Youngeyes Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Hi people. 1st time post. I recently received a new style quick change kit. I HATE the new powder set up. Saw a post about a retofit. I love it. Has anyone done it? Dillon said no. I can't see why not. Just use the old springs and get rid of that new piece of metal by drilling out the rivet. LOVE the 550, HATE the new thing. Thanks. Happy Holliday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xfactor Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Hi people. 1st time post. I recently received a new style quick change kit. I HATE the new powder set up. Saw a post about a retofit. I love it. Has anyone done it? Dillon said no. I can't see why not. Just use the old springs and get rid of that new piece of metal by drilling out the rivet. LOVE the 550, HATE the new thing.Thanks. Happy Holliday! Welcome to the forum! I just recently tweaked my 550 to function like the old style (sans anti-cam plate). There is actually a much easier way to do it than drilling out the rivet, removing the plate all together, and reconfiguring the system to function without it... all I did was straighten the bent arm on the plate (the part that catches, on the powder bar, then releases with a slam), then add the powder bar return springs, and voilà! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halogrinder Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Hi people. 1st time post. I recently received a new style quick change kit. I HATE the new powder set up. Saw a post about a retofit. I love it. Has anyone done it? Dillon said no. I can't see why not. Just use the old springs and get rid of that new piece of metal by drilling out the rivet. LOVE the 550, HATE the new thing.Thanks. Happy Holliday! Welcome to the forum! I just recently tweaked my 550 to function like the old style (sans anti-cam plate). There is actually a much easier way to do it than drilling out the rivet, removing the plate all together, and reconfiguring the system to function without it... all I did was straighten the bent arm on the plate (the part that catches, on the powder bar, then releases with a slam), then add the powder bar return springs, and voilà! can someone post the difference in what it is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Do a search on "fartknocker". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted December 3, 2009 Author Share Posted December 3, 2009 Hi people. 1st time post. I recently received a new style quick change kit. I HATE the new powder set up. Saw a post about a retofit. I love it. Has anyone done it? Dillon said no. I can't see why not. Just use the old springs and get rid of that new piece of metal by drilling out the rivet. LOVE the 550, HATE the new thing.Thanks. Happy Holliday! Welcome to the forum! I just recently tweaked my 550 to function like the old style (sans anti-cam plate). There is actually a much easier way to do it than drilling out the rivet, removing the plate all together, and reconfiguring the system to function without it... all I did was straighten the bent arm on the plate (the part that catches, on the powder bar, then releases with a slam), then add the powder bar return springs, and voilà! Hey Xfact, Now that's a very simple answer and sure sounds like it works. I can always drill if I get up the energy. I'll record the slam noises in case I miss them. I've gotten so used to the smooth flow of the older style that this new one came as a surprise. If I mess it up I promise Dillon to buy a new one and not try to take advantage of their great warranty. Got some 45 waiting to be born. gotta go. Thanks again for the info and the welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Note: moved out of the BEginner section. (not really a BEginner topic) - Mod Squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian1911 Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 You guys must not be adjusting things properly. I am able to get the bell crank to where it just barely touches the powder bar as it disengages on the down stroke. If you adjust it right this is pretty smooth but if things arent dialed in then it snaps off the powder bar and shakes the whole machine. On my 550B it was no problem to adjust easily but on my 650 I had to tweak the fail safe rod a bit to get it all smoothed out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Ellis Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 When I bought my press used it had an old school powder measure. Worked like a champ. I started loading other calibers and bought another power measure so I could leave the other one set for my competition loads. It was one of the "fail safe" measures. Less than 50 rounds later the fail safe feature had to go. Searched this forum and found http://www.ericwesselman.com/DillonPowderMeasure/. Sat the new measure next to the old measure and came up with some redneck engineering. Remove the bellcrank assembly from the measure. Rip off the springs and toss over your shoulder. Take the bent ear of the anti-return cam and bend it straight. Here's the tricky part. Align the rod hole of the anti-return cam with the lower part of the slot in the bellcrank. Make sure the rod will go through the hole. Hold the pieces in place with Vice-Grips. That little hole in the anti-return cam? It's now a pilot hole. Drill a hole through the bellcrank. Through those holes pop a rivet in it. I used an aviation Cherry Max rivet just to put my unique touch on it. A cheap pop rivet will work also. Put it back together. You'll have to bend the rod end a bit to get it work right but I don't drill a hole or any of that stuff. It works just fine thank you. Called up Dillon and ordered the return springs that go around the hopper to the powder bar. Don't know the part number but the guy on the phone did. All is now good. I recently got three new powder measures. Took them out of the box and immediately did my mod to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 I'll be the odd one out here. I have 7 powder measures of varying vintage for my 550. I converted all the non-fail safe measures to the newer setup. IMO, I get more consistent throws and the peace of mind that the measure gets reset properly every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xfactor Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Note: moved out of the BEginner section. (not really a BEginner topic)- Mod Squad. Thanks Flex - I was thinking the same... You guys must not be adjusting things properly... Yeah, that must be it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted December 3, 2009 Author Share Posted December 3, 2009 When I bought my press used it had an old school powder measure. Worked like a champ. I started loading other calibers and bought another power measure so I could leave the other one set for my competition loads. It was one of the "fail safe" measures. Less than 50 rounds later the fail safe feature had to go. Searched this forum and found http://www.ericwesselman.com/DillonPowderMeasure/.Sat the new measure next to the old measure and came up with some redneck engineering. Remove the bellcrank assembly from the measure. Rip off the springs and toss over your shoulder. Take the bent ear of the anti-return cam and bend it straight. Here's the tricky part. Align the rod hole of the anti-return cam with the lower part of the slot in the bellcrank. Make sure the rod will go through the hole. Hold the pieces in place with Vice-Grips. That little hole in the anti-return cam? It's now a pilot hole. Drill a hole through the bellcrank. Through those holes pop a rivet in it. I used an aviation Cherry Max rivet just to put my unique touch on it. A cheap pop rivet will work also. Put it back together. You'll have to bend the rod end a bit to get it work right but I don't drill a hole or any of that stuff. It works just fine thank you. Called up Dillon and ordered the return springs that go around the hopper to the powder bar. Don't know the part number but the guy on the phone did. All is now good. I recently got three new powder measures. Took them out of the box and immediately did my mod to them. Hey Hank, I finally did the dirty with my 550. I like the rivet idea. Mine seems to work just fine with the rod set in the space below the cam thingee. I guess time will tell. Forgive me Dillon for I have sinned, but after being married for 27 years and raising two daughters, I needed it quiet and smooth. Thanks for the advice. If I get bored I can always get a happy face rivet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laportecharlie Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I have had both and in spite of its clunky action I find the newer one throws more consistant charges. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Hi people. 1st time post. I recently received a new style quick change kit. I HATE the new powder set up. Saw a post about a retofit. I love it. Has anyone done it? Dillon said no. I can't see why not. Just use the old springs and get rid of that new piece of metal by drilling out the rivet. LOVE the 550, HATE the new thing.Thanks. Happy Holliday! Welcome to the forum! I just recently tweaked my 550 to function like the old style (sans anti-cam plate). There is actually a much easier way to do it than drilling out the rivet, removing the plate all together, and reconfiguring the system to function without it... all I did was straighten the bent arm on the plate (the part that catches, on the powder bar, then releases with a slam), then add the powder bar return springs, and voilà! Until I read this I thought mine was just defective and the bent arm needed to be straightened out, did that years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 When I got my new measure from Dillon, thought it was a hunk of junk (couldn't get it to work with the old rod, not lining up properly,etc.), so I went around to all my friends and bought all of their old measures and springs. No more problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I have changed my tune on this one...... Problems with flake or extruded powders? Not having consistent charges? Worried about bridging while loading rifle cases? Give the "new style" powder measure another look. .02 from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovbuild Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I have had both and in spite of its clunky action I find the newer one throws more consistant charges.Charlie +1 I load a lot of unique and the new "clunky" thrower is the ticket with this powder. I also polished and reamed the powder funnel on both throwers and they work great. The newer one is better with flake and extruded powders than the older one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RufDog Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 So, with the new powder measure you can use IMR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xfactor Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I have changed my tune on this one......Problems with flake or extruded powders? Not having consistent charges? Worried about bridging while loading rifle cases? Give the "new style" powder measure another look. .02 from me. What do you think it is about the newer design that throws more accurate charges with flake/extruded powders for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupie Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I have one of each style and have yet to set the new one up, I have a issue with solo 1000 making consistent loads so If what I am reading is correct I can use the new clunky one for solo 1000 and it might help out my consistency and use my old style for my autocomp open load that meters well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 A non scientific observation but.... It appears to me that the little extra "clunks" in the powder measure give the measure an extra little shake which ends up adding an amount of consistency in the charges. I know I seem to have a very consistent charges with Solo with the new style powder measure.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 A non scientific observation but.... It appears to me that the little extra "clunks" in the powder measure give the measure an extra little shake which ends up adding an amount of consistency in the charges. I know I seem to have a very consistent charges with Solo with the new style powder measure.... +1 to all the "more consistent charges" posts. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xfactor Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 A non scientific observation but.... It appears to me that the little extra "clunks" in the powder measure give the measure an extra little shake which ends up adding an amount of consistency in the charges. I know I seem to have a very consistent charges with Solo with the new style powder measure.... +1 to all the "more consistent charges" posts. be Interesting... guess I wasted my time bending out the anti-return cam to defeat the clunking safety measure. I had heard that smooting it out should make charges more consistent, not less. (Seems to work great with N320 so far, at least) Oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) Gee, I really dunno... I have ten, or twelve... new style measures and they all work as they should. I never even noticed any "clunks" until I read some people's complaints. Or perhaps Dillon only made ten good new measures, and they all ended up in my basement? Use them on all kinds of powders, have not seen problems so far. Ordered two more yesterday... Edited December 22, 2009 by Foxbat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted January 2, 2010 Author Share Posted January 2, 2010 A non scientific observation but.... It appears to me that the little extra "clunks" in the powder measure give the measure an extra little shake which ends up adding an amount of consistency in the charges. I know I seem to have a very consistent charges with Solo with the new style powder measure.... +1 to all the "more consistent charges" posts. be Hey BE, Can I run a poll and find out who "modified" their setups and who did'nt and why. I thought the whole thing was as a safety feature and now it was done to help us be more consistant. Wada think? Does the poll follows the rules? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xfactor Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 I have changed my tune on this one...... A non scientific observation but.... It appears to me that the little extra "clunks" in the powder measure give the measure an extra little shake which ends up adding an amount of consistency in the charges. I know I seem to have a very consistent charges with Solo with the new style powder measure.... +1 to all the "more consistent charges" posts. be I was curious about some *very* reliable sources chiming-in to report that the new-style ("clunky") powder measure throws more consistently than the old-style (sans "clunk"), so I did some testing with one of my favorite powders for both Production and Limited: VV N320. All things equal, I definitely prefer the smooth operation of the old-style measure, but not at the expense of less powder charge weight consistency. Here are my results: [Press setup: 550 with UniqueTek powder baffle and powder bar micrometer, Dillon Terminator scale... target powder charge weight was 3.1 grains] New-Style Measure (w/ anti-return cam) - no powder bar return springs- Avg of 1st 8 throws - 3.03... 2nd 8 throws - 3.16- Avg Stnd Dev - .10 Retro-fitted Measure (disabled anti-return cam) - 1 powder bar return spring- Avg of 1st 8 throws - 3.16... 2nd 8 throws - 3.09- Avg Stnd Dev - .09 Retro-fitted Measure (disabled anti-return cam) - 2 powder bar return springs- Avg of 8 throws - 3.10- Stnd Dev - .05 I guess I'll test Ramshot Silhouette too (my 9mm Major powder) to see if I get similar results... (It only takes about 60 seconds to switch back and forth from one of my unmodified new-style powder measures.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now