My brother and I purchased the Hornady LNL AP press at Christmas time, I set the press up, and all was going well with the small pistol primers, I loaded about 200 38 cal loads, I did have to remember to push the handle back fairly hard but it worked. Then I started with the 243 Winchester ammo which uses the large rifle primer. The first one I did, I worked the handle back like I did with the 38cal pistol case and the primer hung far enough out of the case that it wouldn't continue around until I pushed it harder and the primer came out and got under the shellplate and sheered the key off of the Drum head, they had to send me a new Drum head. I have a hand RCBS primer tool and the six cartridges that I was able to load, I had to finish seating the primer into the case with the hand primer. It was interesting reading that all of you have run across the same thing, for me it was just the large primers.
Does the Dillon press allow you to use Hornady or RCBS dies with their progressive press? I know they make a 550b and I hear they have a 650 model also.
I guess I will play with the Hornady, since we did pay $399 for it. I have been reloading since 1976 and before this progressive press, I have always used a single stage press, the regular RCBS and then I moved onto the Rock Chucker. After using a progressive press, I don't want to go back to the single stage presses with all the loading trays where I would batch process the loading process.
I hope that I can get the Hornady working, I didn't get the case feeder, I figured since I had to insert a bullet that I may as well have insert the case. For the 38cal, once I got the powder thrower set right, I loaded shells really fast, in about 1/4 the time of using a single stage press. After stopping with the 6 243cal shells, I haven't had time to get back to it, I did put the drum head in.
Anyway, at least I know that I am not doing something wrong.
Thanks,
Marcus