LNL Pistol Rotor

[rigger]

I just ordered a LNL AP and ordered a Pistol rotor and insert to go with it. I am going to be reloading 45 auto and reduced loads with cast bullets for my 7.5 x 55. Does anyone know the max capacity of the pistol rotor. I usually load 20 grains of AA5744 and was hoping the small rotor would be able to throw that charge.

[dromia]

Hi Rigger and welcome to the forums, hope you have fun here :-D

I have a LnL AP and the rifle rotor with the micrometer insert will go down to two grains of AA5744, this doesn't answer you question I know so you would be as well sending Hornady an email.

Their web site doesn't carry much information but their techies should answer your question.

I'd check with your supplier about this also, if they haven't shipped then you might be as well getting the rifle rotor and micrometer insert and then you'll have full powder capacity range.

I've loaded everything from 7gns of Viht N310 to 50gns of Viht N170 with the rifle rotor no problems.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I'm with dromia. I've never used anything for 99% of my reloading but the rifle insert with the micrometer insert. It would take a very fine powder with a really small charge to need the pistol insert.

Dave

[rigger]

It's too late to change my order it's already shipped. It looks like the insert that comes with the pistol rotor is the same as the one for the rifle rotor if I'm reading Hornady's catalog right so at least I have a spare insert to swap. I ordered the pistol rotor thinking it might work better with Clays. My uniflow has some problems with light charges of Clays. I wasn't sure if the Hornady would or not. I guess I'll find out when it gets here. I'm using 3.5 to 4 grains of Clays in the 45.

Thanks for the welcome. I've been reading these forums for quite awhile and have found a lot of good information here. I can usually find the answers to my questions by searching the forum but there was nothing on this particular question. Thanks again for your input.

[dromia]

Your welcome Rigger.

Ask away, shy bairns get nowt. :-D

[August]

I don't know how much AA powder the pistol rotor will hold. I do know it was necessary for me to get one in order to make target loads with consistent powder charges. BTW, I like Titegroup for these applications and the LnL likes to throw it consistently too.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Rigger,

Even though you've already have your order on the way, I urge you to go ahead and order the micrometer inserts for both rotors. I think you'll find the ease at which you can set the rotors up for various loads using the micrometer inserts will make you glad you did.

AS a side note, the LnL comes shipped with lots and lots of storage grease/oil all throughout itself. If you want good and consistent loads, you'll need to take it apart and clean it thoroughly before using it. Additional good things to do are to rub the plastic tube down with anti static dryer sheets and to buy a Uniflow powder baffler and modify it for use with the Hornady. I've found doing these last two items allows the LnL to handle a very wide range of powders, dispensing them all accurately.

Regards,

Dave

[rigger]

Thanks for the tips. I ordered the micrometer insert for the rifle rotor but I'm not sure I'll use the pistol rotor. Like you guys said the rifle rotor throws 4 grains of clays without a problem, way better than my old Uniflow. I cleaned the powder measure out to get rid of the oil as it said in the instructions and am very happy with it.

I also ordered another powder die so I can swap between the 2 calibers I use the most easily.

The press itself worked like a champ for about 40 rounds and then the primers wouldn't seat without fiddling with the case. It must have wore the pawl down just a bit or it had a burr on the tip that wore off after that many cycles. I adjusted the pawl and have done another 150 without a problem. Mine makes a whirring noise when it cycles that sounds odd. Is that normal??

It'll take some getting used to after using a single stage press for 30 years. Way more going on all at the same time than my Bonanza. I get focused on dropping in a fresh case and setting a bullet and then can't remember if I checked the case for powder. I'm pretty sure I do because I have found a few with too much or too little now and then.

[be603]

The Hornady micrometer adjust inserts are great. I have two Hornady pwdr throws now. One older unit used w/ my single stage press that's been excellent. This winter I also bought a LNL-AP with their case activated pwdr throw.

I'm not sure how large a charge the pistol rotor can provide but I know I just finished loading up a batch of ~700 148gr 38spl DEWC's. Near as I can tell (checking on my ancient Redding scale) the case activated unit threw 2.8grains of Green Dot w/ no more than .01gr total variation observed.

Going progressive has been a big change from 30+ years of batch processing on single stage. Powder misses/doubles have been my big concern. That's why I have an RCBS powder lockout die on that LNL-AP. Being so new to loading on a progressive the Powder Cop gives me some piece of mind.

The downsides of using the powder lock out die is a little more setup fiddling at changeover time and that I have to use my single stage for a final Lee FCD operation. Still, it's worth it to me. I really like the Lee FCD crimp on revolver cases -- no bulged or buckled cases.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Rigger,

Here's some tips for smoothing out the operation of your LnL AP:

The key to the LnL (or any auto advance progressive) is timing of the operations. In other words, things need to happen when they're supposed to happen and happen correctly. Always keep this statement in the back of your head as you're setting things up. With this in mind, let's look at the things one needs to get a LnL running smoothly.

1. With all die stations empty, adjust the automatic advance of the press, but with the shellplate installed. To do this, you adjust the feed pawls at the bottom of the ram. What you're looking for is for the primer holes in the bottom of the shellplate to line up at the stations where you have something to visually check (such as at the priming station) and to have the detent balls on the bottom of the shellplate locked into the detents on the top of the subplate. When you have this correct, the machine will make a distinctive "clickety clack" sound each time you raise and lower the press. Be aware not to adjust too much of one pawl over the other and watch to see what affect adjusting the feed pawls has on the press. You'll reach a point you can tweak them fairly easily. This simple step will eliminate many issues related to timing.

2. The next step is setting up the priming system. There are two areas to look at: A. The location where the priming system picks up a primer and B. The location where the primer is seated.

For A. you need to adjust the cam bar zig/zag/crooked bar the black plastic wheel rides on. so that the primer carrier (they have another name for it) is centered directly under the primer tube when the press handle is in the lowered position. There is a nut under the press and you have where it is attached via a plastic part and a screw at the top. This is a fairly tedious adjustment, but only has to be done once. Make sure and put blue loctite on the nut under the press to prevent it coming loose once the adjustment is done.

So that you can see, remove the primer tube and safety shield, leaving only the primer tube base on the press while making this adjustment. Additionally, loosen the nut on the primer tube base and make sure the "primer pass through" hole is centered over the primer carrier hole when the press handle is in the lowered position (Ram raised) and then tighten down the primer tube base.

The adjustment for A will eliminate primer feed issues, assuming you keep the primer feed mechanism cleaned. Note: Not keeping the primer feed mechanism cleaned on most progressive presses is a major area of failure on progressive presses. A simple can of compressed air used occasionally will keep most powder particles out of the priming system. Cheap, simple and effective solution.

For B, you need to do no more than to make sure the primer seater is screwed into the press reasonably tightly so the seater ram reaches far enough to properly seat the primer.

As a side note, if your primer seater is tightened properly and kept clean and if your timing is correct and you're still having primer issues, you likely need to look at the shellplate installation.

3. Once the timing of the auto advance and the priming system is done, the next thing to do is make sure the shellplate is installed correctly. This means making sure the ejector spring isn't pressing down too hard on the shellplate (this may require bending) and causing the shellplate to be cockeyed or the spring is causing dragging on the shellplate, thereby throwing off your timing.

Another thing is tightening the shellplate mounting nut. I've found it works best at just past "finger tight." But something to note: I polish all my shellplates and the "washer" the shellplate retaining bolt rests on top of to get maximum smoothness.

4. Take a dremel, get a cotton polishing "bob" (not sure what to call it) and some Blitz or other fairly fine polshing compound. Thoroughly polish the shellplates where the cases ride, the ejector spring and the "washer" underneath the shellplate retaining bolt. This will eliminate most all case ejection binding issues and smooth press operation up a good bit. You'll need to do this with each new shellplate you get, but only one time, so it's not much of a big deal. BTW, this step helps on all brands of progressive presses. After all, they're all mechanical advance turret operations.

5. When you're setting up your dies, keep this in mind. When you're operating your press, the setup on one die is going to affect, to a degree, the operation of all other dies. So after your initial adjustment of all dies, you need to check each die's operation with the others as a whole BEFORE you call it good and go into full blown operation. To do this, you need to have all stations full of cases and see how things are working together.

If something isn't right, go back and tweak the suspected die. Shouldn't take but a tiny bit of adjustment on the problem die.

6. The case activated powder drop is basically just another type of "die," even though it's fairly complex in appearance. You can smooth it's operation up by being careful and methodical when you're doing the initial adjustment.

In addition, the "bolts" and "parts" that hold the mechanical bracket arms to the CAPD allow for a little slop on the mechanical arms. If you study them closely, you can see how you can remove some metal on the mounting parts and thereby remove the side to side slop in the mechanical arms. This makes for a much smoother more positive operation of the CAPD.

You're already discovered the CAPD die bases to allow for quick caliber bases, so I won't go into detail on those. But I do want to urge you to record your micrometer settings and which insert you use when you setup for a cartridge in your load book. This allows you to extremely quickly go back to that load without having to buy a second powder measure.

Hope this helps,

Dave

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

be603,

You can use your FCD on your LnL, but you'll have to do one of three things:

1. Grind down a bit of the die to clear the ejector wire. Easy to do and doesn't affect die operation.

2. Bend the ejector wire to clear the die. This isn't so easy to do, but there's pics on various forums of a fellow's adjustment that's working great.

3. Do what I do, which is to simply remove the ejector wire and use my finger to eject the completed cartridge as I'm putting the next bullet in to be seated.

Hope this helps,

Dave

[be603]

No stations left for Lee FCD when using the pwdr cop

station 1 sizing/decapping
station 2 case expander
station 3 case activated pwdr throw
station 4 powder lock out die
station 5 seating die
RCBS Jr Lee FCD

I've used the Hornady pwdr through expander in the pwdr throw to eliminate the case expander at station 2. That allows the FCD to be used at station 5 -- and the solutions you proposed. However, I've not been happy with the limited "belling" of the powder through expander and have gone back to using the expander die in #2.