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XL650 Tips and Tricks


ErikW

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Hey all,

I also have a question:  what do you do when you get a primer go in sideways?  On the 550, this jams up the shellplate, so you can't turn it, and you can't pull the casing out.  I don't want to have to remove the shell plate, either.

I've had it happen about 3 times, and I've solved it by removing all the other cases, and operating the handle slowly to punch the primer out.  I would think this is similar to decapping live primers, and therefore dangerous.  Is it?  What's the correct solution?

Thanks,

DogmaDog

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I have not done it yet on my 650. But on my 550 that I had, on all of the 7 places that the linkage moves, I drilled and taped and installed grease fittings. When I called Dillion and asked them about this, the guy on the other end said they used a grease gun and a needle tip. The best grease I have found is Valvoline Dura Blend wheel grease, I have tried just about all of them, this is the only one I found that was thin enough to work. On the main shaft I use 30 weight motor oil. What Dillon says to use. Lately I have been trying STP, It seams to work, I might try 30 weight oil and STP mix. If you put on the grease fittings you have to make the slots on the side of the main ram higher, for the 2 grease fittings on the Crank to clear.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was getting ready to change calibers on my 650 today and decided that I really should clean the clear plastic case feeding tube.  I was going to use a cleaning rod and patches when it dawned on me that a .45 boresnake, clean of course,  was just about the right size.  Worked great.

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I was told that even though Dillon officially recommends a large casefeed plate for .40 cal, it works better with the small plate.

Also on casefeed plates, I guy ordered a machine from me today setup in 45, and also plans to load 9mm. He saw on GT where someone said that the large casefeed plate works fine with the 9mm as well. I asked the tech wizard at Dillon, he said - it will work okay, but the small plate does work better.

be

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Brian,

    The problem with using the large plate for 9mm sized cases is that there is more room between the outside circumfrence of the plate and the wall of the casefeeder.  Depending on where you have the little clearing block positioned you can have problems.  What happens is there is enough room to let another case get down in between the feed plate and the wall.  Basically two cases can squeeze into one slot and when they get to the clearing block they can get by and then the feed plate will jam and the motor will be stopped.  

I am reminded of this everytime I forget to change the feedplate when going from loading 45's to 9's.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Wow, lots of great tips, but I need SERIOUS help with a chain reaction problem on the 650.

That blue shelf on the left side of the press every 500 rounds it is empty. When I load .45 it is empty after only 250 rounds.

So I get in my car and realize that the gas tank is empty. When I get to the gas station I fill up the tank and empty my wallet. That's when it hits me. I don't have anythig left to make the needed "repairs." :(

Any suggestions? I'm thinking about getting a paper route.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Whether you have a powder check system in station three, remove the shell plate button and use that station to pull cases for powder measurement during set-up and while loading. Cases stay in place nicely without the button unlike the 550B. No need for tabs or other gimmicks.

TR

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  • 2 weeks later...
One the case feed, I nstalled the primer adapter funnel (the white thingy).  I didn't see where it was listed as a must have for 40, but I had a real bad problem with upside down cases in the case tube (pain in the azz).  Works for me...

I too had upside down casses and primers until................

I mounted the press on a 1/2 steel plate and reinforced my bench.Then i attached the rear of my case feeder to the shelf directly behind it.No unneccessary movement nomore upside down stuff. :rolleyes:

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About primers......I just filled 15 tubes in 20 min.s! No i did'nt use the $200 dillon monster.Frankin Armory makes a little hand held gizmo ($50).You just remove the plastic piece opposite the clevis pin hold the tube in place, once ,full replace plastic piece.They offe r adapters to put on the dillon tubes,not needed,you hold the tube in place for about a min.or so.

:lol:

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Why is my primer system not indexing properly all of the sudden?It seems that the plate (shell)and the primer aren't seeing eye to eye.At last count i'm past the 30k mark.I got a spare parts kit and replaced anything that looked worn,although,I saw nothing to indicate a problem.The problem persists.

Oh yea, i have been hearing alot about the lee fcd.I need to get me one of those babys.

Thanks everyone for the great tips

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It sounds like you may need to re-sync your indexing for either or both the shell plate and the primer plate. I had a problem with the primer plate not indexing accurately. I just de-burred, broke the edges and polished the pawl and life was once again wonderful ;)

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Some great stuff here. Thanks! I installed the primed catch tube by using a .40 case with the bottom cut off. If you square one end using needle nose pliers it fits exactly into the ejection hole. Sometimes primers would hang up on the inside edge of the .40 case sticking up into that little well, so I just dripped a little epoxy at the joint to smooth the path into the .40 case and everything now rolls fine into the plastic hose and off to the collection tank. Fantastic!! For the blue "ski jump" problem where new primers occasionally come leaving off the press... I just leave two primers at the bottom of the ramp. Any more primers that come down hit those static two and the rest stay on the ski jump. Its not fancy, but its a cheap immediate fix.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks for the tips on the "primer catch" and the light. I serviced my XL650 and lubed the moving parts with Slide Glide, installed the primer catch tubing and loaded 600 rounds.

I like the way it feels with the Slide Glide, a lot smoother. My press isn't mounted on the most solid bench in the world and it didn't flip a primer.

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  • 1 month later...

Well, I've finally set up my new 650 with all the bells and whistles... Thanks to BE for saving me $$$ on the order, Shred for offering invaluable advise on loads, and all of you for tips on setup!

While I've been reloading on a Square Deal B for over ten years, here is my advise to you new 650 owners:

1. Cut 1/2 a coil from the detent ball spring like Erik Warren has suggested.

2. Buy an EGW resizing die (especially for 9x21 or 38 Supercomp/TJ (or .40, I hear).

3. Throw any bullet seating die in the trash (or sell on ebay) and get a Redding Competition Seating Die.

All of the above will save you tons of headaches!

I have yet to *RE*load any ammo (all new components so far) so I may be adding the spent primer tube in the near future...

-Chet

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with the exception of putting a redding bullet seating die on(Great idea,will do that soon) I've done the same as DJPoLo.

I also lined the walls and bottom of the loaded round drop chute with some smooth skateboard tape. Super quiet now,no tink,clink,plop noise. the rounds drop and slide right into the 1050 Akro bin I hang instead of the 650 size.

I still working on the used primer tube.I has become a mission now.

I tried jamming a bottom cut, fitted 357 sig round in the hole attached to a plastic tube .The primers started to hang up on the case lip,not dropping down the tube but collecting in the void between the shellplate.So many built up that it stopped the shellplate from indexing.

And trimming the coil really really made the difference.I'm not losing powder out of the 10mm cases anymore.

Man I love this thread! Thanks to all for the great help

Scott

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  • 4 weeks later...

Okay, I'm all set up now and here's one tip:

If you are ordering the 650 only strong mount, it comes with mounting hardware, so you don't need to order the mounting hardware kit to go with it.

Wow, just saved somebody about $3!

The machine is fantastic. :lol:

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This is what I did for the Spent Primer Catcher modification. The way I made it I took a business card, laid the Primer Cup Bracket on the card and marked the two screw holes on the card. I then used a leather punch to cut out were the screw holes go on the card. Using the two screws that comes with the primer cup bracket, attach the card on the press. You have to cut the card down to make it fit in the space. Remove the Station 1 Locator and take a pencil and go around the inside of the hole were the spent primers fall out of. Remove the card and tape it onto a piece of 3/4" wide aluminum bar stock. It makes it a lot easier to drill the holes befor cutting the bar stock to length. Using a center punch mark the two screw holes, and the center of the primer hole. Drill the 3 holes 11/64 for the screw holes, and 23/64 for the primer hole and waddle it out to .369. or until the insert will fit, In this hole, I used a brass 1/2" O.D. insert for plastic pipe, (plumbing section in the hardware store). To this I attached 11" of 7/16 OD X 5/16 ID Vinyl tubing. Attach this piece of aluminum, insert, and tubing in place of the primer bracket. You have to use longer 8/32 screws. I could only find 1/2" long screws which are too long, so I used two washers for spacing. I think this might be optional, but on the strong Mount, on the right side I attached a 3/4 wire bundle bracket. This is used as a guide for the tubing. I used a 4 inch angle corner bracket cut up to hold the bracket in place. I found this works better than using the 3/4" bar stock. It helps move the bracket more to the right. You also have to bend the bracket up to give it a better angle for the tubing to slide through. Under the Strong Mound I placed a Glad food storage container to catch the spent primers. After about 1500 spent primers, I have not had one not go in the tray. I have not tried it, but I think you could use the 4 inch angle corner bracket also for the mount instead of the 3/4" bar stock. This is what I had on hand when I started. The corner bracket came later. To me this seems to work better than trying to stuff some thing up in the hole were it will stay and with out falling out.

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I did a variation of shred's spent primer trick: hacksawed a 223 case, tweaked it to shape with pliers, put it in the chute with a gentle press fit, and siliconed it in place.

The trick is to get the case mouth flush with the chute. Take off the shell plate and shell feed, and get a light in there.

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