Xl650 Problems

[penman53]

I have owned my XL650 (used) for only a month and have loaded a lot of ammo with it already. When it works it is great but when it breaks it is frustrating.

I bought the reloader used and when I first started using it the indexer ring broke. I called Dillon and they sent me a new one. No problem right, I talked to Dillon to make sure that the machine was right and even had a Grand Master come over and look it over. All is well again.

Guess what last Saturday night, I broke another indexer ring, same place just like before. I call Dillon they told me that I didn't have th set screw set on the turret. But I did, they told me that since it is brass tipped it sometimes wears out and causes the shell plate to tighten as you cycle the reloader.

So I am waiting for a new indexer ring, pawl and pawl spring and of course a new screw. But I am out of ammo and sitting on my hands.

I think with all of the automation comes a lot of frustration in my opinion.

'

Can anyone offer me a solution to the breaking ring indexer. Everyone I know has never had one break.

Thanks, Mark

[Kevinj]

I have owned my XL650 (used) for only a month and have loaded a lot of ammo with it already. When it works it is great but when it breaks it is frustrating.

I bought the reloader used and when I first started using it the indexer ring broke. I called Dillon and they sent me a new one. No problem right, I talked to Dillon to make sure that the machine was right and even had a Grand Master come over and look it over. All is well again.

Guess what last Saturday night, I broke another indexer ring, same place just like before. I call Dillon they told me that I didn't have th set screw set on the turret. But I did, they told me that since it is brass tipped it sometimes wears out and causes the shell plate to tighten as you cycle the reloader.

So I am waiting for a new indexer ring, pawl and pawl spring and of course a new screw. But I am out of ammo and sitting on my hands.

I think with all of the automation comes a lot of frustration in my opinion.

'

Can anyone offer me a solution to the breaking ring indexer. Everyone I know has never had one break.

Thanks, Mark

I have not broken any parts either but I have the spare parts kit on the bench ! If you have the spare the part it will not fail.

[firematt100]

I broke the same part. Dillon sent me one in a few days. I now keep an extra on hand incase it happens again. I fond that it was partly my fault.... You have to apply more force than normal to break the ring. As it tightend down I just kept pulling harder. It was a reminder to pay closer attention to what I doing. Sometimes you get in a grove and just keep pulling. Hope this helps.

Matt

[ihatepickles]

Knock on wood, I've loaded 30,000 rounds on my 650 without a broken part. Still, it's a machine and machines will break even with perfect setup and maintenance. A spare parts kit will keep you moving when things break and you're waiting on Dillon to send free replacements.

[dillon]

FWIW, you can still load on your 650 without the ring indexer by manually rotating the shellplate, as with the RL550B. this way you don't run out of ammo. Another possible cause for breaking the ring indexer is if a primer doesn't get fully seated into a case, it can lock up everything. Forcing the handle will then fracture the ring. Another item to check is the primer seating punch. Be sure it is fully threaded up into the underside of the platform, and that when at rest, the primer punch is somewhere between flush to .020" below flush with the top of the bushing.

[Rico567]

I am another of those who has loaded thousands on a 650 and never broken a part. There is a large "but" to this, however. It relates to the fact that progressive reloading is a very different animal than reloading with single-stage or turret presses. I know that there are people who encourage newcomers to jump right in to progressives, but I don't attend that particular church. Unless you have some technical aptitude or background to start with, the multiple operations that progressives perform with every pull of the handle can quickly lead to confusion and problems.

I had been reloading with several types of progressives for 25 years before I ever bought the Dillon, and I learned a long time ago that progressives have a speed range that they "like." Stay within that speed range, and all goes smoothly; get outside the envelope, particularly when trying to go too fast, and you've got problems.

The other thing about progressives is harder to describe. It consists in developing a "feel" as you operate the press- that it's operating corrrectly, and an ability to STOP immediately if something has gone wrong. If you develop this ability to STOP, usually whatever is going on can be corrected quite quickly and readily, and you can resume loading. If you don't, and force the handle in any way, it will result in a spillage, breakage, or other kind of stoppage that will take far longer to resolve.