bessy Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Hey guys, I'm not sure if this has been posted here before but I figure I might as well share an experiment. Recently I've noticed that with 9mm, some powder was spilling out between stations. I've also been shooting some revo, and I've had to hand seat primers below flush to get reliable ignition. I came across this shim fix for the LNL. I tried it out and it solved my issues. By shimming the the bearing surface between the drive hub, and subplate assembly i was able to get less snappy indexing, and my primers are now seating below flush. Here is the fix in detail... http://www.ar15.com/mobile/topic.html?b=6&f=42&t=414607&page=1 Let me know what you guys think.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyTheDog Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Makes sense and should work. That's not one of the problems I had so I can't say based on experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noylj Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 Can you show the shims and exactly where they go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueOvalBandit Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 (edited) Can you show the shims and exactly where they go? Generic Shim Picture Basically same thing in different size/thickness The attached is where they go. Right around that hub. Edited September 14, 2014 by BlueOvalBandit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
presadad Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 The shimming works. I did this to my press a few months ago and have been very happy with the results. No more powder shaking out of 9mm and .223. Also, it helped a lot with case lean on station 5 when loading .223. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soflarick Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 Perhaps I got "lucky" or Hornady is aware of the issue, as I checked the clearance between the shell plate and base. I was already at .003 clearance. Tried a .0015 shim just to see if it'd help, and all it did was cause binding. I think .003 clearance is about as good as it gets. Another tip I read was to take some tension off the balls in the shell plates to reduce the "snap". I still had to tweak the v-blocks to get the cases pushed into the shell plates straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mush from PA. Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 What kind of grease (on the balls under the shell plate) did you use? More grease did not help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noylj Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 I found on my Hornady presses that simply tightening down the shell plate cured my problem. Next would be a timing check. For a grease, I found that marine propeller grease worked well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkvibe Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Couldn't you shim under the primer punch where it contacts the cast body of the press to fix high primers? Not that it would help with the powder spilling issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gianmarko Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 i had a lot of powder spillage at indexing. some thick grease cured the problem totally. also the bullets feeding improved a lot and bullets didnt fall off the case at indexing. but grease needs to be reapplied regularly and the back of the cases gets a little greased up looks like thos shims might be a good solution. another would be to fit a sort of "brake", but that would require machining the press piston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leas327 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Take a dremel tool and put a small bevel on the holes the ball bearings drop into. Only do it on the one side. The two bearings are across from each other so the will still locate properly. Kinda like how a revolver has chamfers on one side of the cylinder notches. I will take a pic of mine when I get a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leas327 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I made a quick video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonman16 Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 leas327, If you tighten the lockwasher that way you risk cracking the shellplate. Also you have not learned how to correctly install the spring. Google for "HORNADY LNL-AP PRESS SET UP HINTS AND TRICKS". A complete video series on the press by 76highboy The complete series is available at thefirearmsforum also in the reloading forum. The viseo series is great to watch and learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leas327 Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Dude, I was doing it with one hand holding my phone to make video to show a sub plate mod. I know how the spring goes on but am not going to dick around with it and waste a bunch of time for a video that was just supposed to show how the shell plate doesn't snap anymore. Same goes for the shell plate tightening. I know how to do it, but just did the easiest and fastest way to do it one handed. If you tighten a shell plate down that way and crack it...you are doing it wrong. Use a lock washer on top and you can tighten it snug and not have to wrench it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gianmarko Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Hi Leas327, thats an excellent idea. thanks for the video Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soflarick Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 leas327, If you tighten the lockwasher that way you risk cracking the shellplate. Also you have not learned how to correctly install the spring. Google for "HORNADY LNL-AP PRESS SET UP HINTS AND TRICKS". A complete video series on the press by 76highboy The complete series is available at thefirearmsforum also in the reloading forum. The viseo series is great to watch and learn. You see him doing everything with one hand? He even went as far as just snug on the plate bolt....doing it with one hand while holding his camera. Seems like an interesting tweak. I've read about people using a soft head hammer to press the balls into the plates to take out some of the spring tension. I've got about .003" clearance on the plate. The thinnest shim in the pack caused slight binding, so I removed it. Perhaps just polishing the detent holes on the plate to create a soft radius would reduce the snap effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bessy Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 leas327, If you tighten the lockwasher that way you risk cracking the shellplate. Also you have not learned how to correctly install the spring. Google for "HORNADY LNL-AP PRESS SET UP HINTS AND TRICKS". A complete video series on the press by 76highboy The complete series is available at thefirearmsforum also in the reloading forum. The viseo series is great to watch and learn. You are not going crack the sellplate tightening it that way... Adding a lock washer doesn't change the way tighten the shell plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbadoc Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 leas327 - great idea. Thanks ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonF Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I too have the spillage, especially when loading 9mm with more volumous case charges. After laborious measurement with calipers (its not easy to take the measurements one needs to get a baseline for the necessary shim stack) I ended up added .0035" of shims after some trial and error from .002 - .005" worth. It definitely needs to be spot on to make a difference as too little shim will do nothing and too much will bind up your press and risk snapping the drive pawls. For example for my press, .002 didnt help at all and .005 was way too tight. After shimming, its also necessary to fine tune your drive pawls to get the timing just right since they will no longer snap into the detents to auto center (a good thing actually). Also, it seems there are 2 variations of Sub-Plate out there, one with a flat bottom and one with a stepped bottom. The whole ARfCom FAQ is based on the flat bottom subplate and the measurements needed to deal with the stepped bottom are going to be more difficult to take. You may need to remove the subplate entirely if you cannot get a good, accurate depth measurement. Further, you will need to TRIM your shims for a smaller OD measurement to fit under the stepped subplate--something they don't include in thier FAQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oteroman Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I did the shimming and it got be .003" below flush with my Federal primers. I have just barely a bit of drag I will most likely reduce my shim by .0005 or maybe .001 For my testing/experimenting I wanted to remove the most slop. I bought a S&W929 revo and plan on installing an Apex Tactical extended firing pin. They state you need to seat Federal primers .007"-.010" below flush. The next step I did was to take my primer seater out of the press and chuck it in a drill and use a hand file and trim off a few thousands of an inch so when I screw it in my press it just touches the primer sled. Now my primers are .007-.008" below flush. FWIW-Adding a dime to the base of the press does nothing basically. the limiting factor when you do that is once that piston travels up and bottoms out on that e-ring attached to the piston it will not go higher into the primer pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soflarick Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I did the shimming and it got be .003" below flush with my Federal primers. I have just barely a bit of drag I will most likely reduce my shim by .0005 or maybe .001 For my testing/experimenting I wanted to remove the most slop. I bought a S&W929 revo and plan on installing an Apex Tactical extended firing pin. They state you need to seat Federal primers .007"-.010" below flush. The next step I did was to take my primer seater out of the press and chuck it in a drill and use a hand file and trim off a few thousands of an inch so when I screw it in my press it just touches the primer sled. Now my primers are .007-.008" below flush. FWIW-Adding a dime to the base of the press does nothing basically. the limiting factor when you do that is once that piston travels up and bottoms out on that e-ring attached to the piston it will not go higher into the primer pocket. Where are you removing material from the primer seater? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oteroman Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I tried to upload a picture, I have done it way in the past but no luck tonight....sorry. The flat part of the unit that is 90 degrees to the threads. The part of the primer seated that bottoms out when you screw it in. I had a HARD time getting this unit chucked up im a Dewalt drill but finally got it. Rad the drill on high and took a file and GENTLY trimmed off a few thousands of an inch. I bought a spare to do this to just incase. I got lucky my first try it was perfect for me. If Hornady would offer this unit with an extended lenght piston for the Small and Large primer as an OPTION for people that need to seat primers deeper (some competion shooters that want to utilize extended firing pins) I think they could SELL MORE PRESSES. (I know the Dillion 1050 has an adjustment for primer depth) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oteroman Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester121 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Curious when these LnLs were produced, if anyone knows? My early 2012 model consistently seats all primers (Win Lg & Sm, Remington Sm, Fed Lg) between .003-.005 deep on pretty much any brass, and I'm not one for shoving the handle home too hard. I've never had a bit of trouble with primers not seating deep enough, so I wonder if a batch of parts was just out of spec (or they changed the spec)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonF Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 My press is from 2010 and i have no issues with seating primers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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