Running a Hornady LNL AP out of primers

[tightgroup tiger]

I just got a new Hornady LNL AP loading press. This is the first Hornady press I have owned and I am very happy with it. It's smooth as glass compared to my other progressive press which is pretty well worn out.

I have a question for the other AP owners on this forum.

With using the primer tubes to fill another enclosed primer supply tube for the press, what tricks does anyone have to avoid running the press out of primers and making a mess.

I mounted a mechanical counter under the shell feed shuttle bracket so I could keep track that way. (Put in 103 primers, every 100 shells fill the primer tube back up).

Are their any other ways or is that about it?

 

[dbarnhart]

Your press should have come with a white fiberglass rod ro be inserted into the primer tube during operation. The weight of it makes the primers feed better. Most people put a mark or to on the rod to indicate how many primers are left.

 

[helotaxi]

Sort your cases into lots of 100 for loading. 100 case, 100 primers. Impossible to "run out" as you refill the primer magazine when you get the next lot of cases.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I woundered what that white rod was for. It wasn't covered in the assy vidio.
I wish that mechanical counter was smaller or I could have put it under the press so it wasn't on my bench but it wouldn't fit.

Thanks, that was what I wanted to know. I'll mark the rod and use it that way.

 

[Blue68f100]

You can put a flag (tape) on the primer push rod to indicate where your at. The rod should also lock the primer sled back when empty. You should also notice a difference if there is no primer being seated. I have a RCBS primer alarm on my LNL-AP. It goes off when I have 10 primers left in the tube which tells me I'm getting close. I can stop and refill the primer tube or replace it with my push rod to lock the slide back. The alarm does require an adapter to stay in place. Other wise it will work the plastic retainer and inner tube loose then you have a bigger problem.

You could move the counter below the press and let it count primer seats. The problem with that is I always start off pushing the handle forward out of habit. But that's what your counting anyway. Or move it under the bench to catch the upward ram movement.

 

[jmorris]

The dillon primer alarm

 

[rsrocket1]

The fiberglass rod also drops into the primer shuttle when the tube is empty. That locks the shuttle in place. When working the press, you should be observing the shuttle move out empty and back with a primer. That way you can be sure you are seating a primer with each stroke.

I know it's a lot to do, check primer in shuttle, check powder in case, feed case, set bullet, but once you get the rhythm and everything burned into your brain in a habit, it becomes automatic and you can do all of that while keeping a good pace.

 

[Muddydogs]

I have no problems telling when I am out of primers by feel. I probably end up looking at 5 or so cases every 100 due to easy seating of primers. No need for an alarm or other stuff. I do use the rod so I know when I am getting close to out.

 

[J_McLeod]

I put a mark on the rod at five primers. The rod stops the slide when the tube is empty so there is no mes.

 

[Bovice]

I resize/deprime and prime separate from loading. That way I can fix any issues with primer seating before I've fully loaded the round and have to disassemble it.

My 5 stations are full when loading. Powder measure, Powder cop, expander, seater, crimp.

 

[Cougar71]

I put a mark on the rod at five primers. The rod stops the slide when the tube is empty so there is no mes.

Thats what I do

 

[longdayjake]

I find that an empty .223 casing on top of the rod will let me know how many primers I have left. Once the mouth of the casing touches the top of the primer tube I know that there are about five primers left. The casing also helps add a little weight.

 

[BYJO4]

I also marked my rod to indicate when I have 10 primers left plus I always load in groups of 100.

 

[GJgo]

I agree that you can feel it. That said, when I bought mine they didn't come with this white rod so I cut an old car antenna down to fit.

 

[kbeck76]

I added the Dillon Primer Alarm to my LNL. My LNL is older and didn't come with the follower for the primer tube.

 

[gregj]

I rolled on some masking tape to the top of the primer rod. This not only tells me when I'm getting low, but it adds a little weight to keep the primers feeding correctly, and the roll of tape is big enough to keep the rod from sticking in the primer shuttle. Works for me.

I also load in lots of 100, makes things much simpler.

 

[1in9twist]

Dillon low primer alarm for LNL.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Thanks guys.

 

[joed]

I don't own a LnL but are all of you saying that the LnL does not come with any kind of a warning for when the press is out of primers?

I find that interesting that Hornady didn't cover that base.

 

[Globeguy]

You can tell when you run out of primers by feel. So you just have to start over with one case as oppose to having bunch of "completed" rounds without primers.

 

[Blue68f100]

The primer push rod will lock the primer sled back, you will know there is no primer. Then you refill the feed tube and load the first primer, seat and continue.

 

[J_McLeod]

The LNL doesn't have an alarm, but if you're paying attention you'll hear the push rod lock the sled back.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

It sounds to me that Hornady covered it well enough by supplying that white rod that I didn't understand, Their directions just suck and maybe I missed it in the video which was very helpful but I was excited about being able to get this press and set it up in the first place and maybe I just didn't see it in my haste.

Guilty as charged!

Anyways, I have it now so again, Thanks guys.

 

[Cherokee305]

No, i don't remember seeing it in the video either. I think they added it to the kit after the fact. I also marked my rode so I have a reference when I'm nearing 100.

 

[Blue68f100]

The rod was not supplied with my 4 yr old press. I think it came when they started including both pistol and rifle rotors for the powder dispenser. Which was a year or so later.