Hornady LnL AP w/o PTX

[capreppy]

So I finally got home from a week long business trip to find all the boxes of stuff I ordered from across the web.

The thing I had to go to Hornady directly for was a .451 PTX because at the time I was ordering, EVERYONE was sold out.

I am still awaiting a PTX for a Hornady LnL AP. I am trying to get a status on the order, but I don't know if Hornady is open on weekends.

Can I use the LnL AP Powder Drop w/o a PTX installed if I use a Hornady Case Expander Die in a separate station?

 

[abq87120]

I an a NOOB reloader with a spanking new LnL AP. Your rig came with three inserts that fit into the tube that holds the powder drop. Each insert is a different length. The LnL powder drop directions instructed me to use the longest of these for pistol carts. Look through your instructions.

I loaded a hundred 9mm's without a flare. They did not seem to cause any shavings but that could vary with your bullet/cart combination.

Dan in ABQ

 

[capreppy]

I an a NOOB reloader with a spanking new LnL AP. Your rig came with three inserts that fit into the tube that holds the powder drop. Each insert is a different length. The LnL powder drop directions instructed me to use the longest of these for pistol carts. Look through your instructions.

I loaded a hundred 9mm's without a flare. They did not seem to cause any shavings but that could vary with your bullet/cart combination.

Dan in ABQ

I hadn't put anything together yet (still need to put the base together that I will mount the press to). I'll take a look at the instructions over breakfast.

Thanks!!

 

[30Remington]

I say yes you can reload with out the PTX. PTX is the powder through expander right? I have mine set up with resize/decapper in the first station, expander in the second, powder drop in the third.

 

[cfullgraf]

Yes, you can reload without the PTX expander and use the drop tubes that came with the press kit. The standard Harnady expander die will work fine when adjusted properly.

The PTX frees up a station on the press for a powder cop die and/or crimping in a separate operation.

Have fun with your new "toy".

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I don't have a PTX die. I've been loading for a couple of years with the L-N-L AP and haven't found a need...Matter of fact, yesterday I ran off 500 .45
ACP's.

My stations are like this: Size/decapper, expander, powder measure, powder cop, seat/crimp.

 

[Xfire68]

I ran into the same issue with the PTX being sold out and I wanted this option.

I bought a universal Powder Through Expander from Powderfunnels.com for $25 shipped and it works great. One expander replaces all 5 from Hornady!

Flares all calibers from 30 to 50!

 

[capreppy]

I don't have a PTX die. I've been loading for a couple of years with the L-N-L AP and haven't found a need...Matter of fact, yesterday I ran off 500 .45
ACP's.

My stations are like this: Size/decapper, expander, powder measure, powder cop, seat/crimp.

The only issue I have with this setup is that I want to seat at one station and taper crimp on the last station. This would take away my ability to have the Powder Cop.

Everything I've read says don't roll crimp and do a taper crimp separately on .45ACP.

 

[k4swb]

I ran into the same issue with the PTX being sold out and I wanted this option.

I bought a universal Powder Through Expander from Powderfunnels.com for $25 shipped and it works great. One expander replaces all 5 from Hornady!

Flares all calibers from 30 to 50

I got a bad PTX die when I ordered my first one that would not flair the case at all.
I am now using the flairing button from powderfunnels.com and am quite satisfied with it. 9mm .44 mag and .45 ACP. Lead, plated or jacketed, it works for me. I have a couple of the case activated powder measure bottoms and just take the measure off one and put it on another that is adjusted for a different caliber after dropping in the powderfunnel and off I go.

 

[noylj]

The "problem" with the powderfunnel is that it only flares/bells the case mouth. If you have the Hornady expander die installed, this works fine.
However, if you are not using a case expander, then when you seat jacketed bullets you are more likely to get a bulged case. If you are loading lead bullets, you are more likely to swage down the bullet unevenly.
My L-N-L works perfectly with the PTXs I ordered about 3 years ago. From what I can gather, it would seem that Hornady has changed their PTXs and people are having problems adjusting them (I assume since mine simply require me to turn the powder die in or out to get the expansion and flare--it is too easy for so many to have problems that I am forced to assume that Hornady improved something that didn't need improvment).
You may use the Hornady expander die to expand and flare the case and simply use the drop tubes if that is really all the measure comes with now.
I think the L-N-L measure is about as perfect as a measure can be. However, I would not be without a Lee Pro Auto-Disk or the Dillon powder measure. There are simply days when only one of the three measures will be consistent--phase of the moon or something. The Dillon is my least favorite.
Personally, there is nothing much better than the Lee PTE dies for expanding and flaring the case. You can spend a lot more money and not have as good a die.
I expected by now that expander dies (as supplied by Hornady) would be a special order item and all the companies would have their own powder-through expander type dies.
A "modern" die set should consist of a sizing/decapping die, a powder-through expander die, a bullet seating die, and a taper or roll crimp die.