Hornady Lock N Load Bushings?

[CCTiger]

I would like the advice of those who are running the Hornady LNL press. I can't seem to get the bushings to sty in and not work loose while loading which changes the die settings and of course will not turn out well if not caught.

Any helpful ideas - I wondered about a copper shim/washer or thicker o-ring, thanks?

[lugnut]

I've never had any problems but I'm sure another thicker o-ring would help. Some of mine aren't super snug and still don't move much at all.

[CCTiger]

Mine are working loose while loading, and don't come all the way out, but don't seem to have a "purchase" when tightened down [and I am not an engineer] so figured others maybe had it happen and knew something. I am glad to hear it is apparently not a problem on other presses.

[ben b.]

My LNL bushing for my powder station in my LNL AP would work loose. I found that I could tighten the powder die/bushing in with pliers and it would stay, I could put a whisper of loctite on it and it would stay. Then I learned that this problem pops up occasionally, and that Hornady has a washer shim that fixes it. I called, they sent me one, and it fixed the issue for me.

[CCTiger]

Wow, that is great, I will try that.

Thank you very much.

[Ken8521]

Wow, that is great, I will try that.

Thank you very much.

Is it just the powder station doing it? Or all of the stations?

[CCTiger]

I have not tried another bushing on the powder measure, but it seems the most prone to working loose.

I used channel lock pliers to tighten them and it helped, but others will occasionally work loose.

[SLM]

My powder measure would/will work loose every once in a while. I exchanged bushings with one of my other dies and it helped but it will still work loose. I think it has to do with all the loading/unloading/moving parts associated with the measure. The dies don't ever come loose. Mine has never come all the way loose, just backed off a bit and it doesn't effect the way the powder drop works at all. I thought about a slightly thicker ring for that station but really don't see the point in digging one up to cure what for me is a non-problem. If yours is coming all the way loose I'd suggest giving Hornady a call. Their support is awesome. I bent the primer carrier cam rod being stupid and called to order a new one. They refused to take my money and just sent me two, yes two new ones.

[RePete]

My opinion of LnL and the like is that it brings in another variation into the loading equation, one that you are finding out about.

You want and pay for convenience and you get this. I agree it's a PITA to change dies but it's one that I can live with.

No LnL or the such for me.

[CocoBolo]

Guys I use a cresent wrench to tighten mine, and they do not work lose, not even the powder measure. Someday I am going to read the manual and see what it says about tightening the bushings. Been doing it for years.

Answer to your next question. Yes, you need to sequence around the die. To take the powder measure out I normally take the bullet seater out first. Its a little tight between the die.

It's no fun when you look up and the powder measure is going up and down and you don't know how long its been doing that!

[CCTiger]

Update:

I had no bushings work loose yesterday in loading, after tightening with a wrench.

[sierra77mk]

I would like the advice of those who are running the Hornady LNL press. I can't seem to get the bushings to sty in and not work loose while loading which changes the die settings and of course will not turn out well if not caught.

Any helpful ideas - I wondered about a copper shim/washer or thicker o-ring, thanks?

I only experienced this on the powder station.

I thought about thicker o-rings too but my fix was free.

I cut cardboard "washers" from my primer packaging. I inserted that on top of the press and then inserted the lnl bushing, tightened down with a wrench and it will not move.

[Mush from PA.]

Has any one tried Blue Locktight on the threads??

[ben b.]

Has any one tried Blue Locktight on the threads??

Well, kind of. I put a tiny bit of blue LocTite on the LnL bushing lugs for my powder die, but never needed to put any on threads.

But all of this is unnecessary. If you have a problem, call Hornady. Ask for the bushing shims. Get them for free. End of story.

My LNL bushing for my powder station in my LNL AP would work loose. I found that I could tighten the powder die/bushing in with pliers and it would stay, I could put a whisper of loctite on it and it would stay. Then I learned that this problem pops up occasionally, and that Hornady has a washer shim that fixes it. I called, they sent me one, and it fixed the issue for me.

[Ken8521]

Update:

I had no bushings work loose yesterday in loading, after tightening with a wrench.

Call Hornady and tell them your powder measure is working out of the bushing, they will send

you a shim, and the problem will go away.

[fritzthemoose]

Wow, that is great, I will try that.

Thank you very much.

had the same problem. Hornady sent me the washer and never happened again

[jeep45238]

I had this on station 1. The female bushing of the press was too hard, and broke the locking lugs. Hornady sent me 5 replacements for free, no problems since.

My powder drop does occasionally loosen, a quick snug with pliars and it doesn't happen again.

[Pro2AInPA]

I give each one a snug with a wrench. They never work loose.

[Odawgp]

The only problem I have had was with the bushing holding the powder measure in used to work itself out

a wire bag tie doubled over itself tossed under the o'ring fixed that and I haven't had a problem since

[raz-0]

I don't use wrenches and have never had a bushing work loose. If you believe what folks say, hornady got a batch of slightly out of spec bushings, and that's why they have shims to fix them now. 

One thing Hornady could definitely improve on is not being committed to screwed up parts.  They had an issue with a batch of drive hubs that would crack, and rather than throw them out, they kept shipping them as replacements until they went through he bad batch.