Dillon RL450 upgrade help

[oley55]

having already installed a Uniflow Powder Measures with Hornady LNL Case Activated Powder Drop, I decided I needed to make a modest upgrade to my two 1982-84 RL450's. That upgrade being the completed ammo auto eject, which includes a new shell plate platform. After having completely disassembled, cleaned, lubed and mostly reassembled the first RL450, I realized the new platform does NOT have a place to install the "primer depth adjusting bolt".

Bottoming out the plate on the downstroke gives me nearly a 1/4" of the primer seater above the platform (cool if I were going to swage primer pockets I guess). Without the primer depth adjusting bolt to stop the platform's downward travel it is now bottoming out on a fully compressed primer cup spring. The height of the primer seater stem is not adjustable on the old push/pull primer systems. The stem is installed fully bottomed out in the slide and then held in place by set screw.

I have zero desire to go with the newer auto primer systems as the old push/pull's are bullet proof and 100% reliable (at least for me). And I really like being able to set the dead stop point that guarantees I never over-seat a primer.

Any old RL450 users out there who have installed the Auto Eject Platform and have already solved my problem. Barring a better idea, I plan to do some practice drill-n-tap work on the old shell plate platform to see if I will be able to modify the new platforms to accept the primer depth adjusting bolt.

 

[Capt.Mike]

Oley... I also have Dillon RL450B's. I personally like Dillon's upgrades. I've found your exact same post on 3 other forums this morning. My best offering is Sell the 450 and buy something more automated.

 

[oley55]

Capt Mike,

I am not very familiar with the differences between the original 450's and 450B's. I have seen some pics of 450 frames that seem to have been scaled back in bulk. I assume any functional differences are minor.

yes I posted here first and then copied this post to TWO other forums. With this added: FYI, I have this same request for help posted on another forum.

Is that a protocol violation or something?

I didn't say I didn't like the upgrades, but the primer depth adjustment change was unexpected.

 

[Unclenick]

Dillon used to make a kit for upgrading the 450 to a 550b. It included a new frame, of course, to be able to use the interchangeable die plates.

I am wondering if that adjustment was dropped because it wasn't needed. It is hard to push the handle hard enough to crush a primer. In the 1050, there is an adjustment for the height of the primer ram itself because that machine seats on the downstroke, which has a lot of mechanical advantage, while the upstroke seating has very little.

I would call Dillon and ask before I altered anything.

 

[oley55]

Nick,

As suggested on the accurate shooter forum, I am going to proceed without the stop and see how it goes.

Iowa Fox said: I was going to drill and tap the new shell plate when I upgraded my 450 but then said to heck with it and just seat them by feel to try it. I don't think I would go back to the positive stop plate.