Dillon mods

TroyF · Jul 4, 2011

Anyone come up with any modifications to make their Dillons run better?

For example:
I run a 550 with a Casefeeder. Every so often a piece of 380 will work it's way in with the 9mm brass. (yeah, I know...I should inspect closer). So now I have a casefeeder that wont cycle onto the shellplate. So rather than dump the entire feeder tube of brass, I drilled small holes in the feeder tube. I can take a bent paperclip and slip it into the holes and keep all the brass in the tube, while I pull the stuck case out of the bottom of the feeder tube assembly.

Anyone come up with anything along these lines?

Wall · Jul 4, 2011

This thread has awesome potential :13:

ryanncass · Jul 4, 2011

I added a counter to mine. It does not make it run better just know how many I have loaded

dennishoddy · Jul 4, 2011

My hornady L&L AP doesn't need modified.
Just kidding, I like a couple of the ideas already

xdnok · Jul 4, 2011

TroyF said:
Anyone come up with any modifications to make their Dillons run better?

For example:
I run a 550 with a Casefeeder. Every so often a piece of 380 will work it's way in with the 9mm brass. (yeah, I know...I should inspect closer). So now I have a casefeeder that wont cycle onto the shellplate. So rather than dump the entire feeder tube of brass, I drilled small holes in the feeder tube. I can take a bent paperclip and slip it into the holes and keep all the brass in the tube, while I pull the stuck case out of the bottom of the feeder tube assembly.

Anyone come up with anything along these lines?

Great tip, I usually find the 380 brass AFTER I press a new primer into it, Doh!!

Only tips I have is for a 650 making the shell plate move smoother, I hate spilling powder :angry: It involves clipping a coil from the detent ball under the shell plate and adding a needle trust bearing under the shell plate pivot bolt. The shell plate now moves smoothly and does not snap to the next position spilling powder everywhere. This is nothing new but sure makes a smoother running machine.

Wes

jtischauser · Jul 4, 2011

Ryan Alexander said:
I added a counter to mine. It does not make it run better just know how many I have loaded

Where does one get a counter?

bsdubois00 · Jul 4, 2011

http://www.pressmonitordevice.com/compare.htm

A local Tulsa company. Or you can build your own easily with a pedometer and a few wires. For like 10 bucks.

TroyF · Jul 5, 2011

That's pretty sweet.

The Antichrome · Jul 5, 2011

My Dillon 550 mods:

Unique Tek needle bearing shell plate kit. (makes a small but noticable difference)

I use a 1050 powder die. It also makes a small but noticable difference. (This has been discussed in this forum before)

I took a cheap pen style flash light and stuck it in the center hole of the toolhead. It shines directly into the shellplate area. It makes it easy to see whats going on. Its especially easy to see the powder level in station 2 at a glance. Even with a well lit work bench, this extra light is nice. A few times a year it needs a new AA battery.

I took a scrap piece of plastic sheet (I've also used a thin piece of sheet metal) and made a 'flap' to close off the opening in the acro bins. Now I can fill the bin with loaded rounds until its fully loaded without having rounds spill out the end. I could just change bins, but that'd be too easy.

TroyF · Jul 5, 2011

I forgot, I added a small piece of rerigerator magnet to the bottom of the spent primer chute. Was having a problem with the chute not opening and spent primers spilling onto the workbench. The magnet gives it some weight so it opens, allowing the spent primers to fall thru the chute.

The Antichrome · Jul 5, 2011

TroyF said:
I forgot, I added a small piece of rerigerator magnet to the bottom of the spent primer chute. Was having a problem with the chute not opening and spent primers spilling onto the workbench. The magnet gives it some weight so it opens, allowing the spent primers to fall thru the chute.

I did that too.
Need to rig up a way to run spent primers thru a tube or something and do away with the chute and cup...

TroyF · Jul 5, 2011

Yeah, the chute sucks. What's really bad is when the end up blocking the primer feeder bar. Bastards.

ryanncass · Jul 5, 2011

Jesse Tischauser said:
Where does one get a counter?

I went to stillwater milling and bought a hay bale counter then screwed it to my table when I prime a round it counts.

Wall · Jul 5, 2011

So far, I'm seeing several "upgrades" that I'll be making. Keep 'em coming.

Troy get's the win for the best thread in the reloading forum :cool2:

We should make this a subforum & have each modification as a seperate instructional thread. Also, open it up for other presses so folks like Dennis can play too.

jtischauser · Jul 5, 2011

I want some pics.

ryanncass · Jul 5, 2011

heres my counter

jtischauser · Jul 5, 2011

Ryan Alexander said:
heres my counter

OK now I need a video?!?!?

bsdubois00 · Jul 5, 2011

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=68779

Go there JT - for 6 bucks you can have one that is automated :-D

I'll be finding a radio shack this afternoon

jtischauser · Jul 5, 2011

Oh the link to Enos ruined everything. I have a 60+ page print out of things i need to do to my 650 form on eenos thread. it is so long i haven't done any of it.