Just picked up my first Dillon 550. What else do I need to go with it?

[DanWalker]

Hey guys, just picked up a used Dillon 550B at a local store. What accessories would you suggest I get to go with it?
It has a toolhead installed with 30/06 dies and a Dillon powder measure. It has a strong mount on it as well, but that is all.
What else would you Dillon owners suggest I get to go with it? I know I will need primer pickup tubes and a flip tray.
I will also be buying some toolheads to install my LEE dies in for the calibers I reload. This isn't my first reloading press, and I have a couple LEE classic cast presses I load on now. Just wondering what Dillon goodies go good with this press.
Thanks.

[MrWolf]

The ergonomic handle helps. Sounds like you are off to the races! Congrats.

[runfiverun]

I like the ball handle.
you'll want the bullet tray, and the holder for the case trays.
you'll also NOT want the flip tray you'll want the Dillon primer filler, I generally fill 10 tubes at a time to keep things moving.
stopping every 10 minutes to fill a primer tube sucks.
you don't need the extra tubes you can just dump a tray of primers on top and push the button, then in a minute you dump the primers from the machine into the 550's tube.
the primer warning buzzer is good to have too I put a 45 colt or 454 case on top of the plastic rod to smooth out the primer feed.

[Nueces]

If you find, as I did, that the die plate flops around too much, invest in this kit:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/134475546@N03/sets

which firmly secures the plate to the press frame. No more wandering overall lengths.

Also handy are a bracket and Dillon bin mounted at the right for empty cases, with another bin for loaded rounds. You might also like a bin on the left for bullets. There are a variety of roller handles out there - I use the Dillon version.

Probably a good way to spend a bit of time would be to call Dillon with the same question.

[daboone]

One of my baby granddaughters socks fitted over the ball handle makes it "ergonomic"! There are several aftermarket add-ons for the 550 but I can't figure out why because once you learn how to set it up and how it sounds and feels it just works.

[four70nitro]

I like the roller handle - the bullet tray is handy - the brackets to hold the acro bins for catching loaded round and holding cases ready to be loaded are pretty nice as well. None of them are necessary, but they all make life a bit easier. Consistent operation of the press will go a long way toward maximizing accuracy and consistency of the charges dropped by the powder measure. I load almost exclusively ball powder or flake powder because it is easier to achieve very small deviations in powder charges. You'll like it! I have two, and am thinking about buying a 1050......

[lightman]

It sounds like you have the basics covered. A shell plate and dies for the caliber you are loading are necessary. A scale to get the powder measure adjusted. Then load up a few rounds and decide what other options you need. The trays are nice, as are the roller handle. Just use it for a little while and decide what you want. There are a ton of options.

[novalty]

The Sky Light from Inline Fabrications is very nice, and extra quick change kits for each caliber is nice too but gets very expensive. An inexpensive add on is a knob to adjust the powder bar--Home Depot SKU#561671 $1.10 each.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m11/novalty1970/Reloading/HDDillonKnobs_zps684860bb.jpg (http://s100.photobucket.com/user/novalty1970/media/Reloading/HDDillonKnobs_zps684860bb.jpg.html)

[W.R.Buchanan]

Bullets Primers and powder!

Randy

[Mk42gunner]

Lots of empty brass...

Robert

[Dragonheart]

I personally would dump the Lee Dies on Ebay and buy the Dillon or Redding dies. The Redding Micrometer bullet seater is a great addition.

I would also look into installing a roller bearing under the shell plate and maybe taking a half coil off the spring under the index ball to smooth out the indexing to eliminate powder slung out of the case and get a more uniform OAL of your rounds.

I don't like the fixed Dillon Bullet trays as I change bullets frequently, So I made my own out of 90 degree bent sheet steel bolted to the strong mount and then rectangular magnetic trays from Harbor Freight the stick to my metal plate. When I want a bullet change I simply slide off a tray and put on another.

Install some LED strip lights inside the O of the press shining down so you can see the powder in the case.

The rest of the items like scales, flipper, case gauges, micrometers, etc. etc. you will need as you get into it.

[DanWalker]

The rest of the items like scales, flipper, case gauges, micrometers, etc. etc. you will need as you get into it.

I already have a bunch of reloading stuff. Been reloading for 19 years now. This is my first Dillon press.

[Bad Water Bill]

I had my Dillon 550 for several years and one day saw that we had a new sponsorhttp://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/paidad/inline5.gif
with some very creative ideas.

After a phone call to the owner a nice new mount and light were on my loading bench.

Yes the mount IS hefty enough to stand on.

Also you can mount a tray below to hold any special tools you use frequently.

The light helps an OLD reloader check powder charges and PB fit.

[wrench man]

I personally can't fathom the appeal of the roller handle!??:confused: seem to me it would be the same as the Hurst "T" handles?, I had one for about 15 miles, as soon as I got home with my new ride I took it off and threw it across the shop into the scrap trailer and put a ball on there!
I've got the bullet tray and empty shell bin bracket on mine, and a hand full of BIG! AkroBins to hang off of them!
And it does get a bit pricey, but I have a tool head for every set of dies I use in it too, set it and forget it!
Also all the dies that don't have hex lock nuts, and the couple of junk LEE dies I have all get the Dillon 1" lock nut on them!

[retread]

MSC Industrial has the same AkroBins as used on the 550 for a lot less money. You can look them up at www.mscdirect.com (http://www.mscdirect.com)

[bubbacrabb]

I use pretty much everything stock the way it came. I use lee dies in different tool heads. I'm sure there are better dies, but I've been happy with the Lee 4 die sets. I got 2 different powder measures, one I leave on a 223 tool head since I load a lot of it. The pistol calibers I just rotate the powder measure around. I usually load an ammo can of a caliber at a time. The good thing is you can dress it out however you want. I'd def get a few different bins to put brass and bullets in. I just got mine at Harbor Frieght.

[Bad Water Bill]

While I do like and use some of their bins I did visit a local restaurant supply house (sadly now closed) and picked up some soup bowls.

Left side my boolits slide easily out of the slope sided bowl.

Right side for mt M T brass.

Of course those restaurant grade bowls BOUNCE rather than break or shatter even when full and suddenly hitting the floor.

Yes they also stack nicely when empty.

[VHoward]

On the 550, the shell plate is advanced manually, so no need for a thrust bearing under the shell plate bolt or clipping any spring to prevent powder spillage on short cases. Just adjust the speed at which you advance the shell plate.

Walmart has started carrying Akrobins of varying sizes at reasonable prices. They are clear though, not blue.

[Bad Water Bill]

Walmart has started carrying Akrobins of varying sizes at reasonable prices. They are clear though, not blue.

At last reports Dillon products were still color blind :bigsmyl2:

[Plate plinker]

Low powder sensor on the powder hopper is a good idea. When I get in the grove I do not notice until the Buzz. Low primer sensor is nice too.

Lots of toolhead as they are cheap enough for the 550. DP sells the at a price break if you buy 3? or more at a time.

[Bad Water Bill]

Drill a hole in the center of the powder cap.

Make a U shaped piano wire rod that goes down into the powder tube and fit a round piece of plastic that rests on the top of the powder.

Bend the other end of the rod over the primer warning buzzer.

Depending on how long you make the powder rod determines just when the buzzer goes off.

Been working great for me for over 10 years now.:bigsmyl2:

[Fishman]

BWB that sounds like something I am going to do when my Dillon 650 gets here. Nice tip!

[StratsMan]

On the 550, the shell plate is advanced manually, so no need for a thrust bearing under the shell plate bolt or clipping any spring to prevent powder spillage on short cases. Just adjust the speed at which you advance the shell plate.



True, but I'm glad I put a thrust washer on mine because it's easier to adjust pressure against the shellplate. In fact, I still want to try one of the aftermarket kits with the pin bearings and lighter detent ball... No telling how much powder I've lost out of my brass over the years, but it must be spilling out 'cuz powder keeps showing up on the press after a loading session...

So that's my suggestion for the OP's 550; little stuff to make the press operate more smoothly... Oh... and extra toolheads, but not Dillon... you'll find ads on FleaBay for the bearings and for CNC toolheads. I found a seller who also threads the pinhole and secures the toolhead with a small bolt... no wandering toolheads like Dillon sells... they were a little more money than a Dillon, but not much... don't forget a spare parts package from Dillon, too... you know how those small parts love to leave the press to find nooks and crannies in the shop, sometimes hiding for years at a time... Don't want to have to stop reloading just 'cuz you can't find a spring...

[Bad Water Bill]

Please tell us where you can obtain one of the aftermarket kits with the pin bearings and lighter detent ball.

Sounds like something I would like to add to my press.

[Bad Water Bill]

BWB that sounds like something I am going to do when my Dillon 650 gets here. Nice tip!

Piano wire will be found at many hobby stores and is 36" long.

You might want to use a plain steel rod to shape a working pattern for the piano wire.

It is harder to bend but once done it stays that shape for a loooong time.

[VHoward]

Dillon powder measures tend to leak when fine ball powders are used. I use AA#5 and AA#9 and both leak a little bit. Not enough to effect the charge being thrown, but it is noticeable after a loading session.
http://is.gd/p1ZFBK I tried the plastic detent ball in my XL650, but went back to the steel detent ball. I found no difference between the 2. I did trim off 1 spiral of the detent spring and that worked. The thrust bearing pictured is nice, but not really necessary. Put a little grease into the needle bearings, work them, then wipe the excess off. They do need a film of grease to lubricate them, but don't need to be sloppy. On my XL650, the case ejector wire had to be modified to work properly with the thrust bearing kit.
If you want just the thrust bearing and nothing else, then go here http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/121/1187/=y0sqyx . You want 5909K31 QTY 1 $3.11 each and 5909K44 QTY 2 $1.02 each for a total of $5.15 before shipping.

From the pictures in the ebay listing, it looks like the indexing star has to be modified for the thrust bearing to work. Or maybe they just do that to recess it so it is not seen. I have seen a thread on here where someone was using the mcmaster carr thrust bearing without issues though.

[wurgerburger]

L-shaped ergo handle and some LED lighting. Toolheads for each caliber.
Micrometer knobs for powder measures if you use the same powder dispenser for multiple calibers. The primer beeper is unnecessary, you can feel it when you run out.

[VHoward]

The primer buzzer will sound before you run out so you can put more in so you don't have to feel it when you run out.

[Bad Water Bill]

You never want to run out of primers while using those teeny tiny round balls of powder.

You will only do it ONE time before you get the warning buzzer because you did not FEEL there were 0 primers there and tons of that tiny round powder spilled thru the flash holes and forced you to strip the press down all the way.

Yes it can and will happen.:oops:

[VHoward]

You never want to run out of primers while using those teeny tiny round balls of powder.

You will only do it ONE time before you get the warning buzzer because you did not FEEL there were 0 primers there and tons of that tiny round powder spilled thru the flash holes and forced you to strip the press down all the way.

Yes it can and will happen.:oops:
I had this happen on a Loadmaster. But I did not run out of primers, the press was just in one of it's many fits of "My primer feeding system isn't going to work today and you just lost some powder" modes. On top of that, on the loadmaster, you can't feel the primer being seated as your seating the primer as you size the case. The loadmasters priming system is why I sold the loadmaster and bought a Dillon Square Deal b. The Square Deal b turned out too small for me (My hands are extra large) so I sold it and got the XL650. I love it. never a hiccup and smooth. I chose the XL650 over the RL550B because I wanted auto progressive instead of the manual advance.

[VHoward]

Both the 650 and 550 can be accessorized to your hearts content, but I would recommend starting with stock and then start adding accessories as you find you need them(Or want them). The primer system on the RL550B should have already included the low primer alarm unless the person you bought it from lost it.

[wurgerburger]

Pressurized nonflammable air helps get the powder granules out. I have the buzzer but don't use it.

[hornetman]

Went by the local Home Depot to pick up some of the plastic knobs to adjust the powder measures that were mentioned in an earlier post. They did not stock them . I had them check all nine of the stores in the area. Seems that none stock them. Guess I'll just order them.

[r1kk1]

I have an extra complete primer assembly for mine. It is literally seconds to go from small to large primers and vice versa. I also use the accessories from Dillon with some from Unique Tek, Inline Fabrication and Johnson Design Specialities. Once I'm finished building an A-Frame 30x50, my reloading room will occupy the back 20 feet to give me a room that measures 20X30.

Take care

r1kk1

[dudel]

I prefer the a larger ball on the handle vs the roller handle. The ball gave me a smoother, less restricted motion. A fellow on this site (Adam) makes larger balls from billiards. They are awesome. I have a blue one for the 550 and a green one on the RockChucker. If you go with multiple toolheads or powder measures (recommended), then some sort of stand to keep them ready is useful. You can buy them from several places; but they are easy enough to build.

[Mike Kerr]

Many fine ideas in this thread, but I find the 550 is fine like it is. Just add primers, powder, bullets and enjoy the results.

[Alvarez Kelly]

Went by the local Home Depot to pick up some of the plastic knobs to adjust the powder measures that were mentioned in an earlier post. They did not stock them . I had them check all nine of the stores in the area. Seems that none stock them. Guess I'll just order them.

I did the same thing. I went to dozens of stores. Never found one knob. After about 2 years of looking, I found a source. I could only buy them in volume. So...

I have plenty of those blue knobs. I sell them to members of this forum for $1.50 each, plus $3 for shipping, no matter how many you buy. So, $4.50 for 1 knob, $6 for 2 knobs, $9 for 4, etc.

If anybody wants any of these, send me a PM.

[Bad Water Bill]

The first time I saw these they were on sale at evil bay by the wife of a fantastic B P builder Jerry Marsh of Frontier Trading Post in Brookfield Il.

Jerry created some of the best swamp bbled Birdseye Maple long rifles I have ever seen.

Sadly this vet has left for the great B P range in the sky and the store and the tons of STUFF Jerry had stashed was quietly sold.

I did see one of his builds for sale,the finish was warn off ,lots of dings on the stock and rust on the metal.

$4,500 was what the tag read and it was sold in less than an hour.

Sorry for drifting off topic but you did bring great memories of a great man that I had the privilege to spend many hours talking with.

[Petrol & Powder]

Many fine ideas in this thread, but I find the 550 is fine like it is. Just add primers, powder, bullets and enjoy the results.
Ditto

[hornetman]

Sorry that I didn't see Alvarez Kelly's post on the knobs for powder measure adjustment before I ordered from Home Depot. I paid three times as much for postage as the knobs cost. I got an order confirmation, but no notice of shipment-we'll see if they really fill the order.

[spfd1903]

If the powder measure only came with one charge bar, you might want to check the manual and see if it is the small bar (maximum charge weight is approximately 20 grains). The large bar will have a maximum drop weight of around 45 grains. Eventually, after getting up to a dozen caliber specific shell plates, I did start buying the extra tool heads and powder dies. Once I got the powder die adjusted for minimal flare for pistol brass, it was one less thing to adjust by labeling the caliber and leaving the powder die locked in place.

[Bad Water Bill]

Something that may help new reloaders to keep records.

From an OLD man that can not take pictures or post them.

I use a 3 X 5 BLANK card for each box of ammo I reload and have successfully done so for years.

1/4"down on 1 side ___________ then divide that box GUN 2" l CAL 5/8 l blank 7/8 l TEMP 3/8 l WIND1/2 l SUN l
1/8 down _________________#1/4" l BULLET 3/4 l WT 1/4 l CASE 1/2" l PRIMER 5/8 l POWDER 5/8 l WT 1/4" l F.P.S 3//8" l COAL 1/2 l DATE l now divide the bottom of the card into Approx 10 boxes 1/4 inch deep across the length of the card.back up to # and place a line completely DOWN the card then a line down for each of the specs starting at BULLET and at each l across the rest of the card.
5 rounds are loaded for each of the 10 boxes on the bottom of the card and this card will be stored inside of each 50 round box for both rifle and pistol.

Now for the back side of the card.

1 1/4" l 1" blank for now l 1/2" l 1n this box draw a 1/2 " circle and put the cross hairs in the circle l 1" blank for now.

every 1/2 " down duplicate the top line till you have 10 boxes going down.

Back to the bullseye

As each round is fired it is marked as 1-2-3-4-5 and any comment on that round (pulled shot , wind etc ) till you have marked each of the 5 shots on that bullseye as to where it hit in the target you have down range with any comments placed in the 2 blank spaces either side of the bullseye.

As you fire each round replace it in the same slot it came out of in the 50 round ammo box.

Now when you get home you can see how each load performed and since EACH fired round is in its original location in the ammo box you can also check out how the primer looks on each load as well.

Yes it took a long time to create both sides of my original card BUT now you copy your MASTER card ? times (it has been years since I created this and cut out over 500 copies so you are on your own as to how many copies fit on an 8" by 11" paper.

Now more work, do the same thing for the back side and with a little patience you can arrange the back page so that it prints correctly on the back side of the full 8" X 11 front sheet.

As I said YES it does take time to get every item in the right location BUT as I said once you see your first double sided MASTER sheet it takes almost no time to print a lifetime supply of these cards.

I keep each card in the note book I have for each firearm I reload for and this to me is the safest way of keeping track of each round and how it performed on what type of day as well.

Yes this seems long but it took years to develop before I settled on this card several years ago and yes I made many changes and additions before I said DONE .

Hope it helps you.

[mjwcaster]

The brianenos forum has plenty of info on the 550
http://www.brianenos.com/

or google dillon 550 upgrades.

I need a sign by the press that says-
'loosen the lock screw in the ram before trying to remove the shell plate holder dummy'
I guess I just don't change calibers often enough to remember the lock screw.
Fix- reload calibers more often

Lots of great advice so far, just know that the one weak spot on the 550 is the priming system, from issues with getting the primers to feed from the primer tubes, keeping the primer slide clean and polished to the stupid pin that the spent primer chute rides on.

Don't tighten up the primer slide too much, causes issues.

Once it is up and running good though it is a dream.

I went through mine and polished up the powder drop system and the primer feed slides with some real fine sandpaper, and rub down the powder funnel with dry sheets to reduce static.
Then again mine had sat for years and had some surface rust every where and oxidation on the aluminum parts, so it needed it.

[StratsMan]

Please tell us where you can obtain one of the aftermarket kits with the pin bearings and lighter detent ball.

Sounds like something I would like to add to my press.

Sorry for the slow reply, Bill... we're not supposed to post FleaBay links in this forum (or is that just in S&S??) but if you go there and search "Dillon 550", you'll come up with pages of hits... Most of them are accessories... I found an ad for the kit I mentioned on the first page of the search, and only $28... It included knobs, screws et al... I think I'll just order one myself

[avogunner]

The Sky Light from Inline Fabrications is very nice, and extra quick change kits for each caliber is nice too but gets very expensive. An inexpensive add on is a knob to adjust the powder bar--Home Depot SKU#561671 $1.10 each.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m11/novalty1970/Reloading/HDDillonKnobs_zps684860bb.jpg (http://s100.photobucket.com/user/novalty1970/media/Reloading/HDDillonKnobs_zps684860bb.jpg.html)


I've been looking for one of these for a long time and when I saw the Home Depot SKU# here, I went right online and ordered a couple. Quick, easy, and delivered to the local Home Depot in a couple of days. They are just the thing you need and for a buck a piece, you can't beat it! Thanks for the gouge....
Semper Fi!