Hornady Lock N Load Auto-Progressive Reloading Press

[thomas15]

I asked for and received a LNL-AP for Christmas 2014 from my wife. At the time I had plenty of ammo ready to go and I wanted to make a dedicated bench and purchase a bunch of LNL-AP add-on items to make handloading more fun and efficient.

I spent a lot of time reading about this press before and after getting it. Once I had the press in my grubby little hands I began to have second thoughts because I was reading a lot of the negative comments on the interwebs. I persisted however and built my bench.

Finally the day came when I had run out of excuses for keeping the press in the box. Labor day weekend, 2015, almost 9 months after receiving the press I set it up. I hardly used the instructions, just put it together. Within about 40 minutes of unboxing I was pulling the handle and have been doing so since then. Over 20K rounds no problems. Except I broke the plastic bracket that holds the wire for the primer shuttle. Replaced with the extra that comes with the press and Hornady sent me another for free. I like my press and would say that it doesn't live up to the negative impression some assign to it.

You do have to keep it clean and pay attention to what your doing but with mine, with every pull yields a round of ammo. Having said all that I don't like to make purchase recommendations. I'm simply giving a true picture of my experience with the press. Also to each his own but I personally would not be happy with a progressive press that I couldn't prime on.

 

[THEWELSHM]

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.

Want to sell it they set up real well simply... but some may find them a challenge? Strip it down clean rebuild it and re set dies, primer system etc... good to go mate..

Thewelshm

 

[Dudedog]

I can prime on the LNL if I want to, priming works fine not hard to adjust. I just prefer to do a quick case clean, deprime/resize and then clean again, then prime cases. I can prime cases while watching TV and have them ready to load. For me I prefer the feel of the hand primer, and I can load it with primers faster than the tubes. (of course I could buy a tube filler) but then I need to stop to fill tubes or have metal tubes full of primers laying someplace.
This also lets me do case inspection when priming and discover any cases with crimped pockets. (ran in to some crimped 45s the other day)
I also flair the case mouths (pistol) in the deprime run.
Then my sequence for pistol is 1 Powder, 2 RCBS lockout die(9mm) powder cop everything else, 3 Bullet feeder (tube type), 4 seat,5 FCD. sure this is a bit slower but it gives me the combination of dies I want for loading.
(and yes I could do without either the powder cop/lockout die or the FCD, but I like using both)

FCD haters will chime in here....Yes I can load perfectly good ammo without it, but I happen to like it.

The Hornday PTX works for (me) for plated/jacketed but does not give me the amount of flair I want for lead. It;s easier for me when changing calibers just to flair with something else on the deprime pass since I load multiple calibers.
Also I find the PTX sort of a pain to adjust. I do have different PTX stops so I can get close when changing but for me it's not worth the trouble.

I just go with what works well for me, others may find making 2 passes "wastes" too much time.

Sure wish I had 1 more station or 2.

 

[jmorris]

I just go with what works well for me, others may find making 2 passes "wastes" too much time.

It just doubles the work needed to complete each round. I have to do it too when I load rounds that have to be sized and trimmed on the first pass then loaded on the second pass.

 

[RealGun]

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.

It is a shame you can't work that out. I would try to help by PM if you commit to getting it done.

 

[RealGun]

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.

A nit, but to be clear, I believe the adjustment is in the lower assembly, the die, rather than the measure itself (the upper assembly). That is why belling adjustments can be preserved by owning dedicated lower assemblies. The powder measure main assembly (upper) can be moved unmolested from one lower assembly to another. The PTX resides in the lower assembly and is caliber specific; unless using the universal, tapered one, which I don't recommend, wanting to avoid coke-bottle cartridges. Hopefully, there is the understanding that one has to obtain a separate part (for each caliber) for the expander insert, which is only needed, if not including an expander die station.

 

[Jeff H]

Another satisfied L-n-L owner. I've had mine for a shorter time than most here, but I have no regrets that I didn't go Blue.

 

[Reeferman]

A nit, but to be clear, I believe the adjustment is in the lower assembly, the die, rather than the measure itself (the upper assembly). That is why belling adjustments can be preserved by owning dedicated lower assemblies. The powder measure main assembly (upper) can be moved unmolested from one lower assembly to another. The PTX resides in the lower assembly and is caliber specific; unless using the universal, tapered one, which I don't recommend, wanting to avoid coke-bottle cartridges. Hopefully, there is the understanding that one has to obtain a separate part (for each caliber) for the expander insert, which is only needed, if not including an expander die station.

What exactly can't you get to work with the PTX? I had to adjust the upper to get the PTX stop to fit. If you look at my picture and the pictures in the manual you will see I had to move the powder measure up to get the PTX stop to fit and stop bolts are in more than what the manual says that is what I'm talking about. I have had no issues with it after adjusting it this way. I agree that having several lowers speeds up the caliber conversions but once you understand how the adjustment works it only takes several minutes to do. I'm not in that big of a hurry.

 

[RealGun]

What exactly can't you get to work with the PTX? I had to adjust the upper to get the PTX stop to fit. If you look at my picture and the pictures in the manual you will see I had to move the powder measure up to get the PTX stop to fit and stop bolts are in more than what the manual says that is what I'm talking about. I have had no issues with it after adjusting it this way. I agree that having several lowers speeds up the caliber conversions but once you understand how the adjustment works it only takes several minutes to do. I'm not in that big of a hurry.

Do it this way, and everything will fit and work perfectly. The top is maxed out, and the actual adjustment is on the bottom.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Reeferman]

Real gun I made mistake replying to your post I was replying to post 44. However mine works very well the way it is. He hasn't said what issues he is having.