dillon at500 User Guide

illon

AT 500

Instruction Manual

Version 3.3

recision

Products, Inc.

2

Table of Contents

Subject Page #

AT 500 Parts List 2

AT 500 Machine Schematic 3

Minimum Equipment to Begin Reloading 4

Reloading Safety 4

Parts List 4

Mounting the AT 500 to Your Bench 5

Configuring the AT 500 5

Changing Shellplate Position 5

Caliber Conversion Chart 6

Changing Primer Size 7

The Toolhead 7

Setting Up to Load Rifle Ammunition 8

Setting Up to Load Pistol Ammunition 11

The Reloading Process 13

AT 500 Upgrades and Accessories 15

Dillon Precision Products, Inc.

8009 E. Dillon’s Way

Scottsdale, AZ 85260

[phone]

[phone] FAX

For Technical Assistance

or to place an order call: [phone]

For an issue of the Blue Press: call:

[phone]

For additional product information,

see our web site at:

www.dillonprecision.com

#16618 Spot Manuals AT500 Folder AT500 Manual. V 3.3 9/01 WJC

AT 500 Parts List

Part # Description

13409 Crank
13435 1/4” Hex Wrench
13583 Link Arm, Left
13593 5/32” Hex Wrench
13650 Spent Primer Cup
13700 Link Arm Pin
13728 1/8” Hex Wrench
13738 Rod Washer, #10
13747 Link Arm w/ Hook, Right
13757 Seating Punch, Small
13775 Main Shaft
13781 Platform
13789 Main Shaft Pin Set Screw
13794 Shellplate Bolt
13817 10-32 Kep Nut
13824 Primer Cup, Large
13825 Primer Cup, Small
13830 Main Shaft Pivot Pin
13834 Solid Link Arm Pin, Left
13841 Nylock Nut
13881 Hollow Link Arm Pin, Right
13886 3/32” Hex Wrench
13890 Spring Washer
13891 Index Ball
13904 Bellcrank Bolt
13909 Toolhead
13923 Brass Tip Set Screw
13966 Platform Mount Bolt
13967 Seating Punch, Large
13996 10-32 x 3/16 Set Screw
13997 Index Ball Spring
14008 Toolhead Pin
14013 Roller Bracket Screw
14033 Primer Cup Spring
14280 Roller Bracket Assembly

13719 Cartridge Spring Screw

13926 Cartridge Spring
16609 Conversion Kit
16610 Universal Shellplate
16611 Shellplate Cover
16612 Primer Punch Holder
16617 Plastic Funnel
16629 Powder Die
20094 Frame
20636 Handle, Knob & Nut Assembly

Not all items are shown in schematic illustration.

2

13794

16611

16610

13966

13781

14033

16612

13996

13757 (Small)
13967 (Large)

13825 (Small)
13824 (Large)

14280

assembly

14013

13881

20094

13891

13997

Locator
Buttons

14008

16617

16629

13996

13909

13904

13738

See box above
for more detail.

13834

13817

13923

13747

13650

20636

Assembly

13775

13890

13841

13409

13789

13830

13700

13890

13841

13583

AT 500 Schematic

3

Suggested Minimum Equipment
to Begin Reloading

(Figure 1)

1) Powder scale

2) Dies

3) Loading manual

4) Case lubricant (for bottlenecked cases)

5) Safety glasses

6) Primer flip tray*

7) Dial calipers*
(*Not absolutely essential, but pretty handy.)

Figure 1– Minimum equipment needed to begin reloading.

Reloading Safety

At this point you’re anxious to finish your assembly
and start cranking out rounds. But for your own safety,
stop now and read the following:

Reloading small arms ammunition involves the use of
highly explosive primers and powder. Handling these
materials is inherently dangerous. You should recognize
this danger and take certain minimum precautions to
lessen your exposure to injury.

Never operate the machine without ear and eye protec­tion on. Call our customer service department at (800) 223­4570 for information on the wide variety of shooting/safe­ty glasses and hearing protection that Dillon has to offer.

• PAY ATTENTION: Load only when you can give your
complete attention to the loading process. Don’t watch
television or try to carry on a conversation and load at the
same time. Watch the automatic systems operate and make
sure they are functioning properly. If you are interrupted
or must leave and come back to your loading, always
inspect the cases at every station to insure that the proper
operations have been accomplished.

• SMOKING: Do not smoke while reloading or allow any­one else to smoke in your reloading area. Do not allow
open flames in reloading area.

• SAFETY DEVICES: Do not remove any safety devices
from your machine or modify your machine in any way.

• LEAD WARNING: Be sure to have proper ventilation
while handling lead components or when shooting lead
bullets. Lead is known to cause birth defects, other repro­ductive harm and cancer. Wash your hands thoroughly
after handling anything made of lead.

• LOADS AND LENGTHS: Avoid maximum loads and
pressures at all times. Use only recommended loads from
manuals and information supplied by reliable component
manufacturers and suppliers. Since Dillon Precision has no
control over the components which may be used on their
equipment, no responsibility is implied or assumed for
results obtained through the use of any such components.

Seat bullets as close to maximum cartridge length as
possible. Under some conditions, seating bullets excessive­ly deep can raise pressures to unsafe levels. Refer to a reli­able loading manual for overall length (OAL).

• QUALITY CHECKS: Every 50-100 rounds, perform peri­odic quality control checks on the ammunition being pro­duced. Check the amount of powder being dropped and
primer supply.

• RELOADING AREA: Keep your components safely
stored. Clear your work area of loose powder, primers and
other flammables before loading.

• COMPONENTS: Never have more than one type of
powder in your reloading area at a time. The risk of a mix­up is too great. Keep powder containers closed.

Be sure to inspect brass prior to reloading for flaws,
cracks, splits or defects. Throw these cases away.

Keep components and ammunition out of reach of
children.

• BLACK POWDER: Do not use black powder or black
powder substitutes in any Dillon powder measure.
Loading black powder cartridges requires specialized load­ing equipment and techniques. Failure to do so can result
in severe injury or death.

• PRIMERS: Never force primers. If they get stuck in the
operation of the machine, disassemble it and gently
remove the obstruction.

Never attempt to clear primers that are stuck in either
the primer pickup tube or the primer magazine tube.
Never, under any circumstances, insert any type of rod to
attempt to force stuck primers out of these tubes. Trying to
force primers out of the tube will cause the primers to
explode causing serious injury or even death.

If primers get stuck in a primer magazine or pickup
tube flood the tube with a penetrating oil (WD-40), throw
the tube in the garbage and call us for a free replacement.

Never attempt to deprime live primers – eventually one
will go off. When it does it will detonate the others in the
spent primer cup. Depriming live primers is the single
most dangerous thing you can do in reloading and can
cause grave injury or death.

• LOADED AMMUNITION: Properly label all of your
loaded ammunition (Date, Type of Bullet, Primer, Powder,
Powder Charge, etc.).

4

5

• BE PATIENT: Our loading equipment is conservatively
rated and you should have no trouble achieving the pub­lished rates with a smooth, steady hand. If something
doesn’t seem right, stop, look and listen. If the problem or
the solution isn’t obvious, call us. The reloading bench is
no place to get into a hurry.

We have done everything we know how to make your
machine as safe as possible. We cannot, however, guaran­tee your complete safety. To minimize your risk, use com­mon sense when reloading and follow these basic rules.

• REMEMBER: If your machine does not perform to your
expectations, or if you are having technical difficulties,
give us a call. Technical Support [phone]

All electrical/electronic components in Dillon equip­ment are covered by a one-year warranty.

Your AT 500 comes complete with:

• AT 500 Machine

• Operating Handle Assembly including:
Handle Shaft
Handle Knob
Nylock Nut and Washer

• Accessory Bag including: (Figure 2)
Small Primer Cup and Pin

Note: The Large Primer Assembly comes installed in
the machine.

Plastic Funnel
Spent Primer Cup
Hex Wrenches: 1/8”, 1/4”, 5/32” and 3/32”
Powder Die with Lock Ring

• Conversion Kit including: (Figure 2)
Powder Funnels: A, B and K for Rifle – W, E, D

and F for Pistol calibers
Locator Pins: #1, #2 and #3

Double-check now to make sure all the parts needed

are present. (Figure 2)

Figure 2– A) Spent Primer Cup B) Plastic Funnel C) Hex
Wrenches D) Powder Die with Lock Ring E) Powder
Funnels F) Small Primer Cup and Pin G) Locator Buttons

MOUNTING THE AT 500
TO YOUR BENCH

Place your AT 500 on the edge of a sturdy bench or
table where you plan to mount it. Give yourself about 12
inches of work space on each side of the machine to allow
room for components.

Using the machine itself as a template, mark and drill
four 1/4” holes in your bench and bolt your AT 500
securely to it. (Figure 3)

Figure 3 – Using the reloader as a template to mark your bench.

Avoid using wood or lag screws to mount your
reloader to the bench. These types of screws can loosen
over time.

CONFIGURING THE AT 500

Install the handle and spent primer cup. (Figure 4)

Figure 4 – Installation of the handle and spent primer cup.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

Spent

Primer

Cup

Use hole in handle

for leverage while

tightening nut.