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Dillon 550B Cartridge Spring Question


Cholla

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After reloading 600 rounds of .45 Colt on my new to me Dillon 550B I am tired of fighting the cartridge spring (the "paper clip"). There doesn't seem to be a sweet spot. One way makes the spring jamb when I advance the index. The other way jambs the spring when I slide a fresh case in. I am about to remove part of the bent tip unless someone else has a resolution to this. I don't have the same issue with .357 but the case isn't as big and doesn't shove the spring over as far.

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The instruction video that came with my unit says to have the spring come within a business card width of touching the cartridge case. The purpose is simply to prevent the case from falling out. In essence it’s purpose is the same as the brass buttons in the other 3 station positions. Hope this makes sense. DO NOT alter the spring. 

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39 minutes ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

Toss it. With the case feeder attached, you have to remove it, anyway. I took that clip off my machines with out case feeders and realized you don’t need it.

You can probably do that.  I adjusted mine for .45 Colt, and never touch it... even when I change over to loading 45ACP.  Doesn't touch that rim at all.  

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Mine in .45 Colt, and Cowboy .45 Special, and .45 Auto, all work well when it's bent up a little, to just "not touch" the case above the rim.  When adjusted at the rim itself, not so easy to find a good spot.

 

Good luck, GJ

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14 hours ago, Cholla said:

After reloading 600 rounds of .45 Colt on my new to me Dillon 550B I am tired of fighting the cartridge spring (the "paper clip"). There doesn't seem to be a sweet spot. One way makes the spring jamb when I advance the index. The other way jambs the spring when I slide a fresh case in. I am about to remove part of the bent tip unless someone else has a resolution to this. I don't have the same issue with .357 but the case isn't as big and doesn't shove the spring over as far.

Did you read the instructions for setting it.

If you do try to bend it(it can be done), you need to heat it so it doesn't break.

Can you post a picture of how yours is set up?

OLG

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I took it off when I first started with the Dillon. Tucked it away in my parts box and never gave it another thought. Not really a useful item. I load both .45 and .38.

Jus make sure the case is set right aforin you pull that thar lever. 

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I guess Garrison Joe and I do it the same way.  I feed the brass by hand and the case slides into position easily with the spring just above the rim:

 

A6245B34-A8FB-4FD3-A405-AF5BC6D495E1.thumb.jpeg.8797159e53298ee566085a7b233cc464.jpeg4CE15BB4-6A36-4065-9113-D76BF36ACFD0.thumb.jpeg.a0dec0e5b62b5e0c95515b19448700c5.jpeg

 

The spring flexes out of the way when the shell plate indexes for the next round:

 

C78AE7D8-77BF-45ED-928A-FE477D3CBAC4.thumb.jpeg.88033640ca4b466fe7de9f5e342076a2.jpeg

 

This is a .38 case for demonstration, but I set it the same when I loaded .45 Colt.  Please no comments about how dirty it is, it has been getting a lot of use this winter!  The "spider webs" are wisps of Q-tips that I used to remove some loose crud.

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Quote

Not really a useful item.

Quote

mostly it's a nuisance

 

 

I'll ruin an occasional case when the case has not been fully inserted into shell plate.  Most often this happens when I start running fast and the spring clip is not adjusted real well and I don't push the next case FULLY into the shell plate.   I find the clip to be really useful, and took a few minutes to fiddle with it when I set up each 550, or any time it looks loose or out of position.

 

Yep, J-Bar, that's close to how I set 'em.  :lol:  Except my machines are usually even dirtier and have no QTip whiskers on them.

 

Good luck, GJ

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3 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

I guess Garrison Joe and I do it the same way.  I feed the brass by hand and the case slides into position easily with the spring just above the rim:

 

A6245B34-A8FB-4FD3-A405-AF5BC6D495E1.thumb.jpeg.8797159e53298ee566085a7b233cc464.jpeg4CE15BB4-6A36-4065-9113-D76BF36ACFD0.thumb.jpeg.a0dec0e5b62b5e0c95515b19448700c5.jpeg

 

The spring flexes out of the way when the shell plate indexes for the next round:

 

C78AE7D8-77BF-45ED-928A-FE477D3CBAC4.thumb.jpeg.88033640ca4b466fe7de9f5e342076a2.jpeg

 

This is a .38 case for demonstration, but I set it the same when I loaded .45 Colt.  Please no comments about how dirty it is, it has been getting a lot of use this winter!  The "spider webs" are wisps of Q-tips that I used to remove some loose crud.

Use an acid brush and a can of compressed air.

I set the spring tip so it's not quite touch'n the very outside edge of the case.

Never an issue.......

Handy to have too.

OLG

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Thanks, everyone. Unlike the spring shown in the photos, my spring tip sticks out at 90 degrees which is the part that kept hitting.  So, I gave the spring a slight tweak so that it rises up a little and clears the hang-up spots but still serves its purpose.

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36 minutes ago, Cholla said:

Thanks, everyone. Unlike the spring shown in the photos, my spring tip sticks out at 90 degrees which is the part that kept hitting.  So, I gave the spring a slight tweak so that it rises up a little and clears the hang-up spots but still serves its purpose.

Heat the tip to red, and just bend/fold the tip back.

OLG

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