I broke my Dillion 550b

stoneface2

stoneface2

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I was reloading 9mm on my 550b with Dillon dies. On the upswing, it was getting very hard to push up and the cast iron part of the crank snapped in half. Now the platform is stuck in the up position and I'm waiting for a new assembly from Dillon.

Should I have been using lube for my pistol calibers?
What do I do to keep the resizing die clean and functioning smoothly?
 
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The short answer is "no", lube isn't mandatory for straight wall pistol cartridges. However I have read of a few people who choose to use a light spray lube because they find slightly less resistance. Pictures of your press, it's age/history, and the type of brass you were using would help solve the riddle. Also did you reef on the bar or double arm it?

It's best practice that if you notice a change in your pace and/or feel that you stop what you are doing to investigate, rather than using brute force to push through it.
Some possible reasons for the increased resistance :
Glocked brass or brass shot through a machine gun
Corn cob media stuck in the sizer die
Berdan primed brass (unlikely)
 
I find a 9mm case breaking your Dillion hard to believe. Dillion is sending you a new one on warranty right? I would be asking them what caused it once they get it back.
 
Jeebus herc, take it easy, if you have to use anywhere near the amount of force needed to break that casting STOP... I find generally anything firearms related shouldn't be forced
 
I just recently cleaned the resizing die with brake cleaner before I started this new batch of 9 mm. The press is about 2 years old with about 10-12 k rounds made.
The brass is all random manufacturers picked up from the range. Run through vibratory tumbler with corn cob media and nu finish polish

I don't remember double arming it, just put my shoulder into it. I did remember the nickel plated brass ran through the press easier.

Dillon is sending me a new assembly under warranty and I don't have to pay the shipping.

But back to the question
What do I do to keep the resizing die clean and functioning smoothly?
Is there a better resizing die I should use instead of Dillon?
 
HeavyT said:
Jeebus herc, take it easy, if you have to use anywhere near the amount of force needed to break that casting STOP... I find generally anything firearms related shouldn't be forced
Click to expand...

could be a casting flaw...

I use lube for pistol cases.. even with my carbide dies. Just makes it smooth n easy :) I use a lot less though
 
I make my own

500 ml of 99% isoprpyl alcohol plus 2 table spoons of LIQUID lanolin ( you can get it a well.ca where I got mine). Put in cheap trigger spray bottle. Shake before use..

or buy Dillon brand.. it is the same. Spray the walls of a large ziploc freezer bag.. fill it halfway with casings, close it and shake/roll around until coated.

Try not to get inside the case..

your fail to fire could be primers not seated all the way.. clean your primer pockets and make sure primer is seated ALL the way to bottom

also I am not a fan of wax lube.., to hard to clean off IMHO.. With lanolin lube I just dump completed ammo in a towel, quickly spray a little brake cleaner across them then rub off lube with towel before cleaner flashes away...Use gloves and good ventilation :)
 
I like a nice thin coating of Hornady One Shot. I spray it into a large ziplok freezer bag, dump in the brass and shake it up well. Dump it back out and let it dry a bit. Makes everything run a lot smoother.

Auggie D.
 
I lube handgun cases too, just makes the job smoother. I found that if I didn't, the occasional primer would hop up sideways and cause me grief.
I too use the lanolin/alcohol mix.
 
Case lube on pistol rounds in a 550B??? Totally unnecessary & even more of a waste of money with carbide dies.

I lost track of how many rounds I have reloaded on my Dillon 550B from 9mm to .338LM I would venture to guess there was a defect in the part that broke. There is no way that enough resistance can be generated by ANY pistol round to break the casting. The only other thing in there that wears is a bushing but again you are talking several hundred thousand rounds before you need to worry about it.

Keep your dies clean and lube your machine as necessary: I use 30W motor oil. The big plus is that Dillon is great to deal with and you should be back in business in no time.
 
For cleaning De capping die I use outers nitro spray.
Also use Hornady one shot, filling ice cream bucket or 2 gal pail half full, quick spray, mix and another spray and mix. Makes loading a lot smoother.
 
I load several pistol calibers on a 550. I find none of them need lube with carbide dies. However, the 9mm are noticeably more difficult, so I give the pail a shot of lube and swirl them a round. it makes them much easier to size.

9mm is the only one that gets lubed.
 
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