LnL Case Feeder Tipping Cases on the Shell Plate

[jtaylor996]

I just got the Hornady LnL case feeder yesterday. I got it up and running, but I'm having a problem.

When the v-block (#2 for 9mm) pushes the case forward into the shell plate, it just tips the case over, rather than sliding the case in. This happens no matter where I set the timing rod (it's all the way down, BTW), and it happens at least 50% of the time.

If I jiggle the handle, about 75% of the shells will then slip into the shell plate. However, this isn't a toilet, for cryin' out loud! I'm worried about how the jiggling is going to mess up things at the priming station down the road.

What's going on here? Anyone else see this problem? What's the fix?

[SLM]

Step one is to figure out what is causing the tipping. Then you can fix it. My rod is almost all the way down and I use a shorter block. With it set that way the only issues I have with tipping are caused by Glocked primers where the primer has been blown back so bad it catches going over the spring.

My shell plate is a pre L-N-L that Hornady cut the groove in and I used a Dremel to open up the notches to match the new ones and then polished.

I haven't had a case tip in several thousand rounds.

[jtaylor996]

Some cases do it, and some don't. On the ones that don't, the primers feel fine. It does look like they're hitting the spring, but what can I do about that?

Edited October 27, 2010 by jtaylor996

[jtaylor996]

What do you mean by shorter block? The v-block? Which one would be shorter than the #2 for me to try?

[SLM]

I'm using the #6 block. If you take your #2 off and compare it to the #6 you'll see it isn't as long. Flip them over and look at the bottom and it's really easy to see. The shorter block gives the shell plate just a tiny bit more time to get into position before the case gets fed in by the block.

Is your shell plate a newer LNL compatible one or is it an older one? The newer ones have the opening radiused more than the older ones. It lets the cases slip in a little easier.

If the primers are so bad they hit the spring it's a touch and go situation. There isn't much you can do about it, but the primers have to be BAD for it to happen. Make sure you don't have anything stuck in the groove that the spring rides in. Something stuck in there could hold the spring up a bit.

One other thing you can do is take some fine sand paper (600 grit or finer) and run it with the spring groove using your finger two three passes back and forth. You want to just BARELY break the sharp edge of the spring slot. It's a machined edge and as such is quite sharp and might have some really small burrs on it that could catch the brass. The sand paper will take them off without opening the slot up.

[GuyC]

I had this problem and it drove me crazy. I changed the spring and tweaked the timing on the rod and it has been going good ever since. Now my only problem is it dropping two cases at once.

[jtaylor996]

I finally got it running 100% last night, after a few hours of fiddling with it. There were actually quite a few issues with this thing, each requiring its own fix. I took some terrible iphone pics while I was doing it last night, and I'll post them along with the individual issues I found in the next few posts.

[jtaylor996]

Issue #1: Case tipping on insertion into the shell plate

As far as the tipping goes, I basically solved it by using a short (#3, I think) v-block, and not letting it push the case fully into the shell plate. I did deburr the shell plate spring slot with sandpaper and a file, but it made no difference. If you feed only part way into the shell plate grove, the spring will move it the rest of the way into place once the shell plate indexes and the spring starts to engage.

[jtaylor996]

Issue #2: Cases dropping and flying away from the press completely

Here the problem was that if I took my time and moved the handle slowly during the resizing process, then the case would just fly out, or tip over, as shown in the pic.

The fix here was to play with the plunger that operates the pivot block above the drop tube. The problem was caused by there being to much of a gap between the base plate and the drop tube, allowing the case to tip over or fly out completely. I tuned the plunger so that it only barely moves enough to drop a case down when the ram is all the way at the top. Now it doesn't matter how fast I move the arm, the cases just fall into place and are contained by the drop tube until I lower the ram.

[jtaylor996]

Issue #3? V-block alignment with the shell plate.

Here you can see how the v-block aligns with the shell plate when the plate is indexed in position. Horrible pic, I know-- but you can see how they just don't line up. I think this is what prevented me from allowing the cases to insert fully into the shell plate. It looks like it's designed like this, but I can't figure out why (especially since it doesn't appear to work for crap).

[jtaylor996]

Issue #4: Cases flying out and hitting me in the head from the case feeder.

They're getting loose from the gap between the case feeder bowl and that little plastic funnel at the top. The fix here is to use the warranty registration card and electrical tape to close up the hole. Please let me know if this happens to you also, or if I've got a defective unit here.

[jtaylor996]

Issue #5: log jams in the funnel on the case feeder.

See the above pic for this one. The 9mm cases just randomly fling in the funnel as it's feeding. It only takes a minute before this log jam happens. The funnel is just too big for 9mm, in my opinion. Not only is there room for them to turn upside down (see #6), but they can fit sideways as shown in that pic.

The fix for this is some baffling that limits the movement the cases can do in that funnel. Essentially it just makes the funnel narrower. Required parts: fire extinguisher instructions, more electrical tape

I tried opening/closing/everything in between on the case feed bowl door, but it doesn't fix anything.

Issue #6: Cases feeding upside down.

This went away with further restricting the funnel baffle I put in for #5. I moved the baffle over to prevent the cases from being able to do a somersault in the funnel. The baffle being flexible is a real bonus here, as it will just absorb the energy that is trying to tip the cases over as it guides them down the funnel.

The above picture shows the baffle in the final configuration, which now runs 100%. Looks ghetto, but whatever. I was a proud Hornady customer until I got this case feeder. Now, not so much-- but at least I got it working well.

I'm just now realize just how terrible the above picture of the baffle is, and how it may be confusing looking. Let me know if you want a better picture of it, and I'll get the big buck camera out and take a good picture of it tonight.

[Mush from PA.]

This is what I did to keep the cases from bunching up at the top of the case hopper. The white card on the right keeps the cases from falling into the clear tube untill it is directly above the tube. Then it drops stright down the tube. It works well for me.

Edited October 29, 2010 by Mush from PA.

[Shadowrider]

I can relate. I just put a brand new feeder on mine about a month or 6 weeks ago. I followed the installation instructions to the letter and I had all the same issues you did. But I don't have the patience that you do evidently. I was totally disappointed with the case feeder. Got so disgusted with it that I sold it. The press I like pretty well and I may keep it and just dedicate it to .223.

I bought a complete 650 setup off of benos to replace it and couldn't be happier. Still getting used to it, as it's not as easy to do minor tweaks on, but I'm loading alot more ammo in less time than on the LNL. And the case feeder hasn't dropped a single case on my head and it's only fed one single 9mm case upside down! Good for you that you got it going, as it really does speed things up considerably. I just wasn't going to dink with it when it should run out of the box.

Very nice touch with the warranty card!

Edited October 29, 2010 by Shadowrider

[Jeff686]

I've probably made 10,000 rounds so far on my newish LNL. I've never had any of the problems you describe, except the tipping cases. I found that polishing up everything, including the flats and lips and shell plate opening made everything run slick as slideglide.

[SLM]

Glad you got it all sorted out. I'm with Jeff though, other than the minor tipping case here and there when I first got it, mine has been perfect. No upside downs, no jams, etc. It's 1 1/2 years old and has over 12k rounds through it. All 9mm.

[jbrown13]

The issues at the inlet funnel on top can be helped a lot by adjusting the slotted metal piece on the left side of the funnel. You can see it, and its slot, in Mush from PA's pics. It has an allen head screw that can be loosened to move that piece to the right, and essentially accomplishes what Mush accomplished with his card stock. It does take some trial and error to get it adjusted perfectly (if that's possible), but you should be able to solve 90+% of your issues at that funnel, as well as the cases flying out on the floor.

[jtaylor996]

The issues at the inlet funnel on top can be helped a lot by adjusting the slotted metal piece on the left side of the funnel. You can see it, and its slot, in Mush from PA's pics. It has an allen head screw that can be loosened to move that piece to the right, and essentially accomplishes what Mush accomplished with his card stock. It does take some trial and error to get it adjusted perfectly (if that's possible), but you should be able to solve 90+% of your issues at that funnel, as well as the cases flying out on the floor.

If you read my post, I did try every possible setting with that little slotted door. Nothing helped.

It is also different from the modification Mush posted because that door only restricts the back half of the opening in the bowl. His modification works because it restricts the front half, meaning that the cases won't drop until they are over the center of the funnel tube. This is not possible with the case door.

[Mush from PA.]

On my machine the hole in the case hopper is too wide (to the right) above the funnel and cases were either thrown out of the funnel, going into the funnel sideways or upside down. I tried adjusting the medal piece on the left but that did nothing. If they had one on the right I would not have to tape a piece of card stock on the hopper. This has worked on 9mm, 38sp, and 223. I havent loaded any other cases.

As far as the tipping cases, I too used a dremel tool on the shell plate to round some of the sharp edges. I found that with remington brass I had less problem than when I used mixed range brass. I wont sell the LNL.

A friend who has a 550 keeps comming over to use the LNL but he won't admit it to his Dillon friends.....

[jbrown13]

Guys, all I reload is 9mm and 38 Special, and the metal door has worked fine for me. Mine goes well past the center of the opening in the clear funnel, and as long as I keep it adjusted so only one slot in the feeder plate can be open at once, mine seems to do fine. I expect the fact that we are dealing with molded plastic parts leads to wide variations in dimensions and fits. Probably the reason some work well and others need baffling and shrouding.

I have had to put a piece of card stock on the bottom of the drop tube, so that it almost touches to shell plate when the shell plate is in the up position, to keep the short 9mm cases from bouncing and turning over and rolling away. It is just a semi-circle of card stock, with the open side towards the brass shuttle to allow it to move in and out, that I taped to the bottom of the aluminum drop tube funnel. This "fix" was suggested on another forum and works 100% for me.

[1911Prof]

OK, I was having problems with the cases tipping while loading 38 super and adjusting the timing of the #3 V blcok didn't help. I replaced it with the #6 V block and polished the base plate where the cartridge slides with a dremel especially trying to remove any burrs that might be around the spring channel (where the case would tip) and it now works without a single tipped case. I don't know whether it was changing V blocks or the polishing, but I am not going to screw around to find out which it was while it works. I hope that it continues to function as flawless as it seems so far.

[raz-0]

Issue #5: log jams in the funnel on the case feeder.

Issue #6: Cases feeding upside down.

This went away with further restricting the funnel baffle I put in for #5. I moved the baffle over to prevent the cases from being able to do a somersault in the funnel. The baffle being flexible is a real bonus here, as it will just absorb the energy that is trying to tip the cases over as it guides them down the funnel.

The above picture shows the baffle in the final configuration, which now runs 100%. Looks ghetto, but whatever. I was a proud Hornady customer until I got this case feeder. Now, not so much-- but at least I got it working well.

I'm just now realize just how terrible the above picture of the baffle is, and how it may be confusing looking. Let me know if you want a better picture of it, and I'll get the big buck camera out and take a good picture of it tonight.

You are being WAY too complicated here.  Just take a playing card, business card, index card, etc. Something with some rigidity to it, but thin. slide it between the two layers of plastic and you fix both problems. Nothing can bounce out, and it becomes very hard for most pistol cases to flip over upside down. Especially if you close the metal plate a little bit. 

[jtaylor996]

Hmmm that might be worth trying, but the above is not as complicated as you might thing. I didn't use anything that wasn't within arm's reach at the time. I still need to do a little tweaking on it, though, so I'll probably try your card trick. Thanks.

[Tul9033]

CS suggested the #6 V block for 9mm (I use it on .40 too) and it has all but eliminated any tipping.

[CocoBolo]

Ok well I'm going to have to try the #6 on 9 mm. I just stuck a piece of cardboard at the top of the case feeder to narrow the opening enough cases cannot turn sideways in there and it stopped the brass rain. I did the same fix for the Dillon XL650 I have, yep that guy that sold his, well the XL650 is the same case feeder painted blue, and I use the same shell plates on the Hornady and the Dillon.

The Dillon was more prone to upside down cases, before I figured out the cardboard fix, it worked on the Dillon so I did it on the Hornady as well.