Hornady LNL AP Primer Swage Tool

[Reeferman]

I've done some research on this and would like to here from those that have it and have been using it for awhile now.
The one negative I see with swaging is you must separate brass by head stamp to get the proper swage depth.
I am NOT interested in any of the other ones that swage so just want to hear about the AP one.

 

[Waldog]

I have one and it works well. I don't sort brass by head stamp, I just check to see if there is a primer crimp and I have never encountered a problem. If you think about it, the primer pockets of American manufactured brass is covered by SAAMI specs and are going to be so similar that sorting is not necessary. I'm sure others would disagree. (http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/index.cfm) I have used my LNL for a long time and I did find that the Hornady LNL primer swage was a little awkward to use at first as the "rhythm" of inserting cases to be swaged is different than if you were loading. I also have the Dillon swage. I feel the LNL swage is faster. It's a good product.

 

[Walkalong]

the primer pockets of American manufactured brass is covered by SAAMI specs and are going to be so similar that sorting is not necessary.

The pocket isn't the issue, it is the differing thicknesses of the web. I imagine the ones you have done are all similar in thickness.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

I have both the .223 and the 308 they both work fine. Now if you go to you-tube there is a video of one with a funnel that is on the extraction die then sends the case to a bucket and one where a guy sends the brass threw the case feeder that automatically turns the brass upside down and loads it in the first die. Both are ingenious.

 

[Hoopjj]

I have the .223 swage that i would be willing to part with. Thought it was great and i also never sorted by headstamp. I no longer can use it as i have moved to a xl650 and got rid of the lnl

 

[Blue68f100]

I have had one for several years now. They work great and are fast once you get into a rhythm. I do sort my brass though. Most all my 223 brass is LC (10-15). I find the staked crimp the hardest to deal with. The swaging tool use belleville springs to push the brass away once swaged. If it starts sticking put a small amount of case lube on one of the primer pockets to lube it. Does not take much.

 

[Reeferman]

I haven't started loading 223/556 yet but have several 1000 cases both with and without crimps. I looked at using a cutter like the Hornady one that could be put in a drill but at my age that isn't going to happen.
Being able to use the LNL makes sense to me especially seeing how one guy rigged up a hose for the finished cases to eject instead of using your hand. I also saw the guy that rigged up case feeder but I don't think I would do that.
Hoopjj I appreciate the offer but by the time it got through customs and duty into Canada it would probably cost more than buying it new here.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I have used my LNL for a long time and I did find that the Hornady LNL primer swage was a little awkward to use at first as the "rhythm" of inserting cases to be swaged is different than if you were loading.

I'm not quite sure I'm tracking what you are saying. The only difference I've found is that rather than placing a case into the shellplate, you're dropping them down the Feed die as you lower the handle.

As soon as you drop the case, you move that hand slightly to the right to pluck the completed case out of the Ejection die. Your hand then moves left to drop the case into a bin...on it's way to pickup another case. Then you repeat the process. I picked up about 800 cases someone left on a bay the other day (all Wolf ) and was able to swag them all, after cleaning, in about 20mins.

The one negative I see with swaging is you must separate brass by head stamp to get the proper swage depth.

When I did my first 6k I did sort them by headstamp after cleaning and drying them, it doesn't take that long....I think I only had about 6 different manufacturers. I don't check to see if the primers are crimped as it is just easier to swag them all.

I do check for depth with the first case in each batch and set my swag by feel of seating a primer. There wasn't that much difference and the Hornady swag die was very easy to adjust with it's separate locking ring

 

[bluetopper]

I use my drill and a cheap countersink bit. Works great and I'm a cheap SOB.

 

[Reeferman]

Have any of you hvae any burrs happen on the case head after swaging?

 

[9mmepiphany]

nope

 

[DRAINSMITH]

I'm going to agree with that long-winded guy before me. Nope.

 

[Kaldor]

The pocket isn't the issue, it is the differing thicknesses of the web. I imagine the ones you have done are all similar in thickness.

And this is exactly why I do not swage my brass. I dont want to fart around with sorting 25000 pieces of 223 brass by headstamp to account for differing web thicknesses...

I cut my crimps with the RCBS crimp cutter in my drill press. I keep my brass segregated from anything I buy or pickup off the ground until its been inspected and crimps cut.

 

[Reeferman]

So if you don't swage by head stamp is the primer pocket going to be that different between them?