LNL priming issues

Tooltech · February 25, 2013, 12:18 AM

So, I was loading some .45 this weekend, and I started having issues. I don't understand why, I've only loaded about 15,000 rounds on it

What happened is that the primer shuttle started hanging upon the magazine tube. I took it apart and cleaned everything. I found a sliver of brass, and figured that was it. I put it all back together, and it was still having issues. It would only feed a primer every 2nd or 3rd pull of the handle, and frequently sticking.

I loaded 10 primers at a time, and cycled one case at a time, while monitoring the priming system. I discovered two problems. The clamp that holds the inner magazine tube in place is apparently getting worn, and the tube would slide up a fraction, allowing primers to tilt. A small piece of tape took care of that. I also found that a tiny dimple was forming on the very tip of the shuttle, and that was what was causing it to hang up.

I polished the end of the shuttle, and just broke the very edge, giving it just the slightest radius, allowing it to smoothly slide again.

I ran two hundred rounds through it, starting one at a time, and gradually moving back to full progressive operation. Not a single issue.

I guess a call to Hornady is in order now.

I should have taken pictures, but didn't think of it til now.

dickttx · February 25, 2013, 07:23 PM

Thanks for the info Tooltech. I am at maybe 5K on mine, and after the first couple of hundred I have not had a single problem. When starting out I did catch the tip of the leading edge of the shuttle on something and took a small chunk out of it. I smoothed it down like you did and have had no trouble with it since.

schmellba99 · February 26, 2013, 05:05 PM

The biggest problem I have ever had with my LNL is the inner primer tube sliding out of the machined primer slide. It happened more often with a full tube than without one - my only guess is that the inertia of the ram going up and down combined with the little bit of friction from the primers inside would eventually work the tube up.

I ended up ordering a couple more primer bodies (the part that bolts to the press and holds the primer slide down, an extra large primer and an extra small primer tube and JB Welded the tubes into the primer bodies. When I change primers over, I simply un-bolt the primer body from the press and bolt a new one (with tube epoxied in) on. Works like a champ.

I also polished the chase where the primer slide rests, the underside of the primer slide and did the little chamfer job just like you did.

I haven't had a problem since then - clean the primer seat every 100 rounds (or however often I need to reload my primer tube) and rock and roll away.

Crunchy Frog · February 26, 2013, 10:00 PM

I started having a similar problem with my LNL-AP after loading several thousand rounds. First it stopped feeding the last primer in the tube. A little later it would fail to pick up primers for no apparent reason.

The first time I called Hornady they suggested I loosen the top bracket on the guide rod and pull it away from the press-that way the primer shuttle would come back a little farther. I did this but it did not solve the problem.

As I was puttering around with it after a stoppage I noticed that the feed tube had raised itself up. I called Hornady again; the tech suggested that the guide rod may have gotten bent and that I should bend it back. I tried bending it a little and it worked better but near the end of my last loading session I noticed that the primer seating was not as smooth. It may be time for a good cleaning of the priming system.

I am going to try shimming the primer feed tube with a bit of tape and see if that helps.

schmellba99 · February 27, 2013, 06:25 PM

When the feed tube (the primer tube that has the shoulder on one side) comes off the chase machined into the primer body, the primers won't feed correctly - they tend to get out of square.

It's really not a great design on Hornady's part - that should have been either a complete assembly like I ultimately made, or it should have been designed such that the primer tube threads into the primer body.

Once you get rid of that problem, 99.9% of all of your priming problems disappear. The rest is maintenance and keeping things clean.

February 25, 2013, 12:18 AM	#1
Tooltech Junior Member Join Date: February 9, 2013 Location: Mead, CO Posts: 12	LNL priming issues So, I was loading some .45 this weekend, and I started having issues. I don't understand why, I've only loaded about 15,000 rounds on it What happened is that the primer shuttle started hanging upon the magazine tube. I took it apart and cleaned everything. I found a sliver of brass, and figured that was it. I put it all back together, and it was still having issues. It would only feed a primer every 2nd or 3rd pull of the handle, and frequently sticking. I loaded 10 primers at a time, and cycled one case at a time, while monitoring the priming system. I discovered two problems. The clamp that holds the inner magazine tube in place is apparently getting worn, and the tube would slide up a fraction, allowing primers to tilt. A small piece of tape took care of that. I also found that a tiny dimple was forming on the very tip of the shuttle, and that was what was causing it to hang up. I polished the end of the shuttle, and just broke the very edge, giving it just the slightest radius, allowing it to smoothly slide again. I ran two hundred rounds through it, starting one at a time, and gradually moving back to full progressive operation. Not a single issue. I guess a call to Hornady is in order now. I should have taken pictures, but didn't think of it til now.

February 25, 2013, 07:23 PM	#2
dickttx Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2011 Location: Fort Worth Posts: 500	Thanks for the info Tooltech. I am at maybe 5K on mine, and after the first couple of hundred I have not had a single problem. When starting out I did catch the tip of the leading edge of the shuttle on something and took a small chunk out of it. I smoothed it down like you did and have had no trouble with it since. __________________ Education teaches you the rules, experience teaches you the exceptions (Plagiarized from Claude Clay)

February 26, 2013, 05:05 PM	#3
schmellba99 Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 803	The biggest problem I have ever had with my LNL is the inner primer tube sliding out of the machined primer slide. It happened more often with a full tube than without one - my only guess is that the inertia of the ram going up and down combined with the little bit of friction from the primers inside would eventually work the tube up. I ended up ordering a couple more primer bodies (the part that bolts to the press and holds the primer slide down, an extra large primer and an extra small primer tube and JB Welded the tubes into the primer bodies. When I change primers over, I simply un-bolt the primer body from the press and bolt a new one (with tube epoxied in) on. Works like a champ. I also polished the chase where the primer slide rests, the underside of the primer slide and did the little chamfer job just like you did. I haven't had a problem since then - clean the primer seat every 100 rounds (or however often I need to reload my primer tube) and rock and roll away.

February 26, 2013, 10:00 PM	#4
Crunchy Frog Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2008 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 591	I started having a similar problem with my LNL-AP after loading several thousand rounds. First it stopped feeding the last primer in the tube. A little later it would fail to pick up primers for no apparent reason. The first time I called Hornady they suggested I loosen the top bracket on the guide rod and pull it away from the press-that way the primer shuttle would come back a little farther. I did this but it did not solve the problem. As I was puttering around with it after a stoppage I noticed that the feed tube had raised itself up. I called Hornady again; the tech suggested that the guide rod may have gotten bent and that I should bend it back. I tried bending it a little and it worked better but near the end of my last loading session I noticed that the primer seating was not as smooth. It may be time for a good cleaning of the priming system. I am going to try shimming the primer feed tube with a bit of tape and see if that helps.

February 27, 2013, 06:25 PM	#5
schmellba99 Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 803	When the feed tube (the primer tube that has the shoulder on one side) comes off the chase machined into the primer body, the primers won't feed correctly - they tend to get out of square. It's really not a great design on Hornady's part - that should have been either a complete assembly like I ultimately made, or it should have been designed such that the primer tube threads into the primer body. Once you get rid of that problem, 99.9% of all of your priming problems disappear. The rest is maintenance and keeping things clean.