Curious how the Frankford Arsenal X-10 bullet feeder tackles rifle bullets? I previously set up and loaded 9mm pistol ammunition with the pistol collator. This time I’m working with the rifle kit to load 6mm Creedmoor!
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About the X-10 and Bullet Feeder
To learn more about the X-10 and to see the pistol bullet feeder in action, explore this story!
Converting Pistol to Rifle + Installation
While disassembling the X-10, I decided to add a few upgrades from Armanov.
I added a shim kit to prevent brass from skipping over the shellplate as well as a shellplate clamp and metal casefeed arm.
(Frankford Arsenal also sells a shim kit.) I did a brief test with the new upgrades and they worked wonderfully.
In station one I have casefeed with a popper/decapper in station two. Station three holds full-length resizing (with decapping if needed). Swaging happens in station four with a hold-down die. Another hold-down die accompanies priming in station five. Station six sits empty with the powder thrower in seven and an RCBS powder check die in eight. I am installing the bullet feeder in station nine and considering a hold-down die in station 10 to counteract all of the forces on the opposite side of the press.
There are a lot of questions out there surrounding hold-down dies. While not needed with a single-stage press, they are incredibly useful in progressive presses.
Operations like priming and swaging have the cases presenting opposite force which can lift the shellplate and disrupt other functions. A hold-down die keeps the brass and shellplate in place.
It only took removing the rifle caliber conversion from its box to notice its heft. It is definitely heavier than its pistol counterpart. Frankford Arsenal offers four different bullet collator caliber conversion kits: .22, .243/6mm, .265/6.5mm, and .30.
To install the bullet feeder you need an M3 hex key. Remove the metal retaining ring at the base of the unit, pop out the bullet guide assembly, then remove the lock ring. Next, remove all of the M4 screws. Be careful as there are small lock nuts opposite the screws that can easily be lost. With the screws removed, separate the two halves. This leaves just the die itself. I threaded the die into station nine until it bottoms out on the shoulder on the top of the toolhead. I then backed the die off so that the rotor faces towards me. Next, thread the lock ring onto the bottom side of the toolhead and torque to 10-15 inch-lbs. A one-inch socket reaches in nicely. With the bullet feeder assembly in place, I reinstalled the two halves. Lastly, I installed the bullet guide, ensuring the O-ring was on the bottom and hand-tightened the retaining nut with the one-inch socket.
To install the staging tube assembly, loosen the set screw on the top of the die with an M2 hex key and press the staging tube assembly down inside until it bottoms out. It has a groove that catches the set screw. To set the bullet depth limiter, I needed my bullet of choice. I decided on the Berger 6mm 105 Grain Hybrid Target Bullet as Gavin has had previous success with it in 6mm Creedmoor. I decided to use 42.2 grains of Winchester StaBALL 6.5. With a primed case filled with my powder charge in the station 9 shellplate and a bullet in the staging tube, I lowered the toolhead. The next step is to rotate the knob on the die until the tip of the bullet sits halfway between the opening. This just places the bullet on top of the case. I had to adjust the micrometer to get the appropriate seating depth.
It is easiest to keep the rest of the shellplate empty during this process! With a cartridge overall length of 2.811”, I proceeded to install the rifle bullet collator. This sits right beneath the case collator, with the same installation process as the pistol bullet collator. I added the washers to the bolts and fed them through the collator for easier use later. I then secured the collator to the pole, being careful not to crush any existing cables. After tightening all of the bolts, I connected the power cable to the out port on the case collator and in port on the bullet collator.
The next step is to adjust the socket head cap screws on the collator plate to accommodate the bullet of choice. I want the tip of the bullet to ⅛ inch away from the other opening.
Conclusion
The simple additions from Armanov made the process so much smoother. It was great to reload on the X-10 without skipping brass!
Get the Gear
X-10 Progressive Press with Case Feeder from Frankford Arsenal and Midsouth Shooters Supply
X-10 Rifle Bullet Collator from Frankford Arsenal and Midsouth Shooters Supply
X-10 Bullet Feeder Conversion Kit from Frankford Arsenal and Midsouth Shooters Supply
X-10 Shim Kit from Frankford Arsenal
X-10 Accessories from Armanov
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Thanks,
Kyle Shields
