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Dillon Machine Modifications


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Your not a smart-aleck. It would be nice for people to share what they did to there presses from aftermarket parts to Rube Goldberg upgrades. So At least your following it.

The only aftermarket parts I put on the presses is the shellplate bearing and I got rid of the failsafe rod and am using springs, and a Lee Auto Drum powder measure (for tubular powders).

The other stuff I did was  3D printed parts that I am using Spill Stops, Powder Measure stands, Die Nuts, a Powder Checker that I did an interesting mod to, Case Feed Stop (That I stooped using) and a primer stop, Bullet Dropper that works but I am not using.

The other upgrades are, My own LED lighting (before the aftermarket guys got into it), a simple case feed stop, Rare Earth magnet on the drop tube to stop steel cases. I had a tool head mounted camera to watch all the stations of the press (550)

I will have to post pictures of all of it.

I hope others will chime in on there mods.

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I think everyone wants improved presses.
the price is an impediment.

 
A ten holer costs more for the extra dies if nothing else

 

I have a 650 and It makes 9mm ammo like a dream.
what can improve that?  a bullet feeder?
an exit ramp that fills ammo boxes all nose up?
a priming system that stops a primer pop from blowing the rest?
an oiler? you would want all that before you automated it...

 

For rifle brass prep, I'd love a one press pass solution
and I can't see any good way to do primer pocket swaging.

buuuuut primer stop feed and a case stop feed can be rather helpful.
I use screwdrivers, and so I have not purchased another solution.

 

I think a small and bright battery powered lamp in the toolhead center
is the one improvement everyone could use.

miranda

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The only thing I've done to my 550B over all the years (20+) I've used it is replace the primer slide shim plate with an extended one with a bearing and I did that just recently when I started having issues with the primer slide sticking.

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15 hours ago, 392heminut said:

The only thing I've done to my 550B over all the years (20+) I've used it is replace the primer slide shim plate with an extended one with a bearing and I did that just recently when I started having issues with the primer slide sticking.

yeh I got one of them,, didnt really do much good, was still having constant primer issues,, found the problem to be Winchester primers.  Not on any more.. I think I have the bearing upgraded shell plate rotatator, again,, meh, I wouldn tbuy it again.
Made some mods to the strongback mount to hang a loaded round catch bin, and a new bullet bin.. Basically about same as dillon sells, although mine were made from scraps I had laying around.
Only other aftermarket part I have used on my Dillon 550 that I think is really a cool up grade is wire eyelets on the locator buttons,, makes handling them, and finding them when you drop them much easier.

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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Joe4d said:


Only other aftermarket part I have used on my Dillon 550 that I think is really a cool up grade is wire eyelets on the locator buttons,, makes handling them, and finding them when you drop them much easier.

Sounds interesting! Got a pic of that? I've got fat fingers and they're half numb from all the crap I've put them through over the years and I don't do so well handling those locator buttons.🤣

Edited by 392heminut
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Here are some of my mods to my 750.

Shown in the picture are the 3D printed spill stops used for 9mm. They work.

On the case insert slide top is a piece of Kytex that if a a 38 Super or 38 Supercomp piece of brass drops stops it from being inserted into the shell plate.

The lights are just some LED strip that I glued 2 strips on the back side an 1 in the front

 

750 1.jpg

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More mods.

Powder check is 3d printed. With an IR Infrared Obstacle Avoidance Sensor.

If the case is charged the lights turn off so I expect that. if they stay on i check the case to see if its empty.

I dont worry about double charges because when I pace the bullet on the case mouth you can see it plain as day.

 

 

 

750 2.jpg

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OK here is where it get interesting.

If you look at the press handle you see a red push button.

and on the frame left side of the picture a small copper tube. Press the button and if blows air on the primer slide as

it retreating to get a new primer.

I am still tweaking this stuff.

I plan ob putting the air burst on the 550 because there is where the chance of crap getting into the primer cup is mos likely. Especially with LG primers.

 

7503.thumb.jpg.b70affd7e5e86a0b10750c5ec786dccf.jpg

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One other thing i did was a case stop.

I had 3D printed one but it was trashing the case insert cam.

So I drilled an taped the case feed adapter and inserted a nylon screw that stops the cases from dropping.

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12 hours ago, ekraus said:

One other thing i did was a case stop.

I had 3D printed one but it was trashing the case insert cam.

So I drilled an taped the case feed adapter and inserted a nylon screw that stops the cases from dropping.

I just stick a .223 case in there.

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now now YSRacer,

people want to look cool while making ammo.

unless you have painted the 223 case metal flake blue

everyone will think it a lost bit of brass in the pride of ownership photos.

 

I have this idea for a rotating bullet feeder at station 4

and I do not want a drab MDF plate to carry the bullets.

... course it would be nice if it worked.

so I'll sit down now.

 

:--D

 

miranda

 

 

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10 hours ago, ysrracer said:

I just stick a .223 case in there.

I use pistol brass (nearly anything from 9 to 45 works) to do the same thing on 1050s, yet people still sell and make a raft of hooks and gizmos to do the same job.

 

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On 5/8/2024 at 11:40 PM, ysrracer said:

I just stick a .223 case in there.

One sure love to see me a picture so one can understand as to where to locate said sporting rifle bullet casing. 

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18 minutes ago, Sigarmsp226 said:

One sure love to see me a picture so one can understand as to where to locate said sporting rifle bullet casing. 

 

I don't want too get to technical, but push in the thingy, then place in front of it.

 

(I'll take a picture later today)

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1 hour ago, ekraus said:

IMG_20240512_104731_MP.jpg

 

No, you push in A, then slip a case in where B is. It keeps A from going back to pick up another case.

 

 

Screenshot_20240512-085739_1.png

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Posted (edited)

The 223 case works fine.

Doesn't drop down to the shell plate.

Drop your last case you want to process put the 223 brass in A and your done.

 

Edited by ekraus
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