Adding a casefeeder to my 550B

[WildmanJack]

Ok, again I come to you, my mentors. I am seriously considering purchasing a casefeeder for my 550B. I load a LOT .45 ACP and COLT, as well as .357 mag.
After reading the online manual for the installation I'm wondering if any of you have done it as it appears to be quite involved. So there ya have it. I await your expertise and advise. Thanks..
Jack

so I can then go have a few

[Swagerman]

Sorry, don't have any experielnce with those case-feeders.

But if its anything like their auto prime systems its going to be a pain in the butt to keep it working right.

I had two Dillons, now I have none...found out I don't really need volume loading, and my old Lyman All American turret cranks them out fast enough for me.

Jim

[billyb]

I have the 650 case feeder,works great, I checed the dillon sight and the stated the two ar similer. Just bolt it on and line it up,fill with brass and turn it on.One thing i learned with mine is not to put a lot of brass in at one time. Bill

[Lloyd Smale]

there great on a 650 (allmost a nessisity) but on a 550 i dont really think youd save much time. you have to manualy advance it anyway and sitting a case on it is about second nature when you get going. If you want to save some time pick the caliber you load the most and pick up a square deal in that caliber. You can get one for about the same price as a case feeder and i know from experience that you could load faster on a square deal then you could with a 550 and a case feeder as a matter of fact a experienced guy on a square deal can give a 650 with a case feeder a run for his money.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

According to Brian Enos, you'll gain about 25% production over the standard 550. If I were you, I'd sell the 550 and get either a 650 or a Hornady LnL before I'd spend that much money for only a 25% increase in production. Then, when you want to add a casefeeder, you'll increase your production significantly.

Just my .02,

Dave

[Southern Son]

Wildman Jack, do yourself a big favour, get the case feeder. I bought one for my 550 and love it. The only PITA I had was when I first attached the feeder. My 550 is fairly old (bought it in about 1994, give or take a year). Apparently they changed the shape of the frame a little and when you fit the case feeder to the older press frames, you have to remove about 1/16 if an inch from a small area at the front of the frame, near where the primer magazine sits. Other than that, there has been nothing but loaded 38Sp comming out of the press at an alarming rate. I don't know if the speed increase has been 25% or what, but now my right arm works the lever, and my left puts a projectile on the charged case and then at the same time flips the cases around to the next station. Too easy.

With the case feeder, the 550B is still cheaper than the 650 in Oz, by more than just a couple of hundred bucks. All the 650 gives you is one more die station and auto indexing. I will stick with my 550 untill I win lotto.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[nicholst55]

I've heard mixed reviews of the 550B case feeder; it seems like they run about 4-1 negative. I think that if I wanted to add a case feeder I'd sell the 550 and buy a 650. The auto-index and extra die station would be a good thing, I do believe.

[Springfield]

Except the caliber conversions are 39.99 for the 550 and 69.99 for the 650. And I already have 15 conversions for my two 550's. And the 550's are already paid for years ago. Plus I had 2 Square Deals and I hated the auto indexing, so I sold them.

[WildmanJack]

Well you guys have me thinkin a lot about this. I've still not made up my mind yet. Maybe I'll save the money and just buy another gun. But then I'd have to buy another conversion kit, another set of dies, different molds, different powder, a bunch of once fired brass... Oh hell !!! I'll just go buy a couple of cases of beer and give it some more thought!!!
Jack

[shotman]

jack i looked at my buddys 550 i dont think the lee set up i used on mine [650] will work but if you sell and get a 650 get it in 460S&W then any thing will be cheap to convert cals shotman/rick

[Sundogg1911]

I agree with Lloyd. I put a case feeder on one of my 550's for .45 ACP and found that I could still crank'em out faster on my SDB. so now I only use the Square deal for .45's since i shoot my 1911's more than everything else combined, and use my 550's for just about everything else. Sold the case feeder. I really found it didnt save me any time on the 550's

[WildmanJack]

Well, to be honest, most of my "Bush" money is gone. Two Dr's appointments, $200.00 for new glasses, a wedding gift for my nephew, and a tank of gas for the car. Man that $600.00 sure didn't go very far!! So I will be hand loading my cases into my 550. To all those that responded I thank you fro the bottom of my pea pickin heart. You guys always keep me on the straight and level no matter what the question.. Have a Happy and safe 4th...
Jack

so I can have enough change for

[Earl Brasse]

I've used a 550 for years, finally got good deal on a 650. The only sad state of affairs is Monsoon season, and I've used up all the bullets. I'll have to wait until good weather & time off collide to cast again so I can try the 650's case feeder. A good friend of mine, also a 550 loader, got himself a 650 a while back & said it really does the job on getting things done in a hurry & the extra station comes in handy.

[Cherokee]

The extra station of the 650 is important, allowing for powder level checking. The case feeder is great. Never used a 550.