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Dillon Primer Filler


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Ok, I have this primer filler, the automatic one for a year or so now. Great idea and when it works properly does save time. But I was hoping you guys may have some ideas for me that may help mine keep from a: jamming b: letting upside down primers get through. The jamming part is usually at the point where the primer falls in the tube. Sometimes a primer will just sit there, not go down the tube?? Any ideas??? Hints???

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If you're getting jams, you probably need to go with the "B" plate/funnel thingy (clear, plastic piece just before the drop tube - you should have two, "A" and "B"). Turning that plate very slightly toward or away from the center of the bowl seems to really help with rejecting upside down primers properly.

The height tolerance of the primers you use has a lot to do with the reliability. I've also see lot variation cause jamming issues. Sometimes you just get a tall lot and have to grin and bear your way through it. Sometimes, tweaking the A or B plate up slightly will get you through.

FWIW, I went through this exercise a couple times, and now mine runs 99.9%. I'm using cheapie Winchester, small pistol blue box specials. (If I remember correctly, Dillon said that Federals are a no-no because Federal doesn't maintain decent tolerances.)

I still get the occasional jam, but it's always due to a defective primer - not the fault of the machine. I have to wonder if the manufacturers simply are selling primers that don't meet their QC requirements to reloaders. They use vibe bowls too and there's no way they can't be having the same issues.

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OK, I just got back from the shop. My memory is refreshed now. I'm using the "B" plate with Winchesters.

Rotating the plate toward the center of the vibe bowl will reject more primers, including the upside down ones. The converse will reject less primers. You want to err on the side of rejecting a few good primers at that station to ensure that you get rid of all the bad ones before the drop tube. This adjustment is very fine - it probably won't look like you've moved the plate at all between where it doesn't work and works.

Primers getting stuck just before the drop tube means it's time to go to the "B" plate, which has more clearance for taller primers. If they're still getting stuck, you'll need to shim the plate. Use alum. foil or similar. You'll only need a thou or two at most of extra clearance.

Oh...another thing. Make sure you don't have the screw that holds the plastic bushing for the drop tube in too tight. The bushing should rattle around in there slightly. If the bushing doesn't have room to move around slightly it'll jam like crazy. (Strange, but true.)

The unit *does* work as advertised. It's just takes some tuning.

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Everything EricW said. My primer filler works flawlessly with large primers, but with small primers it has the same problems as yours. The B plate is intended for magnum rifle primers which I understand are slightly taller than regular primers. Dillon also recommends it for Remington primers. It may help with the jamming problem. Jiggling the tube helps immensely. I haven't found a totally satisfactory solution for the upside down primer situation. As EricW said, the plate adjustment is rather critical. I have found that keeping the bowl clean with alcohol as per Dillon's instructions has helped but not completely eliminated the problem. Scotty

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  • 2 weeks later...

Better but not perfect. I took and caffed the edge on the plastic peice before the primer drops. Also changed out the blue plastic piece on the presses primer tube. Now it won't pickup up-side-down primers. Just reach in with a thin long screwdriver and it pops out and I continue. A little annoying but it beats pciking them up by hand :D .

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Paul,

Even rotating the clear plate CCW a smidge won't do it? I had the *exact* problem you seem to be having and that's what finally fixed it for good. At first it seemed like the wrong thing to do because right side up primers were getting rejected making it take longer to fill the tube, but I stopped getting upside down ones.

[/if it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is Mode]

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