Setting up the Dillion 550

[MJB]

So my buddy bought one and we have a little problem.

1. We need 71 grains of powder but the large powder charge is max at 65 grains. Do they make a bigger one? Or am I missing something.

2. The primer tube drops a primer too low and the primer arm won't go all the way back into the housing to load the primer. We did have to grind the housing to fit the primer holder on the arm. It would get stuck on the left side so we opened it up a little and it slides great and still aligns with the primer tube.

Other than that everything worked well and set up of three different calibers went well.

Thanks for your help!

[Zedrek]

THIS WHAT YOU NEED?

So my buddy bought one and we have a little problem.

1. We need 71 grains of powder but the large powder charge is max at 65 grains. Do they make a bigger one? Or am I missing something.





2. The primer tube drops a primer too low and the primer arm won't go all the way back into the housing to load the primer. We did have to grind the housing to fit the primer holder on the arm. It would get stuck on the left side so we opened it up a little and it slides great and still aligns with the primer tube.

Other than that everything worked well and set up of three different calibers went well.

Thanks for your help!

[Zedrek]

Also, there is this one.

[finyllw]

What are you loading on a 550 that needs that much powder??

[ar15barrels]

2. The primer tube drops a primer too low and the primer arm won't go all the way back into the housing to load the primer. We did have to grind the housing to fit the primer holder on the arm. It would get stuck on the left side so we opened it up a little and it slides great and still aligns with the primer tube.

I can tell that you did not align the primer housing correctly.
Here is the trick...

Loosen the two screws that hold the primer housing to the frame about 1 turn from snug.
With the press ram at rest, the primer cup should be sticking up into the shellplate platform.
The primer housing should be floating around a little, but the primer slide is captured by the shellplate platform.
There will be a screw in the front of the primer housing with a nut that locks the adjustment.
That screw sets where the primer slide stops.
Make sure the nut is locked against the primer housing.
Now grab the socket head screw and slightly pull outward on it until it stops against the pin that is sticking up from the primer slide bar.
This should take all the slop out of the primer housing while the primer slide is still captured by the shellplate platform.
Tighten the two screws into the primer tube housing while pulling the primer tube housing toward you by the stop screw.

That procedure sets the primer slide to stop in the right place to align under the shellplate platform.
Then you need to look at how the wire pushes the primer slide back to pick up a new primer with each stroke of the press.
It may be necessary to slightly bend that wire to give the primer slide more movement.
The primer slide bar be dry of any lube.
The only lube to use there would be powdered graphite or powdered moly.
That should keep it moving freely.

[MJB]

Thanks for the help!
I'm loading a 270 wby mag.

[BigBronco]

For something like the 270 Wby mag. I would hand weigh each load and not rely on a powder measure.

[morrow]

The magnum powder bar should work for you. Call Dillon and ask their advice for the situation.

[MJB]

Since we couldn't get 71 out of the Dillon last weekend we used my Lyman 1980's powder dispenser. It works great out of 50 loads not one off, I checked every 6th load.

Thanks for the tips sounds like a little more tinkering and we should have it running smooth.

[MJB]

Okay so now the first primer loads perfect but the second primer is too low. The red plastic on the primer tube drops the second primer too low and the arm will not go back into the housing because the second primer is in the way.

Should I trim the red holder not to drop as low?

[Bill Steele]

Okay so now the first primer loads perfect but the second primer is too low. The red plastic on the primer tube drops the second primer too low and the arm will not go back into the housing because the second primer is in the way.

Should I trim the red holder not to drop as low?

The primer should be sitting on top of the white delrin pin. The primer ram cup pushes that pin out of the way allowing the primer to drop into the cup.

Is that pin getting stuck (check the flat spring on the back of the housing, it should be flat when the pin is in position to hold the primer), or perhaps it is not present?

[ar15barrels]

Okay so now the first primer loads perfect but the second primer is too low. The red plastic on the primer tube drops the second primer too low and the arm will not go back into the housing because the second primer is in the way.

Should I trim the red holder not to drop as low?

What parts did you guys grind on when you worked on it?
If you fooled with something critical, call dillon and ask for replacement parts.

[MJB]

When we load the first primer it goes perfect. But the second primer falls below the white pin. Ill look into that white pin and see why it's not holding the second primer in place.

[Bill Steele]

When we load the first primer it goes perfect. But the second primer falls below the white pin. Ill look into that white pin and see why it's not holding the second primer in place.

The primer should be sitting sqaure on top of the white pin. The pin has a cone shape and that is where the primer will sit if the pin is not coming all the way back under the primer. There is a flat spring on the back of the housing that acts as the spring the pin works against. When the shuttle is under the shellplate, the flat spring should be flat, when the primer cup is under the primer magazine, the srping should be bent outward.

Another possibility is you have the large primer magazine in the setup and you are trying to load small primers. There is a small and a lrage primer magazine and you change that when you change the primer cup during a caliber changerover.

Good luck.

[waho]

MJB, where are you located? If you are close maybe I can help.