Jungo2

We have black in stock, bitone are only showing up one at a time to our distributor and we have grabbed every one they have listed in stock so far. Christine at Springer Precision was kind enough to inform me that a Bi-tone was inbound. Naturally, I snapped it right up. I ordered the 3.25lbs. competition trigger, extended mag release, .100 Dawson front sight and a new tungsten insert for the stock guide rod. I was informed that this insert will bring the total pistol weight close to the Production legal limit. Rob, would you be so kind as to provide the weight of the guide rod spring in your 5.25? I was thinking of using a lighter 16lbs. spring My current Competition XDM was customized by Rich at Canyon Creek and has served me exceptionally well for nearly 3 years. Given the exceptional comments herein and from other online sources - concerning both the 5.25 and Springer Precision - I'm anticipating an outstanding product. Rob, the 5.25 was a welcome surprise. Thank you for improving upon an already excellent product. Kindest regards, Greg

I'm also new to reloading; I just received my LNL AP a couple of weeks ago. Some quick perspective - I'm approaching this as a means to an end. I reload to shoot. I don't shoot to reload. It might be a pleasurable hobby for some, but this whole reloading thing is a chore for me. That said, I approach it VERY seriously. I've been "on the fence" about this for the last two years and consequently have accumulated a decent amount of information in that time. When I finally decided to actually "do it", I spent many hours on various forums gathering as much information as I could. I'm currently reading "The ABC's of Reloading" and also purchased the DVD: "Competition Reloading Basics to Advanced" by Brian Enos http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002BBUL0. Both have been very helpful and removed much of the guess work out of the process. I've also downloaded the reloading data sheet from the manufacturer of the particular powder that I purchased. A good reloading book and a reloading data sheet are indispensable. Given the accumulated amount of information (sans practical experience) that I've gathered over the years, and the nature of the questions posted in this thread, I would respectfully recommend that you seriously consider educating yourself more thoroughly prior to performing any reloads. You've acted prudently by posting in this thread for information, but further research on your part would be advisable for no other reason than safety. The process of reloading does not readily forgive mistakes. Setting up my press gave me enough perspective to qualify that statement. For example, you're dealing with extremely dangerous materials such as primers and gunpowder in close proximity. They need to be handled properly and they need to be stored properly. Grossly over-charging or under-charging a load can, at best, result in a destroyed firearm, and at worst, result in a fatality. I don't want to seem melodramatic or hyper-sensitive about such things, but on a personal level, I know that I will not be the only person to use the ammo that I reload. To cause harm to myself due to a negligent mistake would be terrible, but to cause harm to another would be unbearable. Respectfully submitted.

FYI, I just received my LNL AP from Midwayusa about 2 weeks ago. It has the updated sub-plate pictured above. It's therefore reasonable to assume that this new sub-plate is standard issue with the newer presses.

Mine as well. Just got my press this week. Much appreciated, Hornady. Anything to make this process easier. Frankly, as I'm new to reloading, just figuring out the basic BOM (Bill of Materials) required to get started was a major undertaking. Now, I'm at the assembly and adjustment stage of the process. Exquisitely tedious. Every press should come with a blanket prescription for the beta-blocker of your choice. I now understand why I've seen pictures of reloading benches with 2 or 3 presses on them for each caliber. Suffice it to say, forums like this, the wealth of information therein and the gracious manner by which it is put forth is supremely appreciated. Many thanks to everyone for a fantastic resource.

noylj, Your die placement mirrors mine. Having never before done this, I assumed that the bullet is placed into the case when the piston is in the lowered position. This is how it's been done in most of the videos I've seen. It now seems that most users with this type of setup place the bullet during a pause on the upstroke - after the press has indexed the casing to station 4. I imagined this to be a possibility, but wanted validation from experienced users.I haven't actually been able to try the press as my dies won't arrive until tomorrow. Experience is everything. Thanks for the reply.

I received my LNL AP this week and finally had a chance to set it up yesterday. I've read many recommendations on several threads, including this one, that separate seater and crimp dies are generally preferable. However, after seeing the press, it's evident that separate seating and crimp dies would require the physical insertion of the bullet on stage 3, rather than stage 4. This would seem to be rather cumbersome as it would require reaching over the seated cartridge in stage 4 to place the bullet in stage 3. Is this process as difficult as I imagine it to be? Thanks

Which shops? I'm looking for N320 stocking dealers in PA. Me too. I work in Chadds Ford - less than 10 minutes from Targetmaster. I'll check with them first.

I'm looking to purchase a quantity of Vihtavouri N320 - preferably the 4lbs. container. Can anyone recommend a good stocking source? Thanks in advance

War, Shadow, Blind Bat and everyone else, Thanks so much for all the help. In totality, the quality of the information provided was excellent. Blind Bat, the tip about populating all of the stations with empty cases during adjustment was particularly appreciated. That's the kind of stuff you don't usually find in any book and it likely will save me a trip to hell and back. I had difficulty finding Hornady New Dimension dies in stock; I also had some difficulty finding the single Hornady crimp die. Subsequently, I purchased a set of the Redding Pro Series Carbide dies: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=547339 This is the set without the (overkill) Micrometer adjustment and is significantly cheaper. For an additional $40 or so, this set gives me separate seater and crimp dies and they are generally regarded to equal or exceed the quality of the Hornady dies. I pretty much have everything covered except a good scale and the actual loading components. I'm looking for the new, Hornady LNL Bench Scale http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=340674 , but I can't find it in stock anywhere. I'll keep looking. I've got plenty of brass, so I'm looking for bullets, primers and powder. Lots of great recipes here for minor PF competition loads. My first (small) runs will be with 124gr. and 147gr. Montana Gold bullets. The 115gr. factory stuff is not very forgiving on steel. A less-than-optimal hit won't always drop the heavier targets. I'm told the heavier loads are better in this regard with more manageable recoil. Thanks again and best regards to everyone.

Thanks for the reply. Regarding your recommendation above, I'm confused as there is no available "last station". The RCBS Lock-out and Powder Funnel will occupy 2 stations and both the Hornady and Redding sets include 3 dies. Why is it preferable to have separate seating and crimping dies? Primary goal: I'm looking for "Easy". I'm willing to pay extra for a given solution if it keeps me out of hell.

Guys, Thanks for all the help. I've posted this topic on 2 other forums and this one was by far the most responsive. I ordered the Press and Case feeder today along with a number of peripherals. I also ordered the Powder Funnels PTX Die and the RCBS Lock-Out Die. This leaves 3 stations remaining on the press. I'm seriously considering these: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=610299 ..or these: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/default.aspx?productnumber=667162 Any comments or recommendations are supremely appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Crunchy, Thanks for taking the time to post. Great info. As others have said, I shoot competitively - my monthly volume is 800-1000 rounds of 9mm - therefore the time required to produce that amount of ammo on a single stage press would either land me in divorce court or a mental institution. Likely, both, not necessarily in that order.

Thanks for the great replies. Keep 'em coming. I appreciate the feedback concerning the ubiquitous Hornady vs. Dillon debate. The are exceptions, however the LNL seems to be the preferred press among those who've used both (the LNL and 650XL). Based on the totality of my reading, the LNL does seem to be the better mouse trap overall. I want to make certain that everything goes together and functions properly with an absolute minimum of cranial hemorrhaging. Ergo, I want to choose the correct equipment from the start. Reloading is not something that I want to do, but rather something that I need to do.

Greetings, I'm new to reloading. After deliberating and researching for almost 2 years, I've decided to purchase a Hornady LNL w/ case feeder. I've been procrastinating for some time because the thought of spending hours down in my basement mindlessly cranking a lever - like a hamster waiting for another food pellet - doesn't seem to appeal to me. That said, I shoot competitively and a reloader will ultimately afford me the opportunity to practice more and further develop my abilities. Feeding my gun with quality, performance-tuned ammo wouldn't hurt a bit, either. My initial reloading will involve 9mm. I've got most of my 'peripherals' sourced out, but the die selection seems to be a very subjective thing. I've read that the Hornady dies are excellent, but I'm also considering the Redding Competiton Pro Series dies as well. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=610299 I've decided that the RCBS Lock-out Die will be mandatory. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=536792 I'm also pretty solid on the Powder Funnels Universal PTX: http://powderfunnels.com/products.html Given the inclusion of the RCBS Lock-out and Powder Funnels PTX dies, please relay your recommendations for the remaining 3 dies stations. Any other comments or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to everyone for your time and consideration.

I can comment as I had Lasik about 4 years ago. Firstly, I'm 51 and have been near-sighted most of my life. I began to notice presbyopia since about '40ish'. Accordingly, prior to the Lasik procedure, my uncorrected vision both near and far was pretty bad. I did the Lasik thing and came out with 20/10 vision. Fantastic...until I realized what happened to my near-field vision. Sans reading glasses, my eyes are virtually useless for anything closer than 6 feet. This is a stated and unavoidable result of any corrective eye surgery, but you don't realize how debilitating it is until you experience it first-hand. 4 years later, my distant vision has decreased somewhat. Although I no longer have perfect, 20/10 vision, I don't require corrective lenses in my daily life. Only reading glasses, of which I have about a dozen strategically placed through out my house and garage. Regardless of the difficulties, I'd absolutely do it again. Since I can no longer clearly distinguish iron sights - rifle or pistol - I've had prescription shooting glasses made with +.75 reading lenses; very low-power. This sharpens the sights just enough for a good sight picture but doesn't alter my ability to see at distance as with normal readers. To the thread topic, I've just begun training with both eyes open and have found it somewhat easier than I thought. The problem with older eyes is that they do not focus quickly when transitioning from near to distant targets. Subjectively, this lag seems to be more apparent when using binocular vision. Everything improves with practice, so I'll keep at it. Cheers