuning, and I use the FWA Prime Time now, it works just fine at 1600 RPH. 
 

What did I tune? Polish both sides of shuttle, polish primer hole, clean and smooth the slot the shuttle runs in. Some brands of primers require a 45 case on the magazine follower and others don’t. The clue is if you are getting flipped primers there is too much pressure on the primer stack because of the weighted follower. 
 

That’s pretty much it for both the 1050 and 1100, except 1100 has an adjustable shuttle stop. 
 

Tuning means a bit of experimenting until mostly perfect. 

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One of the few problems I did find was the metal bushing that the swage rod goes through was sticking up very slightly. Causing the shell plate not to rotate correctly. The second one was the ejector was bent too much and was hitting my crimp die which in turn pushed the ejector down hitting the shell plate causing it not to rotate fully. Lessons learned . I did remove the mark 7 . 

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25 minutes ago, Broke82 said:

Sorry for late response, I polished everything for the primer slide and was working great . Then I decided to add a little grease to it . That seems to be the problem. 

Yeah, don't grease that.  Not only is grease not real good for primers, any powder flakes get in there and it's hassle-city.

 

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1 hour ago, Broke82 said:

I did remove the mark 7 . 

Why?

 

Those are easy fixes. 
 

You, as many others, have found reloading isn’t just setting up the press, throwing brass, primers, powder and bullets in the appropriate places and then perfect finished ammo spits out. 
 

Everything requires tuning and tweaking to make it work well. And anytime one thing or consumable is changed then more tuning is required. For example I found some brands of primers require a bit more weight on the follower than others to feed well.

 

I always tell people starting their reloading journey that it’s a hobby by itself. 
 

Enjoy

Edited by HesedTech
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3 hours ago, Broke82 said:

It was easier for me to operate the machine with the handle so I can see what’s going on and work out all the problems. I will be putting it back on but I am gonna load about 2-3k before I do . 

 

At least 2-3k... lol...

 

And in my experience the primer shuttle is best run dry or with a very minute amount of a dry lube.

I've done it both ways. If there is any question run just run it dry.

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17 hours ago, Broke82 said:

Sorry for late response, I polished everything for the primer slide and was working great . Then I decided to add a little grease to it . That seems to be the problem. 

Grease to slide is bad. 

If you have the funds get this and it will smooth out the primer shuttle movement.

 

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1 hour ago, Broke82 said:

Looks pretty interesting, how are there products? On their website now . Shell plates look nice 

In my limited experiences with Will/FW Arms, their products and Customer Support are EXCELLENT!

 

Lots of satisfied users in personal and commercial loading situations.

 

👍

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  • 2 weeks later...

Loaded 100 rounds with the FW priming system and I gotta say it's great. Very nicely machined and very well engineered. Easy to install, took about 10 minutes. It is more solid and simpler than the Dillon priming system. In fact don't tell the FW folks but I'd say it's over engineered. Very sturdy. Best aftermarket product I've purchased for the 1100. The only downside, and it's a minor one, is that the roller that the primer lever indexes on will have to be moved from tool head to tool, takes a minute or two, or you could buy extras for $25 or so for your various tool heads. It seems, at this early stage, that it will not suffer from the idiosyncrasies of the aggravating Dillon lever system.

I was loading .40  pistol ammo and found no interference issues with the powder funnel. 

 

Edited by midatlantic
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