Should I try a different sizing die?

[rajbcpa]

.40s/w - Hornady carbide die.

In my progressive L-N-L press the cases don't want to align/enter the die in Station #1 and I need to use my fingers to align the cases before they enter the die.

I stretched out the shell holder spring and this did help some but I am not having this problem with different calipers. I beleive my press indexing is fairly close but, on .40 and other calipers, I still need to rock the ram arm a tad on occasion to get a primer seated.

Do the Lee sizing dies in .40 have a different taper at the mouth than Hornady carbide dies and would the Lee die allow the cases to enter the die more easily?

L-N-L progressive press is new and I have used only SS press to date so my experience with a progressive press is minimal. I am running the press one case at a time through each of 4 stations.

How do I tell if the need to rock the ram arm to seat a primer is (i) an indexing issue, or (ii) a primer shuttle alignment issue?

[David Bachelder]

I think you mean caliber not caliper. Two entirely different things.

[zxcvbob]

I just had an idea; it won't cost you anything try it. With the ram all the way up and a case in the sizing die, loosen the lock ring and retighten it. Give the die a chance to center itself on the case.

[F. Guffey]

"L-N-L progressive press is new and I have used only SS press to date so my experience with a progressive press is minimal. I am running the press one case at a time through each of 4 stations.

How do I tell if the need to rock the ram arm to seat a primer is (i) an indexing issue, or (ii) a primer shuttle alignment issue?"



If you have belled the cases you are attempting to run through your progressive press expect a problem getting them to align with the sizer die.

F. Guffey

[rajbcpa]

...the brass is once fired and each case has a spent primer. the cases are not excessively dirty and they have not been belled/expanded...

[FrankenMauser]

Do the Lee sizing dies in .40 have a different taper at the mouth than Hornady carbide dies and would the Lee die allow the cases to enter the die more easily?

Lee dies are no better, as far as the chamfer/fillet at the mouth of the die.
Some RCBS dies do have a wider mouth, but the chamfer is a shallower angle. So, it doesn't help much. (And, I don't know about .40 S&W.)

Dillon dies are substantially better, but I don't know how well they work on the LNL AP.



If you're having problems with case alignment and primer seating, I would take a close look at indexing. I don't have much experience on the LNL AP, so I can't be more specific.

[dunerjeff]

Just for S&Giggles, take all your dies out and put your sizer in any of the other stations.Run some brass through with only the sizer in the press, and fill the whole shellplate with cases. You will then know if it is station 1 or the die that seems to be causing all of your alignment issues.

PS: take out your depriming stem so it isn't trying to deprime without a place for the old one to go.

[PA-Joe]

There was a recent thread that said the case retaining spring may be too tight. They streched it a little and then the cases fed better.

[rajbcpa]

Stretching the shell plate spring did help .40 but did not eliminate the problem. In 380, no issue...

[SonOfGun]

Call Hornady. They do have a working phone number and customer service.

[rajbcpa]

done that...... Hornady Customer Service beleives I have an L-N-L press indexing issue but this problem does not occur with other calipers/dies so I doubt that is the problem.

[noylj]

When you set up the dies, screw the sizing down until it just touches the shell plate. Put a case in the shell plate and raise the ram. If need be, help the case enter the die. With the ram all the way up and a case in the die, tighten the lock ring. This aligns the die with the case position.
I have NEVER had a need to "loosen" the spring that holds the cases in the shell plate.
Problems priming are usually related to: primer pocket containing residual white powder (this is very seldom a problem and comes out if you deprime prior to case cleaning) or primer pockets of the wrong dimension (not common except with military brass--try a primer pocket de-swager or primer pocket "uniformer") or the primer seating stem is not fully tightened in the press base plate or operator error NOT bringing the ram all the way down. You can feel the primer being seated and you should be able to feel the primer not being seated properly.
Hornady has GREAT customer service and calling has always worked for me with all the various reloading companies.

[rajbcpa]

Thanks.

This sounds like good advice and I will check these potential problem areas out with the .40 equipmemt (dies, shell plate, cases, etc.) ASAP.

I was using the press this morning with a different non-40 case/dies/shellplate. The "new" cases entered the resizing die (RCBS) and all other dies without issue.

Does this mean the progressive press has been indexed properly? I'm kinda confused about which indexing pawl does what and when to adjust them or when to leave them alone. I've busted 3 pawls and now I am very careful now about ram arm movement and stopping before anything jams the press. I don't have lots of confidence in the press and I am loading one case through all 4 stations one at a time until I can get it to run correctly.

I'm making progress but it is slow. So far, getting the press running has been a much bigger challenge than I thought it might be.

[dunerjeff]

I think I said this but for timing< when the ram is down(normal relaxed position) is the shellplate sitting in the indents? If yes ,it is correct.
Now raise the ram, your shellplate will index, does it rotate and then stop with the shellplate dropped in the detent(they are those dimples underneith,the ball in the shellplate drops in them)? If yes then it is timed.When you move the ram it should be deliberate and at a steady speed,if you just creep along it messes up the timing and that is why you sometimes will have to jiggle it to get it to drop in the detents.
If your shellplate doesn't drop in, the timing is off. Now go try it and tell us what it does.

Don't put any cases in, lets get the timing sttled once and for all.

[Nathan]

Let me know what they do for you. WE ALL HAVE this issue! The 40 shell plate and the brass thickness I have seem to encourage this tilting condition. I think the cause is that the shellplates are too high. I thinking machining something off the bottom is the solution, but how to get that done for free. For now, I flick. I have read posts written by other flickers. I'm so good at flicking that really it is all in how I operate the press handle and I only have to flick like 1 in 10!

[dunerjeff]

In 9mm the shellplate doesn't always work, certain brands get "hung" by the extractor groove.It is because of the differences from mfg to mfg. I use the #10 plate for those. When you have the cases in the slot, you can look under it to see if there is any space between the casehead and the ram baseplate. I haven't seen that in .40 though. The plates are hardend, otherwise I was going to take my #8(9mm/.38) to work and machine a few thou bigger opening so it would work better.
I would be interested if your .40 cal is actually doing that.