Hornady LNL Progressive Issues

[dkamps]

24 minutes ago, dannyd said:

The price is also different.   Like comparing F-14 (1050) to F-18 (LNL)  you being in Va. Beach

 

Haha! I'm intimately familiar with one of those... comparing my LNL to a legacy hornet is pretttttty accurate.

[dannyd]

The flight suit gave it away.  I was at the Test Center for the Hornets birth it was an ungly one.  Her first kill was an A-4 Skyhawk chase plane.   I loved F-8's  the last gunfighter.

[FWSixgunner]

I got an LNL 5 years ago, my first progressive.

Had I known what a PITA it would be, I would’ve bought a turret and been more productive.

Before buying, I read tons of online reviews and rejected the Lee when I saw posts about how much people had to screw with it to get it to work. I wanted a progressive to load volumes of ammo fast, so something you had to modify and fiddle with was not acceptable. Dillon fans seemed too fanatical to believe.

I have to screw with the Lnl constantly, a LOT more than what should be normal maintenance on a $500 reloading tool.

I wanted to get serious about production so I was thinking about a case feeder. But after picking primers off the floor again last night, decided that’s wings on a pig.

Now a 650 is on my Christmas list.

[MemphisMechanic]

@FWSixgunner you will not regret anything about the 650... except for not buying one sooner.

[dannyd]

19 minutes ago, FWSixgunner said:

I got an LNL 5 years ago, my first progressive.

Had I known what a PITA it would be, I would’ve bought a turret and been more productive.

Before buying, I read tons of online reviews and rejected the Lee when I saw posts about how much people had to screw with it to get it to work. I wanted a progressive to load volumes of ammo fast, so something you had to modify and fiddle with was not acceptable. Dillon fans seemed too fanatical to believe.

I have to screw with the Lnl constantly, a LOT more than what should be normal maintenance on a $500 reloading tool.

I wanted to get serious about production so I was thinking about a case feeder. But after picking primers off the floor again last night, decided that’s wings on a pig.

Now a 650 is on my Christmas list.

If your not a mechanic the LNL is a challenge the last I had to adjust mine was about 50,000 rounds ago.   

[xrayfk05]

2 hours ago, FWSixgunner said:

But after picking primers off the floor again last night, decided that’s wings on a pig.
 

 

I don't see how you can spill primers on the floor and blame it on the press?

 

I have both and it's not like the 650 is perfect, it's got its (minor) annoyances as well.

[FWSixgunner]

22 hours ago, xrayfk05 said:

 

I don't see how you can spill primers on the floor and blame it on the press?

 

I have both and it's not like the 650 is perfect, it's got its (minor) annoyances as well.

When you have to remove the primer tube housing because it's full of primers jamming the carrier, that's how. 

 

I've actually gotten pretty good at it.  I take the cardboard from a primer box and slip it under the housing as I slowly lift it up.  Sometimes I pull it off with no spillage.  Know a better way?

 

Yes, it's setup for the right primers. I've beveled/deburred the cup and edges of the carrier, there's a 300-grain bullet glued to the top of the feed rod.

 

The OP mentioned he'd like to get 2,000-3,000 rounds without issue.  I'd be happy to get 200-300.  

 

A couple more things to try and I'm done with it.

[FWSixgunner]

Well, polishing up the primer slide and adjacent bearing surfaces just like I would an S&W revolver seems to have cured it for now.

Never thought I’d have to do an action job on a reloaded.

[dannyd]

22 minutes ago, FWSixgunner said:

Well, polishing up the primer slide and adjacent bearing surfaces just like I would an S&W revolver seems to have cured it for now.

Never thought I’d have to do an action job on a reloaded.

If you polish all the surfaces it will run better and you will have less problems.

[mveto]

When I had the LNL I had nothing but problems with it, mine all stemmed from the case feeder, for some reason after about 50 rounds it would stop indexing correctly. I never once got through a reloading session without an issue. Mine came from Hornady without the spent primer tube installed. Had to call and have them send one. Tried adjusting pawl after pawl and I could never get it to index properly while the case feeder was on. Best decision I ever made was selling the LNL anc buying a 650. I’ve ran 15k rounds through the Dillon and replaced warnnosrts when needed and it just works.

[dannyd]

12 minutes ago, mveto said:

When I had the LNL I had nothing but problems with it, mine all stemmed from the case feeder, for some reason after about 50 rounds it would stop indexing correctly. I never once got through a reloading session without an issue. Mine came from Hornady without the spent primer tube installed. Had to call and have them send one. Tried adjusting pawl after pawl and I could never get it to index properly while the case feeder was on. Best decision I ever made was selling the LNL anc buying a 650. I’ve ran 15k rounds through the Dillon and replaced warnnosrts when needed and it just works.

To some people the LNL is like the Browns

[mveto]

20 hours ago, dannyd said:

To some people the LNL is like the Browns

Yup, you either love them or hate them.

[MAC10]

hi, i have two progressive loaders a 650 & a new LNL. I love my 650 but there was room on the bench for another

and i just wanted to try the LNL. so far i have not had any problems ( just doing 45acp right now). only thing i dont like

is the primer seating bug-a-boo.  flush does not cut it for me. called tech from Hor. said flush is fine no need to go deeper.

the tech was really defiant when i probed him on how every reloading manual tell you to seat primers just below flush or

right to the bottom of pocket. the conversation went no further as he was no help and did not seem like he wanted to.

 

(i assume because they have had thousands of calls over the yrs. about this problem) from reading diff. forum posts, this was a

big issue for users. and it is for me too!

 

just wanted to know if someone has solved this? i asked on the ar15 forum and i got a timing fix but the timing is perfect, i`ve been

over it & over it and thats not the issue. the primer punch needs to be a tad longer. it would seem that Hornady knew of this and because

of possible lawsuits due to people trying to seat primers to the point of a poss. explosion, that they purposely made it this way as to

keep this from happening because of some brands are sensitive.

 

appreciate any help w/ this subject OTHER than the timing is off.

 

thanks !

[T-Free]

Mac10, to solve the issue I filed down the nut on the side with the threads so it will screw up in farther. This will allow the seater plug go up farther seating the primers deeper. I'm trying to attack a picture but not having much luck.

[T-Free]

I had to crop the picture and got the upload to work. This is the side I filed down.

[MAC10]

i read this before. but how did you keep all 6 sides even? what tool/ tools did you use?

just a small hobby file? be interested to learn how you kept all sides even w/o taking to a machinist.

[Kenstone]

On ‎9‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 12:18 PM, MAC10 said:

hi, i have two progressive loaders a 650 & a new LNL. I love my 650 but there was room on the bench for another

and i just wanted to try the LNL. so far i have not had any problems ( just doing 45acp right now). only thing i dont like

is the primer seating bug-a-boo.  flush does not cut it for me. called tech from Hor. said flush is fine no need to go deeper.

the tech was really defiant when i probed him on how every reloading manual tell you to seat primers just below flush or

right to the bottom of pocket. the conversation went no further as he was no help and did not seem like he wanted to.

 

(i assume because they have had thousands of calls over the yrs. about this problem) from reading diff. forum posts, this was a

big issue for users. and it is for me too!

 

just wanted to know if someone has solved this? i asked on the ar15 forum and i got a timing fix but the timing is perfect, i`ve been

over it & over it and thats not the issue. the primer punch needs to be a tad longer. it would seem that Hornady knew of this and because

of possible lawsuits due to people trying to seat primers to the point of a poss. explosion, that they purposely made it this way as to

keep this from happening because of some brands are sensitive.

 

appreciate any help w/ this subject OTHER than the timing is off.

 

thanks !

Take out the seater assembly from under the shell plate, take it apart and shorten the hex part of the outer sleeve by .010".

That's the part that bottoms on the press frame, limiting the up travel of the primer punch.

… Or you could double face tape something to the frame where the primer punch hits it.

Like this guy did:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjMZli08u3M

 

I would advise you NOT to file/shorten the hex on the threaded end at the shoulder as suggested by T-Free, as that will result in the assembly sticking above the shell sub-plate and tying up the primer slide.

 

Edited September 25, 2018 by Kenstone

[T-Free]

I just used a small hobby file and went to work. The one pictured is a brand new and I haven't filed it yet. It will not come out perfect and doesn't need to be. Just kinda get a pattern going and do your best. The nut is a hexagon so start on side #1 and file 5-10 strokes, rotate to side #2, 5-10 strokes, side 3 ect.... and just keep repeating. Make sure to measure with a caliper before you start so you know how much you have removed.

[MAC10]

thanks pal, gonna try it tonight. i`ll post my results later.

[T-Free]

I have plenty of clrearance on mine after the mod but If you remove to much material it will hang up on the prime slide. But if you've gone that far you will probably be denting primers.

Edited September 24, 2018 by T-Free
Mistyped

[Kenstone]

On ‎9‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 2:08 PM, MAC10 said:

thanks pal, gonna try it tonight. i`ll post my results later.

Don't do this

here's why

https://forums.brianenos.com/?app=core&module=system&controller=content&do=find&content_class=forums_Topic&content_id=262616&content_commentid=2964073

Carefully chuck the threaded end in a drill, spin it, and file off about .010" from the open end of the hex portion, not the shoulder of the threaded end!

 

Edited September 25, 2018 by Kenstone

[MAC10]

im gonna try filing first. i bought 3 extra of ea. the small & lg. seaters. so if i mess one up...i`ll still be gtg.

i`m a hobby guy( built my own rc planes & heli`s) im used to using small tools and such to mod and build.

i`ll take my time and measure & fit constantly. it will be good! if not, i`ll go the other way.

 

[MAC10]

results...

i tried filing worked fairly decent but still was not much better than w/o. if i would have filed any more, slide would

not have functioned properly as was said above. so what i did was to super-glue a spent small pistol primer on the frame

where the punch makes contact with frame. i used the firing pin dent like a centering punch to line it up.

 

still not like using a hand prime device or work like my dillon press to seat at bottom of primer pocket but

much better than it was. but now is noticeably below flush, where Hornady should have manufactured it!!!

[Kenstone]

50 minutes ago, MAC10 said:

results...

i tried filing worked fairly decent but still was not much better than w/o. if i would have filed any more, slide would

not have functioned properly as was said above. so what i did was to super-glue a spent small pistol primer on the frame

where the punch makes contact with frame. i used the firing pin dent like a centering punch to line it up.

 

still not like using a hand prime device or work like my dillon press to seat at bottom of primer pocket but

much better than it was. but now is noticeably below flush, where Hornady should have manufactured it!!!

Thanks for posting your results and a glued primer onto the frame like in the video I posted, worked.

Sounds like you filed the wrong end of that part though...

 

[T-Free]

Kenstone- I initially wanted to do it that way but when you push it up "seating the primer" it is flush with the bottom of the nut and will not go up any farther. So filing that end would not resolve anything because it physically can't go any farther up. If the dimple on the press is covered with a washer and you have a flat surface I don't know how it would imorove anything. Have you filed the non threaded side before or just heard about it? I have a spare one I can experiment with.