Quote from CowboyFive7 on August 9, 2025, 12:32 am

I own an Dillon XL750. I have been reloading with “Green” for approximately 40 years.

First: I LOVE Dillon! I converted from “Green” to “Blue” and I will never look back.  But, it took a while to understand Dillon’s press’s operational theories. I went to Dillion’s You Tube University, and then I was right on track like an old pro! I watched Gary’s (The Human Manual) videos that had been uploaded. Sometimes I watched some twice! I have over 40 die sets, but I really only reload large calibers: 45/70. 6.5 Creedmore, 45 Colt, 22-250, 454 Casull and 308 Winchester. It is just not cost effective (for me) to reload 45ACP, 38/357 or 9mm as I can buy good rounds for about the same or less than I can reload them.

I own 5 quick change kits, 5 caliber conversion kits, spare parts kit, tool  holder wrench set, and much much more. So I am invested, committed, and going strong!

Here is my issue. I extensively use micrometer bullet seaters. For example, in my 1873 Winchester rifle, I shoot 45 Colt. The overall length is critical if you want the loading block to pick up the round from the tubular magazine and bring it up to the barrel. If bullet length is too long, rifle will jam while loading, the 6.5 and 308 overall lengths cannot exceed box magazine length. Anyway, that’s why I use micrometer bullet seaters. I do not use them on 45 Colt as I seat them for my pistol and that overall length is just fine for the rifle. Above comment was just an illustration example.

So, a couple months ago,I fortunately stumbled on a tricked out AR10 in 308. I of course HAD to get a Timney trigger for it! (they were a sponsor of mine when I was competing seriously)

Problem: I went to the Dillon website and bought a quick change kit & caliber conversion. (I usually load between 1,000 and 1,700 rounds at a time as I shoot quite often and do some mild competition. I shoot all spring, summer, and fall, and I reload all winter. Sometimes I can shoot for two seasons without reloading. Supplies are always a problem, so I buy when I see it available and put it away until summer. I exclusively use Starline brass.

As I set up my 308 reloading head, I noticed that the (RCBS) micrometer die was too tall and interfered with the powder bar travel. Due to the “fail safe rod” I cannot rotate the powder thrower at all. It is stuck in that position due to the “fail safe rod.” (“Fail Safe Rod”   I am not a fan of – see comments later on in this article)

So I called Dillon (excellent customer service BTW! Always helpful and understanding even when I was new and asked very very stupid questions). They said “Oh, there is a shorter powder bar. He is the website information.” So I went and bought that bar. It operated perfectly. Cleared everything! I was set!

Went to use it to get my 42 grains throw accuraized, and I noticed that the “fail safe rod” retuns the powder bar back slightly late, causing this shorter bar to drop powder. Not much, but I am using Accurate 4064 so it dropped about 4-6 of the extruded pieces…probably about 0.01 grains, but multipled by 1500 rounds…that would be a LOT of powder on my bench, floor and press.

Back to research. There seemed to be nothing I could modify. Those of you using the “rod” will notice that it will open the powder bar for a throw, but on the down stroke it hesitates just a tad until the  “bar” pulls the powder bar back to its original position. On the longer powder bars, this doesn’t matter, but on the short one I bought, this hesitation allows powder to drop from the main hopper for just a split second.

My research led me to a forum, which led me to a youtube video that contained the proposed solution. The solution was Dillon part number 14036. You will need two of them, I bought 4 in case this happens again.

Basically you convert your powder thrower to “pre-2000” style where two springs return the powder bar back to normal. And this is not even the best part!

By using the springs, and zip tying the gold levers together, the powder thrower can now be rotated to ANY position! I found a good position where it missed everything EXCEPT my powder checker rods on my powder checker die! Grrr…

Back to research. BUT, A simple solution. Cut the heights of both powder checker pins and you may have to raise the checker die a couple of turns, and everything is happy!!

I hope this helps someone and saves someone some time.

Fail Safe Rod comments: In my research I found out that a solution suggested to get consistent powder throws was to make sure the bend in the rod was a perfect 90 degrees. Really?? Really, really??? I just bought the press for over $700 and you tell me the powder throws are inconsistent as the rod may not be a true 90 degrees? Well, I no longer have the rod, I use the springs for my 308s and my throws are just fine. In fact to prove it to myself I throw 100 throws of 42 grains of Accurate 4064. Standard deviation of 0.3, mean average 42.1, data average of 42.08.  I’ll take it!

I am sure there are good reasons for the rod, but I am just glad I found a solution for my press.  All my other 4 calibers use the rod with no issues, and with minor grain weight deviations, so I know the rod can work, but it severely limits the orientation of the powder measure when using other dies. I hope this helps someone.

Happy reloading!

Ray

North Idaho