Hornady Lock N Load Auto-Progressive Reloading Press

[ColtPythonElite]

Mine is the old one....you do have to keep it clean...never new there was a new and improved...I need one.

 

[mstreddy]

Colt Python, call Hornady. That is one upgrade that really helps. The new style is a lot less prone to getting gunk in there.
I think the new press came with it, and I ordered both the large and small for the older press.

OP, I just came in from running 200 rounds of 40 S&W on the LNL. Just switched over to 380, but I'll run those tomorrow.

 

[gojones]

Bought my LNL in 2013. Minor tweaks and runs like a sewing machine. Very happy. Don't have the bullet feeder but made bullet feeder tubes which work well for me. I normally don't load over 200-300 at the time. Use only for pistol and revolver calibers. Rifle calibers are loaded on the RC or Co-Ax.

 

[AR-Bossman]

If you do some searching, here, there and everywhere, you will find some small tweaks that take very little time or money and will save you MASSIVE frustration with the LNL.

Get a BUNCH of the thicker washer. There is a very specific one to get and they are cheap. Do a search
Drill and tap some set screws into your powder measure to hold the hopper tube in place. YEs they will fall out when you least expect it and you can lose all that powder.
Get a primer level alarm of some sort. I have the LnL control panel. I love the primer alarm.

This is just a few of the changes that will make your life easier if you just take the time and make those changes.

 

[JO JO]

Get a BUNCH of the thicker washer. There is a very specific one to get and they are cheap. Do a search
Drill and tap some set screws into your powder measure to hold the hopper tube in place. YEs they will fall out when you least expect it and you can lose all that powder.

The Hopper falls off and spills all the powder ?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I have had my powder measure come twist loose and raise up several times. Never had it fall out.

 

[RealGun]

I have had my powder measure come twist loose and raise up several times. Never had it fall out.

Hornady offers shims to tighten up the LnL bushing.

 

[RealGun]

If you do some searching, here, there and everywhere, you will find some small tweaks that take very little time or money and will save you MASSIVE frustration with the LNL.

Get a BUNCH of the thicker washer. There is a very specific one to get and they are cheap. Do a search
Drill and tap some set screws into your powder measure to hold the hopper tube in place. YEs they will fall out when you least expect it and you can lose all that powder.
Get a primer level alarm of some sort. I have the LnL control panel. I love the primer alarm.

This is just a few of the changes that will make your life easier if you just take the time and make those changes.

What "thicker washer"? I have an LnL AP and can't think of any washer problem, except the one for jacking up the subplate to meet the shellplate more snugly.

 

[Blue68f100]

He's referring to the shim that goes between the bushing and o-ring to tighten it up. Normally 0.005" . I found out that you can just put 2 1/4" strips of paper in with it to tighten it up if needed.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I have had my powder measure come twist loose and raise up several times. Never had it fall out.

I had the same issue. Put a new bushing on it and it seemed to solve the problem. Actually I think it was just the o ring that was causing the issue.
For anyone that hasn't already learned the hard way. Some powders will destroy the plastic hopper tube if left in the measure very long.

 

[RealGun]

He's referring to the shim that goes between the bushing and o-ring to tighten it up. Normally 0.005" . I found out that you can just put 2 1/4" strips of paper in with it to tighten it up if needed.

I have that on mine, but it's not a "washer", and I don't recall there being more than one thickness ("thicker").

 

[AR-Bossman]

What "thicker washer"? I have an LnL AP and can't think of any washer problem, except the one for jacking up the subplate to meet the shellplate more snugly.

Washer was the wrong word. It should be O-ring.

http://www.theoringstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2114

 

[Enco]

Hornady Lock N Load Auto-Progressive Reloading Press,
what is the opinion on these are they a quality press ?
been thinking some day selling off my LEE turret and Redding single stage and going with one of these or a dillon 550 ,
Amazon has the Hornady on sale for 389 and free shipping ,

I've had 2 LNL's for more than ten years and they run fine. Got one set up for Large primes and 1 for small, even that's not needed because it only takes a minute or 2 to change them over.
I bought the second cause I got a great price and the free 500 bullets doesnt hurt either.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Get a primer level alarm of some sort. I have the LnL control panel. I love the primer alarm.

Inline Fabrication offers one to fit the LNL primer tube shield...it is the Dillon unit painted red.

I went cheap and just wrapped a strip of painter's tape around the primer follower rod to tell me when I'm down to my last 2 primers

 

[AR-Bossman]

Inline Fabrication offers one to fit the LNL primer tube shield...it is the Dillon unit painted red.

I went cheap and just wrapped a strip of painter's tape around the primer follower rod to tell me when I'm down to my last 2 primers

They quit making them and they sucked for clearance when the PM is in station 2

 

[9mmepiphany]

Thanks, I didn't know.

Hey, my painter's tape on the rod works great

 

[jmorris]

have had my powder measure come twist loose and raise up several times. Never had it fall out.

I have read that Hornday has shims they will send to you if you have a problem.

Only Had the powder measure self detach on one of my LNL's, I had a thicker o-ring on hand that solved the problem.

For the primer alarm I always used one off one of my Dillon's when loading on the LNL's.

 

[CCWdownrangeP2]

My very cheap fix for determining when I was about to run out of primers was to just draw a red line around the primer follower rod when there were 5 primers remaining in the tube. Had to concentrate on not losing count as I progressed through using the 95 of 100 that were loaded in the tube, then had a duhhhh moment when I realized I could have just put 5 primers in the tube and marked the follower!

 

[ssyoumans]

I haven't gotten to the point where I am faster on my Hornady LNL press than I am on my Lee Turret. I like the Lee Turret, $8 for caliber conversion and the powder thru die/expander beats the hell out of using the Hornady PTX system.

Maybe it is just me, but I have both presses and I find that I resize/deprime on a single stage, then hand prime and then run them thru either the Hornady LNL or Lee Turret. Since I can't seem to get the PTX working so I can use the bullet feeder with tubes, I honestly can load faster on the Lee. I do like the Hornady powder measure accuracy, just can't seem to get the PTX working right. Haven't found any good videos on setting it up, including Highboys.

Maybe one day I'll spend some time trying to sort it out.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I put a piece of electrical tape around the follower so it likes like a flag.

 

[Reeferman]

I haven't gotten to the point where I am faster on my Hornady LNL press than I am on my Lee Turret. I like the Lee Turret, $8 for caliber conversion and the powder thru die/expander beats the hell out of using the Hornady PTX system.

Maybe it is just me, but I have both presses and I find that I resize/deprime on a single stage, then hand prime and then run them thru either the Hornady LNL or Lee Turret. Since I can't seem to get the PTX working so I can use the bullet feeder with tubes, I honestly can load faster on the Lee. I do like the Hornady powder measure accuracy, just can't seem to get the PTX working right. Haven't found any good videos on setting it up, including Highboys.

Maybe one day I'll spend some time trying to sort it out.

The instructions in the manual are pretty clear on how to set it. However you have to make slight adjustments depending on the case length. Powder measure has to be moved up or down. I also polished the expanders with 600 and 1200 wet sandpaper and that made a big difference.

 

[Dudedog]

I have a LNL an like it. I still use my Lee Turret for small batches for rounds I don't shoot as much and for load workups. I prime off press but thats just my loading sequence. I like hand priming then I have one less thing to worry about when loading. I would say get the LNL and keep the other 2. You can never have too many presses

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I don't understand priming off of a progressive press. You are just adding extra steps and not getting the full benefit of going progressive...if your priming system is giving you trouble, fix it.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I don't understand priming off of a progressive press. You are just adding extra steps and not getting the full benefit of going progressive...if your priming system is giving you trouble, fix it.

I agree, kind of makes it a semi-progressive press.

 

[RealGun]

I agree, kind of makes it a semi-progressive press.

Whatever makes a fella happy, but avoiding the press's capability is not something I would glorify. It's just a choice. I think it does depend on what one is loading...rifle different than common handgun stuff. Personally, I don't like to feel defeated by the press, other than ditching a Loadmaster, so I do my best to keep the priming running well, including the couple parts upgrades.