Hornady LNL AP ?

[carsonbm]

I don't understand how to adjust Measure Adapter for the Case Activated Powder Drop. How Far does it have to be screwed into the press?:banghead:

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Call Doug at Hornady Technical Support and he'll talk you through it. Be beside the press when you call.

 

[Cloudpeak]

With a case in the proper slot so it contacts the "spout" on the bottom of the powder measure, you want the rotating drum on the powder measure to be almost to "full dump" when the hand lever is at full throw. You don't want the adjustable measure part hitting the body of the powder measure, however. IOW, When the hand lever is at full stroke, you want the measuring drum maybe 1/16+ " away from the powder measure body. You screw the lock ring up or down to achieve this.

Cloudpeak

 

[jethro75]

help

I just set my LNL AP up the other day and didnt do anything with it untill last night because I was waiting for the powder through expander and powder cop die I ordered. Everything works good untill I put powder in the dispenser and it seems like its jamming up, when i pull the handle the dispenser goes up almost all of the way and stops and when I put the handle down the meter just stays at the top. I can bring it down by hand but it feels like something is holding it back like there is powder getting around the drum. When I dump the powder out I cant see any sticking anywhere and if I work the despenser 2 or 3 times it feels smooth again and it goes up and down as it should. I am useing AA#9 its pretty fine powder. Has anyone else had anyproblems like this? Is it too fine? Or maybe I didnt get all the oil off when I cleaned it and cant see it. Does anybody have a good way of degreaseing and cleaning so powder doesnt stick anywhere?

 

[Cloudpeak]

The measuring drum isn't jamming into the powder measure body and sticking?

Try running a different powder through the measure.

Do you have the linkage springs set up properly? Post a picture of your powder measure if you can.

Cloudpeak

 

[Cheeseybacon]

New dies necessary?

OKay, stupid question, I've been hashing over the idea of upgrading from my Lee 4-hole turret press to the Hornady LNL AP and figure this is as good a thread as any to ask this... Now as I understand it, the Hornady system is a 5-station system: resize case, expand case opening, drop powder, seat bullet, then crimp. Right? So I've already invested money into the Lee's 4-piece dies for 3 calibers. The problem is that the Lee dies combine the expanding and powder dropping into a single station. How do I get around this? Can I reuse my existing dies at all, or am going to have to get an all new set of dies?

 

[Canuck-IL]

L'n'L parts are shipped with a pretty sticky rust preventative...disassemble and thoroughly clean everything then, at the most, spray with a little dry lube.
/Bryan

 

[Steve C]

The problem is that the Lee dies combine the expanding and powder dropping into a single station. How do I get around this? Can I reuse my existing dies at all, or am going to have to get an all new set of dies?

Its really quite simple, just use the Lee die to expand only and not to drop powder into the case.

Set up should be as flollows:
Die 1 - Size and deprime
priming Station
Die 2 - Expand and bell
Die 3 - Hornady powder dispensing system
Die 4- Bullet seat and crimp or just crimp if using a Lee FC die
Die 5 - Lee Factory Crimp Die (or it could alternately be the used for seat and crimp if you use a lockout or powder cop die in position 4) The system is quite flexible.

While Lee and for that matter RCBS or any other brand of dies will work in the Hornady LNL, I've found the Hornady dies to be the best choice. Their bullet seating die is one of the best I've used.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Die 5 - Lee Factory Crimp Die

You've got to be careful using the Lee FCD in station 5. In some calibers if you lower the die enough to crimp, it will contact (in some cases even cut through) the ejector wire. I found this out the hard way. I ended up modifying my Lee FCDs - I shortened them by grinding the bottoms off - so they would work in the L-N-L. Others have recommended Hornady crimp dies because they are shorter. I haven't tried them because I already had the Lee dies.

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

CheesyBacon,

You can use your Lee dies and your Pro Auto Disk measure on a Hornady LnL with no problem. Just install in a Hornady LnL Bushing, put on the press and adjust die and measure per normal instructions. Keeps you from having to buy any Hornady Powder through expanders if you already have Lee dies. You will have to grind down a bit of the LCD to clear the ejection wire though.

Dave

 

[jethro75]

I figured out the problem.

Seems like the engineers at Hornady were thinking real hard when they redisign the LNL pwder drop system. I mentioned about the dropper getting real stiff and haveing problems whith it. Well after hours of playing with it I figured it out. In the spring I asked about what was needed besides what came with the press system and was told to get the pistol micrometer insert because it was being discontinued and you would have to buy a new drum and all that and it would be twice as much. I tried AA#9 and Unique. Both bound up the dropper. I looked down in side the hopper and worked the dropper and cuold see what looked liked a little bit of an offset when the light hit it just right, so I took the drum out and put the stem back and and if you run your finger across it its inset just a hair. The powder seems to set in there and binds up the dropper. So I tried the rifle insert that came with it because to adjust the whole piece fills the hole and backs in when adjusted so powder cant get trapped and guess what it worked flawlessly. I dont know if the made the new ones this way so people could not use them and would have to buy the new drum or if this is why they discontinued it and switched to the new drum, but I never heard of anyone else having this problem, so now I have to buy the new drum anyway. Does anyone want to buy a micrometer stem that fits the rifle drum?

 

[jethro75]

I got the 355 and 357 powder through expanders for my LNL AP and it seems that it does not work well with the 357 sig cases. I even tried the the 357 to see if it would expand them better. Its like a balancing act trying to get the bullets to set on the cases and when I do most of them get shaved. I dont know if it because of the bottle neck case or what. The directions say that the proper expansiion is achieved when the powder measure is set up right I did everything as per the directions. I ended up taking out the powder cop and putting in the lee expander die and now the bullets seat nice. I havent tried the expander for 38 spec or 357 mag yet to see if they work any better. Has anyone else had any experiene or problems with the powder through expanders.