So now that I have my 650 setup, I'm starting to workup a new load for 9mm.

While doing so, I noticed that the OAL of the cartridges loaded with a full shell plate ended up 0.003"-0.005" longer than that of the cartridges loaded with a partial shell plate.

For the most part, the COAL variation wasn't due to differences in bullet OAL.  Bullet OAL only varied 0.001" based on a sample I checked.

Station 1 seemed to be what caused the difference.

I don't expect this to be a huge issue because I don't think the difference is enough to cause a dangerous pressure spike and I likely can't shoot a handgun well enough to notice, but it is a little bit of an annoyance.

I also noticed that my charge weight with a full shell plate was consistently 0.1 grain less than my setup weight.

Is there anything those using progressive reloaders do to avoid this while working up loads?

Keeping the shell plate full to run the last few rounds seems like a PITA.

This seems like a good argument for using a single stage and Charge Master for load development.

You were using all the same head stamped brass with the same lot number?

Right?

This is for 9mm?

Do they all fit in the magazine?

Does it pass the case gauge?

Or do all the rounds chamber check just fine?

If yes to the last 3 questions, then don’t worry about it!

I make sure the top of the ram and the underside of the shellplate is clean.

Then I sprinkle a little bit of graphite powder on top of the ram before I install the shellplate.

I have that brass tipped set screw loose.

Then that main bolt that secures the shellplate to the ram... that’s just finger tight at first.

Then I cycle the handle a few times to make sure the shellplate still indexes.

Then I will tighten that main big bolt maybe a tenth of a full turn.

With each adjustment, I will cycle the handle to make sure it still indexes the shellplate.

Eventually, that bolt will be so tight that the shellplate won’t index.  That’s when I back it off a tenth of a turn.  

Then I tighten that brass tipped set screw.

I also clipped off a coil or two of that spring that sits below the ball bearing.

A human hair is about .003". You're literally splitting hairs.  0.1 grains can masks a difference in a pistol load (or rifle for that matter) but not enough to notice at pistol distances.

The longest cartridges will chamber in my pistol with the shortest throat.  That's been checked and is a non-issue.  Like I said, I don't expect the variance to induce any noticeable issues.  

I'm just picky about consistency and was wondering if there is an easy way to tighten things up a little.

I readjusted my tool head to run some 115 gr. 9mm FMJ over 5.2 gr. of Unique.  After getting my settings right I filled the shell plate and started cranking.  The first few rounds ended up about 0.007"-0.009" over my desired COAL and were 0.2-0.3 gr. heavy on powder.  I just set those aside, dialed the dies in with a full shell plate and now my COAL is where I want it (or at least within the tolerance of the bullets I'm using) and my charge weight is on point.  

Can anyone offer some tips on smoothing out the press operation?  My fail safe rod is kind of jerky and every now and then I get finished rounds that bind and hang up on the ejector wire.  The rounds that do hang up are easy to clear with my left hand since it's right there waiting to drop another bullet on a case but if there is an adjustment that would smooth it out, that would be ideal.

Dillon powder measure retrograde.

Try googling that.

You drill out the rivet on the bell crank mechanusm.

Then you buy the two powder bar return springs.



EDIT: having the powder bar return springs attached like pictured abive allows me to move the powder measure wherever I want.

On my latest 9mm toolhead, the PM is at station #3 .

For my most recent iteration of .223 loading, the PM is in station #4 .

Greasing the brass colored bits on the powder measure fail safe helped smooth things out quite a bit.  Thank you for that.

I'm still having binding issues with the ejector wire.  Does anyone have a fix for this?

When I was loading 9mm, I would get occasional binding.  Right now I am decapping 9mm in preparation for wet tumbling and I am getting A LOT of binding.

The ejection wire is at the wrong angle. Its usually the little bit in the end that has to point ever so  slightly toward the circular end. Do you have a needle bearing on your shell plate? Those throw the angle off. I ripped that puppy of my machine. It was a fix for a problem I did not have.

I'm not sure what a needle bearing is so no idea if that's on my machine.

I had another wire ejector in my spare parts kit so I tried that and it is just as bad as the one that was on the machine.

I tried bending the original wire ejector and that hasn't worked either.

I'm going to do that.  If they are as busy as they have been, I probably won't get to talk to anyone until Wednesday.

Is this precision match long range 9mm you are loading?  

I have to ask, because I set it once and forget it and have never had an issue with pistol rounds.

It is more likely any variation you are seeing is from the bullet ogive where it interfaces with the seating die.

I highly doubt you will see a dangerous pressure spike.

I did not see where you mentioned the brand and type of bullet.

There are plenty of things that can cause a variation in powder drops.  Press mounting is where you start.  If your press has any movement, you will see powder drop variations.  How solid is your bench?  I ask this because my presses are mounted on 3/8" thick plate steel for reasons.

They are getting better at emails.  Give that a try.

The bullets in question are Nosler 124 gr. JHP.  T

I'm pretty sure the differences both in OAL and charge weight are related to a full vs. empty shell plate becaise once I have my dies set they don't wander as long as the shell plate has cases in the same stations as during setup.

My press is pretty secure.  My bench is small but it has a butcher block top and is weighed down with bullets.  I don't have charge weigh variation with True Blue or Silhouette, outside of dropping powder with a full vs. partial shell plate.  Unique has been + or - 0.1 gr.