Looky what I scored today

[ER_STL]

Bought at 40% off at the local Gander Mountain, which is closing:

17513

I've got a perfectly fine LCT and I had been coveting the Dillon 550b but for $269 it was too good to pass up...

:cool:

[SecondsCount]

Congratulations. It makes your feet look small ;)

[olstyn]

$269 it was too good to pass up...

:cool:

That is an absolutely smoking deal. Like any other press, it has a few foibles, but all in all, I've been quite happy with mine. I may have to swing through my local Gander again and see if they've got the case feeder for it. I didn't even think to look for that last time I was in, and at 40% off, while it would still be an expensive addition, it'd also be a bargain.

[ER_STL]

I'm stuck now on what dies to use. I've had no issues with the 4-die set from Lee for my LCT and I considered just moving them and the powder hopper over and calling it a day but the hopper that the LnL has just seems too nice to waste. I did add a powder-check die as well (plus a digital scale and a few G17 mags). I had read mixed reviews on Hornady's titanium-nitride-whatever 3-die set so I didn't pick one up.

[olstyn]

If you're happy with your Lee dies, they should work fine with the Hornady press. Mine's got RCBS dies in it. (I had them before I got the press.) That said, I like the lock ring on my Hornady Powder Cop die so much better than the RCBS lock rings that I kind of wish all of my dies were Hornady just for that reason. Also, the Hornady powder measure is quite nice; no reason not to use it.

[Peally]

Funny, Gander Mountain is closing by me as well, and their going out of business sale means everything is finally MSRP ;)

[Irelander]

Funny, Gander Mountain is closing by me as well, and their going out of business sale means everything is finally MSRP ;)

Likewise were I am. They have factory Glock 19 mags for $42! I almost laughed out loud.

They had a big banner "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE" with other signs that said "UP TO 20% OFF!". Wow 20%.

[11B10]

I've read comments like these before, so I know it's fact - where you are. Our local Gander Mountain just closed, but I can tell you that their prices were always as good or better than everyone else in the area. I'm gonna miss them, big time.

[ER_STL]

Funny, Gander Mountain is closing by me as well, and their going out of business sale means everything is finally MSRP ;)

Heh....that's the case for this particular store as well. Firearms are currently at 20% off which puts the current prices inline with the more competitive stores in the area. 40% off of all of the other gun accessories is putting a lot of great stuff in great prices... :)

The two mags I bought are the PMags version of the Glock 17 OEM mags. At 40% off the price ended up being $12/mag which if I remember correctly was about what they were going for online.

I think they drop the prices weekly so sooner or later their gun inventory will clear out. I'd pick up another Glock at say 30% or 40% off but the 19s and 17s appear to be gone already.

[LittleLebowski]

I would have jumped all over that, my Dillon 650 be damned. Let us know how it runs.

[ffhounddog]

I have one of these. Maybe I should set it up....now that my wife will not have anything to do with her family I don't have to try and solve problems when she asks "what do you think". It's stressful because I say the truth, how about you just stop living on welfare so you don't have to be sitting on your ass getting fat....

[ER_STL]

So with an ironic sense of timing, the small pistol safety priming system decided to crap the bed this morning as I loaded what may be the last 100 rounds through it. My wife thinks it saw the LnL box sitting next to it and stopped functioning in a jealous fit of rage. Being the engineering mind that I am, I decided to take the priming system apart to see if an obvious part was loose only to realize that I didn’t bother paying attention to what went where in order to reassemble it. I got to enjoy hand-priming about half of the rounds as a reward.

I was up in the air as to whether or not I should keep the LCT mounted on the bench for other-than-9mm calibers but truth be told, I haven’t loading anything else in years. As a result, I’ve decided to box it up to make room for the LnL.

17584

I gave it a quick hug and tore it down. My loading bench has turned somewhat into a collector of random gun parts and accessories so the next step was to toss anything unneeded and wipe it down.

17585

Next up: mounting the new press when I have a few minutes.

[45dotACP]

If you're happy with your Lee dies, they should work fine with the Hornady press. Mine's got RCBS dies in it. (I had them before I got the press.) That said, I like the lock ring on my Hornady Powder Cop die so much better than the RCBS lock rings that I kind of wish all of my dies were Hornady just for that reason. Also, the Hornady powder measure is quite nice; no reason not to use it.
Trust me...it's is for the best that all your dies are not Hornady dies...

I've found them to be unduly sticky...the Lee Dies have worked well for me in my lnl...if kinda short.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[ER_STL]

Press mounted. It's a beast compared to the little workhorse LCT.

17591

It uses only two bolts rather than three, which I preferred. I'll need to run a few rounds through it to see if I notice any stability issues. Like I did with the LCT, I stuck a 2x4 on the underside of the mounting surface to add some additional wood between the press and the tightening bolts to help distribute some of the stresses that it puts on the bench.

I may end up steering away from Hornady's dies due to the varied feedback I've received on them. I believe Gander Mountain also had high-end RCBS dies which I may end up buying if they're still there the next time I go back. In the meantime I'll use my Lee dies and powder hopper.

Speaking of the hopper, I had recently picked up Lee's newer drum version once the older disc-hopper I had originally bought for the LCT starting throwing charges inconsistently. While I only have about 500-600 throws through it, I like it considerably more. It doesn't spill powder and it has an overall more stable feel to it. That being said, it's obvious that when you put it next to Hornady's powder hopper that it doesn't quite have the same level of build and quality. I can't say that it will/would function and better/worse over the long run as I haven't run them side-by-side but Hornady certainly appears to be a step-up. I would suppose that's expected given that the LCT and it's accessories fills a niche below the big progressive presses, and it appears to do it nicely.

Next up: putting everything else together.

[45dotACP]

I highly suggest avoiding Hornady dies...I'm looking at getting some RCBS dies but I think I'll wait to hear your feedback...

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[olstyn]

Trust me...it's is for the best that all your dies are not Hornady dies...

I've found them to be unduly sticky...the Lee Dies have worked well for me in my lnl...if kinda short.

Interesting. Apart from disliking their lock rings, I've been quite happy with the RCBS dies. I guess there are pluses and minuses to all of the options.


Likewise were I am. They have factory Glock 19 mags for $42! I almost laughed out loud.

They had a big banner "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE" with other signs that said "UP TO 20% OFF!". Wow 20%.

Yeah, their list prices on mags suck. $40 per for Walther P99/PPQ M1 mags? No thanks. At 50% off, though, they were $20, so I snagged one and told myself that when they hit $15, I'd pick up the rest and resell the ones I don't "need" on eBay or the Walther forum. Apparently somebody else beat me to it when the price finally dropped again. Oh well, at least I got one at a decent price. Just keep checking back periodically - they'll get to a bigger discount eventually.

[mmc45414]

Speaking of the hopper... it's obvious that when you put it next to Hornady's powder hopper that it doesn't quite have the same level of build and quality
I even bought the Hornady for use with my Dillon presses, and I like it a great deal. IMO a cylindrical cavity that adjusts in length that is in alignment with the head pressure of the powder just makes more sense than a trapezoid (?) that adjusts in width. No actual testing data to support my "feelings" that it is better or that the Dillon will not do the same thing, but I just used it to drop H335 and every time I checked it was right on the tenth.

[SecondsCount]

...

Speaking of the hopper, I had recently picked up Lee's newer drum version once the older disc-hopper I had originally bought for the LCT starting throwing charges inconsistently. While I only have about 500-600 throws through it, I like it considerably more. It doesn't spill powder and it has an overall more stable feel to it. That being said, it's obvious that when you put it next to Hornady's powder hopper that it doesn't quite have the same level of build and quality. I can't say that it will/would function and better/worse over the long run as I haven't run them side-by-side but Hornady certainly appears to be a step-up. I would suppose that's expected given that the LCT and it's accessories fills a niche below the big progressive presses, and it appears to do it nicely.

Next up: putting everything else together.

I have the Hornady and the new Lee drum unit, and find the Lee to be more consistent with the powders that I use. The Hornady is definitely built better but it should be for almost double the price. The Lee should hold up just fine as it is a good design.

[ER_STL]

Alrighty, so I swung by Gander Mountain on the way back from lunch today and grabbed an RCBS die-set. My plan is to give them a whirl with the Hornady hopper and if all is well, sell the LCT and everything with it. If for some reason the Hornady hopper and/or the RCBS dies demonstrate themselves to be finicky I'll give the Lee stuff a whirl.

Great feedback so far...

[nate89]

Great find. Even with a 650 I would have bought one. If nothing else to buy the new swaging set-up and run 223 brass through it. It would also be nice to have a press with decent speed that would be a bit cheaper to convert. Set it up for 45 colt and 38 special that I load for my Dad. Much faster than single stage that I'm doing now.

[ER_STL]

The Beast is starting to come together....

17640

This particular press was the floor display and it has some rust on the powder drum. I'll take some steel wool and then a little oil to clean it up. The action itself is a little choppy and I'm assuming the ram needs to be greased. Is that a fair assumption?

Next up: dialing in the RCBS dies.

[LittleLebowski]

I have one of these. Maybe I should set it up....now that my wife will not have anything to do with her family I don't have to try and solve problems when she asks "what do you think". It's stressful because I say the truth, how about you just stop living on welfare so you don't have to be sitting on your ass getting fat....

Let's keep the tech threads focused on tech.

[Rick_ICT]

The Beast is starting to come together....

This particular press was the floor display and it has some rust on the powder drum. I'll take some steel wool and then a little oil to clean it up. The action itself is a little choppy and I'm assuming the ram needs to be greased. Is that a fair assumption?

Next up: dialing in the RCBS dies.


When I clean the surface rust off of the sides of the drum on mine I swear I can watch it it re-rust right before my eyes. It develops just a little surface rust, and then seems to stop right there and not get any worse. The steel outer housing (the threaded one) of the primer feed tube is also bad about it if you leave any finger oil on it. If you have any Hornady One-Shot Gun Cleaner and Lubricant, a light coat of it helps. Once the carrier evaporates, the dry film it leaves behind is completely non-tacky and won't run where it might contaminate powder or primers. I've really gotten to like that stuff.

As far as the action being a little choppy, you should definitely grease the ram but that probably isn't the problem. You didn't say if this was with or without a shell plate in place, but overtightening the retaining cap screw on it can make the action very draggy (conversely, not tightening it enough will result in all sorts of timing/advance problems). Don't forget to put a little lube on the ball detents on the underside of the plate and work it into them a little. If you find that the shell plate doesn't smoothly advance and then smoothly come to a rest in the detents without "snapping" into place, you may need to adjust the timing on the press via the pawls at the bottom of the ram. Mine needed adjusting right out of the box, and I have seen several others state their LNL needed to be timed out of the box. There are Youtube videos out there, I eventually watched several and followed the instructions in the manual and then kicked myself in the butt for not doing it sooner. Another thing I've seen stated and have come to agree with - the LNL will not tolerate a flimsy bench mount. Especially if you eventually add the case feeder! The more solid the bench, the easier everything works.

Speaking of Youtube videos, this guy (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLByND7BRp-e0J7qDS_C9gIzfzEWzn10Hl) did a lot of Hornady LNL tips and tricks and general reloading videos that really helped me. He has since switched to Dillon, but that doesn't detract from the usefulness of his LNL videos. I think these were early videos for him, and he got considerably smoother in his later videos. The info is solid, just not the polished production you might expect to see in videos today.

Good luck and don't let the little bumps that come with going progressive (reloading that is) get to you, it'll be well worth it in the end.

[ER_STL]

The Beast, fully assembled but not yet throwing charges:

17672

And my first I'm-a-monkey-dumbass moment:

17673

Yep, I put the decap and resize die in the wrong station and promptly bent the decap pin inside the die. Sweet. I'll call and see how I can get replacement parts but until then I dropped in the Lee die.

I haven't made up my mind regarding whether or not I like seating and crimping in one die vs having the Lee Factory Crimp die, which I like quite a bit. I'm noticing that the brass is getting shaved a bit during the single operation within the RCBS die but admittedly I haven't run enough brass through the press to see how it will function.

I'm using the awesome 124gr RN Bayou Bullets, which of course are much softer than traditional FMJ bullets. RCBS provides two seating "pins" with their seat/crimp die - one for 9mm TMJ and one for .38 LRN. I ended up using the .38 pin as the 9mm TMJ pin was flattening the nose of the bullets upon seating (and carving into the soft paint on the bullet as well). It seems to work well-enough.

Next up: configuring the hopper and running the press!

[ER_STL]

When I clean the surface rust off of the sides of the drum on mine I swear I can watch it it re-rust right before my eyes. It develops just a little surface rust, and then seems to stop right there and not get any worse. The steel outer housing (the threaded one) of the primer feed tube is also bad about it if you leave any finger oil on it. If you have any Hornady One-Shot Gun Cleaner and Lubricant, a light coat of it helps. Once the carrier evaporates, the dry film it leaves behind is completely non-tacky and won't run where it might contaminate powder or primers. I've really gotten to like that stuff.

As far as the action being a little choppy, you should definitely grease the ram but that probably isn't the problem. You didn't say if this was with or without a shell plate in place, but overtightening the retaining cap screw on it can make the action very draggy (conversely, not tightening it enough will result in all sorts of timing/advance problems). Don't forget to put a little lube on the ball detents on the underside of the plate and work it into them a little. If you find that the shell plate doesn't smoothly advance and then smoothly come to a rest in the detents without "snapping" into place, you may need to adjust the timing on the press via the pawls at the bottom of the ram. Mine needed adjusting right out of the box, and I have seen several others state their LNL needed to be timed out of the box. There are Youtube videos out there, I eventually watched several and followed the instructions in the manual and then kicked myself in the butt for not doing it sooner. Another thing I've seen stated and have come to agree with - the LNL will not tolerate a flimsy bench mount. Especially if you eventually add the case feeder! The more solid the bench, the easier everything works.

Speaking of Youtube videos, this guy (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLByND7BRp-e0J7qDS_C9gIzfzEWzn10Hl) did a lot of Hornady LNL tips and tricks and general reloading videos that really helped me. He has since switched to Dillon, but that doesn't detract from the usefulness of his LNL videos. I think these were early videos for him, and he got considerably smoother in his later videos. The info is solid, just not the polished production you might expect to see in videos today.

Good luck and don't let the little bumps that come with going progressive (reloading that is) get to you, it'll be well worth it in the end.

Awesome post and great advice.

The timing on the press appears to be correct as it's indexing properly from station to station. I did grease the bottom of the shell plate as instructed in the manual but for good measure I added a little more. But you're right - the shell plate does add a level of drag to the press that is absent when I remove it (in which case the action is much smoother). I think after looking at it more, there was a combination of the shell plate needing a little more grease and the ram needing additional lubrication. I talked to Hornady yesterday and they recommended white lithium as the proper lubricant.

Regarding the rust, Hornady recommended Loctite Naval Jelly, which isn't something I would have believed existed until I looked it up. Like you, I've seen my Lee dies rust quickly on the outside so I think I'll just rub the affected areas lightly with some steel wool and then wipe on some CLP.

I'll surf those videos later today. Thanks again...

[LittleLebowski]

Have you watched the 76Highboy videos yet? <whoops, already posted, but here's the first one>


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qC1O5FzSCA

[ER_STL]

Rick, LL - thanks for the link to 76Highboy's channel. He's got a ton of great info on it so I'm gonna hold moving forward with the press until I've had the chance to review most of his Tips and Tricks setup videos.

As a side note, RCBS as a class-act is sending me replacement parts for my decap and resize die free of charge. Awesome service from them despite the fact that I admitted fault.

[LittleLebowski]

Rick, LL - thanks for the link to 76Highboy's channel. He's got a ton of great info on it so I'm gonna hold moving forward with the press until I've had the chance to review most of his Tips and Tricks setup videos.

As a side note, RCBS as a class-act is sending me replacement parts for my decap and resize die free of charge. Awesome service from them despite the fact that I admitted fault.

I think you're doing the right thing. Keep us updated. Damn, what a steal!

[ER_STL]

Well the learning continues. As I've only loaded on the LCT I've only used Lee dies. I never bothered to understand whether or not softer bullets such as the ones I'm using (Bayou) will work in a single seat and crimp die. Turns out that they don't do that well as the single die likes to shave the sides of the softer bullets a bit because it's both seating and crimping to some degree together, which is what I'm seeing as I've been dialing in the press. Yee-ha.

So at this point the RCBS dies - as much I think I'm going to like them - may not be the ideal fit for me since I need a separate die for crimping. I suppose I could buy another seat/crimp die and set the first one up to not crimp but that seems silly given that I already have perfectly functioning Lee dies. I could keep them and Franken-die my press with a mix of both dies (Lee for crimp, RCBS for everything else). We'll see what happens...

76Highboy's channel seems like it should be required viewing prior to running an LnL. He's doing a great job of capturing all the little things that might go wrong before you learn those lessons the hard way.

[LittleLebowski]

Nothing wrong with mixing dies.

[john c]

I strongly recommend you seat and crimp in two different stations. It's very difficult to set the press up so that it seats and crimps in one operation. This is because the press stresses differently when you're working on one station (in set up) versus loading with a full shellplate. Plus, you have five stations on the press, so there's no need.

I'm not a fan of the Lee FCD. As it fully sizes the case down to minimum SAAMI specs, it also sizes down the bullet where it's seated in the case. Undersized bullets lead to poor accuracy and leading. Try using your Lee seater/crimper in station 5 with the seating stem removed so that it only crimps. As long as your loaded rounds pass the plunk test, you're g-t-g.

Good luck!

[ER_STL]

So after surfing a few of 76Highboy's videos, I followed his advice on tuning the priming system and adding a lock-washer to the shell-plate. Both appear to be rockin' and rollin' now. I also wiped down the ram really well and then greased it up with white lithium. Overall the press is buttery smooth now. :cool:
john c - I think I did exactly what you're suggesting. I used the RCBS die to seat only on station four and then used the Lee FCD to crimp on station five. Unless I'm misunderstanding how the FCD works, I don't think it seats - it only crimps. I have it crimping on station five and the bullet I pulled isn't showing any signs of deformity or scraping along the sides. Have you experienced any of that with softer bullets and the FCD?

Finally, I stripped apart the powder measure, cleaned it out a bit and installed the appropriate drop plug for pistol. I think the press is ready to go but I'll probably surf a few more videos before starting to load.

[john c]

- I think I did exactly what you're suggesting. I used the RCBS die to seat only on station four and then used the Lee FCD to crimp on station five. Unless I'm misunderstanding how the FCD works, I don't think it seats - it only crimps. I have it crimping on station five and the bullet I pulled isn't showing any signs of deformity or scraping along the sides. Have you experienced any of that with softer bullets and the FCD?

Yes, I have had issues with the Lee FCD when using lead or plated bullets (less so with jacketed). The real test is to measure a bullet at the base and where the crimp will be and then seat it. Pull the bullet, and re-measure. If either of these spots is less than the groove diameter of your barrel, you may have trouble.

For 9mm, I'm using RMR FMJ bullets. They're just a few dollars more per 1000 compared to plated or lead bullets, and they're much easier to load and shoot. There's no deformation of the bullet during loading, because the jackets and cores are quite hard. For .45, I load plated and lead. I set my press to load at the SAAMI maximum, rather than minimum. I want the least amount of deformation of the bullet as possible. I use a Lyman M die for pistols to make sure that the case is expanded correctly.

[chances R]

I've got the same set up for the most part. RCBS pro series dies + Lockout die. (a must in my book). Lee FCD. have used it for lead, plated and FMJ with no problems. After about every 1000 rounds I break down the primer station and clean with Hornady Clean and Lube, and do the same to the dies. Almost never have a hiccup.

[ER_STL]

So I received the necessary replacement parts from the fine folks at RCBS for the decap and resize die and I went ahead and swapped out the Lee die for the RCBS one. I also dialed in the powder hopper for my current load and after a variety of trial loads and random measurements have verified that it seems to be consistent. The press is ready and I’ve loaded about 30 rounds through it to learn my way around it and its idiosyncrasies.

Random thoughts…


In hindsight I should have stripped this press down to all of its individual parts and then reassembled it from scratch. I made lots of assumptions that, since various parts such as the primer slide and powder rotor were already installed, that the press was set up as I needed it to be. As you’d expect, it wasn’t and I ended up learning in a backwards way how everything worked.


I’ve quickly realized that a progressive press has a lot more going on at once than a turret. It’s not a big deal as I understand what each station is doing but I’m so used to running a turret that it’s going to take some time for me to develop the necessary muscle mental memory for the LnL. It’s looking like it’s going to be a process of load brass in station one with left hand, raise handle with right hand, verify powder and seat bullet with left hand at station three/four, complete the upward pull of the handle, down press and seat primer, rinse and repeat.


From thought number two above, the powder cop die seems unnecessary for pistol loads. As I can see down into case prior to dropping a bullet – and I’m used to visually verifying the charge anyway – I may end up just selling off the unneeded die. Since I need to seat and crimp separately anyway I’d have to move to a powder-through-expander model in order to accommodate the extra station for it. I suppose I could just keep it around in the event that I end up loading for calibers with much taller brass but we’ll see…


I ended up running a few screws into my bench to hold the box catcher rather than mounting it to the bracket box cartridge (which in turn mounts to the press). The bracket seems designed for the press to be mounted onto a dedicated press mount rather than directly to a bench. So far so good.


In my opinion the LnL should have a third mounting point at the base rather than relying on just two. The LCT had three and it seemed to be more securely locked into my bench.


76Highboy’s YT channel has been very helpful so far. I bought an o-ring kit based on his recommendation and it has already come in handy. The RCBS dies don’t use them and a few of the set screws wanted to back out. Adding o-rings solved that problem.


Overall I like the LnL quite a bit so far. :)

[ER_STL]

So as I persist in learning my way around the press I continue to hit little snags along the way. Most I’d attribute to my learning curve but this morning I had a part break. Apparently the primer seater punch stuck in the extended position – as it is when you seat a primer – and when I lowered the handle to cycle through to the next round, it prevented the primer slide from moving, which in turn snapped the LnL AP bracket (which holds the rod in place that guides the primer slide). Fortunately Hornady provides a spare LnL AP bracket with the kit so I’m still up and running.

Additional random notes:

While I like the press I don’t yet have that full satisfaction that I had with the LCT, probably because I’m not that familiar with it yet.


I’m currently loading at a very slow pace to ensure I don’t honk anything up while building up the muscle/mind memory for the LnL.


There’s a lot more going on at once with a progressive (duh) and thus it seems like there’s more potential for something to go wrong with each pull of the handle.


About every 5-10 rounds a primer seats very hard. As in, I have to crank the handle to seat it and I somewhat expect it to ignite. I’ve verified that I have the small primer slide and primer seat on the press so I’m not sure yet why it’s happening. This would occasionally happen on the LCT but only with certain brands of brass (S&B for example).

[mmc45414]

While I like the press I don’t yet have that full satisfaction that I had with the LCT, probably because I’m not that familiar with it yet.
I tried the Loadmaster and I think part of the problem was the decades I spent with the 550.

[ER_STL]

So quick question to those with more experience on a progressive press: do you encounter spilled powder? I'm finding that when a charged case rotates along the shell-plate before I seat a bullet that powder (the case is about 50-60% full) likes to bounce up on out of the case. I can try seating the bullet on the case right after it is charged and prior to plate rotation but I'm not flaring enough to prevent the bullet from tipping over.

Any thoughts or advice?

[SecondsCount]

So quick question to those with more experience on a progressive press: do you encounter spilled powder? I'm finding that when a charged case rotates along the shell-plate before I seat a bullet that powder (the case is about 50-60% full) likes to bounce up on out of the case. I can try seating the bullet on the case right after it is charged and prior to plate rotation but I'm not flaring enough to prevent the bullet from tipping over.

Any thoughts or advice?

Yes, the snap of the shellplate on my Dillon 650 will do it with the short 9mm cases and WSF powder.

What I do is place a finger at the seating station and as the case comes around it bumps that finger, dampening the snap. That is the same hand that I use to set the bullet in the case so it also serves as a reference point killing two birds with one stone.

Not sure on the LNL but someone makes a bearing kit for the Dillon to smooth out the rotation of the shellplate and reduce the issue.

[ER_STL]

Thanks SecondsCount for the suggestion. I did a little Google-fu and it looks like others with the same problem have either done what you do or have modified the press in some way (push the shellplate "balls" back up a bit for example).

I figured out what was wrong with the Safety Prime on my LCT and was able to fix it. Just for kicks I remounted it and loaded 100 rounds through it. I can't say why, but I like the LCT better. I know that's weird given that the LnL is a higher-end and nicer press but there's something about the LCT that I just enjoy. Maybe it's just the fact that I have a significant amount of time behind it but I just feel more at home when I'm running it. I've started to develop the memory pattern for the LnL but it still doesn't yet bring that same smile to my face. :confused:

[ER_STL]

Quick update...

I spent some time on the LCT and then remounted the LNL. I've been able to dial the press in pretty well and I solved the problem of powder spilling during indexing by slightly backing out the knobs that lock the shell plate into place during index. That reduces how firmly the plate locks into place just enough to prevent powder from popping up and out.

With that fixed I believe I've accounted for most of the niggling issues that might either reduce the joy of using the press or slow down production. It's a welcome change to have to pull the handle only once per round - more than I would have expected. My rate of production is currently a bit faster than on my LCT as I'm still taking my time and developing the necessary repeatable motions of loading brass, seat bullet, pull handle, seat primer, repeat.

Enjoying the press more and more... :cool:

[45dotACP]

Quick update...

I spent some time on the LCT and then remounted the LNL. I've been able to dial the press in pretty well and I solved the problem of powder spilling during indexing by slightly backing out the knobs that lock the shell plate into place during index. That reduces how firmly the plate locks into place just enough to prevent powder from popping up and out.

With that fixed I believe I've accounted for most of the niggling issues that might either reduce the joy of using the press or slow down production. It's a welcome change to have to pull the handle only once per round - more than I would have expected. My rate of production is currently a bit faster than on my LCT as I'm still taking my time and developing the necessary repeatable motions of loading brass, seat bullet, pull handle, seat primer, repeat.

Enjoying the press more and more... :cool:There's something to be said for listening to a 15 minute podcast and having a full 100rd mtm box by the time it's done...

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[ER_STL]

I wanted to provide another quick update for the LNL. I believe I now have all of the various issues resolved with the press and it's running smoothly now. It has turned out to be a great find.

I dealt with and resolved the following:


Spilled powder. Short cases like the 9mm allow for powder to pop up and out when the shell plate snaps into place. This is resolved by slightly backing out the bearings in the plate that lock it into place. The press still indexes properly but each rotation is now buffered just enough to avoid tossing powder.
Decapping issues. It turns out that the RCBS decapping pin and CCI small pistol primers fit perfectly together such that the spent primers will cling to the RCBS pin with enough friction to allow for the primer to be drawn back up into the brass! This leads to the press hanging up and the need to vigorously wiggle the case back and forth enough to free the partially lodged primer. The good folks at RCBS were aware of this and they sent me a replacement decapping rod and pin that is somewhat spring-loaded, if you will. Since installing that I've had zero issues.
Shaved bullets. That was due to seating and crimping on a single die with coated bullets, and was resolved simply by separating the two into different stations. The powder-check die with 9mm is largely unneeded - to me anyway - since I can see down into the case to visually verify a charge before seating.


Another quick shout-out to both Hornady and RCBS. Both companies have been great with which to work.

[willie]

At the risk of saying the obvious, let me point out that primer residue from decapping is the main source of gunk that eventually interferes with function. A vacuum cleaner is a most helpful tool for maintaining essential tidiness. About dies. Many have discovered that mixing dies from among different brands helps resolve issues. I do not imply that we should buy extra die sets for this purpose. In my case, I've bought many dies super dirt cheap from estate sales and various forum sources. Hence I have a large assortment of tools for experimentation. Steel(not carbide)die sets or the sizers sold alone are examples of good deals. About powder measures. I have found the Lee Auto Disk measure to be a most versatile alternative that works exactly as advertised. Price permits having one or several set up for different calibers or in the case of pet loads, having more than one set up for different loads within the same caliber. Each measure would be installed on a separate die for drop in convenience. Yes, this is an indulgence but not terribly so.
About adjusting progressive presses. One experimenter has suggested this tactic for precisely adjusting alignment of shell plates with dies: using at least two sizing dies of the same caliber, install them. Then place empties under them in a shell plate with loosened adjusting screws. Raise the shell plate to force empties into dies. Then tighten adjusting screws. What is accomplished is precise alignment.

Having studied the subject, I'm convinced that unless a man is willing to adjust and tweak from time to time, then he might reconsider buying a progressive. About 30 years ago I bought a Lee progressive which defeated me. In a fit of rage I beat it flat with a sledge hammer. I would have assaulted its inventor had we come face to face. And I'm mild mannered by nature. So be willing to endure some frustration. The great news is that today things are better, and success is more easily achieved. My advice is to keep on hand a supply of small parts most likely to wear out or break. Why bug the manufacturer and then have to wait? Also, consider decapping as a separate operation carried out on a single stage press or using the Frankfort Arsenal Tool. Doing so will make life simpler.

[45dotACP]

I found that snapping indexing pawls is a real thing...

Overall though, I have been impressed with the LNL and really just should have bought it instead of going Single-->turret-->progressive but hey. I was in college and couldn't afford it until I had my big kid job.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[mmc45414]

In the past, I admit I have become extraordinarily frustrated while doing a few reloading tasks, to the point of becoming quite emotional on a few of those occations.

This:

In a fit of rage I beat it flat with a sledge hammer.Makes me feel vastly better about my personal level of restraint...

LMAO!!!!! :)