New Hornady LNL-AP

[Bryan 45]

But this thing rocks!!!

I've been loading on a single stage press for about a dozen years now, bought my first progressive maybe 8 years ago. It's a Dillon SDB, which I still use for .45 and .40 and love the thing. It's always worked great, produced a bunch of trouble free ammo, and hasn't broken any parts.

Back in the summer I won a Hornady single stage LNL press and have been very impressed w/ both the quality and the LNL bushing system. I had a great coupon from Cabelas that expired this month, so when I went looking for something to use it on I kept coming back to the LNL AP. It came in yesterday, I cleaned it up as the DVD showed, bolted it to the bench and started setting my dies last night. After getting them set and the powder measure adjusted I cranked out 30 rounds in a couple minutes just for function check.

First impressions are this is one high quality, well engineered piece of equipment. From the priming system, powder measure, shell retainer, and EZject, everything on this press looks like it was built as well as possible. (I did not order the case feeder.) The press operates smoothly, indexes right on the mark, and the shell retainer is beautiful! My only progressive experience has been my SDB, and while the retaining buttons are great at keeping the brass in place, it's a pain to take anything out in the middle of the cycle. The retaining spring solves this problem, and Hornady includes 2 spare springs w/ the press.

I can't wait to run a few hundred rounds through it!

[DWFAN]

I like mine also, I just wish the priming system had a bit more leverage or would seat primers a little firmer/deeper.

Have well over 20,000 rounds through mine. Added a case feeder at the beginning of this year with only a few hiccups.

[codemonkey001]

glad to hear about your experiences. i have a Cabela's coupon as well, that coupon, along w/ the rebate for free projectiles makes it extremely tempting. but i would have to give up a blue press to make space for it.

[acekc]

I've had good luck with the case feeder and recently added the bullet feeder as well. The 9mm configuration worked well, I'm going through some pains getting the .40 working smoothly on the bullet feeder but I hope to get ramped up soon.

As far as the primers not seeting deeper, I discovered that the piece that seats the primer (which is pushed upwards by pressure against the press frame underneath it) had actually worn a divot into the frame. It was bottoming out in the divot before being pushed upward and therefore wasn't seating the primers as deeply. I covered the divot with a flat steel washer and it took care of the issue.

My only other big annoyance is that debris (brass shavings, flecks of powder) will sometimes get stuck under the primer seater piece, keeping it from fully retracting. This keeps the slide that delivers the primer from moving back into place, and cleaning the debris out is a pain.

[vwynn]

i have both case feeder + bullet feeder. So far it runs 90% well.

still having problems with 9mm cases tilting when going into the plate. also having cases drop off the plate when it drops down from the case tube. and rarely having bullets go in upsidedown that ends up causing 2 bullets feed into one case. LOL..

scary.. other than that its good for the $

[mizer67]

I've loaded around 40 - 50K on my LNL. It was my first progressive.

It's a good press for the money, if you're hand feeding cases. My case feeder was a huge POS/PITA for loading 9mm. Tilting cases, brass rain, cases flying off the slider, many case feeder jams, etc.

Lack of primer seating leverage and the resulting light strikes was what had me ultimately switch to a Dillon XL650, though.

Here's what I miss about the LNL vs. the XL650:

1.) Powder measure is simpler, easier to adjust and more consistent across a wider number of powders (I use the Hornady case activated measure on my Dillon)

2.) Shell plate retaining spring

3.) LNL bushings and the larger size of the toolhead (much less cramped, easier to use standard die lock rings and make adjustments)

4.) Simplicity of the machine in general, ease of changeovers and adjustments

5.) Hornady's primer sliding system vs. the XL650 where primers advance when no case is present

6.) Spent primer catch system is better designed out of the box

7.) Location of station #4 (easier to see into the casing to check powder level)

I still keep my Hornady set up for low volume calibers.

[acekc]

I actually found a fix for cases flying off the slider in another thread:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=137090&view=findpost&p=1593516

If "tilting cases" means not going into the plate, I usually get that to go away by switching to a different V block. Sometimes their suggestion on a V block is best and sometimes not.

I know that for case feeder jams you're supposed to be able to adjust the clutch in the feeder, but I've never bothered. I figured out that if I put less brass in the feeder at a time the jams went away (for me anyway) so I just did that.

I have had the brass rain happen on occasion and that is frustrating.

[Seeker]

I've loaded 15,000 .45 and a lot of 9mm with mine over the last 3 years and I agree with ACEKC that the most annoying problem is when small debris ( powder, media, brass shavings) clog the primer punch and the press won't rotate. Also, the powder drop station has a bad habit of rotating and popping up at the worst time. I found that a small piece of 120 grit paper between the bushing and the press will solve this problem. Other than that I would not trade my LNL for any other press.

[acekc]

Also, the powder drop station has a bad habit of rotating and popping up at the worst time. I found that a small piece of 120 grit paper between the bushing and the press will solve this problem. Other than that I would not trade my LNL for any other press.

Ooh, I'd forgotten about that one! Used to happen to me all the time. It occurs to me that it probably stopped in my case because with the bullet feeder, everything is so cramped that the powder measure will only fit in a very specific way. I think it literally can't rotate far enough to pop up so long as the bullet feed die is installed. I like your idea of the 120 grit sandpaper; I had previously meant to try wrapping some teflon tape around the bushing, but never got around to it before "fixing" the issue with the bullet feeder.

[ben b.]

Hornady will freely send you a C-shaped spring steel shim for your powder measure die. It goes around the LNL bushing, between the O-ring and the top of the bushing. That stops the unlocking. Just call a tech and ask.

Not much to do about the primer stem getting clogged, other than using compressed air to blow it out when it happens. That's what I do.

[Babaganoosh]

I found that polishing the primer slide really helps the consistency. I keep a can of canned air by the press and give it a shot once in awhile to keep everything clean.

As far as the 9mm cases skipping off, I taped a piece of a business card on the side of the drop tube and it works very well.

[BlueOvalBandit]

I feel kind of cheated.... I only got 1 retainer spring with my LNL... and I just got it last month Once I ironed out most of the kinks it runs great, an occasional shell tips from the case feeder when inserted.

[acekc]

Midway and other places sell replacement springs of course, but I just called Hornady and explained that my spring was getting crimped up and worn and they dropped several in the mail for me, no charge. Heck, last week I called them with a problem I was having with .40 cases not ejecting properly and they determined that the EZ-Ject tab had gotten worn and sent me a new base plate.

Hornady's support is really helpful, the only issue I've found is that sometimes they don't have replacement parts in stock and for that reason you might find yourself waiting for replacement parts.

[Scoobb]

I'm planning on picking one up myself the first on the year.

[CocoBolo]

The cure for the powder measure coming loose is an Abarigney Socket Set, aka cresent wrench, As long as I tighten mine it never comes lose. I load a bunch of 9 major, so getting powder in the primer punch area is a given, I keep a can of Brake Cleaner Handy and just give it a hit when it needs it, also keep a small parts brush hand to brush off the shell plate and the "rataining spring groove" which is how the powder travels to the powder punch area. Yes I use the wrench when I put any bushing in, nothing comes lose.

Now wanna have some fun, the plastic tube of the powder measure, have you had that fall into your lap? Full of Powder, ooohhh Joy. Duct Tape cured that problem.

Side by side with the XL650, I'll just say that while the XL650 will produce a few extra rounds a hour, it has made me curse more than a cantankerous mule. I have learned every part of it and how to disassemble it and put it back together fairly quickly. While the xl650 does allow even the whimpest of loaders to smash a primer to smithers on a crimped case, I find that the LNL with proper exectuion of primer seating jab works just fine. I've not had any problem with high primers in over 60K rounds, but I don't try for any seating depth other than all the way. It you got a divit in your frame then just put a thin flat washer down and be done with that problem. There are 1,000's of spent primers on my shop floor all from the darn blue press, and under the LNL is a 3 gallon bucket almost full of spent primers.

Don't be afarid of a few bad reports on the LNL it is a great machine.