My first loadings on Hornady LnL

grisbald · September 22, 2013, 01:38 PM

Yesterday I used my new press for the first time, loaded 200 9mm. Was impressed on how smooth everything went. As a first time user of a progressive it was a little tough keeping up with everything so I didn't miss the primer, or forget to seat a bullet, etc. Very happy with the press.

Now my question. The primer stick to pick up primers. The last primer stays pretty snug at the top when I turn the stick over. Is there any trick besides just pushing on the primer to get it to drop? Does the tip loosen up with use?

Real Gun · September 22, 2013, 02:07 PM

Good question. I just push mine in with the synthetic rod that serves as a primer tube fill level indicator. Note that, depending on what you want to do, you could push it out from the opposite direction, pushing on the anvil side with that same rod.

I don't feel comfortable in just leaving it there for some indefinite period, because primers can be disabled too easily. But if loading more than 100 rounds, that stray primer can just serve the next batch.

bluetopper · September 22, 2013, 02:55 PM

No, the tip does not loosen up with use. It needs to be tight to hold the primers in. Just poke something small in there to make that last primer go with the rest of them.

GJSchulze · September 22, 2013, 03:41 PM

I use one of the hex wrenches that come with the press. It's the non-black one that is the same size as a primer.

You didn't mention the two things you should check that can cause danger: too short OAL and double or 0 powder. A primer mistake just won't go bang. A bad charge can lead to a BIG bang.

grisbald · September 22, 2013, 03:58 PM

"You didn't mention the two things you should check that can cause danger: too short OAL and double or 0 powder. A primer mistake just won't go bang. A bad charge can lead to a BIG bang."

I was watching that also. I bought a Hornady COP that I put in the station after powder drop.

GJSchulze · September 22, 2013, 05:24 PM

Quote:

I bought a Hornady COP that I put in the station after powder drop

I had an RCBS Lock-out die when I got all my squibs. It was working at first, but I don't know if I set it up wrong when I changed to TiteGroup or if it just can't be accurate with such a small amount of powder. I got scared of the squibs and now low into each case. I have an LED strip light in the press. It doesn't slow me down and I feel more secure. Also, it doesn't take up a station, which I need because I use a bullet feeder die (with plastic tube, not collator; much cheaper

) and I have a separate taper crimp die, though recently replaced with a Lee Factory Crimp Die.

I also switched back to Power Pistol. Cleaner and with a 147 gr bullet fills the case to about 87%.

Nathan · September 22, 2013, 08:13 PM

Like others, I have a piece of coathanger with tape on it as a fill level indicator. I use this to keep pressure on the top primer. I have used this for about 10 years.

schmellba99 · September 22, 2013, 11:42 PM

Just use the nylon rod that comes with the unit to push the last primer in.

That rod is intended to ride the primer stack down to keep adequate pressure on the column - helps eliminate primer slide issues when you start getting to singledigits in your stack.

If you keep count while you are loading, you can put marks on your nylon rod to indicate how many primers you have left in the stack. I suggest doing this - helps minimize a round or two making it through without a primer because you need to reload the stack.

GJSchulze · September 23, 2013, 12:32 AM

Quote:

you can put marks on your nylon rod to indicate how many primers you have left in the stack

That's very close to what I did. The LnL primer feed tube will hold 120 small pistol primers, but that's all I use, so I don't know about other types. I did three things:

1) put a piece of gaffers tape as a flag on the top to catch my attention.
2) Mark the shaft in red sharpie to indicate when I have 0 to 20 primers left. Since it will fit 120, I can add more primers anytime the red part starts to dip below the top. That way I never run out of primers.
3) I finally drew a line around the shaft every ten primers. This is off questionable help.

If different primers are of different thicknesses, you would have to mark a range of less than 20 for thicker primers. Maybe you could use a different color for the different primers.

I also bought extra pickup tubes. That worked fine until I got the new Vibra-prime. I love it. For that I took clear plastic tubes to make 12 tubes with hitch pins across both ends. I can load up 12 of these in maybe 15 minutes. Kind of neat to see the primers pour into the primer tube, *schzzzzzip* (or something like that.

schmellba99 · September 23, 2013, 09:18 AM

What is this "vibra-prime" you speak of?

Not that loading the tubes is difficult (I too have several of each size so I can pre-load 3-4 tubes and not screw up my groove once I get going on loading), but it's probably one of the least exciting parts of getting everything ready.

Small primers and large primers will have varying heights between brands, but you are talking about thousands of an inch variance - hardly enough that your sharpie mark is going to be significantly different if you are using Winchester or CCI or Wolf primers. Besides, it is just an approximation to let you know about where you are in the primer stack anyway.

GJSchulze · September 23, 2013, 03:30 PM

Quote:

What is this "vibra-prime" you speak of?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/890...er-tube-filler

They stopped making them a couple of years ago and then recently came out with version 2. I don't know what the difference is, but I love this. It's battery operated and the blue handle vibrates. You put the primers on the primer tray, shake so they're bottom up, put the top on, squeeze the trigger, and the primers flow into the tube which you them dump into your primer feed tube. It does take a bit of touch to get the right angle so the primers flow well. I can fill a tube in less than one minute starting from opening the primer box. Using the pickup tubes is hard on my fingers after doing a couple. This is easy.

The reason I made my own tubes was that their tube is made to be used to dump into the feed tube and not other pickup tubes and you only get one. I made 12 for a few bucks. I did make two mistakes: 1) removing both hitch pins resulting in wondering why the plastic tube was empty and then digging in my couch for 100 primers, and 2) dumping one tube in to the feed upside down.

September 22, 2013, 01:38 PM	#1
grisbald Member Join Date: October 23, 2011 Posts: 75	My first loadings on Hornady LnL Yesterday I used my new press for the first time, loaded 200 9mm. Was impressed on how smooth everything went. As a first time user of a progressive it was a little tough keeping up with everything so I didn't miss the primer, or forget to seat a bullet, etc. Very happy with the press. Now my question. The primer stick to pick up primers. The last primer stays pretty snug at the top when I turn the stick over. Is there any trick besides just pushing on the primer to get it to drop? Does the tip loosen up with use?

September 22, 2013, 02:07 PM	#2
Real Gun Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: SC Posts: 2,743	Good question. I just push mine in with the synthetic rod that serves as a primer tube fill level indicator. Note that, depending on what you want to do, you could push it out from the opposite direction, pushing on the anvil side with that same rod. I don't feel comfortable in just leaving it there for some indefinite period, because primers can be disabled too easily. But if loading more than 100 rounds, that stray primer can just serve the next batch.

September 22, 2013, 02:55 PM	#3
bluetopper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2005 Location: Northeast TX Posts: 1,197	No, the tip does not loosen up with use. It needs to be tight to hold the primers in. Just poke something small in there to make that last primer go with the rest of them.

September 22, 2013, 03:41 PM	#4
GJSchulze Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2013 Location: Western New York Posts: 454	I use one of the hex wrenches that come with the press. It's the non-black one that is the same size as a primer. You didn't mention the two things you should check that can cause danger: too short OAL and double or 0 powder. A primer mistake just won't go bang. A bad charge can lead to a BIG bang.

September 22, 2013, 03:58 PM	#5
grisbald Member Join Date: October 23, 2011 Posts: 75	"You didn't mention the two things you should check that can cause danger: too short OAL and double or 0 powder. A primer mistake just won't go bang. A bad charge can lead to a BIG bang." I was watching that also. I bought a Hornady COP that I put in the station after powder drop.

September 22, 2013, 08:13 PM	#7
Nathan Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2001 Posts: 6,331	Like others, I have a piece of coathanger with tape on it as a fill level indicator. I use this to keep pressure on the top primer. I have used this for about 10 years.

September 22, 2013, 11:42 PM	#8
schmellba99 Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 803	Just use the nylon rod that comes with the unit to push the last primer in. That rod is intended to ride the primer stack down to keep adequate pressure on the column - helps eliminate primer slide issues when you start getting to singledigits in your stack. If you keep count while you are loading, you can put marks on your nylon rod to indicate how many primers you have left in the stack. I suggest doing this - helps minimize a round or two making it through without a primer because you need to reload the stack.

September 23, 2013, 09:18 AM	#10
schmellba99 Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 803	What is this "vibra-prime" you speak of? Not that loading the tubes is difficult (I too have several of each size so I can pre-load 3-4 tubes and not screw up my groove once I get going on loading), but it's probably one of the least exciting parts of getting everything ready. Small primers and large primers will have varying heights between brands, but you are talking about thousands of an inch variance - hardly enough that your sharpie mark is going to be significantly different if you are using Winchester or CCI or Wolf primers. Besides, it is just an approximation to let you know about where you are in the primer stack anyway.