Seeing is believing!

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

I use my Dillon XL750 press to do volume loading of three calibers using three dedicated caliber-specific toolheads.  In order to install a bullet feeder die in station 3 of each toolhead, I had to remove the Hornady Powder Cop powder check dies that were in those positions.  I still wanted some sort of powder check, though, whether visual like the Powder Cop or automatic like the RCBS lock-out die.  Either of those options required me to replace the standard OEM Dillon powder charge bar in each toolhead's powder measure assembly with a $50 Double Alpha Extra-Short Dillon Powder Bar, about $175 total after tax and shipping ... plus the cost of the three powder check dies.

A BIG THANK YOU goes out to Hawk Eyes Hudson who suggested that a simpler and much less expensive visual powder check was possible: just add a fiber optic inspection camera to the press.  Ta-da!  For just 35 bucks on Amazon, the camera now lives on the press; the camera lens at the end of the fiber optic cable just sits in the small hole in the toolhead between stations 3 and 4.  I can now easily see into the case after the powder charge is dropped and before the bullet is placed on the case mouth.  

Edited November 30, 2025 by Nostrum Damus SASS #110702

[Done Gone, SASS #49052]

That's a great idea. I'm headed to Amazon now to check for pricing on one. 

[Frontier Lone Rider]

I thought he was showing us how a loose primer had gotten into the works and jammed his machine?

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

assuming you had to drill the hole yourself?

 

may try something like that on my SDBs

 

cr

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

2 hours ago, Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L said:

assuming you had to drill the hole yourself?

 

may try something like that on my SDBs

 

cr

Drill which hole?  The one in the tool head that I poked the end of the fiber down?  No, that smaller hole between stations 3 and 4 is for the case powder check rod of the Dillon p/n 21044 Powder Check Assembly, which cannot be used with a bullet feeder without the extra-short powder charge bar as mentioned above.  In case I didn't adequately make it clear, the problem is that the regular powder charge bar reciprocates out far enough that the bullet dropper die would interfere with it if installed in station 4; thus, the bullet feeder die must be installed in station 3, or else the Double Alpha extra-short charge bar must be swapped in and then the bullet feeder die can go in station 4.  But if you do that, you must use an RCBS (or equivalent) combo seater/crimper die in station 5 because there are only 5 stations in the 750 tool head.

 

And today I did one more thing: I drilled a hole through an appropriately sized rubber stopper and pushed the fiber optic lens tip though it, and now the fiber is snugly held in that hole without shaking or moving around.

Edited December 1, 2025 by Nostrum Damus SASS #110702

[Matthew Duncan]

Wondering how many cowboys, that use Dillon presses, have had a squib load?

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

44 minutes ago, Matthew Duncan said:

Wondering how many cowboys, that use Dillon presses, have had a squib load?

Only those who never unboxed it never had a squib load.  All the rest who have loaded long enough have, I'd guess.  The Dillon presses are mechanical devices, and mechanical devices fail.  I guarantee it.  You probably can't even imagine all of the ways a Dillon (or any, for that matter) press can fail.  It happened to me when part #14023, housing screw (seen as item 9 on page 40 of my XL750 manual) worked itself out without me noticing, the result being partial separation of the lock link assembly from the body collar housing (part #13940), further resulting in the powder measure failing to drop powder even though lots of other still-attached parts were still moving to my eyes.  Fortunately, I did realize the problem in time to remove the rounds with no powder in them from the bin before dumping the bin of completed rounds into an ammo box, so I didn't actually shoot a squib round.

Of course, the much more common reasons for squibs are that the hopper runs out of powder and the operator fails to notice for a few or more pulls of the handle, and that the powder gets clogged up somewhere in the powder measure body itself, usually because something undesirable has inadvertently happened to the powder, such as a powder jar lid not being screwed on properly or completely and the powder becoming damp or sticky or worse.  In that case, the machine may be working exactly as it should yet cases will not be charged with powder.  I've broken down thousands of rounds for pards who were experiencing unacceptable rates of squibs.  You would probably be shocked by the various conditions of the powders I've found inside such rounds, ranging from "normal" to slightly sticky to almost sludgy, and of course the varying amounts of powders found, too, from what looked like at least double charges to empty cases.  And all were loaded on one progressive press or another.  While most squibs are the result of human error, we cannot escape the fact that mechanical devices fail, too.

Edited December 4, 2025 by Nostrum Damus SASS #110702

[Horace Patootie, SASS #35798]

I've been loading 45 Colt on my RL550 since 2000 and have never had a squib load, BUT if I stop for any reason, I check all stations to make sure that everything is good before I start back.  Additionally, I weigh every loaded cartridge with allowances for various weights of different brass manufacturers. Any cartridges outside of those weight parameters are taken apart to check. So far, all of those cartridges have been fine, so, knock on wood, no squibs yet.

Horace

[Eyesa Horg]

3 hours ago, Matthew Duncan said:

Wondering how many cowboys, that use Dillon presses, have had a squib load?

I've been using an SDB for a bit over 30 years. Knock on wood, I've never had a squib. A couple FTFs which went off ok when back home.

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

You guys are lucky!  As my experience shows, you don't have to do anything wrong to load a cartridge without any powder in it ... if you don't have a powder check die on your press.  I don't think I've actually seated any bullets on empty cases after I installed Hornady Powder Cops on all of my toolheads to prevent exactly that occurrence.  The problem I currently face is that I chose the convenience and speed of loading with a bullet feeder on the 750 over the security and QC of using a powder check die -- so I am A LOT more worried about it because I can load nearly a thousand rounds per hour and could not visually (or any other easy way) check that the cases have powder in them before bullet seating, until now.  I simply do not have the time or patience to weigh every cartridge after completion.  I'm loading for two shooters shooting twice a month and we go through a pile of ammo most of those months.  And I am only "semi-retired" ... 🤣

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

Well the term “never” is an absolute, and generally using absolutes is overstating something. I am a bit of a rookie to reloading since I only started in 1982. I used to shoot more and reload considerably more but have aged a bit. Now I only reload perhaps 11-12 thousand rounds per year. At one time it was closer to 22 thousand per year. Using 550, 650, 750 presses….

 

my next squib will be my first.
 

lucky?

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.  Maintenance, cleaning and concentration on the task at hand are your friends. Just a thought but rather than simply fixing problems for others, perhaps a bit of mentoring to them is in order. 
Regards

    

Gateway Kid

[Eyesa Horg]

1 hour ago, Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life said:

Well the term “never” is an absolute, and generally using absolutes is overstating something. I am a

30 years and zero squibs. What you call it? Never seems to fit or maybe zero. The result to date. I've never died either, it that an overstatement? 

Rant off 

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

1 hour ago, Eyesa Horg said:

30 years and zero squibs. What you call it? Never seems to fit or maybe zero. The result to date. I've never died either, it that an overstatement? 

Rant off 

Wasn’t talking to or about you. Previous poster (ND) claimed that anyone who had unboxed a reloading press could never claim to not have had a squib. 
I disagree and it would appear that you did as well

Gateway

 

[Eyesa Horg]

13 minutes ago, Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life said:

Wasn’t talking to or about you. Previous poster (ND) claimed that anyone who had unboxed a reloading press could never claim to not have had a squib. 
I disagree and it would appear that you did as well

Gateway

 

My apologies!! All in good banter! 

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

It is all just in fun.  I've never actually had a squib load at the range, either, after many thousands of rounds.  But when that dang screw unscrewed itself (and it isn't ever supposed be unscrewed), I did load a dozen or so "empties" before I realized what was, and was not, happening.  I did use that as a self-teaching moment so that every so often I go over the entire press and check for loose screws (other than the easiest one to find, that is, the one Bullion Rose says is inside my skull).