Primers

[rodnocker1]

I've got a new XL650 and am about to order some supplies. I've been told that there is a certain brand of primer that Dillon warns against using in their XL650. I've done a search but can't find anything about this. Can anyone tell me which one it is or was I misinformed and the "information" just a load of fertilizer?

[AlamoShooter]

Mostly -the Federal primers have a reputaion for being -soft- I have loaded ??? 70,000 ?? federal primers in the past 17 years on several dif presses 550 - 650 and set up friends presses with no problems. with any primer

It is posible if you realy try to screw up to have a problem = and after 17 years I figure I am ripe so I always use safety glasses when I load and load the primer -Toobbeyss-

The Federal primers are only realy worth wile if you plan to shoot a tricked out revolver.

IF you got your 650 from Brian Enos,... you will be protected by the Good Karma

[kevin c]

Federal primers reportedly have softer cups, making them easier to ignite with a very light strike, such as on a ultralight revo trigger job. This supposedly also makes them more prone to going off if you drop a whole tube of primers into the primer magazine of your Dillon. But my info is second hand, since I don't load for revolver and therefore don't use Federal primers.

There are some threads in these forums on this subject. Try searching on Federal primers to read more and draw your own conclusions.

[shred]

Way back when I bought my 650, the only primer Dillon didn't recommend was CCI because there had been some dimensional tolerance issues with them.

[Joe4d]

Ditto on CCI, those were the ones reccommended by Dillon and my local dealer not to use. when I first bought my 550 back in 93ish I had some CCI's they kept jamming inside the tube when I talked to dealer first thing I asked was are the CCI? oddly enough a couple years later I used them and they worked fine. I think a few of them were just barely out of round and once tubes got a little wear they worked. SInce then I have used without a hiccup, Winchester, Magtech, CCI, Remington, and Federal. I buy what is cheapest. Magtechs are a good buy usually a dollar or two cheaper than Winchester and they work the same, Same dent, same standard deviation.

[dajarrel]

Rod,

you will occasionally hear of someone lighting off a whole tube of primers in thier 650. There are a couple of threads floating around these forums on that very topic. Use the search feature.

But I will say that the rumors are true. I (as well as others) have lit off a whole tube. It wasn't the primers fault, I just mauled it with my hammer fist until it just said, 'bang.bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbang" It will get your attention.

Should you not load federals? I still do for light glock loads and primarily revolver.

Run the search and read up on it. OBTW, if you do blast a tube, Dillon won't even studder when you call and tell them what you did. They just put your parts in the mail

FWIW

dj

[Rob Boudrie]

Should you not load federals? I still do for light glock loads and primarily revolver.

Unless you are fortunate enough to have engaged in prudent stockpiling of this stragegic commodity any issue related to the use of Federal primers is almost certainly irrelevant at present - everyone is out, and those who list them on their website turn out to be "out of stock" if you actually try to order.

[XD Niner]

I loaded one box (1000) of Federal primers when I first got my XL650. I had repeated problems including a jam in the primer magazine tube. Dillon of course sent me a new one right away. When I talked with them, the reiterated that they had seen problems with the CCI primers due to sloppy dimensional tolerances. They were now seeing these with Federal as well although not to the same extent. It could be that I just hit a bad batch but I've never experienced anything similar with Winchester after more than 30K of them.

I do, however, have the distinction of having lit off not one but two primer magazines. It was due to a misaligned shell plate. Dillon sent me their patented 50¢ alignment tool and I have not had a single problem since. Just be sure to keep the area around the shell plate and primer disc clear of powder and you should be fine.

You'll be very happy with your XL650. It is an excellent machine and Dillon's no BS warranty and helpful tech service can't be beat. Just make sure you wear safety glasses at all times when reloading.

Edited June 5, 2007 by XD Niner

[Mick]

I use a 1050 instead of a 650 but I'll tell you that lighting off a tube of primers is spectacular!

I use Rem, Fed, Magtech, and mostly Win in the 1050. I WON'T use CCI...

[JFD]

Just avoid CCI and you should be good to go.

[rodnocker1]

Thanks for the responses Guys.

I had done a search on primers and primer warnings but could find nothing specifically stating "Do Not Use brand XXXXX". I also read about the "Fun" to be had when you set one off. OH, BOY!

And yes, I did get my setup from Brian. Definitely a great experience and I'm glad I went through him instead of someone else.

Again, Thanks for the help and I appreciate it.

[ima45dv8]

This looks like a good point to remind all of us that the advice to wear eye protection while reloading should not be taken lightly!

[superdude]

there is no need to avoid CCI primers. When i first got my SDB and later a 650 both had problems seating primers flush. a call to Dillon resulted in advice to avoid CCI primers. well, they didn't seat other brands flush either. so it wasn't the primers, it was how the machine was adjusted. i corrected that and all brand of primers seat just fine.

i've had excellent results with the CCI primers and after some 100,000 CCI primers seated with Dillon presses i think that resolves the primer brand issue with Dillon presses. i also use Federal and Winchester, and Remington. my 650 feeds them all reliably though i have experienced minor problems with the Winchester. i'm sure the post from the next reader will say that she/he has had no problem with Winchester primers but problems with all other brands.

posts from individuals on this website have suggested that some users have problems with brand X but not brands Y and Z. i think it boils down to minor variations in the loading machines (even though they might be the same model) for unknown reasons - minor differences in tolerances between machines and not the primers themselves.

your press might have issues with a brand of primers, but it might not. but i seriously doubt its the primers - its just your particular machine. and that's okay. feed it what it likes.

[dajarrel]

Should you not load federals? I still do for light glock loads and primarily revolver.

Unless you are fortunate enough to have engaged in prudent stockpiling of this stragegic commodity any issue related to the use of Federal primers is almost certainly irrelevant at present - everyone is out...

How true. Through some determined horse-trading, I managed to come up with enough to get me through the summer and the Revolver Nationals in September. Unless I can come up with some more, I'll have to go back to my bottom feeder primered with Winchesters.

dj

[Mooney]

Unless I can come up with some more, I'll have to go back to my bottom feeder primered with Winchesters.

dj

Just say NO! tighten the strain screw a bit and see if the newer Winchesters (reportedly softer) will go off.... we can't lose one of our own!

Luckily, through the foresight of my area director (Thanks Rob!) I had heard of the previous Great Primer Shortage and managed to get my hands on many of the elusive little buggers....

[g56]

I used to shoot PPC and loaded tens of thousands of Federal primers on my 550, they were the only primer that would work reliably in my PPC revolver, it had been set up for Federal primers only. The only time I had a problem with primers in the loading tube was with some Winchester small pistol which I have been loading for everything else since Federals are so hard to find. I found ONE Winchester small pistol primer with a burr on it, so even that is pretty rare since I've run through a lot of those without any problems.