Dillon 550 Powder Funnel

[truck driver]

I load lots of pistol ammo with lead bullets and have always had problems with lead shaving when seating bullets even with over belled case mouths.
I load .45acp, .38spl and .38Super for precession Bullseye handgun competition. Tried just about everything printed to keep my loads from leading my barrels. The hard cast bullets help a lot, but the more accurate swaged soft lead bullets have been a problem and finally decided to live with it.
While reading on another forum I read where there was a replacement powder funnel case neck expander for the Dillon powder measure.
The replacement powder funnel is longer and the area that expands the neck before belling the case is longer and larger in diameter which allows the bullet to slide into the case mouth without belling the case. This allows the bullet to be seated straight in the case and not shave the sides of the bullet when seating the bullet in the case, it works for jacketed bullets also.
Pistol resizing dies over work and over sizes the pistol cases which is part of the problem and factory expander didn't open up the case wide enough to solve the problem and over belling the case mouth is hard on the brass and you would get split case mouths.
This new expander powder funnel eliminates that problem and allows you to seat the bullet straight in the pistol case without shaving the sides of the bullets.
You can get them from Photo E Scape Inc. at (www.photoescape.com/product/)
Here's some pictures of the powder expander funnel. They also make them for the Hornady press.
In the pictures of the 2 bullets seated in a case partially and a slight bulge just above the canular. This slight bulge keeps the bullet from slipping too deep into the case and shows how much the sizing die over sizes the case. You would see this same bulge if you used the standard expander that comes with the Dillon conversion caliber set or any brand reloading dies except the Lyman M die.
In the picture with the 2 powder funnels the one on the left is the new style and the shorter one on the left is the Dillon powder funnel.
I haven't had a chance to shoot any ammo loaded using the new powder funnel case expander but everything I have read from those who do use them have nothing but praise for them.

 

[truck driver]

Thanks for the likes.

 

[TexasLife]

I do load 45acp along with other pistol cartridges, but I've never loaded any lead (soft or hardcast). I do however have the 550 and only have used the kind that "bell" the mouth, not expand. Seems like a potential for cracking/splitting mouths? Are they a "1 and done" afterwards?

 

[truck driver]

I do load 45acp along with other pistol cartridges, but I've never loaded any lead (soft or hardcast). I do however have the 550 and only have used the kind that "bell" the mouth, not expand. Seems like a potential for cracking/splitting mouths? Are they a "1 and done" afterwards?

What this powder funnel case expander does is expand the case just enough to allow the bullet to be seated with very little pressure and not bell the case mouth. Yes you can adjust it to bell the case mouth but if adjusted right it is not necessary. It can also be set so you don't swage the base of the bullet when seating by expanding the case deep enough, so you get the right over all seating depth. Jacketed bullets get swaged when seating the same as lead and the jacket can be shaved just like lead. It also allows for the bullet to be seated straight since it is already straight in the case not setting cocked in the case mouth.
I have modified bullet seating stems to seat on the shoulders of SWC bullets and still have them slightly off center when seating as well as for JHPs and round nose. Now the bullet doesn't get cocked because it is in the case not sitting on the case mouth.
Look at the pictures with the JHP and White SWC they are sitting in the case with no Belled case mouth, so they have to seat straight.

 

[TexasLife]

What this powder funnel case expander does is expand the case just enough to allow the bullet to be seated with very little pressure and not bell the case mouth. Yes you can adjust it to bell the case mouth but if adjusted right it is not necessary. It can also be set so you don't swage the base of the bullet when seating by expanding the case deep enough, so you get the right over all seating depth. Jacketed bullets get swaged when seating the same as lead and the jacket can be shaved just like lead. It also allows for the bullet to be seated straight since it is already straight in the case not setting cocked in the case mouth.
I have modified bullet seating stems to seat on the shoulders of SWC bullets and still have them slightly off center when seating as well as for JHPs and round nose. Now the bullet doesn't get cocked because it is in the case not sitting on the case mouth.
Look at the pictures with the JHP and White SWC they are sitting in the case with no Belled case mouth, so they have to seat straight.

I noticed that and would be good for 300bo and 357sig as both are short necked. Boattails aren't an issue, but flat based is a pita! But doable.

 

[truck driver]

This expander powder funnel just makes loading straight wall pistol cases easier.
The manufacture has them for 9mm, 45acp, 38spl/357mag /38acp and SW 32 long.
He has adapters for the Hornady press as well as an adapter to use on single stage reloading presses or a turret press