Help setting up Hornady LnL PTX Expander

[sbwaters]

Looking for some help setting up my Hornady Case Activated Powder Drop with PTX Expander. Neither the instructions nor YouTube videos I’ve seen are clear enough.

I gather that setting the Powder Measure throw is done by screwing out or in #12 Measure Adapter until, with a case in the shellplate raised to the top has the #7 Powder Measure metering Sleeve about 1/16" (just missing) from the top of the body sleeve.

So far so good. I also gather that if that cannot be accomplished, one must move up or down #12 Upper Bracket until it does. This would seem to be needed switching from pistol to rifle brass. [You also want the #12 Upper Bracket set so that the PTX Stop upper screw clears the #4 Body of the Powder Measure]

I am not sure what the PTX Stop upper screw is for if the throw of the #7 Power Measure metering Sleeve was set by adjusting the whole unit (using the #12 Measure adapter). Any ideas?

Finally, it seems that the PTX Stop lower screw is used to set how much bell the PTX expander gives the case.

It also seems that the whole powder measure moves up when the empty shellplate is raised to the top. Is that proper? Desired? Or does that mean that I have set it up wrong.

 

[Reeferman]

I'm not sure I get what you are saying by
"The whole powder measure moves up when the EMPTY shell plate is raised to the top"

 

[sbwaters]

I mean that perhaps the ptx sticks out the bottom -- I didn’t look. raises the metering sleeve about 1/16 inch. Doesn’t mean anything probably. Just seemed strange.

Doesn’t move enough for the powder to drop.

 

[RealGun]

Looking for some help setting up my Hornady Case Activated Powder Drop with PTX Expander. Neither the instructions nor YouTube videos I’ve seen are clear enough.

I gather that setting the Powder Measure throw is done by screwing out or in #12 Measure Adapter until, with a case in the shellplate raised to the top has the #7 Powder Measure metering Sleeve about 1/16" (just missing) from the top of the body sleeve.

So far so good. I also gather that if that cannot be accomplished, one must move up or down #12 Upper Bracket until it does. This would seem to be needed switching from pistol to rifle brass. [You also want the #12 Upper Bracket set so that the PTX Stop upper screw clears the #4 Body of the Powder Measure]

I am not sure what the PTX Stop upper screw is for if the throw of the #7 Power Measure metering Sleeve was set by adjusting the whole unit (using the #12 Measure adapter). Any ideas?

Finally, it seems that the PTX Stop lower screw is used to set how much bell the PTX expander gives the case.

View attachment 774400 It also seems that the whole powder measure moves up when the empty shellplate is raised to the top. Is that proper? Desired? Or does that mean that I have set it up wrong.

I found the upper bracket best set with the measure off the lower assembly (the press) and exactly according to the instructions. I never adjust it from there. What I see in the picture is that your setting of the stop bolt is controlling the whole setup because it is interfering with other parts. Mine is set so the top bolt is all the way in, the bolt head clear of the cast housing, with any adjustment done from the bottom, where there is room for the bolt extension. My bottom bolt is backed all the way out actually. Works for me.

 

[Blue68f100]

I adj the PTX stop so it prevents the full throw on the dispenser from banging into the housing, ~1/32-1/16". Once this is set I'm done messing with it for I want mine to be setup for quick change. The lower bracket clamp (12) must be adj so the levers on top are parallel as the book says. Now I adj the powder die (21) to cycle the dispenser and expand the the mouth of the case. A little can go a long ways here when you get close. Then all other caliber setup with powder dies the adj is done to the die. This way you never adj the stop again. If you do you just thew off all of your quick change powder dies.

 

[sbwaters]

It’s nice to be able to get the advice of others. Thanks THR!

 

[sbwaters]

Me, again. I went back to the book, and rebuilt the Hornady Case Activated Powder Drop with the PTX expander in the bottom tube. Set it to handle a 9MM case, by rotating the whole lower assembly so the metering sleeve was about a 1/16 inch from the top stop with the ram raised.

Then I added the PTX Expander Stop. When I started adjusting the bottom PTX expander screw to expand the next case. When ram was raised with the case, the metering sleeve was considerably more than 1/16 inch from the top stop.

When you adjust the bottom PTX Expander screw, is it necessary to readjust the whole lower assembly so the metering sleeve again reaches near the top?

 

[RealGun]

Me, again. I went back to the book, and rebuilt the Hornady Case Activated Powder Drop with the PTX expander in the bottom tube. Set it to handle a 9MM case, by rotating the whole lower assembly so the metering sleeve was about a 1/16 inch from the top stop with the ram raised.

Then I added the PTX Expander Stop. When I started adjusting the bottom PTX expander screw to expand the next case. When ram was raised with the case, the metering sleeve was considerably more than 1/16 inch from the top stop.

When you adjust the bottom PTX Expander screw, is it necessary to readjust the whole lower assembly so the metering sleeve again reaches near the top?

I don't try to use the stop as an expander adjustment. I use it as a STOP to provide a more solid base against which the shell plate can push the case until expanded. Once the stop is set to relieve the top of the measure travel, your 1/16 or more, all the expansion adjustment is done at the die, the lower assy. That is enough trouble that many, me included, own dedicated lower assemblies to save the adjustment for frequently used setups. Once I have my stop installed and it controls how high the rotor can go, I NEVER adjust it. It moves from one lower assy to another (cartridge). There probably is a small range on the stop you can use to tweak the expansion, but the rotor alignment with the drop tube inside the measure has very little allowance.

 

[sbwaters]

It moves from one lower assy to another (cartridge).

Smart! Hadn’t thought about doing it that way.