Whats wrong with my Hornady LNL AP?

[vwynn]

Just an intro... purchased this press new along with the case feeder and bullet feeder. I have yet to load a solid 100 rounds of 9mm without having some sort of problem.

Press probably has over 10k rounds pressed out so far (9mm)

Issue:

after letting my brother use the press to load his 9mms the press started to become all finicky.

-Problem 1: When going for the down stroke the case feeder rod thing likes to torque the case feeder slider... See video. Note: the case feeder system has been screwed on tightly.

*dont mind the ghetto shield LOL... gunna get a PVC cutout later*

-Problem 2: priming system. The priming system worked FLAWLESSLY when i was using it but when my brother took over it started to jam up and sometimes not feed primers. Ide watch the slider move back and forth however sometimes it doesnt drop the primer. If i miss it, ill end up having an unprimed case moving about. I have polished the priming system parts and removed any burrs but the problem still happens every now and then. Mainly near on the 98-100th primer from the pack. I have also adjusted the primer timing rod but the problem still occurs.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edited November 13, 2012 by vwynn

[ben b.]

I don't understand and am not seeing Problem 1 on the video. Is the attachment part (that the case feeder slider is screwed into) level and also bolted tightly to the arm of the case feeder support? Is the push rod too long (need to tighten the length adjuster)?

For Problem 2: When empty of primers, I would remove the shuttle and blow out the insides, then put shuttle back in. Then i would remove the metal tube from inside the primer housing. This is the aluminum tube that physically holds the primers after you release them from the primer pick up tubes. There is a small tube for small primers and a large tube for large primers. On each, there is a buttom that has a slight crimp/diameter reduction. That end has to go down to the bottom. If it gets flipped from forgetting when changing or from having an idiot/brother mucking around with the press, all sorts of weird problems can occur. Ask me how I know...

[ben b.]

*buttom was meant to be "bottom", or one end of the tube.

[Mush from PA.]

#1 - The piece that moves Is hanging up on something. Check the spring between the pieces. You may see some witness marks (scratches) where the parts are scraping.

#2 - Get a brass rod (longer than the aluminum tube) from a hardware store that fits in the aluminum tube that acts as a weight to push the primers down. I used white paint and a black marker on the rod at the 50 and 100 primer mark so I have a reference where I am. Clean out the tube. Get some canned air and blow the powder that fell down in the primer slide. Take out the primer slide and use 400 grit sand paper on a block and smooth all corners.

[leas327]

Don't know about #1.

Mush has it right on #2.

Also, order an extra primer shuttle return spring. They stretch and then the shuttle will have hang-ups on each end of the stroke.

[vwynn]

Thanks guys, ill double check my machine and order pieces if needed. Ill create another video, this time ill explain the issues (running it components) when im not sick lol... sucks sounding all congested right now.

[gimpy]

I know this doesn't address your problem, but I made an adaptation that I like better than the usual PVC adaptation. I took a 1/2" conduit union and shortened one end about 1/4" and cut out to go around the shuttle.

[BlueOvalBandit]

Actually I had my case slide thingy (I don't know the technical term) hang up towards the end of the rotation at the top of the push rod stroke. Took it apart and found it was dragging on the surface. I tried a little slide glide on the surface as a quick and dirty, I need to load more now solution, and it cured it. I haven't touched it in over 5000 rounds. YMMV give it a little lube and see if it helps.

[244]

Problem 2: priming system. The priming system worked FLAWLESSLY when i was using it but when my brother took over it started to jam up and sometimes not feed primers. Ide watch the slider move back and forth however sometimes it doesnt drop the primer. If i miss it, ill end up having an unprimed case moving about. I have polished the priming system parts and removed any burrs but the problem still happens every now and then. Mainly near on the 98-100th primer from the pack. I have also adjusted the primer timing rod but the problem still occurs.

I can't speak about the case feeder, but I too have had priming issues with my LnL AP.

You say the slide moves, but it doens't drop the primer onto the primer ram, correct? Does a primer fall into the shuttle, or does it move back and fail to retrieve a primer? If it isn't retrieving a primer, the shuttle isn't moving back far enough. The timing (cam) rod may need to be moved further to the rear to achieve enough movement. The timing (cam) rod may also have become bent, making it impossible to move it far enough to the rear to reliably retrieve a primer.

Does the shuttle move all the way forward with a primer? Sometimes I put just enough forward pressure on the lever when trying to load quickly that the primer ram prevents the shuttle from moving fully forward to present a primer for seating.

I have also had problems with the primer tube backing out of the primer body, allowing primers to flip or turn sideways. When they turn sideways the shuttle becomes stuck and must be cleared.

Make sure your shellplate is clean, tight, and free of any obstructions in the grooves for the case rim. Maybe all your problems are from an obstruction in the groove that isn't letting the case fully seat in the shellplate.

[DerrickJ]

I can echo some of the solutions of the priming system. Keeping it clean is a huge help. Also, remember that the inside of the tube is also a place where things get dirty and hang up. The fiberglass rod is helpful, but something a little heavier may help too.

Good luck. Once it gets dialed in, the LNL does well.

[August]

I use a piece of welding rod as a follower on the primer magazine. Never have problems -- unless a chunk of black powder finds its way down, into the priming system.

[Boxer1]

Keeping the system clean is the Key to it. Make sure the slide is coming back far enough every time to pick up a new primer and don't let any debris in the primer slide area. I keep a can of condensed air to clear specs of media or powder.

[helmetmike]

First thing I would do after you get the press running is to never let your brother use the press ever again. Problem solved.

[SD1]

Case feed issue.

Either your mount plate at bottom has shifted or is bent where cam rod is bolted.

The upper assembly of case drop. (Where it mounts to case feeder arm) there is some room

For movement check that area. I am guessing that is off a good bit when you did your tape job

#2 make sure there is no debris at bottom of primer tube, use some weight on rod, make sure

Primer push rod is tight and make sure no debris in front of primer carrier and where it butts to shell

Plate and moment of priming.

Edited February 16, 2013 by SD1

[toddje]

Keeping the system clean is the Key to it. Make sure the slide is coming back far enough every time to pick up a new primer and don't let any debris in the primer slide area. I keep a can of condensed air to clear specs of media or powder.

I agree with this. I've never had one of those "blue" presses, but I imagine they suffer the same fate if you don't do regular maintenace. I keep a can of air (or an air compressor) close to blow out all the nooks and crannies - ESPECIALLY around the primer shuttle - on a very regular basis. I think that since the nasty, dirty old primer gets punched out downward right before you go to seating the new primer that the press is just ultimately going to be dirty from time to time and nead cleaning.

On the plus side, I've loaded 20+k rounds on my LNL at this point. Every time I've had a problem, the SUPER hepful Hornady folks are always there for me.

[SD1]

Btw

I highly recommend the inlinefabrication.com strong mount kit

And the LED ceiling kit. Best money spent.

[GuyC]

The rod was short on mine also. I took the black holder off and shimmed it down with washers, I had to replace the screw with a longer one.

I also created an extended funnel for the drop tube. My lnl case feeder assembly has a lot to be desired for, but the press is bullet proof.

I think I would trade for the 650 if I had to do it over again.

[SD1]

If you are referring to the case feeder cam wire.

Your alignment is off. Probably the bottom mount plate.

I thought I has that issue also.

Drill out mount holes and mouth plate to 1/2.

Install 1/2 bolts, it eliminates all the margin for error.

[JonF]

for #1, check that the pivot pin for the rotating case drop shuttle isn't torqued on too tight. If you hunker down on this, you can actually cause binding and resistance to smooth rotating, hence the whole assembly torquing up when you raise the ram. Back off on the pivot screw it until it rotates without *any* resistance and see if the problem clears up. If not, check your shuttle actuator plunger height. The rotating shuttle only rotates a certain amount until it hits an internal stop and if the plunger is too tall, It could be trying to over rotate the shuttle and hitting the stop and causing the torquing. Lastly, it looks like your guide wire is set too short. This isn't causing your issue, but its certainly popping out way too early (it should be recessed at least 1/8" and should only pop out with shell plate misalighment resistance when lowering the ram).

For #2, make sure the primer drop tube is properly alighned and timed with the shuttle when the ram is raised. To check the alignment/timing, remove the blast shield and tube, raise the ram and see if the shuttle hole is centered in the drop block bolted to the ram. IF its not, you can loosen the allen screw at the top of the guide wire and slide the guide wire assy back a little bit to push the shuttle more rearward on the upstroke to center it. In fact, its better if it goes past center a little bit to make sure primers always have the largest window to drop in. You can also tweak this a little more with the jamb nut at the bottom of the guide wire.