When using my progressive, is it normal to feel resistance in the stroke?

[bobotech]

I finished setting up my Hornady Lock and Load AP this past weekend (with casefeeder) and have noticed that I get a resistance when pulling down the ram lever.

It appears to be coming from the belling die (an old Hornady 45 bell die). When that bell is put into the case, it catches and causes the resistance. It also occurs when I tried a new set of Lee carbide dies in the belling die.

I am only putting a barest minimum of bell on the case mouth, just enough to be able to put the bullet in place.

Is that normal or not? I did load about 300 rounds yesterday and they loaded fine, I'm just taken aback by the resistance when pushing the lever forward to lower the ram.

 

[ernierod]

Hornady LNL Press

The resistance is normal.This resistance is present,to some degree,in my Dillons,and Star also.

 

[bobotech]

Thats the thing, I don't remember quite as much resistance when lowering the ram with my Dillon SDB. Maybe I'm just being picky.

 

[Idano]

bobotech,

I disagree, you shouldn't feel any real resistance from expander die especially on a Hornady AP. I don't load .45, but I do load .40, 9mm, and .223 on my AP and there is no resistance even on crimp die. Verify your timing, watch your shell plate a make sure it doesn't move during the up stroke, if it does adjust the paw and check your primer punch alignment. One other thing if you are reloading military brass make sure it is properly swagged, here is where I highly recommend the Dillon Super Swage; it has been my experience that over 90% of all progressive press issues regardless of brand can be contributed to the brass, especially if you scrounge brass.

 

[Jakkar]

I have noticed the same thing on certain dies on my Dillon. It is fine with .357 Magnum but when I switch to .41 Magnum they get very tight and don't want to come out of the case.

 

[.38 Special]

When I've got resistance to my stroke, I use lube.

Sorry.

 

[jlbraun]

When I've got resistance to my stroke, I use lube.

...aaaaand this thread descends to the level of the "nipple wrench" thread.

 

[.38 Special]

I really tried, mate, but I'm just not mature enough to resist that kind of a red flag. Ha!

 

[bobotech]

LOL.. this thread took a turn for the worst.

I loaded up 50 45acp tonight and it really doesn't feel all that bad. Its just that when I lower the ram, I can feel it hang up a bit. Its like you just have to give it a sight bit of force to pull it past that one hang up.

Once done, they work fine.

 

[evan price]

I have same problem somtimes in my Lee Pro-1000 with Lee dies. I was giving the brass the absolute minimum flare. I switched to lead from plated and needed more flare. I adjusted the expander to expand it a little more and the sticking problem went away- Velly Intelesting.

Now I expand my .45s a little more and have not had the problem.
(I am assuming your brass is all clean and shiny? A little dirty brass causes sticking!)

 

[bobotech]

Oh yeah, I polish my brass before reloading it.

I will try giving it a little more flare/bell and see what happens. I was just figuring that more would make it stick more. But it can't hurt to see what happens.