Primers spilling in 550B

[bbbean]

Every other time I load primers into my new 550B, at least 1/2 of them end up pouring out the bottom of the primer feeder. Once I move all the loose primers out of the way, the feeder works just fine.

Any ideas on what I may be doing wrong to have primers pouring out the feeder?

[Jim Rusert]

Every other time I load primers into my new 550B, at least 1/2 of them end up pouring out the bottom of the primer feeder. Once I move all the loose primers out of the way, the feeder works just fine.

Any ideas on what I may be doing wrong to have primers pouring out the feeder?

A little more information please: What do you mean by "loose primers . . ."?

[bbbean]

Every other time I load primers into my new 550B, at least 1/2 of them end up pouring out the bottom of the primer feeder. Once I move all the loose primers out of the way, the feeder works just fine.

Any ideas on what I may be doing wrong to have primers pouring out the feeder?

A little more information please: What do you mean by "loose primers . . ."?

All the primers that are no longer in the primer tube! When they pour out, I end up with primers on the bench, primers on the floor, primers in the primer cup, and primers on the primer slide.

[Chills1994]

There is a little plastic colored doo-hickey at the bottom of the primer feed tube.

You do have a seperate primer tube inside the black outside tube, right?

Those come in two different sizes one for small primers and one for larger.

There is also a white plastic pin or stem that sticks out just enough to catch the bottom most primer.

Getting back to that internal primer tube with the specially colored plastic doo-hickey on the end, it has a little tab on it, the tube has to be slowly spun from up top for that little tab to fall into a notch, I would imagine if that whole tube hasn't dropped down that could be the source of your problems.

[bbbean]

There is a little plastic colored doo-hickey at the bottom of the primer feed tube.

You do have a seperate primer tube inside the black outside tube, right?

Those come in two different sizes one for small primers and one for larger.

There is also a white plastic pin or stem that sticks out just enough to catch the bottom most primer.

Getting back to that internal primer tube with the specially colored plastic doo-hickey on the end, it has a little tab on it, the tube has to be slowly spun from up top for that little tab to fall into a notch, I would imagine if that whole tube hasn't dropped down that could be the source of your problems.

I've reviewed the manual and the video, and have made sure that I have the right size internal primer tube and tha tthe tube has slipped into the notch.

Guess I'll call Dillon tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Chills1994]

Those little platic doo-hickey's (sorry, I don't mean to get too technical) do wear out and usually extras can be found in your Dillon 550 spare parts kit.

You do have a spare parts kit, right?

[bbbean]

Those little platic doo-hickey's (sorry, I don't mean to get too technical) do wear out and usually extras can be found in your Dillon 550 spare parts kit.

You do have a spare parts kit, right?

I'll double check it today, but since the press is brand new, and I've only made a few dozen rounds of ammo.

I am hopeful its the doo-hickey, because if it is the thingamajig or the whatsit it'll be WAY over my head.

[Chills1994]

The doo-hickey's I am referring to are the red and blue plastic pieces in the bottom right hand corner of this picture here:

They go on the end of the internal primer tube.

I think the red one is for the large primers and the blue is for the small primers.

but your press should have come with two dedicated tubes with the correct inside dimensions, with the matching plastic pieces I am talking about.

You can't see it really well in the picture but those plastic pieces are "sliced" open at the bottom and have...well... kinda like springey legs.

If they leg part gets overworked it that will let primers drop erratically.

but since you said it was a new press and you haven't loaded much ammo on it, my guess is that the primer tub with that tab on the red or blue plastic isn't turned just so, so it will fall into that mating notch.

[tfelog]

Something like that happened to me once. The knurly thing that holds the primer tube in was not tight. I tightened it and presto, problem solved.

[h2osport]

On the front of the bracket at the bottom of the primer tube there is a piece of spring steel held on with a screw. This spring pushes on the pin that keeps the primers from comming out until needed. When you pull down on the handle, the primer cup moves this pin out of the way and allows a primer to fall into primer cup. On my 550 this pin is white plastic. Move your handle through a couple of cycles and watch the piece of spring steel and the plastic pin to make sure they are moving freely and not sticking. If everything is moving freely, check the end of the plastic pin to make sure it is not deformed or broke off. I believe an extra one comes in the parts kit. You shoule be able to see it holding the primers up if you look at it from the backside of the press.

Hope this helps

Randy

[bbbean]

2nd call to Dillon found the problem. The flat black plate spring that holds the white plastic thingy (sorry for being so technical) in place was bowed out just a little. I reversed that, and everything works liek a charm now.

Thanks Dillon.