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Here's what I'm talking about:
I've had nothing but failure trying to get my 550C priming system to work. It has almost made me regret buying the loader. I've called Dillon a few times, and get the same answers as the owners manual. It's set up properly. If I snug up the attaching screws so that the primer assembly does not move around I get perhaps 50 rounds loaded before the primer arm sticks. It hangs up just long enough during the return stroke of the press handle to allow a gap to form between arm position and the stop. It then "pop" loose allowing the arm to snap forward, launching the primer to who knows where.
The only way I can use the system is to grab hold of the primer arm when the press handle is all the way down. As I lift the handle slowly I slowly push the primer arm forward easing it past the sticking point. By the time I add in this and the time it takes to load primer tubes it slows my production to less than 100 per hour.
If I loosen the assembly so that the arm does not stick the assembly moves around so that the primer cup misaligns with the shell plate opening or it rubs against the spent primer chute causing a groove to be cut in the arm. If I snug it up even a barely perceptible amount the arm goes back to sticking.
I've tried cleaning, no lube, dry lubes, wet lubes. I've polished the primer track bearing on a sheet of glass with jewelers rouge as well as smoothed and polished the primer arm assembly and the housing it sits in. I've done other things as well, and have fiddled and fussed with this for almost the full year I've owned the press.
I'm thinking of trying the bearing plate shown above before I totally give up on the priming system. Does anybody have any experience with this accessory?
Thanks for your ideas and help!
I've had nothing but failure trying to get my 550C priming system to work. It has almost made me regret buying the loader. I've called Dillon a few times, and get the same answers as the owners manual. It's set up properly. If I snug up the attaching screws so that the primer assembly does not move around I get perhaps 50 rounds loaded before the primer arm sticks. It hangs up just long enough during the return stroke of the press handle to allow a gap to form between arm position and the stop. It then "pop" loose allowing the arm to snap forward, launching the primer to who knows where.
The only way I can use the system is to grab hold of the primer arm when the press handle is all the way down. As I lift the handle slowly I slowly push the primer arm forward easing it past the sticking point. By the time I add in this and the time it takes to load primer tubes it slows my production to less than 100 per hour.
If I loosen the assembly so that the arm does not stick the assembly moves around so that the primer cup misaligns with the shell plate opening or it rubs against the spent primer chute causing a groove to be cut in the arm. If I snug it up even a barely perceptible amount the arm goes back to sticking.
I've tried cleaning, no lube, dry lubes, wet lubes. I've polished the primer track bearing on a sheet of glass with jewelers rouge as well as smoothed and polished the primer arm assembly and the housing it sits in. I've done other things as well, and have fiddled and fussed with this for almost the full year I've owned the press.
I'm thinking of trying the bearing plate shown above before I totally give up on the priming system. Does anybody have any experience with this accessory?
Thanks for your ideas and help!