dillon xl 650 primer kaboom (new-bee)

[45ACPROCKS]

I have a Dillon 550 and 650 and never had this happen. Many thousands of rounds loaded on each press. I exclusively load .45ACP on the 650. The only problems I have with it is when a case comes out of the case feeder upside down and sticks when the machine tries to place it in the shell plate. This can create a "bump" in the smooth operation of the press which has caused my primers to flip upside down. I use the Winchester primers exclusively. I concur with what was said before about the smooth operation of this press. It is important. Also you should never be in a hurry while reloading with any press. Always take your time and be patient. If something seems amiss then address it right away. Just my .02.

[mike in co]

not quite right....they will go off as is, but you are right there should be some crush on installation.

[Geraldo]

That had to be exciting, I'm glad you were uninjured. Brian Enos' forum has a lot of info on setup and maintenance of Dillon machines. It's worth your time to check some of it out.

[ddeaton]

I have a 650 only for 45acp also and I get sideways primers every now and then. I find them in the pile after loading. I have never had one go off yet though.

[mtnman31]

I don't have a 650 but on my 550 I have noticed that I sometimes get dented primers from the primer ram. What it ends up being is typically an accumulation of small lead shavings which is usually a result of my being in a hurry. I just have to slow down and check the finished rounds more often and also keep a Q-tip handy to swab the primer ram every now and then.

[Willbird]

I thought that as you pressed a primer into the case, you were also seating the anvil which makes the primer active. before being installed, the primer could not be set off by impact (well a large impact could seat the anvil and allow it to fire, or it could be set off by spark of static or flash from another primer going off).

If I am correct, this would account to why primers don't go off when crushed as they are attempted to be installed sideways.

I can attest to the fact that every primer I ever fired from a BB gun against a hard surface exploded, and they could not all seated their own anvils . it is true that the primer is sensitized by seating the anvil flush with the cup, but harsh impacts and other insults can set them off before they are seated.

Bill

[cx4stormer]

i found the primer that caused the boom. it was crushed. also, the two empty shells still in the shell plate were semi blackened from the boom, both had the old primers. now, the primer that blew up was on the floor so im thinking maybe the one shell was resized but not de-primed so when the machine moved to the next station and went to seat the new primer the old one blocked it causing the boom??

[Lloyd Smale]

im a dillon man through and through but have preached for years that dillon needs to get off there duff and design a better primer feed system for the 650. What happens is if your press isnt meticulously clean a rejected primer will hang up and ignite the whole stack when its pinched off. You need to learn to go slow and steady and NEVER force the operating handle when you feel any kind of resistance.

[kevin45acp]

i found the primer that caused the boom. it was crushed. also, the two empty shells still in the shell plate were semi blackened from the boom, both had the old primers. now, the primer that blew up was on the floor so im thinking maybe the one shell was resized but not de-primed so when the machine moved to the next station and went to seat the new primer the old one blocked it causing the boom??

If you had primers in brass that passed the size die you likely short stroked the machine and must have really forced it at the primer station..

[AzShooter]

One thing about the 650, if you feel something is stuck don't try to force anything on the stroke. If the primer feeder wasn't tight I can see this happening. Fortunately that tube is enclosed in steel and the primers will blow straight up. I haven't had it happen on my 650 yet thank God.

I did have it happen on on old 550 while I was on the phone with the Dillon rep. I followed his instructions and when he told me to force it Ka BOOOOM. I brought it over to Dillon that day for repair and asked for a different repair tech then the one on the phone.

I was able to watch them fix it and have them show me what went wrong and what to watch for in the future.

Thank GOD you are ok.

[PatMarlin]

How did your ears feel afterwords? That's my biggest fear.

[unclebill]

I did this same thing , the primers progressively get a bit more off axis .You notice a ram heel smear on some primed cases . I thought it was powder getting in the detent ball / indexing .

Well after talking with a dillon guy ( that reads these forums ) there is an alignment pin you can buy . It comes out of the powder funnel down to the primer ram . There is enough wiggle room on two screws that hold a shell plate base .

After that its dead nutz on .

Mine lit the disc up around to the tube , blew the primer feed rod out .Which ended up like a plastic snake in the corner . Nothing hit me and it all went in ONE bang "105" , the tube was trash. I saved the shell plate . They sent me a ton of parts to fix it .

this thing?
mines rusty from being tossed around in storage for 20+years.



this is another of those parts that if you only use it once.
it's worth it.

[cx4stormer]

How did your ears feel afterwords? That's my biggest fear.

i had my eye and ear protection on up untill the last 10 or so rounds. i took off the ears so i could get a closer look at what was going on then, BOOOM!
my ears were ringing for about 5 hours after that. the right ear was much worse than the left. mostly i just felt stupid and could not think straight.

[cx4stormer]

this thing?
mines rusty from being tossed around in storage for 20+years.



this is another of those parts that if you only use it once.
it's worth it.

still waiting on my part kit to arrive. i'll call dillon this week and order a aligment pin. does the pin stay in the die? or is a one time shot?

[Willbird]

I have also heard of primers sticking to the de-capping pin and being pulled back INTO the primer pocket, for this reason I always watch for the primer to fall into the little catch box on my RL-550B...I have never caught it reseating a primer yet

Bill

[clodhopper]

I have ignited the primers in my 650. It was operator error. the magazine was empty. But the plate had six in it. I wanted to use up the primers in the plate and knock off for the night as it was late.
I did not pull the primer follower out of the magazine and the tip of it was sticking into the primer plate. I wanted to get done so I forced the handel and cut the end off the primer follower. That jerk (yes there were two there, the one working the handel and the one that happened when follower parted) must have fliped a primer in the plate. Next time the jerk pulled on the handel there was unusual resistiance again. I applied more pressure, more resistiance. Stopped to look at what was causing the problem. Well, it was that stupid primer plate advance lever rubbing on the cam. I applied more pressure, Boom! My face had black smudges, my nostrils were filled with the smell of fresh explosives. Ears ringing I went to bed.
Sorted it out the next day.
In hindsight that's real good advice to never force it.
Some guys are so ignorant they have to force it twice, with their face in it the second time so they can see what's goin'on.
The worst blow was to my pride. Living through bad judgment is what experience is all about.
Hopefully some one reading this will be smarter than I was.

[unclebill]

still waiting on my part kit to arrive. i'll call dillon this week and order a aligment pin. does the pin stay in the die? or is a one time shot?

one time deal.
really easy to use.
the only time i needed mine was after breaking down the press for shipping.
then when i put it back together again my primers were acting weird.
that pin solved it.

[thebigmac]

I've blown a few primer tubes myself. First with a CH, then with my Camdex. Invest. showed primer dust on the feeded. Next showed too much pressure on the handle. One using a progressive loader must have very sensitive touch when it comes to using it. NEVER force at any time. You MUST feel that machine, and when there is a different "feel" you must recognize what is causing it. Gentle use is the answer...Operator error is your first problem.
Never knew what appened the first time. The rod follower went through the shop ceiling. before I knew it, wife came home and asked if I was growing parts...She found the rod coming through the living room floor about 6 inches.....thebigmac

[Geraldo]

One thing about the 650, if you feel something is stuck don't try to force anything on the stroke. If the primer feeder wasn't tight I can see this happening. Fortunately that tube is enclosed in steel and the primers will blow straight up. I haven't had it happen on my 650 yet thank God.

I did have it happen on on old 550 while I was on the phone with the Dillon rep. I followed his instructions and when he told me to force it Ka BOOOOM. I brought it over to Dillon that day for repair and asked for a different repair tech then the one on the phone.

I was able to watch them fix it and have them show me what went wrong and what to watch for in the future.

Thank GOD you are ok.

What was the problem with the 550 when it KB'ed?

[klw]

The only time I've ever seen brass pop out of a progressive at the priming station was when I got the wrong brass into the machine.

Primer explosions can happen with almost any press except the RCBS units that use their strip primer system. Explosions don't happen often but I've done it more than once. Star back in the 30's realized that it was a problem and redesigned their primer tube making it both a primer tube and a primer shield. Decades later Dillon did the same thing but he used two separate tubes. Both ideas work.