Dillon SDB Jammed!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Hope everyone is doing well. I was reloading today on my Dillon SDB in .45 ACP everything running smooth as silk and then on the downstroke the ram just stopped like it had bottomed out but was only about 3/4 inch from the top. I took off the powder measure,primer assembly and the linkage to the handle trying to see how I could clear the jam but no luck. I know Dillon will take care of me but I think tomorrow is a holiday and I thought I would see if anyone has ever had this problem and what the fix is? There's something inside the ram keeping it from coming down and it feels very solid whatever it is. Any thoughts or help as always will be appreciated! Oh yea this press is only about a year old! Thanks

[KB291]

I also had this prolbem a while back. Turned out to be a spent primer that had somehow worked it's way down. Had to disassemble the entire press to get it out. Good luck.

[imashooter2]

Take it apart and check the plate advance mechanism in the back of the ram (parts in the circled view in the exploded at this link):

http://www.dillonhelp.com/sdbenglish/sdb_manual/square_deal_b_schem.htm

After many thousands of rounds, mine got a build up of dirt and powder in that mechanism and it locked it up similar to what you are experiencing.

[seagiant]

Hi,
I've been trying to take it apart but it's jammed close to the top and I can't see anything else to loosen on it! I think something is inside holding it and I don't want to beat on it! If theres something I'm missing on how to take the ram out I'm all ears! Thanks!

[imashooter2]

Do you have it off the bench? There is a bolt in the center of the back that has to come out...

[seagiant]

OK, Ive got it! A gentleman on another board told me to see if a case was jammed in the resizing die and it wasn't but there was a case jammed in the expander! Why? I don't know? I gave it a couple of nice wacks using a piece of wood as a punch and the ram slide right on out. I've never had one of these apart so I was thinking there might of been something that I couldn't get to that had to be taken out yet. Thanks for the help!

[Baldy]

They come apart real easy. Mine started to get hard when I would pull down or come back up. I pulled it all apart and the four brass bushings were starting to gulad up. Of corse they were bone dry of any lube. I put the four teflon ram giudes in and lubed everything with a good high preasure grease. Just a real light coat. It's running like a top now. I give everything a little shot of GunButter every now and then and it's still running like new.

[seagiant]

Hi Baldy,
Yea,I feel a little sheepish now that it's over,but it felt like something was inside jamming things up. I never thought about it being a case but it was. I just cleaned it all up and put it back together. Probably something that we should do more often! Now its running like an MG-42!