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I'd like to apologize in advance, but this may be more venting than actually presenting a solvable problem.

I have been reloading for about 10 years. All of it on a Hornady LNL press. Pistol and rifle.

In that time I honestly don't think I've even ONCE made it through 500 rounds without having to more or less rebuild the press. I've always assumed this is operator error on my part. But these days I'm not so sure.

Basically it goes like this: I'm loading away when a primer doesn't set properly. Then, because it is sticking out just a bit, it creates drag on the rotation of the shellplate. Pretty soon, the plate is out of sync with the dies. I adjust the pawls. It works for a while, then it goes out of sync again.

OR (and this might be the same problem) the shuttle either fails to pick up a fresh primer (which ends up with powder spilling out through the empty hole) or doesn't move forward enough. When I screw the primer ram in all the way it blocks the movement of the shuttle. When I back it out a wee bit, the primer doesn't seat enough.

I've gorilla-glued a piece of spring metal over the small dent in the press created by the primer ram. This sort of helps, but I'm still having a lot of issues.

I understand that the primer mechanism on the LNL isn't perfect. But as I look around online, it seems like the overwhelming majority of people who use this press are very happy with it. I've talked to people who have NEVER adjusted the pawls, or had a single primer issue. I can't output even 100 rounds without some problem, so obviously there is something fundamental that I am doing VERY wrong...

Just to see, I hand primed a batch and skipped the priming system altogether. That seemed to work, but then why have a progressive?

The people at Hornaday have been great, and we're set for them to take a look (second time it's been to them). But I'm really starting to regret having gotten this system, and if I weren't so invested in it (case feeder, bushings, etc) I'd just give up and get a Dillon. That said, I'm sure they have issues of their own.

It's entirely possible that I'm just a screw-up and should be kept away from pointy scissors, matches, and - especially - reloading presses.

Have ANY of you had problems like this?
 
I have the same issues. The primer feed system is the weak link of the whole thing. I have a very old press and recently upgraded the sub plate to have the EZ-Ject. I was tired of the wire always getting in the way.

I too can't get a couple hundred rounds to go through without one spilling powder all over the F'n place. It seems to happen more when feeding from the bottom half of the primer tube. BTW, the old pickup tubes are way better then the new ones. I have to push a whole lot more using the new ones than the older style. The EZ-ject works great compared to the wire system but the primer feeding is a serious PITA when it doesn't work right and you don't notice you aren't pushing a primer in. As for the indentation on the frame from the primer pusher, I have read that people have JB welded a dime and that seems to help the seating issue. I have only had a couple short seated primers but the throw everything out of time on it when they happen.
 
I've been reloading for about 5 years now - mostly pistol (9, 45, 38, 357, 44) and some rifle (308,30.06) with my LNL AP and have been happy with it. Across all calibers I reload about 15k rounds per year. I have the case & bullet feeders.

With regard to the pawls, once you've initially set the machine up they shouldn't require re-adjustment. I will admit that when I first set mine up I did screw it up a number of times and even broke a pawl. With some help from Hornady on the phone I was able to resolve my problems and haven't re-adjusted since that time.

Couple of items to look at regarding powder spillage, primers, etc. BTW on YouTube there is an excellent series from HighBoy on setting up an LNL (
) - this is the first in a series.

OK, on the primers there was an old style and a new style anvil/ram. The old style looked like a "T" whereas the new style is a solid cylinder. With the old style it was possible to get some debris/powder under the "T" which would cause it to not retract all the way down causing all sorts of problems. If you have the old style call Hornady and they should send you the new style (small and large) for free. FYI - the primer ram should be screwed all the way in. While I have a dimple under it in the press, it doesn't cause any seating problems for me and I've never added any material (i.e. a dime) underneath it.

Whenever you have any problems after starting to load check to make sure that the shell plate is still tight. I found that if it loosens even a little it will start to cause problems including powder spillage and primer seating. I use a lock washer over the flat washer and tighten to just over hand tight.

Another place where you can have a spillage problem is if your cases are hanging up in the PTX (powder through expander). This can be due to the expander needing some polishing, trying to expand too far down or your cases being too clean (i.e. ultrasonic or steel pin cleaning of the cases which removes all of the carbon residue).

One more area that can cause a problem is when the case is ejected out of station #5 - you can have a hang-up here if the case has some rim damage (dings). This can cause it to not be ejected smoothly which can also cause spillage.

I found that during my initial setup that taking each station and making it 100% before getting to the next - and then verifying (without powder or primers) with a case in each station is what kept me from pulling my hair out. I now usually load 500-800 rounds at a time and will use a compressor to blow out any debris/powder residue out every time I load a tube of primers as well as rechecking my shell plate to make sure it is tight. It is only when I'm done with my session do I ever pull the plate and perform a complete cleaning.

The LNL is not perfect and to be honest if I were only reloading 1-2 calibers would probably get a Dillon 650 or 1050. But with the number of calibers I reload it is still the best price/performance machine that I know of today. Also, if I were to start over again I wouldn't get the bullet feeder from Hornady but would have bought the Mr Bullet system. Biggest downside to me of the Hornady is that it runs constantly which is quite noisy. I've done things to mitigate that but it should have been better out-the-door.

Good luck and try to not get too frustrated - it's supposed to be fun.
 
I've been reloading for about 5 years now - mostly pistol (9, 45, 38, 357, 44) and some rifle (308,30.06) with my LNL AP and have been happy with it. Across all calibers I reload about 15k rounds per year. I have the case & bullet feeders.

With regard to the pawls, once you've initially set the machine up they shouldn't require re-adjustment. I will admit that when I first set mine up I did screw it up a number of times and even broke a pawl. With some help from Hornady on the phone I was able to resolve my problems and haven't re-adjusted since that time.

Couple of items to look at regarding powder spillage, primers, etc. BTW on YouTube there is an excellent series from HighBoy on setting up an LNL (
) - this is the first in a series.

OK, on the primers there was an old style and a new style anvil/ram. The old style looked like a "T" whereas the new style is a solid cylinder. With the old style it was possible to get some debris/powder under the "T" which would cause it to not retract all the way down causing all sorts of problems. If you have the old style call Hornady and they should send you the new style (small and large) for free. FYI - the primer ram should be screwed all the way in. While I have a dimple under it in the press, it doesn't cause any seating problems for me and I've never added any material (i.e. a dime) underneath it.

Whenever you have any problems after starting to load check to make sure that the shell plate is still tight. I found that if it loosens even a little it will start to cause problems including powder spillage and primer seating. I use a lock washer over the flat washer and tighten to just over hand tight.

Another place where you can have a spillage problem is if your cases are hanging up in the PTX (powder through expander). This can be due to the expander needing some polishing, trying to expand too far down or your cases being too clean (i.e. ultrasonic or steel pin cleaning of the cases which removes all of the carbon residue).

One more area that can cause a problem is when the case is ejected out of station #5 - you can have a hang-up here if the case has some rim damage (dings). This can cause it to not be ejected smoothly which can also cause spillage.

I found that during my initial setup that taking each station and making it 100% before getting to the next - and then verifying (without powder or primers) with a case in each station is what kept me from pulling my hair out. I now usually load 500-800 rounds at a time and will use a compressor to blow out any debris/powder residue out every time I load a tube of primers as well as rechecking my shell plate to make sure it is tight. It is only when I'm done with my session do I ever pull the plate and perform a complete cleaning.

The LNL is not perfect and to be honest if I were only reloading 1-2 calibers would probably get a Dillon 650 or 1050. But with the number of calibers I reload it is still the best price/performance machine that I know of today. Also, if I were to start over again I wouldn't get the bullet feeder from Hornady but would have bought the Mr Bullet system. Biggest downside to me of the Hornady is that it runs constantly which is quite noisy. I've done things to mitigate that but it should have been better out-the-door.

Good luck and try to not get too frustrated - it's supposed to be fun.
I never got the LNL to work. I sent it back and bought a Dillon 650. I have been happy ever after
 
It sounds like you're limp wristing it.
















lol, just kidding!
I don't own a LNL but have heard mainly good things about the rig. It seems most all progressives can have "issues".
Sound like you'll get it sorted with the good info here.
One thing I thought I'd contribute is maybe using Federal primers will help in addition to addressing whatever else might need tending to.. they are about the softest and easiest to ignite primer available.. they should seat flush easier and better than other primers.
 
I use a rcbs piggyback 3 and a pro 2000.

Happy with them. ... like it was said a couple of calibers , go with the 550 it's a manual progressive. And let's you rotate backwards if needed .

They all have issues. Some are better than others. Good luck.
 
Ive got the LNL. Use it for 9mm and 38spl. I had to adjust the spawls a little to rotate correctly. Other than that, I clean out the area the primer feed sits in occasionally and it drastically helps it from non feeds. I also took the spring that is supposed to prop up the assembly from the primer ram and pulled it apart a bit more so add to create a stronger spring. After I did that the assembly stays elevated and I haven't had any miss rotates since.

Now my only issue is running out of primers. I hate packing them one at a time into the tube. I really need to try out the Little gun they sell to pack the tubes.

I've had little to no issues with mine other than the timing being slightly off at first and ur getting dirty to the point the primer feeder sticks up.

I have deprimed batches off 9mm to help with this, in other words deprime prior to cleaning, and it helped out a ton. Even using stainless steel media and a solution with water. The primer pocket and primer are still fairly dirty during the depriming. I think a lot of the trouble is in that fact.
 
I use a rcbs piggyback 3 and a pro 2000.

Happy with them. ... like it was said a couple of calibers , go with the 550 it's a manual progressive. And let's you rotate backwards if needed .

They all have issues. Some are better than others. Good luck.
PBII and Ammomaster auto here too

The PBII came with a short aluminum rod to be put into the primer tube, on top of the primers, meant to be a follower/weight.
I replace it with a brass rod, about twice as long, and the added weight has made priming much more reliable.
Adding a heavier rod might help the priming on the LNL.

I thought of adding a longer rod to indicate the number of primers left in the tube, but it might become a spear if I ever have a primer detonation :eek:.

You can also put a witness mark on the press frame that aligns with something on the shell plate when a primer is present and seated fully/correctly.
Above the mark would indicate a high or sideways primer, below the alignment mark would indicate NO primer.
like this:
Skip to about the 3 minute mark to see the reference mark for priming, it's on a Pro 1000 o_O
I can usually feel when the priming goes wrong, and remove the suspicious case and replace it with an extra sized/primed case, before dumping powder into it.
:D
 
Last Edited:
I've been reloading for about 5 years now - mostly pistol (9, 45, 38, 357, 44) and some rifle (308,30.06) with my LNL AP and have been happy with it. Across all calibers I reload about 15k rounds per year. I have the case & bullet feeders.

With regard to the pawls, once you've initially set the machine up they shouldn't require re-adjustment. I will admit that when I first set mine up I did screw it up a number of times and even broke a pawl. With some help from Hornady on the phone I was able to resolve my problems and haven't re-adjusted since that time.

Couple of items to look at regarding powder spillage, primers, etc. BTW on YouTube there is an excellent series from HighBoy on setting up an LNL (
) - this is the first in a series.

OK, on the primers there was an old style and a new style anvil/ram. The old style looked like a "T" whereas the new style is a solid cylinder. With the old style it was possible to get some debris/powder under the "T" which would cause it to not retract all the way down causing all sorts of problems. If you have the old style call Hornady and they should send you the new style (small and large) for free. FYI - the primer ram should be screwed all the way in. While I have a dimple under it in the press, it doesn't cause any seating problems for me and I've never added any material (i.e. a dime) underneath it.

Whenever you have any problems after starting to load check to make sure that the shell plate is still tight. I found that if it loosens even a little it will start to cause problems including powder spillage and primer seating. I use a lock washer over the flat washer and tighten to just over hand tight.

Another place where you can have a spillage problem is if your cases are hanging up in the PTX (powder through expander). This can be due to the expander needing some polishing, trying to expand too far down or your cases being too clean (i.e. ultrasonic or steel pin cleaning of the cases which removes all of the carbon residue).

One more area that can cause a problem is when the case is ejected out of station #5 - you can have a hang-up here if the case has some rim damage (dings). This can cause it to not be ejected smoothly which can also cause spillage.

I found that during my initial setup that taking each station and making it 100% before getting to the next - and then verifying (without powder or primers) with a case in each station is what kept me from pulling my hair out. I now usually load 500-800 rounds at a time and will use a compressor to blow out any debris/powder residue out every time I load a tube of primers as well as rechecking my shell plate to make sure it is tight. It is only when I'm done with my session do I ever pull the plate and perform a complete cleaning.

The LNL is not perfect and to be honest if I were only reloading 1-2 calibers would probably get a Dillon 650 or 1050. But with the number of calibers I reload it is still the best price/performance machine that I know of today. Also, if I were to start over again I wouldn't get the bullet feeder from Hornady but would have bought the Mr Bullet system. Biggest downside to me of the Hornady is that it runs constantly which is quite noisy. I've done things to mitigate that but it should have been better out-the-door.

Good luck and try to not get too frustrated - it's supposed to be fun.


So I had all the same problems as you until I watched this series of videos!!! Now my LnL works great :)
Just follow his instructions and your problems with disappear.
With your primer issues is your primer tube isn't adjusted properly and he'll show you what to do.
I wanted to throw my lock and load away because all the problems but after watching the videos I love it.

Good luck !!!
Stacy​
 
PBII and Ammomaster auto here too

The PBII came with a short aluminum rod to be put into the primer tube, on top of the primers, meant to be a follower/weight.
I replace it with a brass rod, about twice as long, and the added weight has made priming much more reliable.
I thought of adding a longer rod to indicate the number of primers left in the tube, but it might become a spear if I ever have a primer detonation :eek:.

You can also put a witness mark on the press frame that aligns with something on the shell plate when a primer is present and seated fully/correctly.
Above the mark would indicate a high or sideways primer, below the alignment mark would indicate NO primer.
like this:
Skip to about the 3 minute mark to see the reference mark for priming, it's on a Pro 1000 o_O
I can usually feel when the priming goes wrong.
:D


I started with the PB 1 in 1989 upgraded to the, 2 and 3 in 2013 and got the pro 2000 this year.

I love the APS system, no worries with the he transfer priming system because there are NO tubes and transfer bars. Going from small to large primers takes 30 seconds.
 
Last Edited:
The only complain I have ever heard that was borne out on my press was the primer not fully seating easily. It will seat, but it takes some effort.
I have heard that they fixed the problem and you can request now primer seating cups (whatever their technical name is).
Beyond that, the only other problem I ever had was the very last primer wouldn't drop in the seating plug and would jam. Using a spare Dillon rod solved that problem.
New units come with a rod.
I wish they had a DVD like the Dillon DVD for the 1050. Very informative and good to watch the little things the narrator does without thinking about it (and, thus, not telling you about it).
The times I notice powder spillage is because I haven't noticed the shell plate bolt loosened.
I keep the shell plate as tight as possibly so it just moves smoothly and I put some blue Lok-Tite on it a few years ago. The residual Loc-Tite in the threads still keeps the bolt from loosening up.
Oh, yes, one other issue was installing the powder measure in a die bushing with a "bad" o-ring and having the bushing walk out a bit and having the whole measure go up and down. Solved by trying another bushing and I never had the problem since. Others cut out shims from soda/beer cans or order the special Hornady shim.
Would you like a list of 1050 problems I have had?
 
Another tip regarding the primer rod - I marked mine with a sharpie at about the 10 remaining primer level and reload the next 100 when it gets to that level. When I'm on the last set and I approach the end I place a 45 case on the rod and it adds enough weight to ensure that the last primer gets into the shuttle.
 
Thank you to everyone for your advice - this is very helpful and I really appreciate the support.

Unfortunately most of what I'm hearing are things that I've already tried. That doesn't mean that I did them properly, or that revisiting them won't help.

I have to admit that I was kinda hoping for a "just turn this screw and all of your problems will disappear" thing... but life doesn't really work like that.

I'm going to send it in, and once it's back in spec I'll pay more attention to keeping it clean and not (as I have been) immediately tweaking the pawls when I have a problem.

Also, I think I'm going to give priming off press a try. It seems silly, but in the end it may ultimately save me time and frustration.

Thanks!
 
Just note: It primes as well as any progressive I have used, and better than some.
If you return it, be sure to ask about improved primer seater punches.
I have been using Hornady progressives since the first one came out in the late '70s and NEVER touched a pawl, except when one cracked.
Clean is critical for all progressives.
For all progressive presses:
If you spill powder, clear the press and clean it all up. Remove the shell plate and clean it ALL up.
When you have a problem, clear the press and find the problem.
Never force anything.
When you clear the shell plate, any cases with powder and no bullet seated should have the powder returned to the measure. Whatever problem you had could have caused a bad charge.
 
Here is the link for the whole series done buy 76' HighBoy!! It is just as simple of turning a screw as you put it. It sounds as you haven't watched this series. (I apologize if you have) Resetting the pawls is pretty simple just by following the directions in the direction booklet that came with your LnL.
Before you send it in try following 76HighBoys directions it really was a BIG help for me!!!
I have noticed not all shellpate sizes work the same way, so it will work fine with one caliber and not the next I don't try and adjust anymore I just take a little more time making sure the case inserts into the shellplate.
Again your whole primer issue is your primer tube isn't adjusted properly, once you see him adjust it it will all make sense Trust me. Then you'll be !!!

Stacy


Hornady LNL AP Press Set Up Hints and Tricks, Complete Video Series
 
Perfect timing! I've been contemplating the LnL for the last couple days and this video series will help me determine going this route or going with a Dillon setup. :D

This series really covers the main issues the LnL has and they can be very frustrating if you don't know how to fix them. I have multiple replacement parts because I kept breaking things like the primer linkage ( the black plastic piece on the guide rode ) Anyway I have two of them because I like them so much 1 w/ bullet and case feeder( they have there own issues lol) and one standard press, and a Lyman turret for rifle.
Stacy
 
Perfect timing! I've been contemplating the LnL for the last couple days and this video series will help me determine going this route or going with a Dillon setup. :D
if it were me.. go with the Dillon.. I have a 550.. and it has been one solid machine, no it doesn't auto index, but I still do around 400 rounds an hour on pistol and 200rds /hr on rifle..

best thing about it.. it has a primer stick and a low primer buzzer, no goofy brass rods with sharpie marks.. and the best thing about a 550.. it never needs pall's adjusted or replaced..
 
I really like my LNL AP. I dont know that I would ever switch due to cost and familiarity but I hear pretty good things about the Dillon. I also heard it has its own set of issues but I think it's a personal preference. I like the auto indexing with 1/2 turn per stroke, shell plate and bushing setup, and the bigger ram vs the Dillon. Cost is a big deal for me and the LNL AP hit the spot for me there too.
 

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