Dillon 550B primer feed issue and solution!

S

straight-shooter

New member
Have you had your Dillon 550B primer feed hang up in the middle of a session? Well I have and it got darn irritating to say the least. I've done every solution I could come up with and while some lasted for a while it always went back to the dreaded hang up and when released it would throw a primer out of the cup.

I stumbled across a video on YouTube that explains the problem and a solution which makes perfect sense. It's worth the time to watch his video and you'll understand why it happens.

Believe me when I say it's worth it. I've loaded 500 rounds so far with it and it works! The feed is smooth as butter and doesn't skip a beat. Finally a solution to the one and only thing I always hated about my Dillon press. It's now a complete joy to use.

NOTE: I have no affiliation to this video or product. I just wanted to pass along this solution because it works!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI7HpdHvlco

Link to a professional plasma cut primer slide plate and bearing
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dillon-550B-550-Primer-Track-Bearing-Plate-W-Ball-Bearing-Upgrade-2nd-Generation/231640878049?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140602152332%26meid%3D1feb46e302024e60a9d0366a650ab288%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D2%26sd%3D231590369881
 
The primer feed mechanism for the 550 looks to be nearly identical to the Square Deal press.
When the SD acts up and bounces primers, it can be caused by the pawl that advances the shell plate, something the 550 doesn't have.
The nose can wear down and not advance the plate quite far enough.
Mostly it's with the older ones made of aluminum.
Just something else to look at if the problem arises with a Square Deal.
 
Just for the headache and anguish of messing with the darn thing over the years it's priceless. Just about the time I thought I had it working it would rear it's ugly head and start hanging up again.

I figured the man's time is worth the price seeing how he not only makes the part and packages it and then pays shipping. Not a bad deal overall really. Plus I don't have a plasma cutter handy.
 
My problem with the 550B primer feed assembly is that the bottom of the primer bar, after sliding back and forth over the plate hundreds of times, accumulates a hard, black residue that increases friction and eventually causes the bar to become sluggish and perhaps stop altogether. The inconvenient solution to that is to disassemble the primer assembly to the extent necessary to remove the accumulated residue with steel wool and polish the two metal mating sliding surfaces. But then it helps to apply a coating of light greese on the underside of the primer bar to keep the residue from building up again so quickly. My guess is that this residue buildup is the problem that everyone experiences with the 550B primer mechanism.
 
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It looks to me like the ebay version also has an additional guide bearing. Also, from watching the video, it looks like anyone with a drill and file could make one from an appropriate thickness of sheet metal themselves. Not hard to do. I don't think the ebay price is out of line for what your getting and you don't have to put any of your time into making the part.
 
condor bravo
My problem with the 550B primer feed assembly is that the bottom of the primer bar, after sliding back and forth over the plate hundreds of times, accumulates a hard, black residue that increases friction and eventually causes the bar to become sluggish and perhaps stop altogether. The inconvenient solution to that is to disassemble the primer assembly to the extent necessary to remove the accumulated residue with steel wool and polish the two metal mating sliding surfaces. But then it helps to apply a coating of light greese on the underside of the primer bar to keep the residue from building up again so quickly. My guess is that this residue buildup is the problem that everyone experiences with the 550B primer mechanism.
Click to expand...

Might I suggest instead of grease, after you clean and polish the surfaces you take a pencil that has a graphite lead in it and color the bottom of the slide with it. This will provide excellent lubrication and there is no grease present to accumulate grime.
 
The reasoning for the bearing is the primer op rod pushes from one side. Which in turn pushes the slide left and outward. The bearing guides the slide straight. It's amazing how much better the entire primer mechanism works on my 550B with this upgrade.

Instead of grease I use a dry lubricant I picked up at Lowe's. Spray it on and wait five minutes till it dries.
 
For those that still want to make your own. It would not be hard to put a small roller on the one you make. No fancy tools required.
 
Yes, a dry lubricant or graphite pencil would be preferable to the grime that accumulates with using greese. Other than the residue problem, I have no issues with the operating rod pushing sideways but if that happens it may require a slight bend somewhere in the rod to get it moving straight forward.
 
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