Hornady LNL Powder Measure Drum Sticking

I'm not new to reloading but new to the Hornady LNL AP and its powder measure. I am using a PTX 9mm/0.355 expander. Instructions lack detail so I'm having trouble figuring this out.

At times I am experiencing the rotor getting stuck in the raised position between cycles of the press. I verified that there is enough clearance for its linkage to function. The meter is not binding against the top of the cutout in the powder measure frame (it has clearance when raised). All parts are clean, degreased, and dry lubed with Teflon spray (like Hornady One Shot).

The one thing that I noticed that could be affecting the powder measure is that I probably have the die in deeper than it should be. I searched YouTube (which I typically dislike for a lot of reasons), and found one where the credible gentleman shows that he has about 7 visible threads of the die when inserted. I have 4 visible threads. Is this what is causing my issue? If it is the cause, how exactly is it causing the problem? Or something else?

I show pictures where you can see the depth of the die, as well as the expander touching the shell plate. I hesitate to show this as I do not want it to be a red herring which may not lead me to resolving the binding/sticking drum. That is why I asked for an explanation as to how the problem is being caused by the die being threaded in too much (if it is the cause).

This thing is a real pain in the neck to re-set up over and over. I'm tempted to use my trusty reliable Lee Auto Drum with the Lee powder through expanding die. But, I do not want to give up on what could be a really good powder measure.

Thank you in advance.

tightgroup tiger said:

Dumb question but did you put the return spring back on after putting the stop bar on?
View attachment 1109422
If it is on there, check the thumb nut on the lower linkage to make sure the shoulder bolt has the shoulder in the hole of the linkage instead of against the linkage. That's the thumb nut just to the right of where the spring hooks on at the bottom.

Something else. I have had my stick when up and I would just touch it and it would slam down. When it would do this I would have to take the measure drum out and clean around between the frame and the the drum. Some flakes of powder would get in there and start rolling around and make it tight to move. It would go up and not want to come back down. Only happens about once a year.

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That was my first error that caused binding (the thumb screw). I thought that I had it all figured out until it happened again. It does abruptly slam down like you described. I actually removed the drum and cleaned and dry lubed it a second time, along with the frame portion where the drum rotates, but no luck with that. The spring behind the PTX stop is there, by the way. Thanks for all the ideas, though!

Side note: Thank goodness I was watching everything carefully and saw no powder in the cases. I use an endoscope to view the brass after it comes out of the powder measure station (in one of the pics, you can see its camera end held on with a yellow zip tie). I need to sit while I reload, so unlike a lot of guys and gals, I cannot easily view down into the case. That's why I always start off really slow when I get a new press or setup.

BBarn said:

Check for binding of the hex portion of the powder measure insert in the powder measure slot. Sometimes the insert can get rotated enough to bind somewhere in the slot.

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I'll check that later tonight or possibly tomorrow when I have the time, thanks.

Kaldor said:

View attachment 1109417
My setup for 9mm. I have 7 threads showing. Is it binding on the limiter bar? If you take the bar off, does it stop binding? Or on the spring? You can also see Im using the RCBS PTX. Much better than the Hornady part.

View attachment 1109418
I put a washer in mine because I was seeing alot of twisting and misalignment. Helps smooth it out.

View attachment 1109419
My other drop that I use for pretty much everything for the last forever. This one has the washer and a collar behind it because it was binding alot. The bluing helps control rust.

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I like that nylon washer idea, I'll definitely do that, as everything I also notice the powder measure "dancing", too.

I did not know that an RCBS insert would work, very cool.

It was not binding on every raise of the ram, so I cannot answer your questions about the limiter bar precisely. But when I am ready to take the die and powder measure apart again (tonight or tomorrow), I do plan to bring the powder measure up to the 7 thread level. I do have a feeling that that is the source of my issue, but because I am still having trouble visualizing exactly how everything works together inside the powder measure and die.

tightgroup tiger said:

I will look at the RCBS PTX also, that would be a big plus for my process.
Thanks for sharing that Kaldor.

Radom Guy, I'll go out and stare at my powder measure some more. Something I saw in the first pics of your powder measure, I don't remember my ptx neck sizer hanging down and touching the shell plate like yours does with the ram up. I'm not currently using a ptx right now so I can't go look at that.

I have a new 700lb smoker being delivered in an hour and don't want to get started on setting my ptx system back up to see if neck sizer touching the shell plate with no case in there, is something that is out of the norm. Smoker will be here before I get it set up.

Maybe Kaldor or BBarn can check on their measure to see if that is correct , when this smoker gets here I have to uncrate it and figure out how to get it to my back yard spot where it will stay. I will have to toe it with something somehow.
Anyways, good luck with this, for now.

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Super, thanks for checking. Write back when it's convenient for you. I included that picture for that purpose, so folks could see the PTX expander where it is.

I'm definitely going to readjust the die depth tomorrow, and check the things that you and others recommend.

I am pretty darn frustrated with this thing right now. That Lee Auto Drum is calling my name (but I will resist! Haha)!

Kaldor said:

Youll love two things about the Hornady drop. Its accurate and it doesnt leak at all. Ive measured +/- .02 with ball powders on my FX120i. Even W296/H110 doesnt leak and its the finest ball powder Ive ever used.

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That's what I am hoping for: that it'll be worth the effort. The thing that is most irritating is the poor instructions between the Powder measure instructions as well as the LNL AP instructions. I am the type who actually reads instruction manuals (for stuff like this), but there's little guidance on how to initially set up powder measure (how far to thread it down an why).

Even with Hornady's own videos, the Hornady employee in the video says something to the effect of "just rotate that down a few turns." So I did "a few" - three, but that didn't get me where I need to be. And in their videos, in order of the playlists, they bounce around between using Ptx expanders and suddenly in the next one it's a straight pistol powder sleeve (obviously not flaring the case). I generally do not like learning from videos as it takes so much longer than reading a well written manual.

One thing about the Richard Lee reloading book is that it's very much a big advertisement for Lee products. But if one can look past that, he really explains everything about the equipment that he wants the reader to buy. When I started reloading 10 years ago, I did not need to watch a single video. Everything was explained well in the Lee book. I looked in Hornadys reloading book hoping for the same, specifics about their products, but it wasn't there.

sorry for the rant!

Skgreen said:

May we have a pic of what the case (or cases) look like after it sticks/slams?

My Hornady PTX drop die stuck quite a bit at times. The RCBS version is much better in those regards. (It's not a 100% 'plug and play' equivalent. It's a little bit longer and you'll need to re-adjust the 'number of rings'.

IIRC, the RCBS version also duplicates the coveted 'M' die case-shaping effect while the Hornady PTX doesn't.

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I actually do not have those cases because I loaded them afterwards, since they already had primers. So they were expanded as they were supposed to, bullet sat on case mouth just right. No crushing of cases. I'm guessing that is what you wanted to know. If not, just let me know. Thanks for the info on the RCBS sleeve, too.

BBarn said:

Check for binding of the hex portion of the powder measure insert in the powder measure slot. Sometimes the insert can get rotated enough to bind somewhere in the slot.

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This afternoon I worked it everso slowly. I do believe that that was happening. I recleaned and dry lubed the slotted area as well as part of the drum that is exposed (it was spotless and still is). I removed and reinserted the metering insert, ensuring that its hex portion has enough clearance.

Is there anything else I can do for it? It does seem to have enough clearance but it is close. Perhaps the case actuation linkage was moving around too much and moving the metering insert with it, causing it to bind? It's hard to tell at the moment. Maybe I'll have to raise it extremely slowly again tomorrow and study it some more. Maybe I'll get lucky between this and the die adjustment that I will do, and it'll be resolved.

If not, I was imagining in my head what I would do if it continues to happen. All I could think of was that I would have to call Hornady and see if they want to send me a new powder measure frame, if that slot is not wide enough. Fortunately I'm not stupid enough to start dremeling it just because I think I know what I am doing, haha!

Kaldor said:

Youll be able to see if its binding, thus the washer. Not every drop needs it. And they can be different thicknesses as well.
RCBS PTX is alot like a Lyman M-die, creates a smaller gradual flare with a shelf that works just as good as a big flare. Took me a bit to get it working, but it was worth it.
Take the limiter bar off, and just check and see if it still catches on the upstroke with just the spring on it. Mine was a bit janky at first too, but runs well now.
Needless to say, this drop is perma setup for 9mm. I hated setting the PTX up that much.

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I will see how it does without the limiter/PTX stop tomorrow. Part of the problem was that it was not happening every time (I forgot to mention that in my original post - I'll edit it). Because it's not happening every time, it makes it a lot more tricky to diagnose.

I did add two nylon washers to try to reduce the slight "dancing" of the linkage. The washers are not overly thick, so they are helping instead of hurting.

Also, just an FYI, it did appear to have trouble with the metering insert and its slot in the powder measure frame. I tried some things to hopefully resolve the problems but I have not had time to reset its depth in the die yet, nor have I had time to test it well just yet. Hopefully tomorrow.

Blue68f100 said:

been over a decade since I even looked at the settings on my LNL-AP PTX. One thing I remember when you set the pinch clamp on the dispenser make sure the 2 bars are horz. If not you may not get full stroke. For setup loose the stop. Set it up to work without (adj body up down) then add it back on once set. I use multiple bases for different calibers, so I can quick change. All are set so I don't have to touch/adj the PTX STOP. The stop is set and never adj again. If I do I have to reset all 7 of my preset bases.

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I actually did get it functioning without the PTX stop when setting it up, and I'll do that again when readjusting tomorrow. I'll again make sure that the two bars are horizontal to prevent unusual movement of the linkage, as I know that could certainly cause problems.

That must be great to have multiple die bodies for each caliber. And that is helpful to know that you do not have to make further adjustments between caliber and lower die body swaps.

Thanks for your input.

I have now found the instructions for the powder measure only (not the press manual). I missed a particular section about installing the linkage as if it was purchased separately from the powder measure itself. I never removed the case activation top bracket from when I took it out of the box. It's not set at the right height, which forced me to put the powder measure adapter in too deep.

I'm going to take it all apart when I can make the time to do so. This time I WILL remove the upper bracket of the case activation linkage and make sure that its pivot pin is centered with the centerline of the ram. One of The hex screws for the upper bracket was extremely tight out of the box. I could not release it unless I decided to give it a lot of force, so I left it where it was, believing that Hornady put it in its correct placement as they claim to do. Little did I know that it was shipped to me with the upper bracket being installed at the incorrect level.

As soon as I do all this, I'll let folks know the results of course.

Skgreen said:

If it gets to the point of frustration, there's nothing wrong with exploring other methods, at least until you get it going.
I no longer use my powder drop dies, but it takes me 2 trips through the press (LNL AP) from start to finish for pistol.

Trip1:
Station:
1. Universal Decapper
2. Sizing die
4. RCBS Flaring die

Trip 2:
Station:
1. Powder drop.
2. Lockout die
3. Bullet feeder
4. Seater
5. Crimp

Lot's less stress on me and the press.
In my experience, it also produces more-consistent ammo.

(Secretly wishing Hornady would make an 8+ station progressive w/cast iron frame,,,,,,,,)

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Thanks, yes, good points! I've thought of doing my pistol reloading like that before, too. I may do it like that at one point.

My update is that I do not have an update today, haha! I could not make the time for my workshop today. Hopefully tomorrow. I will say that the pivot link screw for the linkage is not quite centered (from the factory, as I discussed earlier), so when the metering insert is horizontal, the link is not quite parallel, as Hornady recommends in the powder measure manual.

I'll update here once I work on it again. Thanks for the help, everyone.