Low Primer warning device
Quote from Reloader on April 10, 2012, 9:26 pmI see the expensive primer warning device and I ask... WTF? Many years ago, in the age of the dinosaur, Dillon loaders were sold with nothing to warn you that you were out of primers, except the loose powder under the shellplate! 🙂
So, I made one.. and I still use it. I was flying R/C airplanes at the time, and I took the inner rod of a nylon pushrod assembly (but any plastic rod of about 1/8" diameter will work. It just has to fit loosely into the primer tube.), and I cut it to just stick out of the top of the primer tube when the tube is empty. I inserted a short piece of piano wire in the rod (optional) and marked the top of the rod at the top of the primer tube when empty. The whole design and execution took less time that it's taking to type this.
I fill the primer tube with 100 primers, and drop the plastic tube on top. The little bit of weight helps keep the primers dropping smoothly... and here's the best part. I can tell from the mark I made, when the primer tube is empty; and if I forget, the end of the rod drops into the primer cup and holds the primer slide open when it's empty. So simple and no batteries needed! I have a 550, but I imagine this will work with all of them.
If you don't already have the primer warning thingie, try it.
I see the expensive primer warning device and I ask... WTF? Many years ago, in the age of the dinosaur, Dillon loaders were sold with nothing to warn you that you were out of primers, except the loose powder under the shellplate! 🙂
So, I made one.. and I still use it. I was flying R/C airplanes at the time, and I took the inner rod of a nylon pushrod assembly (but any plastic rod of about 1/8" diameter will work. It just has to fit loosely into the primer tube.), and I cut it to just stick out of the top of the primer tube when the tube is empty. I inserted a short piece of piano wire in the rod (optional) and marked the top of the rod at the top of the primer tube when empty. The whole design and execution took less time that it's taking to type this.
I fill the primer tube with 100 primers, and drop the plastic tube on top. The little bit of weight helps keep the primers dropping smoothly... and here's the best part. I can tell from the mark I made, when the primer tube is empty; and if I forget, the end of the rod drops into the primer cup and holds the primer slide open when it's empty. So simple and no batteries needed! I have a 550, but I imagine this will work with all of them.
If you don't already have the primer warning thingie, try it.