Another LNL purchase

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Just order the LNL AP from midway with the $35 promo code, picked up a 9mm shell plate and the new dimension 9mm Hornady dies W/ taper crimp. I had to do a little searching to find the die set in stock. Now i need primers and powder. i was thinking CCI primers since i hear good things about them, and i havent done enough research on poweder yet, but looking for something that measures accurately in the lnl and is clean and is not temp sensitive. Something i may pick up also is the measure crop die hornady makes since i have the free slot with the new taper/seating dies hornady makes.

Also, 600 free booolits from hornady.

can't wait to get set up.

 

Is this press easy to mount to a work bench? or should i invest in the mount? Also, i need a reliable accurate digital caliper.

[Maksim 1,504]

cci are great. If you have striker fired guns with trigger work, Federal primers as they are softer.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

cci are great. If you have striker fired guns with trigger work, Federal primers as they are softer.

 

No striker guns yet for me, I'm more of a hammer man myself. Good to know that federal are softer tho in case i lighten up the hammer.

[Dan 177]

I just started loading 9mm with my new lnl also.

 

The extra spot works good for a RCBS lockout powder die. It actually will lock the press with a severely over or undercharge. The Hornady powdercop forces you to watch a little gauge marker but will not lock up the press.

 

I also use the Hornady taper crimp/seater die set. The taper/seater can be a little tricky to setup, but once you get the hang of it, no problems.

 

I'm using CCI small pistol primers, and have pretty much settled on Winchester WSF powder, measures well, runs clean, performs well, but from my understanding it is "reverse temp sensitive". Maks has some good info on that as he's the one that turned me on to the stuff.

 

Just a heads up, you will want to have a grease gun and grease ready for when you get the press. There are 3 grease nipple fittings at strategic points that will need a pump or two. Pay attention to the bottom advancing fingers and their mating disk at the bottom, lube them up well to prevent wear that would result in you needing to make indexing adjustments. You should also have some bolts, washers, and nuts ready for mounting to your bench ahead of time. Otherwise you will be making the trip to the hardware store while you would rather be learning how to use your new toy.

 

Good luck!

[vortex0178 3]

I bought mine a few weeks ago. I'd suggest getting a primer flip tray since the press doesn't come with one. I use an RCBS; it's square shaped and large enough to accommodate Federal's primer packaging without losing any.

 

For 9mm I use Titegroup (small flake) and it meters exceptionally well through the powder measure; very repeatable and requires little to no adjustment between reloading sessions. Bullseye also worked very well, another small flake powder. I use CCI primers as well and have had no problems so far.

 

Mounting the press is easy assuming your workbench is suitable. Hornady suggests 5/16" bolts but you can size up if you wish; the mounting holes are generous. I stuck with the 5/16" and had no issues. Just make sure you get around 7-8 flat washers, two bolts long enough to go through everything with appropriate clearance, and two split ring lock washers. I used the "special grade" zinc plated ones from Home Depot. You will most likely want to use one of those 5/16" washers between the shell plate and shell plate retaining bolt, as the factory washer's inner diameter is too large and causes slop. It will also start to bend inward if tightened too much. Loctite (blue kind) does wonders here too.

 

Lastly, I've found that reloading mixed head stamp brass really threw off my OALs, probably due to the inconsistent amounts of force through the resizing/taper dies introducing varying degrees of shell plate flex. The bulk of my brass is Federal, and after segregating and reloading just Federal brass, my consistency improved quite noticeably, to about 95% being +/-.003" of my target OAL, compared to only 80% or less with mixed headstamp reloading. Due to shell plate flex, the last three rounds you load will typically be on the short side, around .005" shorter than your target. Also keep shell plate flex in mind when adjusting your seater die; the OAL will vary depending on whether you have a full shell plate or a single cartridge in the seating station. This is why you should fine-tune your OAL only when running a full shell plate.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Looking into grease guns right now, do they all have the same fitting(zerk)? and what's a good grease to use, any run of the mill grease will work?

 

I have to tell you guys, one of the biggest reasons i'm getting into reloading is the help on here.

[bry@n 195]

I finally got my basement set up and my shop table down there. Sometime in the next few weeks, my LNL will be set up.

[Dan 177]

I suppose it is the standard grease nipple, looks like the one you would find on a car , though admittedly, I'm not a nipple expert by any means. Why do I enjoy typing nipple so much....

 

I recommend a white lithium type. Less messy than the black grease types.

[Gregg 5]

Mounting the press is easy assuming your workbench is suitable. Hornady suggests 5/16" bolts but you can size up if you wish; the mounting holes are generous. I stuck with the 5/16" and had no issues. Just make sure you get around 7-8 flat washers, two bolts long enough to go through everything with appropriate clearance, and two split ring lock washers. I used the "special grade" zinc plated ones from Home Depot. You will most likely want to use one of those 5/16" washers between the shell plate and shell plate retaining bolt, as the factory washer's inner diameter is too large and causes slop. It will also start to bend inward if tightened too much. Loctite (blue kind) does wonders here too.

 

I just built a new workbench and mounted my LnL press - I had 5/16" bolts on my old bench, with the new one went to 1/2", Much more secure. I should have done it earlier. I used a washer under the bin tray bracket, and one one top of the bracket as well. Lock washers and nuts on the bottom and the press is as secure as can be - not going anywhere!

 

Just my 2 cents - bump up to 1/2" bolts for the LnL.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

I just built a new workbench and mounted my LnL press - I had 5/16" bolts on my old bench, with the new one went to 1/2", Much more secure. I should have done it earlier. I used a washer under the bin tray bracket, and one one top of the bracket as well. Lock washers and nuts on the bottom and the press is as secure as can be - not going anywhere!

 

Just my 2 cents - bump up to 1/2" bolts for the LnL.

 

It's being mounted to a very sturdy bench, It's old and has what looks to be 6x2's for the top, im going to throw down some thick plywood wherre im mounting it to distribute the force along all 4 6x2's, so i might as well make it as solid as possible and use 1/2". I was watching the Hornady set up vids on Youtube, which are excellent by the way, and he showed using the washers on the bin tray, which made it apparently more strait.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

I think i'm going with win wsf and pick up some wst while im at it for .45 to save on hazmat. Im gonna need powder for .45 at some point.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Well, the big red came in the mail today, WOOOT! Question, I haven't bought any cleaner yet for it, i know hornady says to use the one shot dry lube to clean it.... but why use something so expensive? i have a bottle of concentrated simple green i use to clean most stuff and i was wondering if it would be safe to use? When im done i'll hit the parts that require the one shot dry lube.

[Babaganoosh 192]

I cleaned everything with denatured alcohol. You can try it but you want something that will leave no residue, not sure simple green doesnt

[JackDaWack 2,895]

I just checked and it does, so no point cleaning with simple green and then having to get the residue off... denatured alcohol it is!

[JonF 79]

Just get some brake cleaner, its pretty much what the aerosol gun cleaners are anyways. you can give the exterior parts a simple wipedown but make sure you thoroughly clean ANYTHING that powder would ever be even remotely close to touching so nothing sticks to the metal and throws your powder charges off.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

I have denatured alcohol already, although brake cleaner would make it easier since it usually comes in some type of spray can/bottle. I went to the hardware store just now and got the mounting bolts and washers, and i TOTALLY forgot the grease gun. Good thing its around the corner from my house. I dont need to grease just yet tho, so no biggy. My dies should be here tomorrow. I love the town hardware store, they always have what i need. i went to homedepot once to look for springs, they didnt have one. the LHS had an entire assortment to choose from.

 

I plan on OCD'ing this piece of equipment, so a simple wipe down to me is not your avg simple wipe down..lol. q-tips solvent and rags play a very important role in my life now. I get peeved when i cant get my bores to pull clean, like when a spec of dirt comes off on a clean patch i say... not clean yet!

 

And Yes, clean the powder drop, and leave it dry. probably one of the most important parts in maintaining the press.

[Babaganoosh 192]

I have a few tips to make this easier. Watch the video, then if possible bring the video to the reloading bench via laptop if possible.

 

1. Polish the primer slide and the primer slide area on the press. I did it with a dremel. It does help. You want this as smooth as possible.

 

2. Make sure the bench is very sturdy. As little movement as possible. I used very large washers to spread the weight and force out. Ideally you want the press arm to be at shoulder height.

 

3. Do NOT force anything.

 

4. Adjusting the pawls is a royal pain the first few times you do it. Once you understand how it works it's easy as pie. Hopefully the pawls on yours are already adjusted correctly. They both control the clockwise movement of the shellplate. It needs to be dead on. If need be adjust one at a time. What you want to happen is to have one solid click sound when the shellplate advances. The pawls make a click sound,and the shellpate will make a click sound when it is in position. You want both clicks to happen at the same time. This is what causes a lot of people problems. They don't adjust the pawls correctly. Once you get it close you only adjust them a fraction of a turn at a time. That's how sensitive they are.

 

I copied this from another forum, probably explains it better than I can.

 

Rule 1:

Left pawl adjusts the shell plate when it comes down. This is the one that causes problems with cases feeding into the shell plate or priming problems (they both rely on the the downstroke of the shell plate).

 

Rule 2:

Right pawl adjusts the shell plate when it goes up. This is the area that causes problems with cases entering the dies (jamming on the sizing die is the big problem child).

 

The rest:

Now, another key point to keep in mind about the clicks.. The manual says to listen for clicks as the shell plate is locked into place at the end of the press arm stroke. They don't explain it very well though. When I was first fighting the left pawl (shell plate problems with priming and case feeding), the manual said to listen for 2 clicks. They didn't explain that the clicks are VERY soft and I was mistaking the releasing of the RIGHT pawl being the first click when in reality, the proper click is a very soft one. The clicks are first the sound of the pawl releasing and the second click is the sound of the 2 ball bearings locking the shell plate into proper place.

 

The key about that is you want the adjust the pawls so that the 2 distinct clicks merge into one click, that means the pawl is releasing exactly at the same time as the ball bearings are locking into place. If you are thinking that the loud clicking is the proper noise, then you are wrong like I was.

 

And when adjusting these pawls, you need to move the press arm VERY slowly.

 

 

5. Get a few cans of canned air. Use them to blow out the powder from the shellplate and especially the primer slide.

 

6. Light, light and more light. You want as much as possible. I also have a swing out desk lamp aimed so I can see in the cases.

 

7. Do not let anyone distract you. Especially at first. If someone comes to talk to you, finish the complete round you are working on, put everything down and wait until they are gone to continue.

 

8. If something jams up or you have a problem like the primer slide getting jammed. Remove the cases from the stations and put them aside in a circle thats mimics the shellplate. That way you can put them back in the way they came out. After the powder drop arm goes upward you are dropping powder, if you come halfway down and have a jam or something, don't go back up with it, you will double charge and ruin one of your guns and day in the future. Just pull the case with powder and put it to the side. I dump the powder into a small container I keep on the bench, which brings me to 9

 

9. Keep a small container for dumping powder into on the bench. It's good for when you are dialing in the correct amount of powder and it's good when you need to empty a case you are unsure about. It beats trying to throw it back into the powder measure all the time. Just save it up and dump it in the powder measure when you are done.

 

10. Keep all the allen wrenches you need for tightening things up handy. If possible get an extra set for the press only.

 

11. Wear safety glasses at all times. Just start from minute one so you get accustomed to doing it. Primers have been know to ignite and it's not pretty. It doesn't happen often but it does happen. I read that a good idea is to hang them on the press arm. Get a dedicated pair and leave em on the bench

 

12. Only work with one powder at a time. Keep any other powders away from the reloading bench. Use a piece of tape and stick it on the powder measure if you have multiple powders. Write what powder you have in the measure on the tape. Be diligent in this, you don't want to mix powders, again, this does have the potential to ruin your day in the future.

 

13. You are just starting out so work in batches of 100 at a time. That way if you screw something up you aren't pulling 500 bullets. Oh and get a bullet puller. Don't smack it on concrete, use a block of wood.

 

14. DON'T RUSH. Ever

 

15. At some point get a chrono. It helps immensely if you know how fast your bullets are traveling.

 

This is all I can think of at the moment. I have more in my brain but I need to go eat. If anyone lives by you see if they can show you how to set up the dies. Once you get them set you rarely have to change them. This whole process is going to be intimidating at first. After awhile it becomes very simple. You are going to go at a snails pace for awhile but no worries, you will be making plenty of ammo before you know it. You ammo will be so much nicer to shoot than factory rounds. Good luck with the press.

 

to be continued

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Thanks for all the good advice! Slow and steady for sure, at least for the time being. I have plenty of factory ammo to shoot and collect brass, I'm not looking to mass produce just yet, so i'll probably load 50-100 at a time with minor powder variations starting at min. loads, and work my way up until i find a worthy load to call my own. I want to reload because i spend the money buying factory "less then ideal" ammo, why not spend a little less making your very own special loads. I forced myself to jump into this now while im young, to spread out the cost savings more... because with the initial investment and little money saved per round, it will probably take a decent amount of time just to cover the start up cost, but it's a life skill. Its like the difference between homemade vs store bought chili, and you get the satisfaction. I haven't even bought powder yet so i can focus on setting up the press. You have confirmed my biggest worry, the shell plate advancement. In any event, it's much better to be aware of a possible issue, now i know specifically what to look for, and how to adjust it. I think i remember seeing a Youtube video on how to adjust the indexing. Safety glasses are a no issue, i value my sight. And when u can pick up a decent pair, may no look the best, for a total of 2 dollars, there is no reason not too.

[JonF 79]

Here's some tips regarding the primer system...

 

1. When the primer feed runs dry and the white plunger stick has locked the primer shuttle open, don't yank it out and let the shuttle snap shut! Your press will most likely be in the neutral/down position and the primer ram will be protruding up and if the shuttle slams shut under its spring tension, it will bash right into that primer ram and start to peen it over and eventually deform it (especially so with the LP shuttle since the material is thinner). Either raise your ram to take tension off the shuttle or manually grab it, remove the plunger and guide it back gently.

 

2. If your primer tubes feel a little stiff to pick up primers, you can lightly ream the inside plastic tips with a shell reamer to relieve some of the tension. The primers will slip past much more easily like that.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

All good stuff!! Been super busy, but i have the press mounted and cleaned for the most part. It looks like the paws are correctly adjusted, although i think i need to spend a little more time listening to the clicks. I have an order with powder valley and i have next week off from work, so i'm gonna dive in over the week end getting everything calibrated, and hopefully my boolits, powder and primers come in early next week. I'll post updates as I go along. Put in an order for oneshot too just to have onhand, since i cant find it locally.

 

What is the small powder metering insert for? i left the standard one in for now. I noticed it comes set up for large primers too, thank Nicks, i wouldn't have caught that off the bat.

[JonF 79]

The powder measure can be set up for pistol (small cavity volume) and rifle (large volume). You change out the drum and metering insert to swap between them. For most pistol (excluding large magnums), you definitely need the small drum and insert since the large won't have the precision to dump out typical 5 grain +/- charges for 9mm/40/45. For reference, i find that the pistol is good up until around 357 magnum where i'm throwing charges in high teens. Beyond that (such as when i load 44 mag), I have to switch to the rifle setup so i can dump 22-24 grain charges.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Thanks. I'll have to swap it out then.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Ok, hit a road block. I thought my scale would be good for reloading, but i just found out it will only read in 2gn increments. Which is def. a no go. I've spent a couple hours looking for a good scale and nothing seems to offer me what im looking for. And i Cannot find a balance with consistent reviews, seems like they don't make em like they used too.

 

Update, ordered the gempro 250. Hopefully it works as good as every one says it does.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Does anyone know which manuals list titegroup other then Lyman 49th? I just went to order the Hornady manual but low and behold they don't have data for titegroup...

[JonF 79]

You can go to the hodgdon.com website and they have a LOT of load data for that powder. Of course, it depends on the caliber how applicable the powder is to it.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

You can go to the hodgdon.com website and they have a LOT of load data for that powder. Of course, it depends on the caliber how applicable the powder is to it.

 

I printed out the caliber data off their website which was pretty helpful, just wondering what other books to add to the collection that will be useful. For 9mm, they don't have that much bullet specific data. Im trying to load up some 115gr FMJ RN, and just looking to confirm data.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

I printed out the caliber data off their website which was pretty helpful, just wondering what other books to add to the collection that will be useful. For 9mm, they don't have that much bullet specific data. Im trying to load up some 115gr FMJ RN, and just looking to confirm data.

 

Just wondering and just checking for my info, but what made you choose 115's over 124's??

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Just wondering and just checking for my info, but what made you choose 115's over 124's??

i was planning on getting 1000+ of the free 115gr xtp from Hornady, so i wanted to work up a load in the mean time. Although i have been contemplating getting the 45 185gr xtp bullets instead(better value), and loading 124gr 9mm. Only reason for 115 would be the freebees. I've been reading 124 is a better weight vs 115, less snappy and easier cycling.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

i was planning on getting 1000+ of the free 115gr xtp from Hornady, so i wanted to work up a load in the mean time. Although i have been contemplating getting the 45 185gr xtp bullets instead(better value), and loading 124gr 9mm. Only reason for 115 would be the freebees. I've been reading 124 is a better weight vs 115, less snappy.

 

Ok, I got ya, free is alway good..

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Yeah, i wish they offered a better selection for the redemption, all the bullet weights seem to be on the lower end. Ideally i want to load 124gr 9mm and 200gr .45. So an option might be to just sell them off.