Dillon SDB new to me project press, have some questions.

bertn

bertn

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Hello SDB users,

I recently bought an SDB press here in the EE in as-is condition with 9mm and 38spl conversion. Some parts are missing and it had a smashed powder hopper. I think I figured out what is missing and would like to get it up and running at some point this winter.

What is missing:
-Large primer conversion; no big deal as I am planning on making this my dedicated 38spl press so only need small.
-Primer pick up tube/tubes; no big deal, I can use the ones from my Hornady progressive that is set up as dedicated 9mm press.
- the 38 die set has the SWC seat stem missing; this is exactly the bullet shape that I will be using so this I need.
- the 9mm die set is missing the expander/powder funnel and has no seat stem or stems. Would be nice to complete this set but since I have my hornady for 9mm I'd likely won't bother buying these parts.
-the ejector wire is missing

From looking at the manual and pictures online it appears that the seating stem and the bolt that holds down the crimp die don't have a lock collar or jam nut. Would they not move over time without a locking collar or jam nut? How do you keep the same settings when switching back and forth between calibers?

Anyone know why there is a hole through the center of the seating stem?

If you happen to have a 38spl SWC seater stem and would like to part with it pls. let me know.
Would anyone be so kind to measure the ejector wire diameter? I think I will try to bend something myself.

This press is tiny compared to my pro-jector press but looks well designed. Any weak spots or stuff on an SDB that I should keep an eye on over time?

Thanks guys!
 
Call Dillon 18007623845 they are very helpful They May cover some parts under warranty (powder tube) You will be on the hook for shipping If you buy parts ask if they can ship together Put value at $0. So you don’t get dinged at the border for additional charges
 
They will now charge you for shipping the parts which they supply for free. On my last order CBSA charged me $35 in fees even though they were free warranty parts. I tried to appeal it but had no luck. I’ll be better prepared for the appeal next time ( out of principal).
 
lpel said:
They will now charge you for shipping the parts which they supply for free. On my last order CBSA charged me $35 in fees even though they were free warranty parts. I tried to appeal it but had no luck. I’ll be better prepared for the appeal next time ( out of principal).
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Thanks for the heads up. If I have to pay shipping from the US and custom duties etc then it is probably cheaper to order the parts from a Dillon dealer here and pick them up.

I also doubt Dillon would replace lost parts under warranty (they shouldn't imo), it's not that it broke due to wear or a manufacturing defect.
 
[QUOTE Call Dillon. You may be pleasantly surprised. I was.[/QUOTE]

Had my 550 B since late 80's, have called a few times over the years. They always treat me well.
 
I bought a 550B used missing a couple of parts and inquired about buying them and the email they sent back said they would send them out under warranty. Just after that they started charging shipping to Canada. Even if I had of paid shipping it was cheaper than buying parts in Canada. They are excellent people to deal with and extremely good customer service.
 
Got the ejector wire done. Made it from a spring wire that I had laying around. Sometimes being a hoarder is a good thing lol.

Took a bit of fine tuning to get it right, at first it would start to push out the case a bit late and then it would sometimes bind at the end and shoot the case out instead of it tipping over.
 
Dillon is great, like others have said, even if just missing parts they will usually help you out. I was missing a seater stem for a 38 sp die, and having problems with the wire ejector on a 550, both sent to me no charge (if memory serves). Highly recommended customer service. Forster and Redding have also been top notch for customer service as well
 
I just sent Dillon Precision an email, their auto reply said I can expect a reply within 3 business days.

Only reloading equipment company experience in regards to customer service is Hornady and that was great. They sent two small parts for my progressive free of charge (no postage either).
 
Call 'em up. Always amazing service, customs fees suck, but Dillon sells their equipment mostly by word of mouth of those that own it. And it sells well. And runs well.
I was in the exact spot you are with an SDB, missing parts, etc. One call, done.
 
Shua said:
Call 'em up. Always amazing service, customs fees suck, but Dillon sells their equipment mostly by word of mouth of those that own it. And it sells well. And runs well.
I was in the exact spot you are with an SDB, missing parts, etc. One call, done.
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I got an email back with the quotation for the parts.



I have decided to hold off for now as the only thing I really "need" is the 38spl SWC seater since in the meantime I already made my own ejector wire and I think it probably will run fine with the two missing locator pins and if not then I'll grind down the 9mm locator pins a bit and use those for 38spl.

I'll drop in at a Dillon dealer here in Canada some day to see what they would charge if they can order it in with a regular order. That way I might save the 26 bucks in shipping and handling and all the brokerage fees etc.

Upon further investigation I noticed that the diameter of the flat part of my SWC stem on my regular 38spl/357mag die set is actually quite a bit larger than the flat part of the tip of the 158gr cast bullets that I load. This makes me think that I perhaps could use the wadcutter seater to seat my SWC bullets and see how that goes. I might need to grind down the WC seater a bit to get enough thread engagement though.

Still wondering if someone knows why the seater dies have a hole through the center, does anyone have any idea?
 
Yeah, I feel you on the shipping and holding off aspect. The thing I wanted to add is that for a small bits order, I always add the SDB parts kit or two, shipping is close to the same, so I stock up on whatever I can to make it worthwhile. Arizona is a long way away when you're broke down. About a week in transit, last time


A couple of those kits on hand keeps you going. They have the ejector wire, spare locator buttons of different sizes, pickup tube tips, ball bearings, priming system parts in them plus a bunch of other wear parts. I see them at dealers sometimes as well. A healthy spares box isn't a bad thing .
 
bertn said:
...I have decided to hold off for now as the only thing I really "need" is the 38spl SWC seater since in the meantime I already made my own ejector wire and I think it probably will run fine with the two missing locator pins and if not then I'll grind down the 9mm locator pins a bit and use those for 38spl.

I'll drop in at a Dillon dealer here in Canada some day to see what they would charge if they can order it in with a regular order. That way I might save the 26 bucks in shipping and handling and all the brokerage fees etc.

Upon further investigation I noticed that the diameter of the flat part of my SWC stem on my regular 38spl/357mag die set is actually quite a bit larger than the flat part of the tip of the 158gr cast bullets that I load. This makes me think that I perhaps could use the wadcutter seater to seat my SWC bullets and see how that goes. I might need to grind down the WC seater a bit to get enough thread engagement though.

Still wondering if someone knows why the seater dies have a hole through the center, does anyone have any idea?
Click to expand...

Thoe locator pins are important - they keep the cases lined up with the dies as they rotate through the stages. I got my SDB used, the pins were absent, so I made a set.
 
Good to know that the pins are needed.

The pins for 9 mm are not the same, they are slightly bigger.

I have a mini lathe so can easily make the 9mm pins smaller to work with the 38spl cases.
I’m not much of a machinist yet but it’s pretty straight forward trimming them down a bit.
 
Without the pins, the cases will move outwards as the plate turns. They will be out of alignment with the dies.
 
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