Giving up on LnL's primer system

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One thing that needs to be done on most presses is to take some fine paper - 600 or 1500 - and smooth any sharp corners or machine ridges. The primer slide must operate without any roughness. Sometimes I have had problems with primer slides galling or sticking due to surfaces that were too smooth - that is a real pain. Now I use graphite on the Hornady slide. On this press, you would need to machine a special primer ram in order to seat primers any lower than flush. Naturally, large pistol primers cause the most trouble because they require more force to seat and the press can't cut it if the pockets are a bit small. It would not be easy and the factory isn't interested in my comments on the subject.

If the slide cam wheel is flying off the track, all I can think of is that is that the slide itself sticks in its slot, or else the main plate is machined incorrectly. The main base plate is available as a replaceable part. Other than that, I would pack up the press and send it to the factory with a request for a new press. If you have tried everything else - that's what I would do. Aside from getting my primer wire adjusted at the top, nothing like what you are having ever happened on the Hornady. The Dillon primer system on the other hand was a nightmare and I got rid of it for that reason.

One more thing. If you have purchased an aftermarket roller handle, be aware that using these things causes the main ram to torque to one side. In my book, the roller handle with extended arm is asking for trouble because your cases go slightly out of alignment when you put pressure on the modified handle. That is what I've observed.

WM
 
OP, for the love of (fill in the blank), please send your press back to Hornady and let them fix it. They will fix it and you with have a great story to tell your grandkids. If money is an issue I will pay the postage.
 
I've just bought the press and when I first got it the priming system wouldn't work right. I set it up as per the hiboy youtube video and now it works fine. And it seats very slightly below flush. But I do have to push hard it seems.
I know op said he watched all the youtube videos and it sounds like something else is going on. I'm leaning toward sending it back also.
 
OP, that breakaway cam wire and bracket is designed to do just that. As the Hornady tech told you, it's a breaking point designed to protect more expensive parts from being damaged. From having broken 2 of the brackets and having the cam wire slip out a few times, I can tell you -- as you have noticed -- something is way off.
One of the posters here (DrainSmith) mentioned a trick for lining up the priming system, it's in the tips and tricks post.
Try that out, and see, particularly when the replacement parts come in.
 
whoa WHOA WHOA!! Cool your jets Cracker Jack, you haven't even had your machine a month yet. If you think that those of us that have our machines running perfectly now, had them running as smooth as owl snot the first day, you are mistaken.
You have already started out right by watching Highboys videos. He knows what he is talking about on setting the machine up. Now if your eye sight isn't as good as his you can go to "what clever things have you "invented or discovered" that you can share" post #1334. I posted how to time your machine, if you can't see as well as Highboy.
What ever you do, don't give up. If you need to PM me I can talk you threw most problems.
 
First off I bet your primer rod is upside down, this causes flexing of the black retainer on top. Second watch the Highboy YouTube videos and set up your press correctly.. You will love the outcome

Thewelshm
 
DRAINSMITH said:
whoa WHOA WHOA!! Cool your jets Cracker Jack, you haven't even had your machine a month yet. If you think that those of us that have our machines running perfectly now, had them running as smooth as owl snot the first day, you are mistaken.
Click to expand...

Sorry, it is pretty poor design and execution if the priming system does not work as smooth as "owl's snot" right out of the box. The customer should not have to trouble shoot and "modify" and "tune" a part of the system right out of the box.

My main complaint with the priming systems on the L-N-L, Dillon SDB and RCBS Pro2000 is you cannot inspect the primer after it has been seated and before you load powder and a bullet. The professional loading machines have a primer inspection instrument after the seating step. Why complete the cartridge loading and then have to re-work it later.

The best I could ever manage with each of the mentioned presses is one failure every 600-700 rounds which is unacceptable to me. If i could inspect the primer seating, I could cull the case and only re-work the primer.

Fortunately, I prefer to clean cases after sizing and I can prime 100 cases with a hand primer faster than filling a primer tube. Loading cases without dealing with sizing them makes the loading process go smoother in my opinion.

I've stripped the priming systems off my L-N-L and Dillon SDBs. I bought a Dillon BL550 instead of the RL550 because I did not have to pay for a priming system I was going to scrap anyway.

Finally, I dealt with this kind of excrement with high speed packaging equipment in my professional career and I'm over it. I am not in the mood to screw up my retirement worrying about making some Rube Goldberg device work when I have a suitable work a round, albeit, not as sexy a solution. I still load more ammunition on my progressives faster than I can shoot it.

In any case, I understand the OP's frustration.
 
I have a LNL and it primes ok, but I prefer to resize/decap clean the brass and prime by hand. Extra step I know, but I can sit and watch the news (or whatever) and prime cases.
To me it's worth the trouble to clean the brass and not have to fiddle with primers when I am loading.

Hopefully you can get yours to cooperate.
 
"Never fill a 38 Special case with a compressed load of Winchester 231 smokeless powder," is advice that is kind of hard to oppose.
This type of warning is appropriate because it will always have the same bad outcome, regardless who does the procedure.

Instruction on seating and crimping in the same step is cartridge-specific advice, and there are situations where this is correct and there are situations where this is not correct. Likewise with tool use. I find it somewhat comical to read statements about using a tool "as it was intended to be used," or "that use defeats the purpose of a progressive press." The only intention I think is clear is that the press designers intend that ammunition be assembled with the presses they design. It is our choice how to go about doing that.

No one should assert that the only way to use a progressive press is simply and absolutely one-pass operation. With that said, if you really want to prime on the LNL, and if you have exhausted all possible solutions, let Hornady make it right. There is definitely a mechanical issue here.

I gave up on priming on the press for a completely different reason than mechanical problems with the on-press priming system. I found that the way I like to prepare my cases requires that I run at least two passes on the press. If needed for my satisfaction, I would run as many passes as it took without resentment ;)

If I shot a gazillion rounds in competition I am sure I would be tickled pink to dump fired cases in the case feeder and catch the completed rounds in a big bucket. :D
 
My LnL seats primers below flush. Always has. If somebody's doesn't, they need a new ram. One advantage of the LnL system is that you can feel the primer seat. Any time something feels wrong, I stop and take a look. Usually, that's when seating is too easy, not too hard. High primers are rare, and usually happen when the primer hole is wrong. The primer gets deformed, and doesn't seat properly. You can usually feel a high primer. The shellplate drags. If it's really high, you have to loosen the plate to get it out. None of this stuff is rocket science, just getting to know your equipment.
 
wireman said:
Again, NO consumer press that I know of will seat a primer below flush and most get away with slightly above that. Its a fact.
Click to expand...

Better check your facts. My Dillon 650 has been seating primers slightly below flush for about 25 years and 500,000 rounds now. I know about a dozen people using various Lee, Hornady, and Dillon progressives and EVERY one of them seats primers slightly below flush.
 
cmcgehee said:
I have polished the slide and also used graphite. I talked again today with Hornady and they felt that there must be a problem with the slide so are sending new ones. I looked very carefully at both. The large primer slide did seem to have a problem...the little axel that holds the wheel was pressed into a hole in the edge of the slide. When the hole was drilled it was off center and so close to edge of slide that the slide itself had a little rounded bump where the axel was pressed into it.....Looking at the small slide, it has very rough mold ridges in the tapered primer hole itself. It is very possible both of these problems could be causing the problem. The large slide by the wheel being off and the small slide by the rough ridges hanging up on the primers themselves as they drop. I would be thrilled to death if this would solve the problem. I am very happy with all other aspects of the press. Every thing on the press is very easy to adjust for smooth performance.
Click to expand...
Hopefully, you've found the problem and the new primer slides will solve it for you. I've been using my new LnL AP now for a few months and have to say that I haven't had a problem with the primer function at all.
 
thomas15 said:
OP, for the love of (fill in the blank), please send your press back to Hornady and let them fix it. They will fix it and you with have a great story to tell your grandkids. If money is an issue I will pay the postage.
Click to expand...
I have discussed returning with Hornady Techs and they asked me to wait until they send me replacement slides to try (the only parts that have not been replaced). I have no problem doing this as I appreciate the support they have been giving. As for a "story" for my Grandkids...they are not kids anymore..they also reload and are just as frustrated as i am over this problem. Thanks, but i don't need any help with postage if I decide to return.
 
Wireman said:
One thing that needs to be done on most presses is to take some fine paper - 600 or 1500 - and smooth any sharp corners or machine ridges. The primer slide must operate without any roughness. Sometimes I have had problems with primer slides galling or sticking due to surfaces that were too smooth - that is a real pain. Now I use graphite on the Hornady slide. On this press, you would need to machine a special primer ram in order to seat primers any lower than flush. Naturally, large pistol primers cause the most trouble because they require more force to seat and the press can't cut it if the pockets are a bit small. It would not be easy and the factory isn't interested in my comments on the subject.

If the slide cam wheel is flying off the track, all I can think of is that is that the slide itself sticks in its slot, or else the main plate is machined incorrectly. The main base plate is available as a replaceable part. Other than that, I would pack up the press and send it to the factory with a request for a new press. If you have tried everything else - that's what I would do. Aside from getting my primer wire adjusted at the top, nothing like what you are having ever happened on the Hornady. The Dillon primer system on the other hand was a nightmare and I got rid of it for that reason.

One more thing. If you have purchased an aftermarket roller handle, be aware that using these things causes the main ram to torque to one side. In my book, the roller handle with extended arm is asking for trouble because your cases go slightly out of alignment when you put pressure on the modified handle. That is what I've observed.

WM
Click to expand...
Wireman....I have smoothed out all edges on the slide and I do use graphite. I am pretty well convinced that the irregularities in the priner hole itself is the root of the problem by allowing the primer to hang up the slide. We will see when replacement comes. I do not have the roller handle but was considering getting the short roller handle later. Thanks!
 
THEWELSHM said:
First off I bet your primer rod is upside down, this causes flexing of the black retainer on top. Second watch the Highboy YouTube videos and set up your press correctly.. You will love the outcome

Thewelshm
Click to expand...
The Primer rod (Cam Wire) is not upside down. The rounded end goes in the Cam Plunger Cup.
 
DRAINSMITH said:
whoa WHOA WHOA!! Cool your jets Cracker Jack, you haven't even had your machine a month yet. If you think that those of us that have our machines running perfectly now, had them running as smooth as owl snot the first day, you are mistaken.
You have already started out right by watching Highboys videos. He knows what he is talking about on setting the machine up. Now if your eye sight isn't as good as his you can go to "what clever things have you "invented or discovered" that you can share" post #1334. I posted how to time your machine, if you can't see as well as Highboy.
What ever you do, don't give up. If you need to PM me I can talk you threw most problems.
Click to expand...
DRAINSMITH...I had watched Hiboy's video and also had read your post #1334. I appreciate the help offer and might take you up on that after receiving the new slide plates.
 
cmcgehee said:
It is a little strange that Hornady's Tech's have not been able to pinpoint the problem yet either. According to your thinking, maybe they should only be making single stage presses so it won't be too complicated for them. I am glad that your engineering ability would have solved the problem immediately. Congrats! Now I will know who to call next time I run into something that is not "simple". Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
I have a LnL AP Progressive that is 5 years old.
When I first purchased it I had a problem with the press having difficulty ejecting .223 cases sporadically. I spoke with their techs a few times trying to pinpoint the cause.
They sent me a new shellplate to no avail then they sent me a complete sub-plate which solved the problem.
As for priming issues, mine required polishing of the edges of the shuttles to allow the shuttles to slide forward enough to center the punches.

Have you tried going through the priming system piece by piece?
1)Ensure that the primer punches have no debris in them allowing the punches to sit flush in their housings.
2)Make sure that the small wheel rolls freely on the shuttle
3)Remove the primer tube and ensure that the shuttles move forward and backwards fully and smoothly by hand.
I posted a small video on Photobucket hopefully you can spot something that may be causing your issues.
Just click on the image below.
th_EB341193-A987-47B4-80C4-7E61994A2BBD_zpsunesx6kd.jpg

Can you post a video of your issue?
 
thump_rrr said:
I have a LnL AP Progressive that is 5 years old.
When I first purchased it I had a problem with the press having difficulty ejecting .223 cases sporadically. I spoke with their techs a few times trying to pinpoint the cause.
They sent me a new shellplate to no avail then they sent me a complete sub-plate which solved the problem.
As for priming issues, mine required polishing of the edges of the shuttles to allow the shuttles to slide forward enough to center the punches.

Have you tried going through the priming system piece by piece?
1)Ensure that the primer punches have no debris in them allowing the punches to sit flush in their housings.
2)Make sure that the small wheel rolls freely on the shuttle
3)Remove the primer tube and ensure that the shuttles move forward and backwards fully and smoothly by hand.
I posted a small video on Photobucket hopefully you can spot something that may be causing your issues.
Just click on the image below.
th_EB341193-A987-47B4-80C4-7E61994A2BBD_zpsunesx6kd.jpg

Can you post a video of your issue?
Click to expand...
thump_rrr....Watched your video. Everything lines up perfectly. The slide slides very smoothly. I can run it all day long without the Primer feed Housing Body (#14) as you are doing in your video or with the Housing Body only (no primer tube) without any problem. When I install the housing body and primer tube it will pick up a primer and seat it perfectly (very smoothly) for 2 or 3 primers and then all of a sudden kick the cam wire out of the cam plunger. It has got to be a defective slide (primer hole in slide) or a defective Sub plate in my opinion. I should receive the replacement slides from Hornady either today or tomorrow to test out. If that does not solve the problem, I will return to hornady. I have read of people having a problem like to this due to both scenarios. All of the other check items that you listed have been checked many times. Thanks
 
Alright.. Just set mine up. Only advice I can give is about the primer hole line up which I'm sure is the first thing you messed with. Mine came no where near how highboy said to set it up and if it weren't for his video I doubt I would have got it working so fast. 100 primers went through perfect. The machine marks and burrs seem like something they would take care of but I'm not going to mess with them unless I have an issue
 
ljnowell said:
This forum is great, no doubt. I just hate to see someone kick a guy who is already down and looking for help.
Click to expand...
This Forum is great! I have learned a lot about different things from the experiences of others and I really appreciate it!
 
I removed a couple of insulting posts. We don't do that here. Thanks to all the members who are trying, and have been, helpful. :)
 
Walkalong said:
I removed a couple of insulting posts. We don't do that here. Thanks to all the members who are trying, and have been, helpful. :)
Click to expand...
Thanks again for all the help! I think we are close to solving the problem so I can start loading again. I am very pleased with the LnL press.
 
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