Several questions
Quote from Reloader on March 24, 2013, 6:54 pmI owned the 650 for about 5 years, having loaded ten of thousands of rounds, but experiencing a couple of problems, well, actually just two.
1. Primers will not feed on 9mm after I tried hours and hours of adjustments, that it may be off center, so I emailed dillon for a solution. Maybe out of alignment, as I've tried everything else I can think of, two or three times. The phone has been busy for 3 days, and when I finally got answered, I stayed on hold for nearly an hour before hanging up.
2. Secondly, and this goes back to when it was new, when I screw in a either the small or large primer punch it only hands screws in enough to get started and then a wrench is required, which is a long task as space only allows for about a 1/8 inch of space to turn and takes for frigging forever. therefore I load all of my cache of small pistol rounds, 38's, 9mm, and 357's before switching over to 45's. Is this normal for it to be so hard to screw in?
I owned the 650 for about 5 years, having loaded ten of thousands of rounds, but experiencing a couple of problems, well, actually just two.
1. Primers will not feed on 9mm after I tried hours and hours of adjustments, that it may be off center, so I emailed dillon for a solution. Maybe out of alignment, as I've tried everything else I can think of, two or three times. The phone has been busy for 3 days, and when I finally got answered, I stayed on hold for nearly an hour before hanging up.
2. Secondly, and this goes back to when it was new, when I screw in a either the small or large primer punch it only hands screws in enough to get started and then a wrench is required, which is a long task as space only allows for about a 1/8 inch of space to turn and takes for frigging forever. therefore I load all of my cache of small pistol rounds, 38's, 9mm, and 357's before switching over to 45's. Is this normal for it to be so hard to screw in?
Quote from Reloader on March 25, 2013, 1:45 amOn issue 1 maybe be a bit more descriptive on what is going on. I'm unsure what you mean 'Primers will not feed on 9mm'.
On issue 2 though I do have a answer.
On my 1993 era machine the primer punch is able to be turned
by hand until close to being snug then final bit with wrench and I'm
always going easy on the wrench for final snug.
It is a PIA to get in and out no matter what when I have to swap small
and large primer punch assemblies.So that is a sample of two.
I'd say it is not normal though as you have described.I have no clue as I sit here of what thread is on that assembly. I'd try a tap of correct size and thread pitch to clean out the threads.
Back to issue 1. All I can say is when I do have primer seating issues
it usually can be traced to dirty primer assembly or burrs on the holes in
disk. I take mine to a sharpening stone on occasioin to flatten burrs
and have used a Craytex type cylinder polish stick to clean out the holes and to smooth burrs that show up after a long while.
I also have had to use a similar sized craytex polishing cylinder
to clean up that channel the primers follow in the aluminum housing.
Mine was pitted after so many years. Helped it after I did that.Last but not least if you do not have the alignment kit for the xl650
email Dillon and ask them to send you one.
I'd not bother calling given the current circumstances.
On issue 1 maybe be a bit more descriptive on what is going on. I'm unsure what you mean 'Primers will not feed on 9mm'.
On issue 2 though I do have a answer.
On my 1993 era machine the primer punch is able to be turned
by hand until close to being snug then final bit with wrench and I'm
always going easy on the wrench for final snug.
It is a PIA to get in and out no matter what when I have to swap small
and large primer punch assemblies.
So that is a sample of two.
I'd say it is not normal though as you have described.
I have no clue as I sit here of what thread is on that assembly. I'd try a tap of correct size and thread pitch to clean out the threads.
Back to issue 1. All I can say is when I do have primer seating issues
it usually can be traced to dirty primer assembly or burrs on the holes in
disk. I take mine to a sharpening stone on occasioin to flatten burrs
and have used a Craytex type cylinder polish stick to clean out the holes and to smooth burrs that show up after a long while.
I also have had to use a similar sized craytex polishing cylinder
to clean up that channel the primers follow in the aluminum housing.
Mine was pitted after so many years. Helped it after I did that.
Last but not least if you do not have the alignment kit for the xl650
email Dillon and ask them to send you one.
I'd not bother calling given the current circumstances.
Quote from Reloader on March 25, 2013, 5:18 amDavid:
1, take the shell plate off and then the primer disk assembly. Make sure it is very clean, I've found it best not to lubricate it. Lube attracts powder, will gum up the primer disk. When you get the alignment tool, a precision machined rod that drops down through the powder station (like the funnel) and enters the hole the primer punch screws into. If all is aligned proper, the tool will drop right into the threaded hole. Mine was almost 1/8 inch off. Even if you don't remove the primer punch, you can still eyeball the tool to the center of the punch. What's probably happening, your alignment is slightly off and when you go to seat the primer, the cartridge isn't perfectly centered. If it is off, under the shell plate are two allen head cap screws, you would loosen them, utilizing the slop in the holes, rotate the base plate until you get alignment, then tighten the screws.My problem was worse than that, when I corrected my alignment, then my resizing die was off, I had to compromise on the alignment to find the sweet spot. I suspect some of the machining tolerances are off.
2, I think my primer punch screwed mostly in by hand and I had to use a wrench to tighten it. I can only suggest removing it, cleaning the threads with a fine wire brush, lubrication, and screwing it back in.
Hope this helps, but do get the alignment tool.
I machined a new tool to verify the alignment with the center of my tool plate and the center of the shell plate, mine is off about 1/16 inch but nothing I can do about it.
Jim
David:
1, take the shell plate off and then the primer disk assembly. Make sure it is very clean, I've found it best not to lubricate it. Lube attracts powder, will gum up the primer disk. When you get the alignment tool, a precision machined rod that drops down through the powder station (like the funnel) and enters the hole the primer punch screws into. If all is aligned proper, the tool will drop right into the threaded hole. Mine was almost 1/8 inch off. Even if you don't remove the primer punch, you can still eyeball the tool to the center of the punch. What's probably happening, your alignment is slightly off and when you go to seat the primer, the cartridge isn't perfectly centered. If it is off, under the shell plate are two allen head cap screws, you would loosen them, utilizing the slop in the holes, rotate the base plate until you get alignment, then tighten the screws.
My problem was worse than that, when I corrected my alignment, then my resizing die was off, I had to compromise on the alignment to find the sweet spot. I suspect some of the machining tolerances are off.
2, I think my primer punch screwed mostly in by hand and I had to use a wrench to tighten it. I can only suggest removing it, cleaning the threads with a fine wire brush, lubrication, and screwing it back in.
Hope this helps, but do get the alignment tool.
I machined a new tool to verify the alignment with the center of my tool plate and the center of the shell plate, mine is off about 1/16 inch but nothing I can do about it.
Jim
Quote from Reloader on March 25, 2013, 1:40 pmThanks for the response.
First off, the primers do not seat in the case as I appears that they are off center, therefore the alignment of the machine might or is off center, but just enough so that they will not feed, as I cannot load a primer as the handle stops before the full up cycle, as I think that the primer is hitting just off center of the primer hole. However, it works just fine with no primer in the station and I can get it to work sometimes by handing feeding a case moving it around. I can push the shell plate back a touch but then of course when the handle is moved so does the shell plate.
I haven't thought to loosen the two hex nuts under the shell plate so I might give that a try. I have gone in there before and it is a pain to get it to fit together. In fact, one time I had to take it to store where I bought it for him put it back for me, but that's a 75 mile drive, and he's mostly in the bullet reloading business.
Haven't heard back from dillon yet, but did not expect to until Monday or tuesday............
Thanks for the response.
First off, the primers do not seat in the case as I appears that they are off center, therefore the alignment of the machine might or is off center, but just enough so that they will not feed, as I cannot load a primer as the handle stops before the full up cycle, as I think that the primer is hitting just off center of the primer hole. However, it works just fine with no primer in the station and I can get it to work sometimes by handing feeding a case moving it around. I can push the shell plate back a touch but then of course when the handle is moved so does the shell plate.
I haven't thought to loosen the two hex nuts under the shell plate so I might give that a try. I have gone in there before and it is a pain to get it to fit together. In fact, one time I had to take it to store where I bought it for him put it back for me, but that's a 75 mile drive, and he's mostly in the bullet reloading business.
Haven't heard back from dillon yet, but did not expect to until Monday or tuesday............