case prep & use of Dillon 550 - The Firearms Forum

chilidog1 · 03-26-2009, 09:47 AM

I recently aquired a Dillon 550b system and I can't figure out when to clean the primer pocket and flash hole since the Dillon de-caps and primes in one action. Any ideas?

army mp · 03-26-2009, 09:59 AM

Unless you are loading old range brass. You should not have to do much trouble with the primer pockets, and flash hole. If you are worried about it. Some guys set up a cheap lee single stage press. next to there AP And a universal decapping die. I have always used a single stag press. And only cleaned pockets if I felt they were getting a lot of carbon. But you do not need to clean every time

Dirtypacman · 03-26-2009, 02:32 PM

I just run em through after inspection of each case to assure it looks good for reload. I don't clean the pockets at this time or have had to yet.

LDBennett · 03-30-2009, 07:11 AM

There are two distict cases here: Pistol and rifle.

For pistol rounds I do not clean the primer pockets. I never have in over 20 years of reloading on my Dillon. Some of the brass I reload is 20 years old and never had the primer pockets cleaned after many many reloadings.

Rifle brass is diferent. Rifle brass stretches and needs trimming after a couple of reloading (and some calibers after every reloading!). When I trim the rifle brass, I clean the primer pockets simply because I can. The sequence of events has to be to first size the cases and remove the primers, trim the brass, chamfer the case mouth, clean the primer pockets, and brush out the case throats.

There is no need for a seperate press to size the rifle brass before trimming. The Dillon RL550B cna be used as a single stage press or a turret press or a progressive press. To use it as a single stage press just slip the brass into the sizing station as you normally would do, pull the handle to size the brass and remove the primer (don't put in a new primer), rotate the table and remove the case from the second stage while you put in a new peice of brass in the first station. It is almost faster than using a single stage press. I then trim the brass and clean the case throat and primer pocket as well as chamfer the case mouth inside and out on my RCBS motorized Case Prep Station. I then removed the sizing die from the first station of the Dillon press and reload the lot of preped cases progressively.

LDBennett

03-26-2009, 09:47 AM	#1
chilidog1 Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1	case prep & use of Dillon 550 I recently aquired a Dillon 550b system and I can't figure out when to clean the primer pocket and flash hole since the Dillon de-caps and primes in one action. Any ideas? -->

03-26-2009, 09:59 AM	#2
army mp V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: western Pa, Posts: 479	Re: case prep & use of Dillon 550 Unless you are loading old range brass. You should not have to do much trouble with the primer pockets, and flash hole. If you are worried about it. Some guys set up a cheap lee single stage press. next to there AP And a universal decapping die. I have always used a single stag press. And only cleaned pockets if I felt they were getting a lot of carbon. But you do not need to clean every time

03-26-2009, 02:32 PM	#3
Dirtypacman Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Merrimac Valley, MA Posts: 908	Re: case prep & use of Dillon 550 I just run em through after inspection of each case to assure it looks good for reload. I don't clean the pockets at this time or have had to yet. __________________ Member HHRG and HSC, NRA Life Member, GOAL Member LTC-A

03-30-2009, 07:11 AM	#4
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,718	Re: case prep & use of Dillon 550 There are two distict cases here: Pistol and rifle. For pistol rounds I do not clean the primer pockets. I never have in over 20 years of reloading on my Dillon. Some of the brass I reload is 20 years old and never had the primer pockets cleaned after many many reloadings. Rifle brass is diferent. Rifle brass stretches and needs trimming after a couple of reloading (and some calibers after every reloading!). When I trim the rifle brass, I clean the primer pockets simply because I can. The sequence of events has to be to first size the cases and remove the primers, trim the brass, chamfer the case mouth, clean the primer pockets, and brush out the case throats. There is no need for a seperate press to size the rifle brass before trimming. The Dillon RL550B cna be used as a single stage press or a turret press or a progressive press. To use it as a single stage press just slip the brass into the sizing station as you normally would do, pull the handle to size the brass and remove the primer (don't put in a new primer), rotate the table and remove the case from the second stage while you put in a new peice of brass in the first station. It is almost faster than using a single stage press. I then trim the brass and clean the case throat and primer pocket as well as chamfer the case mouth inside and out on my RCBS motorized Case Prep Station. I then removed the sizing die from the first station of the Dillon press and reload the lot of preped cases progressively. LDBennett