The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - What spare parts inventory to have for Hornady progressive press?

noylj · October 8, 2012, 12:49 AM

One indexing pawl. In about 30 years of using Hornady progressives, I have chipped/fractured one pawl.
Several case retention springs (these will continue to work after being mangled badly, but they work better if you treat them right.
Most parts will be replaced free if you can wait a week for shipment.
You really think you need those other parts? You're going to have to really FORCE things to break the drive hub.
The wire primer cam, that actuates the primer slide, can be bent during a move to a new house. The little plastic part that connects it to the press at the top (not shown in the part drawing) can crack, Hornady told me, so they sent a new one. This might be a part to have on hand. If the slide suddenly isn't picking up primers, this part may have cracked and you have too much flex in the primer cam wire.
I deprime before case cleaning, so I haven't broken a decapping pin in about 20 years. I still have the pack of five Lee replacement pins, somewhere, for the universal depriming die.
If you tighten the sizing die down with a case in the die, you will get better alignment between the flash hole and the depriming pin.
If you ever, incorrectly, force anything, you will probably suddenly need several other parts very quickly.
The weakest links in any progressive press are:
1) the priming system
and
2) the indexing system--
with 1) being by far the most temperamental (whether Lee, Hornady, RCBS, or Dillon).
For all progressives (red, green, blue, and "natural" steel)--Keep the unit CLEAN. Remove all cases when something goes wrong and find the problem without forcing anything. At this time, remove the shell plate and clean everything. When you spill some powder, clean up the press immediately. Steal an unused make-up brush from your wife or GF for brushing the unit.

October 8, 2012, 12:49 AM	#4
noylj Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2007 Location: Between CA and NM Posts: 858	One indexing pawl. In about 30 years of using Hornady progressives, I have chipped/fractured one pawl. Several case retention springs (these will continue to work after being mangled badly, but they work better if you treat them right. Most parts will be replaced free if you can wait a week for shipment. You really think you need those other parts? You're going to have to really FORCE things to break the drive hub. The wire primer cam, that actuates the primer slide, can be bent during a move to a new house. The little plastic part that connects it to the press at the top (not shown in the part drawing) can crack, Hornady told me, so they sent a new one. This might be a part to have on hand. If the slide suddenly isn't picking up primers, this part may have cracked and you have too much flex in the primer cam wire. I deprime before case cleaning, so I haven't broken a decapping pin in about 20 years. I still have the pack of five Lee replacement pins, somewhere, for the universal depriming die. If you tighten the sizing die down with a case in the die, you will get better alignment between the flash hole and the depriming pin. If you ever, incorrectly, force anything, you will probably suddenly need several other parts very quickly. The weakest links in any progressive press are: 1) the priming system and 2) the indexing system-- with 1) being by far the most temperamental (whether Lee, Hornady, RCBS, or Dillon). For all progressives (red, green, blue, and "natural" steel)--Keep the unit CLEAN. Remove all cases when something goes wrong and find the problem without forcing anything. At this time, remove the shell plate and clean everything. When you spill some powder, clean up the press immediately. Steal an unused make-up brush from your wife or GF for brushing the unit. Last edited by noylj; October 8, 2012 at 01:04 AM.