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Posted: 12/11/2014 11:43:26 PM EDT
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I really don't know where to start with the issues so I'll use this thread as a vent/solution....
First off I'm thoroughly disappointed by this thing and I hope I can change my mind on the matter before I just sell the whole lot and stick to single stage. First off the case feeder is a pretty piss poor design. No matter what I do every 50-100 rounds I get this jam up near the hopper and feed tube. If I don't get that jam a piece of brass will some how find a way to either lodge itself in between a cog and the window or wind up underneath the tray itself and cause a whole slew of jamming issues. I'm really hoping these issues are operator error! 
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The other issue I believe I have figured out but the bottom of the shell plate has a beveled edge where the spring is held in place apparently this needed to not be beveled and shell plates with perfectly flat lips keep that spring pressed all the way down allowing the brass to fully seat into the shell plate.
Reference this video for the spring issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88bzbR-Zgro&list=UUcKiNg9gyFBi0eUAPJuS4ag I'll be putting in a call to Hornady tomorrow to have a proper shell plate sent out that isnt rounded. Hopefully that fixes the issue of brass tipping into the plate and not fully seated. I'm hoping this is more of a 9mm issue I don't have the shell plates yet for 40 and 45 but I keep hearing 9mm seems to be one of the more finicky rounds to reload on this press. |
Welcome to the Reloading Forum. I'm a Dillon guy, so not much help but here is this, http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/414607_How_to_tune_the_Hornady_Lock_N_Load_AP_progressive_press.html The LNL guys will be along shortly.
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I've minimized the number of jams by using folded, thin cardboard to make (a) the front of the clear plastic funnel higher, and (b) the width narrower. Sort of a 3-sided cardboard funnel inside the plastic funnel. Cases find the bottom of the funnel faster and have less time to jam. Of course, that kind of "mod" has to be removeable for rifle cases.
Guessing at other issues jacking up your frustration level: - If you are having "powder popping" problems with small pistol cases, tap the ball bearings a little further back into the shellplate so that the shell plate doesn't SNAP into its detents. The shellplate should just settle into them, and the powder stops popping. If you tap one in too far, turn the shallplate over, tap it out a little, and (maybe) start again. - Make sure the shellplate is actually tight enough to stay down when the press is in operation. A slightly loose shellplate can lead to a bunch of issues that do not point to the shellplate as the source. Watch the shellplate when in full operation. EG, if you are using the PTX, cases may feel like they are sticking to the expander and popping powder out when they "come off". Most likely, that's a very slightly loose shellplate. - Make sure the primer punch (under the subplate) is clean, lubed, and always settles back flush in its housing. If not, tilted primers or the punch itself will jam the slide. Happy to try to help with any other specific issues. |
| Also make sure that the bench top is stiff enough not to induce vibration in the case feeder while you are operating the press. This makes a big difference in reliable operation, (because the cases have to balance on the right part to fall with the case-head down. |
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Here is the solution to the jamming problem. It is in the thread posted by dryflash.
Use one of these cheap funnels 
To make one of these 
It reduces the "free fall" area so the case doesn't have the room to flip sideways, which causes the problem you have. It is not usually needed n 45, but it really helps on 40 and 9 - at least from my experience. |
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If this is a new setup, disable the case feeder, and get your priming and timing set up right, and load some ammo first.
I can tell from your pic, your adjustment slide, isn't, well, adjusted, at all...it needs to move at least ~3/4" or more to the right. I like the funnel idea - I did something different, but it solves the same problem - you need to ensure there isn't a way for whatever caliber cases are being loaded to jam sideways OR front to back in the drop funnel. This is what I use for 9mm, and will just remove the black portion (black - random primer tray, white = thick-ass Federal primer tray) when loading .223.. 
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| The Hornady manual says the case feeder window needs to be open all the way for pistol cases. From just the last two days of monkeying with it closing that window has helped a lot I'll try the funnel. My newest dilemma is a timing issue when it goes into the primer. I've talked to hornady who claim I need to adjust the pawls but with no luck. This only happens when there's brass in the shell plate. When it's empty it times up perfectly! I ended up loosening the shell plate so that's it's just barely hand tight and I've had much better luck. I still have to jiggle the handle to get it to click into the detent and then finally seat the primer. |
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Quoted:
The Hornady manual says the case feeder window needs to be open all the way for pistol cases. From just the last two days of monkeying with it closing that window has helped a lot I'll try the funnel. My newest dilemma is a timing issue when it goes into the primer. I've talked to hornady who claim I need to adjust the pawls but with no luck. This only happens when there's brass in the shell plate. When it's empty it times up perfectly! I ended up loosening the shell plate so that's it's just barely hand tight and I've had much better luck. I still have to jiggle the handle to get it to click into the detent and then finally seat the primer. Take a look at this video, he goes through timing adjustment very thoroughly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXms1-ZsPnU |
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Quoted: Take a look at this video, he goes through timing adjustment very thoroughly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXms1-ZsPnU Quoted: Quoted: The Hornady manual says the case feeder window needs to be open all the way for pistol cases. From just the last two days of monkeying with it closing that window has helped a lot I'll try the funnel. My newest dilemma is a timing issue when it goes into the primer. I've talked to hornady who claim I need to adjust the pawls but with no luck. This only happens when there's brass in the shell plate. When it's empty it times up perfectly! I ended up loosening the shell plate so that's it's just barely hand tight and I've had much better luck. I still have to jiggle the handle to get it to click into the detent and then finally seat the primer. Take a look at this video, he goes through timing adjustment very thoroughly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXms1-ZsPnU thx for the link on those Vids. I have a LnL on my bench new in box I haven't had time to setup. Going to spend a year or so with both this and a Lee Loadmaster to see which I prefer. Now before people spaz and say the LnL will walk away with this, I am going to do some mods on the LLM(magic mike mods). I have a feeling the LLM will be ok, but in the end, I have no alliances to any brand and will use whichever works best for me. If I can swing it I want a Dillon 650 too. TOO much FUD when it comes to presses and brand alliances. I do appreciate the people who can distance themselves from their own purchase and try to help others and not belittle them for their choices. |
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Quoted:
The Hornady manual says the case feeder window needs to be open all the way for pistol cases. From just the last two days of monkeying with it closing that window has helped a lot I'll try the funnel. My newest dilemma is a timing issue when it goes into the primer. I've talked to hornady who claim I need to adjust the pawls but with no luck. This only happens when there's brass in the shell plate. When it's empty it times up perfectly! I ended up loosening the shell plate so that's it's just barely hand tight and I've had much better luck. I still have to jiggle the handle to get it to click into the detent and then finally seat the primer. PLEASE be very careful doing this. As I mentioned above, if that shellplate can move upward at all DURING OPERATION you will get a whole bunch of problems . . . high primers, cases sticking to the PTX, popped powder, tilted cases at sizing and/or eject, etc. Can't tell without looking at it, but if the shellplate is coming up short of the priming station when there are cases in it, then the timing is just enough wrong (short) that the ballbearings aren't far eough into their detents to pull the shellplate the rest of the way into position . . . where the pawls should have pulled/pushed it in the first place. If the cases are passing the priming station (unlikely), the timing is just flat out off. |
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Quoted: thx for the link on those Vids. I have a LnL on my bench new in box I haven't had time to setup. Going to spend a year or so with both this and a Lee Loadmaster to see which I prefer. Now before people spaz and say the LnL will walk away with this, I am going to do some mods on the LLM(magic mike mods). I have a feeling the LLM will be ok, but in the end, I have no alliances to any brand and will use whichever works best for me. If I can swing it I want a Dillon 650 too. Quoted: thx for the link on those Vids. I have a LnL on my bench new in box I haven't had time to setup. Going to spend a year or so with both this and a Lee Loadmaster to see which I prefer. Now before people spaz and say the LnL will walk away with this, I am going to do some mods on the LLM(magic mike mods). I have a feeling the LLM will be ok, but in the end, I have no alliances to any brand and will use whichever works best for me. If I can swing it I want a Dillon 650 too. TOO much FUD when it comes to presses and brand alliances. I do appreciate the people who can distance themselves from their own purchase and try to help others and not belittle them for their choices. Relax, you are in a Technical forum, not GD (General Discussion). Nobody is going to spac here. If that happens, it will get corrected promptly. Now if you ask for opinions, you will get them here in a polite manner. You were the first person to bring up a press other than a LNL. So no worries. Remember when you post in this forum you are among friends who reload. |
| OP, I found that a business card inserted longways into the funnel at the top of the case tube (trimmed for length) not only folds itself to fit the bottom of the funnel, but prevents those tumble/upside down/stacked case issues just fine. No picture at the moment, but I had to trim about 3/4" of the long dimension of a business card and it worked great. I discovered this with .40 S&W, by the way, which gives some people fits with the LnL case feeder. Deal with one issue at a time, and that case feeder will be your friend. You just have to get used to it. |
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i do not have my LnL AP yet, couple weeks away, but I have been watching Bill Morgan's videos on youtube. The guy goes through all of these issues and shows you how to try and avoid the issues as well as how to quickly fix them when they come up.
they are long videos but well worth the watch, here is the first in the series: 
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See the flashlight in the video posted above? Light is important, and the size of the LnL's deck, along with everything around it, makes it hard to get a lot of light into the space inside the press frame. I got an Inline Fabrication light (way back when they were new) to light that area, and built my own additional LED light to increase the brightness on the shellplate. Here's an Inline Fab kit that does a great job at that. Hornady now makes a light strip for their presses; it costs less but it's only a single vertical strip, and you may want more light than that.
Light is critical for me to be able to see what's going on - and as a caution, with a progressive press you need to be VERY aware of everything, like whether or not you got a full powder charge in every case. (Squibs are no fun, believe me!) |
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