Finally: How to adjust 550b primer depth

[Z32MadMan]

I have loaded a few thousand rounds on my 550b, and I have always had a problem with getting the primers to seat flush. Well skimming the forum last night, I found a post from the Dillon rep on here saying how to do it.

There is no purpose built 'adjustment' but you can use the shell plate bolt to adjust primer depth. If you tighten up the bolt a bit more, it will bring the shellplate lower which will seat your primers a bit lower. And if you give the bolt a really good greasing, then the star will still index nice and smoothly.

This may be obvious for some people, but I have found a ton of threads on here about the issue and I have never found the answer. So maybe this will help out a few folks.

Cheers!

[Sarge]

Keeping the plate snug helps with sizing the brass lower on the case as well. But I had a conversation with some other shooters at a recent match who all load on Dillons. We could not really see how there is any way to adjust seating depth on a 550. We talked about folks who have shimmed the anvil, tightened the plate way down, etc. Our reasoning was that if you push the handle forward without brass in the #1 station the anvil will come way up much higher than with brass inserted. The handle also moves alot further forward without brass installed. So it stands to reason the primer should easily be going in as far as possible unless there is a light push or some jam with the system.. Are we right or wrong? It seems like simple mechanics.

[benos]

In general, you want the Shellplate as tight as possible, so that the Shellplate just easily indexes. This may help to "feel the primer in" a bit. Regardless, you have to learn to (push the handle hard enough) feel the primer cup bottom out in the primer pocket.

Most learn a "two stage push" to accomplish that. Pause slightly as you feel the primer contact the primer pocket, and then with smooth "second push," bottom 'er out.

be