Progressive presses, and powder check systems: Lesson Learned

[milprileb]

I posted this on another board but am doing it here too. Its worth IMHO a bit of exposure

I own a Dillon 650 which came with a electronic powder check buzzer that once set will beep if powder
charge is too high or too low, it does not beep if powder is right level. Works just fine and I like it,
but never trusted it so I put a light on press shining into the station for bullet seating so I could do
the old M1 eye ball powder level check and just keep Murphy out of the process. I always weigh
charges a few times to be sure powder measures are on the money with my RCBS 10 10 scale: that
is SOP and while Murphy has not crept into changing my settings... I don't care to let him.

I use a RCBS powder check die in my Lee Turret press, it shows high or low charges or correct charge
based on a mechanical setting you can see easily. Yup, I got a light shining on top of shell holder and
eye ball it before seating bullet. Don't trust mechanical either and want Murphy out of the production.
The RCBS die has never failed and is about fool proof.

Yesterday, on first year anniversary of my Dillon 650 purchase, I decided its time to change out that battery
on the Dillon powder check system and when I did a test before swap out of battery, I found that the
unit is dead. Replaced battery: still dead, Got another battery: still dead.

Now granted , Dillon is sending me a new unit free but the point here is I have no idea how long that device was
dead so it bears being checked each time you load with such a machine and that is something I recommend.

That I did not do that check routinely is a failure on my part but the only good thing was this unit was on a die
head I had not used for six months and was set up for a bullet seating and load I rarely shoot.

I like the redundant safety aspects of these powder check systems but quite frankly, I will probably toss out
the Dillon system and replace with a mechanical RCBS powder check die as its simpler and more trustworthy.

Of course: nothing is more trustworthy than your Eye Ball check in my opinion. At least I am old school biased
to be doing that and not trust technology for the first tier of safety.

However: the fact remains that Dillon system was dead and I did not know it. So if you got one of these, make
it a pre operational check list requirement before you operate the press.

[Reload3006]

your right on the money there are only two kinds of machines in the world those that have failed and those that are going to fail.

[Moonman]

Just like the safety on a firearm "IT'S A MECHANICAL DEVICE AND IT CAN FAIL." The true safety is what's located between your ears.

[Gunsmoke4570]

Great advice. I use a Pro 2000 with the primer strips and check the charge weight and OAL every time I load a new strip (25 rounds). Yeah it slows you down a little, but well worth it IMHO.

[jmorris]

It is standard practice for me to push the unit over by hand to hear the beep and push the primer alarm down by hand to hear it's beep before starting to load. Unless you always leave the shell plate full of cases when you quit loading it should be beeping for the first 2 strokes anyway as no cases = no powder.

[Johnk454]

Good idea, and standard practice in an industrial facility is to check all failsafes and interlocks on a periodic basis - mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, etc.

Particularly with powered equipment, you really, really want things like E-stops and anti-tie downs functional and you don't want to write "safety device non-functional" on an accident report.