Finally a good solution to the Dillon 550 primer design faulth

[happy7]

I have had my 550 many years and it has been back to Dillon and Dillon has sent me new parts several times, and the fact is it just never has worked right.

There were always two problems with it. The most annoying one is the slide would always start binding after a few hunderd rounds and I would have to stop, take it apart and clean it. The other problem was that the primer catcher would jam open and let the primers and filth from the primers fall all over the place. I have tried many differnt things to solve this without any real success. I tried putting a magnet on it to add weight, tweaking it, replacing the cotter pin pivot point with a #4 screw, etc.

I realized at some point that the primer slide hanging up was actually due to the other problem of the primer shute jamming open. When it jams open all the primer filth gets the slide drity and then it starts hanging. Very annoying in a progressive press.

So the thing is that solving the primer catcher shute problem solves both problems.

This has been such a frustration to me, and I have spent hours and hours scouring the internet for solutions, finding that many others have the same frustration and trying those solutions that sounded promissing, but never with any real success, and being very jealous of those who proclaimed that their primer system never gave them any problems.

Then one day recently it came to me. What a simple solution! It works very well and only took literally 10 minutes to do with stuff I had on hand. I figured I had to post this and get it out there to help other fellow sufferers.

It takes a small nail, a soldering iron, and a rubber band. You remove the schute, put two bends in a nail and solder to the schute as pictured, install the rubber band and problem solved. You will need to grind the plating off the shoot where you want to solder so that the solder will stick, and cleaning up the nail will help as well.

Oh, I long ago removed the clip that holds the newly positioned brass case in place, which really speeds up reloading, so I already had a natural hole for the rubber band to go through. That is the hole where the screw was that held the clip in place.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm157/happyjoyfully/Img_7675R.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm157/happyjoyfully/Img_7676R.jpg

[lbaize3]

Clever design! My 550s are working fine now, but I will remember this trick should I need it in the future...

[Colorado4wheel]

You could have just bent the chute so it moved freely and then used a paperclip as the pivot.

[StratsMan]

I like it... don't rely on gravity to move such a light part...

[geargnasher]

GASP!!! You mean a brand other than Lee presses have primer problems??????

Say it isn't so, guys! Blue is perfection, remember? :kidding:

Gear

[runfiverun]

that little primer catch dump thing always killed me.
everything is over thought out on the 550's and then they throw that little piece of bent sheet metal on there.
i squared all of mine up and forgot about them long ago.
i do have to shorten and replace the return springs on the primer feeders about every 2 years though.
i lube thier slides with mica.

[btroj]

That sums chute is my biggest issue with my 550 B. mine tends to lock open and primers end up everywhere. They do get in the way of the primer slide quite a bit.
that is such a simple fix. I like it.

[CATS]

Happy7
Your picture shows primers on the frame of your 550. Did they drop there after your mod?

[Alvarez Kelly]

I must be living right. I've never had a single problem with the tin primer chute mechanism.

[happy7]

I took the pictures right after I did the mod. They were already there. That was situation normal for me before. This mod is very positive. That thing closes every time for me now.


Happy7
Your picture shows primers on the frame of your 550. Did they drop there after your mod?

[wrench man]

I also seem to have had very good service with mine, it dropped a bout 6 primers on the floor when it was new and hasn't failed to put one in the spent bin for several thousand rounds now.

[Mike Kerr]

Thanks for posting your "solution". I have one 450 with auto priming upgrades upon which that the Little Chute was a primer scattering mess. I guess I was lucky because I discovered early on the dirt, grime, gunk etc. from the primer was causing the slides to bind (sometimes). Shortly thereafter I bought a used 550 with a similar looking tin chute but this chute opened and closed virtually without flaw.

So I had a working model to guide me and I was able to get the "cotter pin"/pivot pin" to allow the chute to open and close without binding - which is generally what causes the spent primers to fall all over everywhere within the priming system.

Subsequently I have upgraded some 450's to auto priming and had other 550's with no real problems BUT I do understand your frustration and I admire your ingenuity. BTW If you have removed the paper clip shaped cartridge spring on the roller bracket (at station one ) what have you done for case alignment as you deprime ? Are some cases getting crushed or mangled by the die?

regards,

:):):)

[HodakaGA]

Mine has a plastic cup under the spent primer catcher. Every stroke opens the bin and the primer drops on into the cup. I don't have any problem with the way the factory set mine up.

[happy7]

BTW If you have removed the paper clip shaped cartridge spring on the roller bracket (at station one ) what have you done for case alignment as you deprime ? Are some cases getting crushed or mangled by the die?

regards,

:):):)

I suppose it may have taken a little practice to get it right, but if you slide the case in with the right amount of force, it really stays put. I don't have a problem with crushed cases at all. Not having the spring is, for me, a big improvement. I speeds things up and makes the process less fiddely. If you slide the case in and hit the shell holder with too much force, it springs back after you let go of it. So you have to put it in and kind of hold your finger against if for a fraction of a second to prevent the springback. Then it stays put.

[FUBAR 6]

Nice fix.

Load many different types and changing between rounds that require small primers to ones that use large mag primers causes me nothing but frustration on my 550....

When I get it set for one type I hate to change it.

[ph4570]

Happy -- clever solution.

The cotter pin kludge and poor fit was the main problems with my two 550's primer chutes. Replaced the pins with machine screws, did a little bending, filing and polishing -- do not recall the last time a primer went astray.

I feel that the poor design should have been addressed by Dillon long before now. I suppose as long as their sales are brisk they do not care much about design improvements.

[MtGun44]

I must be lucky.

I've been using two 550s for many years, starting with a 450 in 1981. Never once had an issue with the
primer catcher. I did have some stickiness of the primer slide when it gets really dirty, so I lube the primer
slide with dry moly lube rubbed in about every other year or so. Newer slides have teflon coating and don't
need the moly.

Bill

[Sonnypie]

Ya nailed it.

(Sure a good thing you didn't solder a screw on there.) :shock: :kidding: