WatchmanUSA Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Well my Glock 35 is in and I pick it up tomorrow. Today I did my first reloads on my new Dillon 550B. I worked up three batches in different powder loads. I was double and triple checking everything as I went along. I found a couple of anomalies that I want so advice on. 1. It seemed that my OAL varied quite a bit on a very small number of rounds. I think it was that I may not have let the handle travel to a full stop. However, I’m wondering if there might be another reason. 2. When examining the primer seating I found one primer that had a rounded dimple in it. When I saw it I was quite concerned. The dimple is large enough that it probably came close to going off. What might have caused this to happen? Thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirpy Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 The only thing that I can think of concerning the dimple is that a piece of cleaning media ended up in the primer cup when you seated the primer. I have had this happen a time or three. No problem when I shot that round. FWIW Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dunn Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 1. Define quite a bit. In any event you need to get a feel for the press, stroke it down all the way to the stop, then seat the primers with the same force on the upstroke. If you pay attention you can feel loose primer pockets, oversize cases, etc. just by feel. 2. This most commonly happens when some debris (like a chunk of walnut tumbling media) is sitting on the primer seater. Leave station one empty, press the handle forward and you can swipe off the primer ram thingy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue edge Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Well my Glock 35 is in and I pick it up tomorrow. Today I did my first reloads on my new Dillon 550B. I worked up three batches in different powder loads. I was double and triple checking everything as I went along. I found a couple of anomalies that I want so advice on.1. It seemed that my OAL varied quite a bit on a very small number of rounds. I think it was that I may not have let the handle travel to a full stop. However, I’m wondering if there might be another reason. 2. When examining the primer seating I found one primer that had a rounded dimple in it. When I saw it I was quite concerned. The dimple is large enough that it probably came close to going off. What might have caused this to happen? Thanks for your help. On my 550,the first 3 or 4 OAL are differant or until all stations are full. After they are full AOL stay consistant. The dimple may just have been media keep it clean those should go away Good luck Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WatchmanUSA Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 On my 550,the first 3 or 4 OAL are differant or until all stations are full. After they are full AOL stay consistant. The dimple may just have been media keep it clean those should go away I was trying to set my OAL to 1.125 but I found that I could only get 1.124 or 1.126 (that last .001 was very elusive) so I settled for 1.126. I would get slight variations to running up to about +.003 on the majority of the rounds. None were short of 1.126. On the ones that I considered to run long were .006 to .011 long. It was never more than 4 in a batch. So it could be as you say the first 3 or 4 come a bit longer. They were 1.132 to 1.137. I suppose it is better to run long than short. I'll watch the media debris thing in the primer pockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 New reloader, first reloads and they going into a new (or new to you) gun. You are the man! Screw warranties! I might run at least a few boxes of factory ammo through it first. Your G35 will be fine but machines are finicky sometimes. A shake down with WWB or something is a good idea or you might end up chasing your tail. Just thinking out loud. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basman Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 the toolhead has a bit of play to it. which could account for your OAL differences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WatchmanUSA Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 New reloader, first reloads and they going into a new (or new to you) gun. You are the man! Screw warranties! I might run at least a few boxes of factory ammo through it first. Your G35 will be fine but machines are finicky sometimes. A shake down with WWB or something is a good idea or you might end up chasing your tail. Just thinking out loud. Jim The way I look at it - if its going to blow, its going to blow no matter how much other stuff I run through it first. It is the way I look at life. After all, life is dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlmiller1 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 It wasn't media in the primer pocket, it was a piece of trash on the primer seating "ram". The primer can be crushed completely & not go off unless it receives an impact. I used to have a Lee Loadmaster & crushed more primers than you can count. Nothing. I did slam one once, when my brain left my body to take a break & I screwed up. It went off. It will scare you but with safety glasses & all, nothing happened. It wouldn't seat & I was not paying enough attention & suddenly, I just forced the ram hard to seat it. It did! BAM! Ears rang for a while. Don't forget what you are doing but just crushing them will NOT set them off. Big dents will not either unless there is an impact. Be safe, have fun with the new loader. Pay attention, too. MLM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 On my 550,the first 3 or 4 OAL are differant or until all stations are full. After they are full AOL stay consistant. The dimple may just have been media keep it clean those should go away I was trying to set my OAL to 1.125 but I found that I could only get 1.124 or 1.126 (that last .001 was very elusive) so I settled for 1.126. I would get slight variations to running up to about +.003 on the majority of the rounds. None were short of 1.126. On the ones that I considered to run long were .006 to .011 long. It was never more than 4 in a batch. So it could be as you say the first 3 or 4 come a bit longer. They were 1.132 to 1.137. I suppose it is better to run long than short. I'll watch the media debris thing in the primer pockets. Other than those few, your variation is pretty good. I've noted the first three or four rounds will be a bit long and then sometimes that last one (when all the stations aren't full again. If you're using mixed headstamp brass that can add some variation as well. If the bullets are JHPs, they will sometimes be slightly different when measured from the case head to the tip of the bullet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 New reloader, first reloads and they going into a new (or new to you) gun. You are the man! Screw warranties! I might run at least a few boxes of factory ammo through it first. Your G35 will be fine but machines are finicky sometimes. A shake down with WWB or something is a good idea or you might end up chasing your tail. Just thinking out loud. Jim The way I look at it - if its going to blow, its going to blow no matter how much other stuff I run through it first. It is the way I look at life. After all, life is dangerous. Don't think I'm being clear. Establishing that your G35 running runs perfectly with common factory ammo is plain common sense. Being familiar with that ammo makes putting together your own much easier. Like I mentioned guns can be finicky. Having a balky new gun sucks big. Bad spec reloads are the fast track to suck. So be careful and enjoy! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WatchmanUSA Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 I intend to shoot some factory ammo (perhaps 50 to 100 rounds or so) before I try the handloads. I plan of shooting some factory rounds in between the handloads so I have points of comparison. I don't think I'm being reckless - I do have a plan. If someone thinks I'm being reckless then I would appreciate knowing how to avoid being reckless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I intend to shoot some factory ammo (perhaps 50 to 100 rounds or so) before I try the handloads. I plan of shooting some factory rounds in between the handloads so I have points of comparison. I don't think I'm being reckless - I do have a plan.If someone thinks I'm being reckless then I would appreciate knowing how to avoid being reckless. Nah, it's all good. Closely inspect each casing for base seperation and splits. Get a .40 S&W "U" die from EGW. That all but eliminates set back issues. And develope a technique that allows you to see every powder drop in each casing. Use established load data. Do this and your cookin' with gas!! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I agree with stuff on top of the ram leaving indentations on the seated primer. For me, the most common culprit was a flake or grain of powder. Never had a detonation (like posters above, I've managed to crush primers pretty well but w/o a suprise bang). Smooth consistent press operation for each stroke will give you the most consistent ammo. It also reduces the chance of powder spillage if you have a charge nearly filling the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WatchmanUSA Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 I picked up my G35 over lunch today. I chambered each reload round in the (removed) barrel. No hitches what-so-ever. I also noticed that the stock G35 barrel fully supports each round. It is nothing even close to the pictures I have seen showing an unsupported barrel around the feed ramp. If there is any gap at the ramp it is less than 1mm. When I get time I will try to post pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Glock has added more chamber support to their .40's over the last 3+ years. Congrats on the G35. Great gun no question. Yours is bound to be prettier than mine. It has a few "war" wounds. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WatchmanUSA Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 I just got back from the range. All I can say is that I really like my reloads and my G35! The reloads are much better to shoot than the factory stuff. I was shooting at about 10 and 25 yards. My accuracy was much better with the reloads and I could get the muzzle back on target faster with less recoil. I had no FTF's or FTE's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Thassa' keeper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 What was the velocity difference between the factory rounds and your reloads? Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WatchmanUSA Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 What was the velocity difference between the factory rounds and your reloads?Rich I don't have a chronograph yet so I only have my observations. I alternated between factory ammo and my loads so I could feel the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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