Hornady LNL AP - Powder Jump Fix

[two shoes]

I was all set to purchase the O-ring then read about slightly resessing both detents on the shell plate. I did that and now have zero issues with powder jumping. I may visit the o-ring later on, but for now, I am loving the LnL AP!

[vince]

On 4/25/2020 at 2:42 AM, two shoes said:

I was all set to purchase the O-ring then read about slightly resessing both detents on the shell plate. I did that and now have zero issues with powder jumping. I may visit the o-ring later on, but for now, I am loving the LnL AP!

 

Care to share your exact method in how you accomplished that task?

For some people that have MANY shell plates, the oring is the easier way to go.

Edited April 29, 2020 by vince

[two shoes]

14 hours ago, vince said:

 

Care to share your exact method in how you accomplished that task?

For some people that have MANY shell plates, the oring is the easier way to go.

 

Of course!

 

Keep in mind, this worked great for me, your mileage may vary... One side benefit is that the cases come off of the ezject a lot easier, in fact I'd say 1 in 100 want to hang a little where prior, it was 12-15.

 

I had the o-rings in my cart on McMaster-Carr, but decided to give this a try.

 

So the instructions do not illustrate the actual adjustment for this. It mentions ensuring that the detent body is not below flush (extending down)

 

With mine flush from the factory, when the shell plate advanced, it was very aggressive causing the powder fling. I recessed the detent body just 0.010" to 0.015" up, from the bottom of the shell plate. The ball(s) still hit the dimples, just with not enough force to throw powder out of my pistol cases. I did both detents on the plate.

See pics:

 

 

From factory:

 

Punch it down just a little

 

an "inth"

 

TADA! No powder fling!

Edited April 30, 2020 by two shoes

[vince]

14 minutes ago, two shoes said:

 

Of course!

 

Keep in mind, this worked great for me, your mileage may vary... One side benefit is that the cases come off of the ezject a lot easier, in fact I'd say 1 in 100 want to hang a little where prior, it was 12-15.

 

I had the o-rings in my cart on McMaster-Carr, but decided to give this a try.

 

So the instructions do not illustrate the actual adjustment for this. It mentions ensuring that the detent body is not below flush (extending down)

 

With mine flush from the factory, when the shell plate advanced, it was very aggressive causing the powder fling. I recessed the detent body just 0.010" to 0.015" up, from the bottom of the shell plate. The ball(s) still hit the dimples, just with not enough force to throw powder out of my pistol cases. I did both detents on the plate.

See pics:

 

 

From factory:

 

Punch it down just a little

 

an "inth"

 

TADA! No powder fling!

 

Thank you for the detailed post. Yup, tried this on a few presses, didnt work out. Though certainly worth trying it before buying anything. The biggest issue i`ve seen, is the inconsistencies of hornady`s manufacturing. The tolerances are all over the place. Thats pretty much a given with any press, brand and color dosent matter. Most $zero to $1,000 presses are mass produced. When they make reloading presses, they are flying out the door faster than chickens lay eggs. There will always be little issues with them here and there. Luckily, there are some pretty smart reloaders out there that cant fix them and make them run really well.  I`m happy that you found a solution that works, for you. As in you said, and i totally agree, everybody`s mileage will vary. That is 100% true! This fix of yours works for you, the orings worked out better for me. Tweaking the shell plate is always my first attempt. If that dosent work, it gets an oring. Will the shell plate tweak and/or oring fix every LNL AP out there, nope. Seen a couple along the way that anything that was tried, eventually went back to hornady and got replaced.

[two shoes]

13 minutes ago, vince said:

 

Thank you for the detailed post. Yup, tried this on a few presses, didnt work out. Though certainly worth trying it before buying anything. The biggest issue i`ve seen, is the inconsistencies of hornady`s manufacturing. The tolerances are all over the place. Thats pretty much a given with any press, brand and color dosent matter. Most $zero to $1,000 presses are mass produced. When they make reloading presses, they are flying out the door faster than chickens lay eggs. There will always be little issues with them here and there. Luckily, there are some pretty smart reloaders out there that cant fix them and make them run really well.  I`m happy that you found a solution that works, for you. As in you said, and i totally agree, everybody`s mileage will vary. That is 100% true! This fix of yours works for you, the orings worked out better for me. Tweaking the shell plate is always my first attempt. If that dosent work, it gets an oring. Will the shell plate tweak and/or oring fix every LNL AP out there, nope. Seen a couple along the way that anything that was tried, eventually went back to hornady and got replaced.

I plan on purchasing o-rings to have on hand as a J-I-C. I'll know more when I go back to reloading .40 S&W... I struggled with that caliber a bit, but it was my first go at reloading as well. Always a learning opportunity.

[vince]

1 minute ago, two shoes said:

I plan on purchasing o-rings to have on hand as a J-I-C. I'll know more when I go back to reloading .40 S&W... I struggled with that caliber a bit, but it was my first go at reloading as well. Always a learning opportunity.

 

Absolutely my friend. I`ve been reloading for MANY more decades than i care to talk about, so i`m more than happy to share information and also learn from others too!

I always say, i might be really old, but i`m never to old to learn something new. Thats what makes this so much fun. I love to see what others find and come up with.  

[JasonTrewin]

Question:  Rings do fit, i put them in grove, work the shell plate manually.   It works for about 5 to so rotation but then works its way out the groove.   I didn’t use any lube, which i suspect is my issue.  Advice would be appreciate, since the metal rings really do suck.]

 

Rings used: 69 mm ID, 74 mm OD, 2.5 mm Width

Edited June 27, 2020 by JasonTrewin

[WaltK]

I used the O ring lubricated with lanolin and adjusted the small detent balls (.015 high from the bottom of the shell plate)  and it worked like a charm.

[Reeferman]

I use a little Hornady Unique case lube and works very well. 

[dtuns]

Got O ring other day man wish I did this sooner. Works great.

[McHaggis]

I tried the detent trick and it worked ok. Still wasn’t great and I found that there was a bit of play in the shell plate once I got the detent to where the powder didn’t jump out all the time.

Finally found some o-rings and they are way better.  Knocked the detects back in so all slop was removed and the o ring even hold the cases better.  I was having the odd priming issue which is now resolved. 

This is a very good mod even if you don’t suffer from powder jump.  Very pleased with the results. Thanks for posting this Vince. 

[sandflea316]

Just did it as well.  Works great since I load 9mm major.

[jtaylor996]

I'm everything in here and striking out. I tried the oring, but now my 9mm cases tip on the way into the shell plate. So I went back to the spring. Then I had powder spill. So I recessed the balls, and then it wouldn't spill powder, but it also wouldn't index correctly for the priming station.

 

I guess I'll keep playing with the balls. I haven't measured, but I'll aim for .010" - 0.15", but I'm pretty sure I iterated through that range yesterday.

 

There is some play in the shell plate. It can tip a bit up and down when fully screwed in. Is that normal for everyone?

[Abominator]

7 hours ago, jtaylor996 said:

I'm everything in here and striking out. I tried the oring, but now my 9mm cases tip on the way into the shell plate. So I went back to the spring. Then I had powder spill. So I recessed the balls, and then it wouldn't spill powder, but it also wouldn't index correctly for the priming station.

 

I guess I'll keep playing with the balls. I haven't measured, but I'll aim for .010" - 0.15", but I'm pretty sure I iterated through that range yesterday.

 

There is some play in the shell plate. It can tip a bit up and down when fully screwed in. Is that normal for everyone?

You may have to adjust the pawls when going from oring to spring or the other way. 

[jtaylor996]

45 minutes ago, Abominator said:

You may have to adjust the pawls when going from oring to spring or the other way. 

Ugh, I've been avoiding that since I got the press new. I adjusted the balls again today to use the spring and ran a few hundred more rounds. My press just sucks for 9mm. Lots of stoppages, but only about every 30 rds or so I'd have an index issue on the primer seating station.

 

I ran some 40 afterwards, and it's like a different press, but still the indexing issue, but not quite as bad.

[McHaggis]

Or this could work?  Thingieverse   https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4070560

 

I did use the o-ring with lanolin and that works a treat.

This could be a viable option and selecting the right spring could tune it nicely. Just another option to try. 

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by McHaggis

[McHaggis]

On 9/21/2020 at 3:50 AM, jtaylor996 said:

I'm everything in here and striking out. I tried the oring, but now my 9mm cases tip on the way into the shell plate. So I went back to the spring. Then I had powder spill. So I recessed the balls, and then it wouldn't spill powder, but it also wouldn't index correctly for the priming station.

 

I guess I'll keep playing with the balls. I haven't measured, but I'll aim for .010" - 0.15", but I'm pretty sure I iterated through that range yesterday.

 

There is some play in the shell plate. It can tip a bit up and down when fully screwed in. Is that normal for everyone?

Shouldn't tilt.  I'll check mine when I'm home but if yours is the hub may have worn in the sub plate?  Not ideal.

 

I just  checked mine and the shellplate is firm with no noticeable tilting at all. 

Edited September 22, 2020 by McHaggis

[Abominator]

On 9/20/2020 at 7:43 PM, jtaylor996 said:

Ugh, I've been avoiding that since I got the press new. I adjusted the balls again today to use the spring and ran a few hundred more rounds. My press just sucks for 9mm. Lots of stoppages, but only about every 30 rds or so I'd have an index issue on the primer seating station.

 

I ran some 40 afterwards, and it's like a different press, but still the indexing issue, but not quite as bad.

If it is indexing issues I would have to think there may still be some adjusting needed on the pawls. Do you know when it is getting hung up? is it the same each time? When I 1st got my press  I think the 1st 1k rounds (several sessions) I would always have issues. I think I would chalk up my adjustments to good enough, not good. 

[Tunachaser]

On 9/26/2020 at 12:53 PM, Abominator said:

If it is indexing issues I would have to think there may still be some adjusting needed on the pawls. Do you know when it is getting hung up? is it the same each time? When I 1st got my press  I think the 1st 1k rounds (several sessions) I would always have issues. I think I would chalk up my adjustments to good enough, not good. 

All of my issues went away when I got the pawls adjusted correctly, including powder jump.  It takes a little patience but well worth it.

[jtaylor996]

Bragging Rights Reloading now has a pawl alignment tool kit. This is a die and 2 slugs to fit the 9mm plate for the upward pawl, and then a 3d printed thing to align the bottom pawl with the primer slide.

 

Mine was off just a bit on the top, maybe a hair on the bottom of the stroke. On the bottom stroke it seems it depends on which slot on the shell plate... so maybe either of my plates (I have 2 #8) is not symmetrical or maybe the pawl gear isn't?

 

I used them, but hornady's got my case feeder so I don't know how much of a difference it's made yet.

 

If this doesn't do it  I may try the 3d printed brake above. Then I could push the detents out which indexes priming better, and then count on the brake to prevent spillage.

[Sig]

I've been running my first LNL AP for about 10 years & have been very happy(I thought).  I read about this & said what the heck as I do get a minor amount of powder spillage.  I ordered 10 of these on Feebay for $3.10 shipped from China.  I really didn't care if it took 2 months to get her but to my surprise I received them in a week.

 

I installed one lightly coated with lanolin as per the OP's instructions.  I found the rotation much smoother.  I did however notice the shell plate had more drag & didn't quite index far enough on the downstroke.  I turned the left side pawl out a tiny bit at a time until the alignment was perfect.  I then drove the detents in a touch(I had backed the detents out previously to mitigate powder spillage).  I have since runoff about 800 rounds of 40 S&W with next to no powder spillage.

 

I'd like to thank the OP for sharing this.

 

I found the O rings here:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ø2-5mm-Cross-Section-Black-Nitrile-Rubber-NBR-O-Ring-Gasket-Oil-Sealing-Washers/174310594026?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=473408395736&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

I'm new here & I know some sites prohibit Ebay links.  If that's the case, Mods please remove the link. 

 

 

 

[Todd914]

I know this is an old post but I had to comment. Just got a 25 pack of O rings and Lanolin oil. My press is now running smooth as butter. Thanks for sharing Vince,Very helpful!

[Speedwagon]

Yes, I've been running this modification for a while now and it makes a big difference. Only thing is you do need to relube the o-ring with lanolin or some other type of heavy lube occasionally.