Hornady LnL AP Primer System Fix Permanently

Mr.RevolverGuy · September 21, 2014, 12:50 AM

See how I did it and let me know what you think. It is working great so far. I was not having any issues but I have been reading so many priming issues, I wanted to try a permanent fix to hopefully help the community.

Hornady LNL AP Primer Fix

cryogenic419 · September 21, 2014, 05:53 AM

I had the issue starting on my machine. I work at a large metals facility that supplies a lot of the places like Mcmaster Carr with raw materials, so I was able to get a nice little .09 thick 1" by 1" square of 4130 steel. Glued to the press to hold in place, the dimple will never be an issue again. Put that together with their updated primer seater assembly which uses a solid shaft end instead of that pointy ended one that they were using.

I think that pointy end more than anything caused or at least seriously contributed to the issue. Wouldn't kill them to have done a steel insert in the press from the factory. They had to have known this prior to shipping these units out the door. If not before, they certainly had to know once they started shipping them.

I did find that even after my steel plate and new primer plug that rifle primers were still seating just at flush. It wasn't until I started uniforming primer pockets that they went just below flush. Pistol was always a just below flush.

Despite its quirks this really is a great press and I have no regrets.

Shootest · September 21, 2014, 09:20 AM

I don’t think it is a ¼ inch drill bit. The screw is ¼ inch in diameter if you use a ¼ drill you will have no threads. I know a ¼-20NC is a #7 drill bit, but not sure what a ¼-28NF is. You don’t want to have people drilling on their press with the wrong bit.

Vance · September 21, 2014, 11:05 AM

What he shows in the picture of what he used is a tap that came with the appropriate drill bit.
http://www.lincolnmachine.com/tap_drill_chart.html
In case you need to look up a drill bit size for tapping a hole. According to this chart, you need a #3 drill bit for 1/4-28nf threads. That is 75% thread depth.

RNG · September 21, 2014, 12:58 PM

This seems to be a pretty good fix. It may be cost prohibitive for some if you don't already own the 90 degree attachment. I wasn't comfortable drilling a hole deep enough to to tap so I modified the mod. Had a 1/4" clevis pin lying around the shop and cut a small(solid) 1/4" section from it. Drilled a slightly smaller hole less than 1/4" deep. Tapped in the piece of the clevis pin and used a dremel to sand it flush. A piece cut from the smooth shank of a bolt/screw would work just as well. YMMV

Shootest · September 21, 2014, 01:04 PM

Quote:

What he shows in the picture of what he used is a tap that came with the appropriate drill bit.

Yes BUT his text states a 1/4 inch drill bit and that is not correct.

Mr.RevolverGuy · September 21, 2014, 08:04 PM

Mis wording shootest I will correct it is a 1/4in tap but they come in a complete set. WHich is the reason for trying to post clear pictures so folks can see the item's.

I will correct.

Mr.RevolverGuy · September 21, 2014, 08:08 PM

Changed to.

Drill and Tap Set from Lowes, and 1/4 tap with 28 threads per inch. If you so chose you can get a larger set. What matters most is to get the drill bit and tap in the set as both will be the appropriate size.

schmellba99 · September 22, 2014, 11:48 AM

Quote:

This seems to be a pretty good fix. It may be cost prohibitive for some if you don't already own the 90 degree attachment. I wasn't comfortable drilling a hole deep enough to to tap so I modified the mod. Had a 1/4" clevis pin lying around the shop and cut a small(solid) 1/4" section from it. Drilled a slightly smaller hole less than 1/4" deep. Tapped in the piece of the clevis pin and used a dremel to sand it flush. A piece cut from the smooth shank of a bolt/screw would work just as well. YMMV

This is what I was planning on doing. Both are good methods though.

I've also made some other mods to my priming system that have eliminated every other problem I ever had. I don't have a big enough dimple yet to really worry about though, but it's coming at some point I know.

madmo44mag · September 22, 2014, 11:55 AM

I own a older Pro-Jector press
The LnL's daddy so to speak.
On the Pro-Jector the primer punch is threaded and can be adjusted to correct for the frame wear.
Is the LnL primer punch not threaded?

David Bachelder · September 22, 2014, 03:04 PM

I think I read where a guy glued a piece of a hacksaw blade over the dimple.

Much easier.

schmellba99 · September 23, 2014, 08:52 AM

Quote:

On the Pro-Jector the primer punch is threaded and can be adjusted to correct for the frame wear.
Is the LnL primer punch not threaded?

The primer punches are threaded into the sub plate from the bottom, and there is a little bit of adjustment as a result. But if you don't thread it in far enough, the seater ram won't raise high enough to properly seat a primer.

The frame is an aluminum alloy and it's pretty common to have a small dimple wear into the frame from the bottom of the primer punch. A pretty easy fix, but something Hornady should have predicted easily in design and done a better job at preventing.

A lot of folks glue a nickel or a small piece of hardened steel on the frame over the dimple, and it works just fine. But I'm not the type that will like such a fix as a permanent solution and will find something cleaner and that won't have a point of failure later down the road.

Mr.RevolverGuy · September 23, 2014, 09:07 AM

schmellba99 that is one of the reason I went the drill and tap route.

dickttx · September 23, 2014, 09:56 PM

There is a dimple on mine after about 15K rounds, however, it has not caused me any problems seating primers.
Since there is currently about three similar threads going on now in the various forums, I thought I surely must have a problem, but just not recognizing it!

This morning when I set up to load I put a dime over the dimple. My shellplate wouldn't completely index to the next position. When I removed the dime it worked as always.
So keep in mind if you really have a problem with primers not seating enough and have to put a coin, washer, piece of metal, etc over the dimple, you will probably have to adjust the indexing.

Mr.RevolverGuy · September 24, 2014, 02:55 AM

Anything is possible, but I have no idea why you would have to adjust indexing.

dickttx · September 24, 2014, 07:28 AM

Because the sub-base does not go all the way to the bottom, where the last bit of indexing takes place.

Mr.RevolverGuy · September 24, 2014, 03:34 PM

My press indexes all the way long before it gets any where close to the bottom.

September 21, 2014, 12:50 AM	#1
Mr.RevolverGuy Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 991	Hornady LnL AP Primer System Fix Permanently See how I did it and let me know what you think. It is working great so far. I was not having any issues but I have been reading so many priming issues, I wanted to try a permanent fix to hopefully help the community. Hornady LNL AP Primer Fix __________________ Mr.Revolverguy http://www.dayattherange.com Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use.

September 21, 2014, 12:58 PM	#5
RNG Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2007 Location: South Carolina Posts: 120	This seems to be a pretty good fix. It may be cost prohibitive for some if you don't already own the 90 degree attachment. I wasn't comfortable drilling a hole deep enough to to tap so I modified the mod. Had a 1/4" clevis pin lying around the shop and cut a small(solid) 1/4" section from it. Drilled a slightly smaller hole less than 1/4" deep. Tapped in the piece of the clevis pin and used a dremel to sand it flush. A piece cut from the smooth shank of a bolt/screw would work just as well. YMMV __________________ __________________________________________________________ Kimbers are what you show your friends. Glocks are what you show your enemies.

September 21, 2014, 08:08 PM	#8
Mr.RevolverGuy Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 991	Changed to. Drill and Tap Set from Lowes, and 1/4 tap with 28 threads per inch. If you so chose you can get a larger set. What matters most is to get the drill bit and tap in the set as both will be the appropriate size. __________________ Mr.Revolverguy http://www.dayattherange.com Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use. Last edited by Mr.RevolverGuy; September 21, 2014 at 08:19 PM.

September 22, 2014, 11:55 AM	#10
madmo44mag Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: Ft.Worth, Texas Posts: 1,522	I own a older Pro-Jector press The LnL's daddy so to speak. On the Pro-Jector the primer punch is threaded and can be adjusted to correct for the frame wear. Is the LnL primer punch not threaded? __________________ Texas - Not just a state but an attitude! For monthly shooting events in DFW visit http://www.meetup.com/TexasGunOwner-DFW

September 22, 2014, 03:04 PM	#11
David Bachelder Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Location: Trinity, Texas Posts: 636	I think I read where a guy glued a piece of a hacksaw blade over the dimple. Much easier. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, Texas I load, 9mm Luger, 38 and 40 S&W, 38 Special, 357Magnum, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 223, 300 AAC, 243 and 30-06

September 21, 2014, 05:53 AM	#2
cryogenic419 Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 569	I had the issue starting on my machine. I work at a large metals facility that supplies a lot of the places like Mcmaster Carr with raw materials, so I was able to get a nice little .09 thick 1" by 1" square of 4130 steel. Glued to the press to hold in place, the dimple will never be an issue again. Put that together with their updated primer seater assembly which uses a solid shaft end instead of that pointy ended one that they were using. I think that pointy end more than anything caused or at least seriously contributed to the issue. Wouldn't kill them to have done a steel insert in the press from the factory. They had to have known this prior to shipping these units out the door. If not before, they certainly had to know once they started shipping them. I did find that even after my steel plate and new primer plug that rifle primers were still seating just at flush. It wasn't until I started uniforming primer pockets that they went just below flush. Pistol was always a just below flush. Despite its quirks this really is a great press and I have no regrets.

September 21, 2014, 09:20 AM	#3
Shootest Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2011 Location: Just outside Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 722	I don’t think it is a ¼ inch drill bit. The screw is ¼ inch in diameter if you use a ¼ drill you will have no threads. I know a ¼-20NC is a #7 drill bit, but not sure what a ¼-28NF is. You don’t want to have people drilling on their press with the wrong bit. __________________ The private ownership of firearms is an American Heritage. Anyone who disputes that is Anti-American and unpatriotic. NRA Life Member

September 21, 2014, 11:05 AM	#4
Vance Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2011 Location: North Bend, OR Posts: 743	What he shows in the picture of what he used is a tap that came with the appropriate drill bit. http://www.lincolnmachine.com/tap_drill_chart.html In case you need to look up a drill bit size for tapping a hole. According to this chart, you need a #3 drill bit for 1/4-28nf threads. That is 75% thread depth.

September 21, 2014, 08:04 PM	#7
Mr.RevolverGuy Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 991	Mis wording shootest I will correct it is a 1/4in tap but they come in a complete set. WHich is the reason for trying to post clear pictures so folks can see the item's. I will correct. __________________ Mr.Revolverguy http://www.dayattherange.com Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use.

September 23, 2014, 09:07 AM	#13
Mr.RevolverGuy Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 991	schmellba99 that is one of the reason I went the drill and tap route. __________________ Mr.Revolverguy http://www.dayattherange.com Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use.

September 23, 2014, 09:56 PM	#14
dickttx Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2011 Location: Fort Worth Posts: 500	There is a dimple on mine after about 15K rounds, however, it has not caused me any problems seating primers. Since there is currently about three similar threads going on now in the various forums, I thought I surely must have a problem, but just not recognizing it! This morning when I set up to load I put a dime over the dimple. My shellplate wouldn't completely index to the next position. When I removed the dime it worked as always. So keep in mind if you really have a problem with primers not seating enough and have to put a coin, washer, piece of metal, etc over the dimple, you will probably have to adjust the indexing. __________________ Education teaches you the rules, experience teaches you the exceptions (Plagiarized from Claude Clay)

September 24, 2014, 02:55 AM	#15
Mr.RevolverGuy Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 991	Anything is possible, but I have no idea why you would have to adjust indexing. __________________ Mr.Revolverguy http://www.dayattherange.com Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use.

September 24, 2014, 07:28 AM	#16
dickttx Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2011 Location: Fort Worth Posts: 500	Because the sub-base does not go all the way to the bottom, where the last bit of indexing takes place. __________________ Education teaches you the rules, experience teaches you the exceptions (Plagiarized from Claude Clay)

September 24, 2014, 03:34 PM	#17
Mr.RevolverGuy Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 991	My press indexes all the way long before it gets any where close to the bottom. __________________ Mr.Revolverguy http://www.dayattherange.com Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use.