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View Full Version : Lessons Learned about the Hornady Lock-N-Load



omgb
07-09-2005, 12:38 AM
The Hornady LNL is a great press, very well made and very well thought out. However, the instructions that come with the press are terrible at best and almost deliberatly confusing at worst. I just know they were written by a Chinaman who has no real grasp of the English language. Any way, the trickiest thing on the press and the only part that can screw you up if you don't take care is the primer feed. I ran fewer than 500 cases through mine before I broke the shuttle bar and bent the hell out of the guide bar. Hornady sent me a new one free of charge and turn around was slightly under 30 hours to my door. When installing the new one I discovered what went wrong with the old one. The problem part is the primer punch and the threaded collar it rests in. If you screw that up too far the shuttle bar will hang up slightly and not center the primer under the primer pocket. That causes the primer to be seated cocked or high. This causes the shell plate to hang up and mis index the next round. If you force it at this point you will bend the guide bar all to hell and shear off the roller from the shuttle. That's what I did and that's what others have done as well. Due to the massive power of the ram, it takes surprisingly little force to break these parts. If I were making the instructions I would offer the following advice:
1. check that the primer seating punch unit is no more than flush with the raceway that the shuttle has to glide over. If there is the slightest hang up, back the punch collet out until it is flush with the raceway. If this leaves the collet loose in the socket, make a small gasket out of a match book cover or in my case, a Walters .030 over powder veggie wad. put this between the collet and the press and tighten until the collet is flush with the raceway.
2. Check to make sure the primer tube holder has the shuttle primer hole just a hair past centered when the press ram is fully raised. If it is not, loosen the screw that holds the plastic/nylon cup that serves as the upper mount for the primer guide rod. Move this in and out of its raceway with the ram in the fully up position (handle fully depressed) until you can see that the primer tube will be just a hair ahead of the primer hole in the shuttle. Tork the screw down and test the primer feed by stacking about 5 primers in the tube. Cycle the press and run 5 empties through the stations. If you get a clean primer pickup and insert each time, great, you're dond. If not, keep adjusting and testing until you do.

These two adjustments will clear up priming problems right away. I'm a thousand primers into the machin now with now further problems.

Two or three other tips:
1. Keep a can of air duster (the stuff they use to blow off computer keyboards) next to the press and use it frequently to keep the shell plate clean and free from junk that could cause a misfeed.
2. Each loading session should begin with a removal of the shell plate and a blowing off of all of the key surfaces. In addition, a small amout of Rig grease should be applied to the bottom surface of the shell plate.
3. Use powdered graphite to lube the primer shuttle and raceway.

With progressives, cleanliness is next to flawlessness.

kenjuudo
07-09-2005, 04:03 AM
A simple mechanical counter mounted on the bench and activated by the case feeder slide is a great help keeping track of primer supply on the AP with a case feeder.

omgb
07-09-2005, 10:16 AM
I took a length of 1/8" steel rod and put a small "O" ring on one end. I then stacked 4 primers in the tube. Next I inserted the rod and moved the "O" ring down until it was flush witht he top of the primer feed. When the tube is full the rod sits way up high. As it empties it drops down. When the "o" ring is resting on the top of the primer tube, I know I have four primers left in the system.

NVcurmudgeon
07-09-2005, 11:18 PM
Before Dillon came out with the upgrade of a primer follower rod and running low on primers alarm for the Square Deal, I used a piece of 1/8" dowell marked with a black band to let me know when to reload.