Dillon primer problem

[Timberland]

I feel real stupit, I broke both (original + spare) of the tips that go on the end of the primer feed tubes. So I cant load progressivly until I get the new parts. Its a Dillon 550B but I think other dilloins are simmilar. Has anyone done this and how can I avoid doing it again?

[grywlfbg]

Not being a gorilla?

Seriously, did you break them when picking primers from the tray? You need to make sure to push straight down, not an angle, and you don't need to push very hard.

i've loaded thousands of round and still have my original tubes.

[Sheldon]

How did you go about breaking them.....are these the pick-up tube tips or the primer magazine tips??

[anyracoon]

Just give Dillon a call. They will replace them for free.

[Timberland]

I broke the magazine tip. The tube is fine, but I think I didnt have it in place and gorillaed the screw top part down and crushed the little plastic tabs. Then I razored them of to see if that would work(it wont). Then I went to the back up tip, did the same thing. Dillon is sending me some more, but now I can only load semmi progressive. Im sad

[USN CHIEF]

Thank you for sharing this. I have not experienced this yet but thanks to you now I know what not to do. LOL.

Just got done cranking out 500 .223 rounds. I know that awful feeling when you break something and it messes up your reloading operation, I have had that feeling many times already in the short time that I have been reloading

[rayra]

I usually hold mine like a pencil, at a slight angle, with the solid portion of the plastic tip the lowest, the springy part higher and sort of 'roll' the primer feed tube over the primer. Actually making use of the play in the springy part of the tip as well as gobbling up the primers in a way that can't mash or break the tip. It also works fast and smooth, picking up 100 primers is easy this way.
Never have broken one.

But for future reference, get Dillon's spare parts kit - it's got new tips, new springs, shell plate detent ball bearing, pretty much all the small parts you might break or wear out or lose into the recesses of your reloading area. It's well worth the low cost to have all that stuff right where and WHEN you need it.

[ar15barrels]

I broke the magazine tip. The tube is fine, but I think I didnt have it in place and gorillaed the screw top part down and crushed the little plastic tabs. Then I razored them of to see if that would work(it wont). Then I went to the back up tip, did the same thing. Dillon is sending me some more, but now I can only load semmi progressive. Im sad

Dillon sells a spare parts kit that includes almost every part you can launch or mangle.
Purchasing the kit is cheap insurance to not have to wait the day or two it takes for the free replacement parts to come after you call.

[kap]

My biggest problem is a primer getting stuck in the pick up tube. I get half way through the tray and the tube jams up. I think it is due to going too fast and turning a primer sideways in the tube. I will have to give rayra's technique a try and see how it goes.

[Revoman]

It sounds like you are not aligning the keyway correctly if I am reading your post correctly.
At the bottom of the tube that's connected to the reloader itself, there is a small tab on one side of the plastic part that fits into a slot in the bottom of the primer feed tube. If you simply push it in without aligning, then the plastic part will bend/break and not function properly.
I may be wrong.
At least that's the way I am reading into your explanation.

[dexter9659]

Revo sounds like you are on the money.

[Timberland]

It sounds like you are not aligning the keyway correctly if I am reading your post correctly.
At the bottom of the tube that's connected to the reloader itself, there is a small tab on one side of the plastic part that fits into a slot in the bottom of the primer feed tube. If you simply push it in without aligning, then the plastic part will bend/break and not function properly.
I may be wrong.
At least that's the way I am reading into your explanation.

Yes, thats what I did. How much do I need to tighten the top nut, and is gravity enough to feed primers?

[ar15barrels]

How much do I need to tighten the top nut

is gravity enough to feed primers?

Two fingers only.

There's a plastic push-rod that sits atop the stack of primers.
It's really only necessary when you have less than about 20 primers in the tube, but it also activates the low primer alarm that you should have sitting atop the top nut on the primer tube.

[lead chucker]

Two fingers only.

There's a plastic push-rod that sits atop the stack of primers.
It's really only necessary when you have less than about 20 primers in the tube, but it also activates the low primer alarm that you should have sitting atop the top nut on the primer tube.

yeah - there is no reason to over tighten the nut. Just holds the tube/magazine in place, has nothing to do with how the primers move thru.

[Timberland]

The end to a sad story, I got 4 more parts from Dillon, and figured out how not to break them. I am getting the occasional no primer on the primer arm, but it feels a lil diffrent when working the machine so I caught it. It seems more reliable when the tube is near full