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Posted: 6/2/2012 9:53:12 PM EDT
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Just some observations and comments on using my first Dillon 650. So far I'm using it to make 300BLK out of Milsurp 5.56. I'm cutting my brass with a band saw using 18 TPI blades, lubing them with the lanolin recipe and putting them through the feeder. Bradswarehouse milled toolhead. Lee universal decapper in station 1. RT1200 in a Brads 300BLK die in station 4. I make sure the grooves in the shellplate are clean of any debris. About 1-in-8 to 1-in-16 shell cases end up with an imprint of the decapping pin just to the right of the flash hole on mil surplus Federal 5.56 brass. Then I play the 'move the shell around, spin it clockwise' trying to put the pin through the flash hole. Dillon said to trim the tab on the leading edge of the base of the 'Case insert slide', p/n 97082, so I'm giving that a try. While running brass up into the 300BLK die and trimmer, that whole 'delicate sense of touchy/feely' while watching the decapping process isn't so sensitive. Most times the decapper pin will slide up if it hits, sometimes not. I'm spending way more time adjusting the decapping pin back into place than I did on the single-stage Hornady. I used the same pin for 8 five gallon buckets of once fired 5.56 milsurp brass with the single stage. I've been through 10 pins so far on the Dillon for less brass. Keeping the shell vertical while feeding it from the shell feeder to the shell plate, in the groves of the shell locator, is a trick about 20% of the time, too. Then the sizing die puts the shell rim above/below the max length datum line on the Wilson gauge by the thickness of a matchbook cover, and the trimmer will give me over all +/- 0.0025" all on consecutive strokes..... It's just fun running a dozen cases, checking/adjusting, running a few more, checking/adjusting... I keep waiting for the sweet spot. If I could just get it to consistently give the same output for a given input, instead of the random infinitely variable product...  Anyway, it's a challenge, a lot like adjusting the timing, point gap and dwell used to be when I was figuring it out, but this time I have all the tools. If anyone cares to chime in with your own 'Issues' or 'Moments', please, take the pressure off of me.  |
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Make sure the slider is adjusted so it's pushing the shell ALL THE WAY into the shell plate. You can adjust the slider by moving the rod up and down. I personally have mine adjusted loosely (rod is a little far up) so it's sure to push the shell in ALL the way.
After making sure of that, are you tightening down your universal decapping die correctly? Make sure you have a piece of brass at each used station. Loosen the lock nut of the decapping die. Pull the handle down. While the handle is down snug the die in place. That way the die is centered properly. People often make the mistake of centering dies when the rest of the dies aren't installed in the toolhead, or while there's no brass in the other dies when the handle is up. In short you want to lock-down your dies while your press is in 'full operation mode' with all dies/brass inserted. |
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I'm using an old pre- super 1050. For that matter, I think it's pre- "RL" 1050. It's old as fuck.
Anyways, I haven't run into that decapping problem you mention. And I use a Lee universal decapper, as you do. Casefeed can be an issue. Silicone spray the shell plate surfaces that the brass will move on. For that matter, silicone spray your decapping pin, too. That'll help keep primers from wanting to ride back up on the decapping pin. |
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morrow: I don't know if you're familiar with 300BLK, forgive me if I'm being basic. 300BLK brass is approx .5 inches shorter than 5.56 brass. On the 650: The tool head has to be milled thinner from the top down to allow the trimmer die to vent the brass shavings above the tool head while the sizing die is still able to reach the shell plate. That means the lock nuts have to be threaded on from the underside of the tool head because the machine frame interferes. If threaded on from above - the lock nuts and the machine frame overlap the same space. That makes adjusting the dies interesting. And I'm only running dies in stations 1 and 4. I've got a brass case cut off short so I can put it into the sizing die in station 4 without hitting the cutter blade, which allows adjusting station 1, but as stated, there aint a lot of room underneath the tool head for a wrench while the handle is down. Quoted: From the other thread:I'm using an old pre- super 1050. For that matter, I think it's pre- "RL" 1050. It's old as fuck. Anyways, I haven't run into that decapping problem you mention. And I use a Lee universal decapper, as you do. Casefeed can be an issue. Silicone spray the shell plate surfaces that the brass will move on. For that matter, silicone spray your decapping pin, too. That'll help keep primers from wanting to ride back up on the decapping pin. Automated would be fun, but I've clearly got issues to figure out to make this thing run smoothly before I even consider it. Thanks, I'll try silicone, it won't be sticky or attract swarf. I have noticed though that after the Lee decapping die is threaded into the tool head, and the lock nut is tightened down, the die still has some side-to-side 'wiggle' in the threaded hole. Not much, but it isn't 'zero'. Believe me, I was amazed. |
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Running Dillon dies for both 550 & 650. 1 in 20 misalignment using other brand dies, sizer and fcd would hang.
I take my presses new or used completely down and reassemble tuning each function before moving to next. Trying to tune 4, 5 stations at once I can miss opportunities for fine tune. Will start with powder die then sizer, seater and end with crimp die. Powder thru expander or expander dies can throw oal off from one case to next because of varying brass height. If using trimmed brass, expander is set perfectly to trim height. |
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Instead of a universal decapper I use Lee sizer dies in station 1 of my brass prep toolheads. I set the die up with the die body adjusted high and the decapper low. This helps ensure the brass is centered in the die and consequently keeps the decapper centered with the flash hole- this does not and can not happen with a universal decapper.
Another trick is when using the RT, I run the brass up, hold it in place while the trimmer cuts, then bump the brass down and back up. This helps the vacuum pull the shavings out of the way and I get a cleaner cut. |
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Do you have the Case insert slide cam setup for rifle or pistol? Check page 37 of the manual... it says for cases as long as, or longer than .223, need the rifle setting, and if I read correctly, it sounds like you have cut them down below that length before depriming ... I would assume that it should then be set for pistol.
I am not setup for 300 Blk out, so I am not sure if the above is an issue or not, but it might be worth looking at, as I have had some odd issues pop up if that part was not set correctly. The other issue I have had with the Lee decapper, but should be less of an issue for you if you are trimming the case below the shoulder, is the abrupt edge of the decapping pin. It often hits the narrow mouth of a .223 case, and I used a dremel to taper the shoulder so it enters the mouth without hanging up on the case mouth. |
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