Dillon steel .223 sizing die?

[Alan Adamson]

Ok, so I'm *trying* to setup my 550B for .223. I have the dillon die set in steel, not carbide and I have the case gauge.

BUT. Try as I might, even with the sizing die touching the shellplate, when the arm is down (plate is raised), the cases are still too long and don't pass the case gauge.

I can't shorten it any further. So what gives?

While I haven't tried it, I suppose I could run them thru the size/decap die, primarily for decapping, and then I plan to run them thru the 1200B trimmer with sizing die, so I could 2 step them and maybe that die would let me get the adjustment needed. However, isn't that going backwards? The size/decap just fixed the neck, and then if you resize with the trimming die, aren't you then just swaging the neck back down again...

I guess I'll call dillon tomorrow, just thot I'd see if others had this problem. Is there some adjustment on the shellplate holder that has it raised too much out of the box?

Alan

[D.Hayden]

You can deprime the cases first, you don't need to full size them.

There's some variations,

1) If you have the 1200 trimmer.. that sizes the case, and trims it.

2) You can partially size them, then let the 1200 finish it off

3) Totally size them, and just trim.

I've heard various routines.. they all seem to work.

[RiggerJJ]

When full length resizing you MUST use lube. Belive it or not this will make a big difference in making guage, and will keep you from having stuck cases. Dillon case lube works great, have not (as of yet) had a stuck case using it.

The case should make guage after the full length resizer.

I suspect that a few dies have gotten thru that did just that, (I have seen this problem before, both here and on my loader) If you are using lube and have the sizing die set ALL the way to the shell plate and are still not making guage, call Dillon. they should replace it. With the die all the way to the shell plate, the case should be sized too far down, ie; the case goes too far into the guage.

jj

[Alan Adamson]

When full length resizing you MUST use lube. Belive it or not this will make a big difference in making guage, and will keep you from having stuck cases. Dillon case lube works great, have not (as of yet) had a stuck case using it.

The case should make guage after the full length resizer.

I suspect that a few dies have gotten thru that did just that, (I have seen this problem before, both here and on my loader) If you are using lube and have the sizing die set ALL the way to the shell plate and are still not making guage, call Dillon. they should replace it. With the die all the way to the shell plate, the case should be sized too far down, ie; the case goes too far into the guage.

jj

I talked to Dillon this morning... Seems *all* the .223 dies need to be setup a little different than normal.

There are 2 options.

a) the method that dillon offered... pull the handle all the way thru, run the resize die down till it touches, then back the handle off, and run the die down an additional 1/8 turn. Put a case in the press, run it into the die and lock the die locking nut.... Yes, this puts the die down beyond touching the shellplate, just to the point where it will still cam over.

have a few thousand turned off the bottom of the die, then setup to desired length.

I suppose I'll try A for now... seems that's what most do, once I googled for "dillon 223 die setup" .

Thanks all.

Alan

Edited February 24, 2009 by Alan Adamson

[uscbigdawg]

Option A is what I've done. Didn't know there was a different way.

Rich

[Joe D]

I just took about .020" off the bottom of the die. I did it with a bench grinder. Die now works like it should without having to over cam the press.

BTW I don't trim the brass.

[Ground Loop]

+1 to what RiggerJJ said.

You wouldn't think lube would make a difference, but it's huge. When I went from Hornady One-Shot aerosol to the Dillon spray grease, I knocked a good 4 to 5 thou off my headspace, and they were much more consistent.

I keep the Hornady for pistol brass now, and grease up the .223s.

As for the trimmer, I run everything through two toolheads.. the first one is fast.. just full-length-size and then trim.

Then a tumble to remove the grease, then the second toolhead just has a decap pin to knock the media out of the flash hole.

I don't even keep track of which brass has already been trimmed.. it's easier to just run it all through every time.