Questions for LNL AP users

tvick66 · February 28, 2008, 10:57 PM

These questions are for Hornady LNL AP owners. For those that have them, would you recommend the Powder through Expander dies? Do you need a separate Quick Change Powder die for each one?

I am expecting my LNL AP to arrive tomorrow and have read the online manual about twelve times

It indicates the Powder Measure and case activated Power Drop instructions are included separately and I checked out the online manual but it appears to be for the Powder measure only. Once I get into the setup these questions will probably be self-evident but I'm all geeked up right now and can't sleep!

4sarge · February 28, 2008, 11:45 PM

I replaced my dillon 450b with a LNL. The dillon used powder thru expanders and I liked them. When I got the LNL I figured I'd try it before I bought the expanders. What I found was, since the LNL has 5 die stations I just used the expander die that comes with the die set.

I set it like this: 1. Size & Decap, 2. Expand, 3. Powder, 4. Bullet Seat w/o crimp, 5. Lee factory Crimp.

Works good for me.

tvick66 · February 28, 2008, 11:59 PM

Thanks 4Sarge! I'm currently using a Lee 4-hole turret and load three pistol calibers and one rifle. I will eventually migrate the pistol calibers to the LNL but I am going to start with .45. I appreciate the setup information also.

DaveInGA · February 29, 2008, 03:55 PM

I have the Lee 4-hole turret and I have the Hornady LnL progressive. For die sets you already have, you can use the Lee expander die as your expanding die and use the CAPD to drop powder. The Hornady 5-stations allows this.

If you don't have a Lee die set and you're reloading rifle, I would recommend a Hornady die set with the nice guide sleeve seater die.

To be totally honest, I have begun mixing Lee and other brands, depending on which station, to give optimum performance. I really like the Lee Deluxe pistol die sets and rifle sizing dies, but I prefer the Hornady seating dies for rifle, as it gives a bit extra guidance feeding the bullet into the die, thereby making the operation quicker on the progressive.

Dillon sizing dies work well too as well as the Redding seaters. But I've found the Lee and Hornady dies to give the best combination of performance and price on a progressive.

Regards,

Dave

**Shane Tuttle** · February 29, 2008, 09:30 PM

One thing to remember:

Be sure to NOT throw away the box yet. You'll need to cut out the UPC code so you can send it in for your free bullets. It takes a while (still waiting for mine), but it's worth it.

Waldog · March 1, 2008, 01:04 PM

I have the LNL and really like the Powder-thru-expanders. The instructions on how to adjust them are terrible and a lot of confusion exists out there. DAVEinGa really helped me out when learning to adjust them. They work, and work well, they are just kind of nuisance to adjust properly. Once you figure them out they work like a charm and opens up a station on the press for a Powder-check- die or a RCBS Lock-out-die. Either one adds to the safety of progressive loading. Good luck!

tvick66 · March 3, 2008, 10:50 PM

Thanks everyone! I got the press mounted yesterday and the 45 ACP dies setup this evening and everything works!! I appreciate the answers to my posts, I do have the Lee 45-70 rifle dies but I may end up with the Hornady that Dave recommends. Loading 45-70 on the turret is a real workout, I will test them on the LNL and see if that works better. The turret had a lot of play on the upstroke, even after checking bolt snug.

For the taper and crimp dies, I just removed the wire for now, I'm still in awe at the speed so a little manual eject is ok since I am still going slow checking every station after each pull.

For anyone setting up the LNL for the first time, be sure to check the posts if the case retainer spring instructions seem as vague as they did to me.

OneQuikSix · March 6, 2008, 04:27 PM

I too have recently purchased a new LNL progressive setup and was wondering if anyone else is having problems with the extractor wire that strips the completed rounds from the shell plate. Mine seems to dislodge itself from the center of the shell plate which prevents the ram from reaching the maximum height on the upstroke.

Also...I learned the hard way that the supplied powder measure can be as consistent as any measure out there. However, you must completely disassemble the unit and clean/dry the internals with something to remove the rust preventative (as clearly written in the manual). Simply running a few powder charges through an uncleaned unit will not be sufficient to remove the rust preventative.

I was also wondering if anyone else is having trouble with the primer seating station. Every fifth round or so fails to be properly aligned which requires me to manually turn (very slightly) the shell plate either way to correct the alignment.

Overall, I am amazed at the speed of this setup compared to my single-stage RCBS. Also, for anyone shopping for a progressive press, the build quality of the Hornady is comparable to that of a RCBS Rock Chucker single-stage; both are extremely solid presses.

steelrat · March 6, 2008, 04:44 PM

Quote:

I was also wondering if anyone else is having trouble with the primer seating station. Every fifth round or so fails to be properly aligned which requires me to manually turn (very slightly) the shell plate either way to correct the alignment.

I was having the same issue, but found out my problem wasn't with the primer station, it was that the eject wire was rubbing on the shell plate. I put a small bend in it so that it wasn't touching the plate and problem solved.

As far as using a powder through expander, it’s on back order and still waiting for it. When I was loading 9mm, I had the seat/crimp die in the 5th station and to get the proper crimp, I had to turn down the die so that it was sticking out past the the bottom of the frame and on the up stroke, the die would hit the ejector wire. I didn’t notice it at first but it did mess up the end of my die. Hornady replaced the die without question, but they recommended using the powder through expander to be able to put the seat/crimp die in the 4th station. It didn’t seem to be an issue with .38 and .357 sitting in the 5th station because the die didn’t have to be turned down as far.

OneQuikSix · March 7, 2008, 08:40 AM

After another inspection last night I noticed the same to be the case with my press. I switched the seat/crimp die to station #4 and left the last one empty. I also tried to bend my eject wire slightly but it seems like it is still causing some amount of interference with the natural timing of the press. Last night I actually cut an empty test case in half longways at the powder station due to a serious misalignment issue. Once I disengaged the eject wire, things seemed to be better. I guess I'll continue tinkering with things to find what configuration works best for me.

robctwo · March 8, 2008, 01:04 AM

I removed my ejection wire 65,000 to 70,000 rounds ago. I take the finished round out by hand and inset the new empty case at the same time.

February 28, 2008, 10:57 PM	#1
tvick66 Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: B'ham Posts: 23	Questions for LNL AP users These questions are for Hornady LNL AP owners. For those that have them, would you recommend the Powder through Expander dies? Do you need a separate Quick Change Powder die for each one? I am expecting my LNL AP to arrive tomorrow and have read the online manual about twelve times It indicates the Powder Measure and case activated Power Drop instructions are included separately and I checked out the online manual but it appears to be for the Powder measure only. Once I get into the setup these questions will probably be self-evident but I'm all geeked up right now and can't sleep!

February 29, 2008, 09:30 PM	#5
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	One thing to remember: Be sure to NOT throw away the box yet. You'll need to cut out the UPC code so you can send it in for your free bullets. It takes a while (still waiting for mine), but it's worth it. __________________ If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language. Posting and YOU: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

March 1, 2008, 01:04 PM	#6
Waldog Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2007 Location: SOCAL Posts: 359	I have the LNL and really like the Powder-thru-expanders. The instructions on how to adjust them are terrible and a lot of confusion exists out there. DAVEinGa really helped me out when learning to adjust them. They work, and work well, they are just kind of nuisance to adjust properly. Once you figure them out they work like a charm and opens up a station on the press for a Powder-check- die or a RCBS Lock-out-die. Either one adds to the safety of progressive loading. Good luck! __________________ I am the Christian Conservative that CNN warned you about!! “Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy.” Winston Churchill

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February 28, 2008, 11:45 PM	#2
4sarge Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2008 Location: south of Chicago's shadow! Posts: 204	I replaced my dillon 450b with a LNL. The dillon used powder thru expanders and I liked them. When I got the LNL I figured I'd try it before I bought the expanders. What I found was, since the LNL has 5 die stations I just used the expander die that comes with the die set. I set it like this: 1. Size & Decap, 2. Expand, 3. Powder, 4. Bullet Seat w/o crimp, 5. Lee factory Crimp. Works good for me.

February 28, 2008, 11:59 PM	#3
tvick66 Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: B'ham Posts: 23	Thanks 4Sarge! I'm currently using a Lee 4-hole turret and load three pistol calibers and one rifle. I will eventually migrate the pistol calibers to the LNL but I am going to start with .45. I appreciate the setup information also.

February 29, 2008, 03:55 PM	#4
DaveInGA Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2005 Location: Flowery Branch, GA Posts: 132	I have the Lee 4-hole turret and I have the Hornady LnL progressive. For die sets you already have, you can use the Lee expander die as your expanding die and use the CAPD to drop powder. The Hornady 5-stations allows this. If you don't have a Lee die set and you're reloading rifle, I would recommend a Hornady die set with the nice guide sleeve seater die. To be totally honest, I have begun mixing Lee and other brands, depending on which station, to give optimum performance. I really like the Lee Deluxe pistol die sets and rifle sizing dies, but I prefer the Hornady seating dies for rifle, as it gives a bit extra guidance feeding the bullet into the die, thereby making the operation quicker on the progressive. Dillon sizing dies work well too as well as the Redding seaters. But I've found the Lee and Hornady dies to give the best combination of performance and price on a progressive. Regards, Dave

March 3, 2008, 10:50 PM	#7
tvick66 Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: B'ham Posts: 23	Thanks everyone! I got the press mounted yesterday and the 45 ACP dies setup this evening and everything works!! I appreciate the answers to my posts, I do have the Lee 45-70 rifle dies but I may end up with the Hornady that Dave recommends. Loading 45-70 on the turret is a real workout, I will test them on the LNL and see if that works better. The turret had a lot of play on the upstroke, even after checking bolt snug. For the taper and crimp dies, I just removed the wire for now, I'm still in awe at the speed so a little manual eject is ok since I am still going slow checking every station after each pull. For anyone setting up the LNL for the first time, be sure to check the posts if the case retainer spring instructions seem as vague as they did to me.

March 6, 2008, 04:27 PM	#8
OneQuikSix Junior Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 14	I too have recently purchased a new LNL progressive setup and was wondering if anyone else is having problems with the extractor wire that strips the completed rounds from the shell plate. Mine seems to dislodge itself from the center of the shell plate which prevents the ram from reaching the maximum height on the upstroke. Also...I learned the hard way that the supplied powder measure can be as consistent as any measure out there. However, you must completely disassemble the unit and clean/dry the internals with something to remove the rust preventative (as clearly written in the manual). Simply running a few powder charges through an uncleaned unit will not be sufficient to remove the rust preventative. I was also wondering if anyone else is having trouble with the primer seating station. Every fifth round or so fails to be properly aligned which requires me to manually turn (very slightly) the shell plate either way to correct the alignment. Overall, I am amazed at the speed of this setup compared to my single-stage RCBS. Also, for anyone shopping for a progressive press, the build quality of the Hornady is comparable to that of a RCBS Rock Chucker single-stage; both are extremely solid presses.

March 7, 2008, 08:40 AM	#10
OneQuikSix Junior Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 14	After another inspection last night I noticed the same to be the case with my press. I switched the seat/crimp die to station #4 and left the last one empty. I also tried to bend my eject wire slightly but it seems like it is still causing some amount of interference with the natural timing of the press. Last night I actually cut an empty test case in half longways at the powder station due to a serious misalignment issue. Once I disengaged the eject wire, things seemed to be better. I guess I'll continue tinkering with things to find what configuration works best for me.

March 8, 2008, 01:04 AM	#11
robctwo Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2002 Location: Albany, Oregon Posts: 644	I removed my ejection wire 65,000 to 70,000 rounds ago. I take the finished round out by hand and inset the new empty case at the same time.