Hornady® Lock-N-Load® Iron Press

[dilly]

I have to admit I really don't understand the fascination with weight of the presses? Ram size and rigidity ok, but if wanted to with the size and weight game a CORBIN or a Walnut Hill beats just about everything? My bench press does not need to be Swaging strong does it?

Some people are interested in using their presses for swaging like BT snipers setup allows. However, for those applications I don't know if I would trust the lock and load bushings to hold up.

[r1kk1]

Some people are interested in using their presses for swaging like BT snipers setup allows. However, for those applications I don't know if I would trust the lock and load bushings to hold up.

I have wondered the same thing about any bushing arrangement. Swaging bullets places more stress on that arrangement than I case forming or even swaging belts on brass for a wildcat. Haven't had to swage belts for quite some time but for case forming, the bushings have held up with no problems.

take care,

r1kk1

[anotherred]

I can tell you, the Hornady bushings DO NOT hold up to swagging. When making 9mm to 40 bullets, I use the progressive to flare the brass, seat the lead core and put a crimp the bullet. Final swagging into a bullet gets done on the Lee single stage.

[Carrier]

I can tell you, the Hornady bushings DO NOT hold up to swagging. When making 9mm to 40 bullets, I use the progressive to flare the brass, seat the lead core and put a crimp the bullet. Final swagging into a bullet gets done on the Lee single stage.

What happens to them?

[Three44s]

With the shape of the frame on this new Hornady single stage, I would very suspicious of it being adequate for any serious swaging.

I have a LnL AP and some of my bushings come loose. I figured a fatter o ring would do the trick so I am not running away from it.

Best regards

Three 44s

[jmorris]

I used a thicker o-ring on the LNL's I had but I think they also have shims to fix presses that have the problem.

[r1kk1]

What happens to them?

I'm curious too. I have yet to damage one with some heavy case forming.

take care

r1kk1

[anotherred]

Its been awhile but it wasn't good. The bushing pooped out with authority and the lock edges where rounded to the point of not being usable. At that point I gave up on the idea. It Might be ok on smaller bullets like 22, but for the price of the lee press, I figured I had that much invested in dies why not get the proper press. This new press looks like it would be up to the task if you converted from LNL bushings to a regular 7/8-14 threaded insert. Again back to my original idea, just get the lee press (or 2) for the price of this one. Either way this press looks to be a great addition to my loading room for things like resizing rifle brass that I prefer to do on a single stage press.

[Dragonheart]

Impressive video, but at the price there is other choices.

[VHoward]

The concern I had with the Iron press is the shell holder. It wasn't clear if it was a whole new shell holder with integrated platform or if you could use standard shell holders. I asked Hornady on their facebook page and they confirmed that the press uses standard shell holders.

[flashhole]

Enthusiasm about this press is higher on this forum than on some of the others. I want to follow the banter.

There is a legitimate concern about the shell holders. Hornady shell holders have a larger hole in the center than "RCBS-type standard shell holders". It needs to be verified that the Hornady priming system will work with any conventional modern shell holder, not just Hornady's. In the words of Ronald Reagan when dealing with the Soviets .... trust but verify.

As for me - Not a fan of the bushing system, a solution for a non-existent problem. Not a fan of all the thingies sticking up on the top platform. I get it you don't have to outfit the press with them but it's not a selling point for me. The bottom metal casting where the handle screws in looks to be a bit diminutive for bullet swaging. Odd angle for leverage too. Cast steel over cast iron would have been a better approach given the intended use (isn't the Lee Classic Cast press cast steel, re-purposed railroad rails?) Primer disposal, not that big a deal to drill the ram when other competitors have the feature. Price point is out of line with competing capability. It does look like an interesting design but I won't be inventing a way to justify one.

[r1kk1]

No Lee is Cast iron - a whole 14 pounds of it. There is only one cast steel press with a solid ram drilled through for primer disposal - CH4D Champion. Redding and one Lee single stage use hollow rams.

Hornady and Lee makes some funny advertising claims. Neither do their homework.

Still this Hornady will make it to my bench. I wonder if Lyman is listening.

Take care

r1kk1

[dannyd]

Can't wait to get one

[deltaenterprizes]

I ordered one yesterday and plan to do the same thing I did with my LNL, I made bushings to convert it to 7/8"-14 and do not use the LNL bushings. I did leave the position for the powder measure so I can quickly remove and replace it to dump unused powder.

[deltaenterprizes]

Press came in yesterday. I screwed up and thought the AUTOMATIC prime was the manual prime!
The press is not offered with automatic priming, it has to be ordered separately for $80 regular price, Midway has them on sale for $71.99 with $8 shipping so $80 to your door.

The press is nicely finished but the ram has ridges and has a strange feeling moving it up and down. A quick visit to the lathe and polishing with green Scotchbrite made it bearable but it could use a little more work.
Lucky for me I made an extra bushing for the LNL progressive so all I had to do was remove the LNL bushing and install the 7/8"-14 bushing and I was done.
When the automatic priming system arrives I will mount it where my Rockchucker press is, I sure will miss the Case Kicker on the RCBS! I may be able to come up with something similar down the road.

[deltaenterprizes]

I installed the 7/8"-14 bushing and mounted the press on my bench.
Started installing the automatic primer feed and had a few hickups.
The primer cup was catching on the shell holder caused by part of the bar that the primer cup attaches to need a few thousandths removed. This was causing primers to turn side ways. Same part was catching in the place it contacts with the ram, a little contouring with a small file solved the problem.
I broke the slide bar corners with a fine file and used a fine stone along the bottom where it contacts the housing, lightly oiled the slide and everything works smoothly!
The cap for the blast shield for the primer tube is flush with the primer tube, I like a little edge so I put a small rubber band around the bottom of the cap and it elevated the cap to make a small ledge!
The holes that are supposed to line up with the RCBS Rock Chucker do not, I had to drill new holes, I used the holes in the back of the press.

[deltaenterprizes]

They lost me at once again insisting on using their bushing system. Still no positive lock on it means bushings will keep working loose. This has been the only remaining failure on my LNL AP that I can't figure how to fix.

One 7/8"-14 bushing will solve that problem, that is what I did?

[deltaenterprizes]

The press is working well for sizing and priming brass to run through my Dillon RL1050!

[r1kk1]

My Iron kit came today and waiting for stuff from Dan such as quick change plate, etc., etc.

soon it will be up and running,

''take care

r1kk1