Cavediver Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 Hi all, I bought a used SDB this week. While looking things over today, I found there's no "follower rod" for the primer magazine. Is that something that's used only with the primer warning system? If I need one, is there an easy home fix, or is this a part I need to order? I'm sure this is a pretty silly question, but this is my first experience with magazine tube priming systems. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFD Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 (edited) You need the rod. Call or e-mail Dillon and they should send you one. The low primer alarm will not function without the rod. Edited to say: It's not a silly question. Edited August 16, 2007 by JFD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 The old sd did not have a warning system,I made one out of a welding rod cut to lenth that showed me I had about four primers left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavediver Posted August 16, 2007 Author Share Posted August 16, 2007 Thanks guys. I meant to say that I do not have the warning system (yet). I'll set one up for now and order the alarm next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 You can get by without it if the tube is nearly full but the extra weight of the rod keeps the primers flowing smoothly, for that purpose any rod like the above mentioned welding rod would work, I wouldnt imagine Dillon would charge very much for one especially if you are ordering the warning buzzer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dillon Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 If you order the low primer alarm, the follower rod is included with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavediver Posted August 16, 2007 Author Share Posted August 16, 2007 If you order the low primer alarm, the follower rod is included with it. Indeed it is. I called today and talked with a service rep. I ordered a couple of pieces-n-parts including the alarm, plus a couple of springs and a powder clamp assembly (under warranty). He (the dillon rep) shared a few reloading tips as well. Then he talked me into another manual and some case lube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Cavediver, I got tired of my plastic rod on my 550 not having enough weight to keep the primers flowing smoothly so I made my own rod out of a small threaded rod, a nylon lock nut (for the warning system) and then for weight, I drilled and tapped a .45 ACP case with no powder in it to screw on top. Looks pretty cool also. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregory Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 If you order the low primer alarm, the follower rod is included with it. Indeed it is. I called today and talked with a service rep. I ordered a couple of pieces-n-parts including the alarm, plus a couple of springs and a powder clamp assembly (under warranty). He (the dillon rep) shared a few reloading tips as well. Then he talked me into another manual and some case lube Curious why he would suggest some case lube....stb dies are carbide dies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dillon Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Like everything else in life, a bit of lubrication makes everything run faster and smoother. It is not mandatory to lube pistol brass when using carbide dies, however it requires less effort to size, and therefore you produce more rounds per hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHolsted Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Cavediver,I got tired of my plastic rod on my 550 not having enough weight to keep the primers flowing smoothly so I made my own rod out of a small threaded rod, a nylon lock nut (for the warning system) and then for weight, I drilled and tapped a .45 ACP case with no powder in it to screw on top. Looks pretty cool also. Chris I was having the same problem so I just taped a 45 200gr RN on top of mine. It was almost the same size as the top of the Dillon primer rod so it works pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ampleworks Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 Yeah a 45 case works good especially one that is slightly stretched, you don't even have to tape it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sig2009 Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Cavediver,I got tired of my plastic rod on my 550 not having enough weight to keep the primers flowing smoothly so I made my own rod out of a small threaded rod, a nylon lock nut (for the warning system) and then for weight, I drilled and tapped a .45 ACP case with no powder in it to screw on top. Looks pretty cool also. Chris I tried this and it works great. The 45 case is just wide enouth to slip over the 1st ring on the rod. Didn't have to screw it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMBOxford Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 I found a 17 cal. cleaning rod cut to length works great, the brad I used had a blue handle so it matched nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ysrracer Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 15 years later? Holy crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 10 hours ago, ysrracer said: 15 years later? Holy crap. eh, new member,, often if you google a question gun related you get a link to a BE forum thread , end up on the page and dont notice the date.. Probably how I found this,, although I was probably using Excite or Yahoo search back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmc1974 Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 On 8/15/2007 at 8:56 PM, Cavediver said: Hi all, I bought a used SDB this week. While looking things over today, I found there's no "follower rod" for the primer magazine. Is that something that's used only with the primer warning system? If I need one, is there an easy home fix, or is this a part I need to order? I'm sure this is a pretty silly question, but this is my first experience with magazine tube priming systems. Thanks In 1986 they didn't exist so I took a metal clothes hanger Bent it straight and cut it to Length It worked perfect. I sent a picture of it to Dillon reloading but they never got back to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 After having a tube full of primers light off, I can see why Dillon wants nothing to do with metal primer follower rods. The plastic ones do enough damage as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stmark73 Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 2 hours ago, shred said: After having a tube full of primers light off, I can see why Dillon wants nothing to do with metal primer follower rods. The plastic ones do enough damage as it is. Happened to me once in my first few months of reloading. Dented my ceiling and bent the follower rod to where it wont slide down the primer tube anymore. Replaced the old bent follower with a carbon fiber weighted follower. I wonder what a weighted carbon fiber follower rod would do to my ceiling if a tube full of primers go off again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertg5322 Posted April 9, 2023 Share Posted April 9, 2023 On 3/16/2023 at 10:16 PM, Stmark73 said: Happened to me once in my first few months of reloading. Dented my ceiling and bent the follower rod to where it wont slide down the primer tube anymore. Replaced the old bent follower with a carbon fiber weighted follower. I wonder what a weighted carbon fiber follower rod would do to my ceiling if a tube full of primers go off again. You need some weight, to keep the primers obeying the laws of gravity. I like to make my followers out of aluminum, with shrink tube sleeving the rod to eliminate any static electricity issues. For mass I put a .45GAP shell on top with some lead melted in it. I haven lit off a tube of primers yet (knock on wood), though I'm sure if I did, that weight would do some damage to my ceiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddc Posted April 10, 2023 Share Posted April 10, 2023 17 hours ago, robertg5322 said: You need some weight, to keep the primers obeying the laws of gravity. I like to make my followers out of aluminum, with shrink tube sleeving the rod to eliminate any static electricity issues. For mass I put a .45GAP shell on top with some lead melted in it. I haven lit off a tube of primers yet (knock on wood), though I'm sure if I did, that weight would do some damage to my ceiling. The OEM plastic rod with an empty 45ACP case will embed about 1/4" into a drywall ceiling. At least in my shop it did. YMMV... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertg5322 Posted April 10, 2023 Share Posted April 10, 2023 2 hours ago, ddc said: The OEM plastic rod with an empty 45ACP case will embed about 1/4" into a drywall ceiling. At least in my shop it did. YMMV... I'm guessing the stain on the stool you were sitting in was more of a worry than the hole in the ceiling. I lit off a single primer once trying to seat it in a case where the old primer got pulled back into the case, woke me right up, I imagine a whole tube is a way more exciting event to witness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddc Posted April 11, 2023 Share Posted April 11, 2023 9 hours ago, robertg5322 said: I'm guessing the stain on the stool you were sitting in was more of a worry than the hole in the ceiling. I lit off a single primer once trying to seat it in a case where the old primer got pulled back into the case, woke me right up, I imagine a whole tube is a way more exciting event to witness It got my attention for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stmark73 Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 On 4/10/2023 at 6:55 PM, ddc said: It got my attention for sure! It got EVERYBODY’s attention in our house when a primer tube full of primers detonated. Was waiting for the Police to knock on my door that night. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIPERONE Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 I have had a steel Spring Clip used for holding bundles of papers together clamped on the top of my rod for years, works great. I never thought about a shell case with lead for weight. Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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