I came into 5 bills worth of Cabelas credit. I'm 85% ready to pull the trigger and picking up an LnL for loading 9mm and .357sig. I know there are people here that use the LnL, I would just like to know if there are any tips/tricks, or additional accessories that are "must have" (besides dies and bases of course).

 

Thanks!

LnL EZ loader right? the progressive one, if thats the one you are talking about i have one and love it, it is so much easier than resetting all of the dies each time and it really does pump some rounds out when you get the hang of it.

I came into 5 bills worth of Cabelas credit. I'm 85% ready to pull the trigger and picking up an LnL for loading 9mm and .357sig. I know there are people here that use the LnL, I would just like to know if there are any tips/tricks, or additional accessories that are "must have" (besides dies and bases of course).

 

Thanks!

 

I'm about to run out but here's a quick list, I'll add to it later or tomo

 

Canned Air

Denatured Alcohol to clean the dies and new pieces

Scale- I prefer digital for ease of use

Extra case retaining spring- get 2, they are only 2 bucks each you WILL need these

Primer flipper- Dillon makes a nice metal one

Extra primer pickup tubes - not mandatory but nice to keep momentum when loading

Case lube

Dry lube

Calipers- again I prefer digital

Few coffee cans that you can label

Comfy Stool

At least 1000 primers

At least 1000 bullets

Flashlight

Taper crimp die- ill explain later

Boxes for the loaded rounds

If you have an extra 300 get a case feeder...I want one badly

 

 

I'll be happy to help you set the stuff up if you live close. I'm not an expert on reloading yet but I'll teach you what i know so far.

 

Gotta run for now

 

edit- was that you at the high power clinic, I was there with my cousin. I was the only bozo shooting a Mosin and my cousin had the M1A.

LnL EZ loader right? the progressive one, if thats the one you are talking about i have one and love it, it is so much easier than resetting all of the dies each time and it really does pump some rounds out when you get the hang of it.

 

Yup the progressive one. Thanks for your feedback, I hear lots of people like them.

 

I'm about to run out but here's a quick list, I'll add to it later or tomo

 

Canned Air

Denatured Alcohol to clean the dies and new pieces

Scale- I prefer digital for ease of use

Extra case retaining spring- get 2, they are only 2 bucks each you WILL need these

Primer flipper- Dillon makes a nice metal one

Extra primer pickup tubes - not mandatory but nice to keep momentum when loading

Case lube

Dry lube

Calipers- again I prefer digital

Few coffee cans that you can label

Comfy Stool

At least 1000 primers

At least 1000 bullets

Flashlight

Taper crimp die- ill explain later

Boxes for the loaded rounds

If you have an extra 300 get a case feeder...I want one badly

 

 

I'll be happy to help you set the stuff up if you live close. I'm not an expert on reloading yet but I'll teach you what i know so far.

 

Gotta run for now

 

edit- was that you at the high power clinic, I was there with my cousin. I was the only bozo shooting a Mosin and my cousin had the M1A.

 

Thanks Bab. I forgot to mention I have most of the basics already as I use a Forester single stage press for reloading my .308. I've highlited the items that I am not familiar with.

 

I'm in Matawan/Old Bridge, not far from Belmar where your profile says you are. Would appreciate the help when I get it.

 

I was at the clinic, had a M1A Scout at station 18. I don't remember seeing anyone with a Mosin, you were probably down on the other side.

 

Was a fun class, but IMO there were too many delays between shooting. I felt like I sat around a collective 5 hours doing nothing the whole day. I suppose that is what happens when you have 40 people, not all of them pick up right away on things.

Dan, I have one in the office, You can play with it Friday.

Sounds good Maks

I have one with the case feeder and love it. Out of the box, its ready to go, but you may need to tweak some things from time to time, namely lubing the grease zerks and the advance pawls. I greased mine after the first 1000 rounds but havent since and it still feels tight 7K rounds later. After some use with mine over the past 9 months, i've gotten a good handle on its quirks.

 

- have extra springs. Sometimes they just get worn or stretched during handling.

- use a new dryer sheet to reduce static on the powder measure. wipe it around on the hopper and anyplace powder travels.

- if you feel undue resistance through the handle, dont force it, you can break a pawl (which are also designed to break to spare the press, but it sucks to break sone since it puts you out of commission.) Having an extra just in case you ever need it (like the springs) is a good idea.

- lube 9mm brass, without it its harder than some much larger/longer brass.

- 9mm cases are small and some times certain brass doesn't eject cleanly via the ejecter nub. This is usually timing thin with your stroke if you are ripping at the handle at warp speed. Finess it a bit and they'll pop out cleanly--develop a good rhythm and feel for for ejecting completed cartridges and simultaneously seating primers.

- fully seat your primers. If you don't, you'll know it and the shell plate will jam up due to the protrusion. This is probably the case for any press.

- bulged fired primers can be a PITA to slip in the shell plate depending on how bad they are protruding. Not sure which guns do this but you know it instantnly when the shell teeters on the lumpy primer.

- locktite all the little allen screws on the powder measure linkage.

- tighten your shell plate bolt well - raise the ram 2 inches to disengage the pawls fully, insert a block of wood between the frame and under the ram and set it down. Insert a small allen wrench down the spent primer tube to lock the shell plate and give the main bolt a good tightening (if you just barely tighten it, it will work loose).

 

My pre-flight check before a loading session is:

- make sure powder measure linkage screws (thumb and allen) are tight and linkage is lubed.

- make sure there are no powder bits clogging up the shell plate above or below.

- Shell plate bolt is tight.

- lube primer slide with a shot of Hornady One Shot dry lube and verify no powder bits are blocking.

- lube EZ ejecter nub and spring channel with a shot of One Shot.

 

 

Some additional suggestions for reloading are to get some sort of powder check die like the Powder Cop or Lockout Die. For a new reloader, its a nice indicator that your powder charge is neither a squib nor a double. Get the hornady micrometer insert for the powder measure rotor if you are goign to reload a bunch of different calibers. For more than 2, it makes it more cost effective since you can just dial back in the value you recorded rather than buying separate metering inserts or *gasp* re-adjusting the stock nut and bolt one! Inertial pullers suck a**, get a cam-lock one if you ever think you'll pull down bullets. The powder drain insert is a nice handy tool for emptying your measure but one slip and you have 1/4lb of powder on the floor. Ask me how i know. :/

 

Thats all i got for now i think. I'm not too far from you, give me a shout if you have any questions.

Sweet thanks for the writeup Jon. That's a lot of info! Much of it has me scratching my head, but will probably make sense when I have the LnL in front of me.

Here are a few tips:

 

Hornady has a great setup video included with the press, but it is also on the web site as well as youtube. Watch it a couple of times, and if you have a laptop, watch it while putting the press together.

 

The primer pickup tube sucks. Dillon makes a great one, but you have to modify it to wotk with the LnL.

 

Get a case gauge, $15 well spent.

 

If the press doesn't index right, the pawls need to be adjusted (fairly common). Both of mine were out, but only 1/4 - 1/2 turn.

 

Get a lamp and mount it so light shines on the left side of the press. This will let you see into the case before you seat a bullet.

 

If you want to take a look at one, let me know. I'm here this week, but will be traveling for the next two.

Oh and a bullet puller!

5 bills of Cabela's credit? Damn!!! I'd buy a gun!

Jonf has pretty much got it covered.

 

If you plan on changing calibers get collars for each of the dies. This makes changing back and forth between calibers much easier.

 

I've found that this wrench is very useful when locking dies in and making setup changes.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=154534

 

During setup make sure you set the decapping pin low enough. I have had partially removed primers stop the rotation of the shell plate.

 

MAKE SURE THERE IS NO POWDER IN BETWEEN THE PRIMER SLIDE GROOVE!!!!!!!

Even 1 small ball of powder in there can keep the primer from lining up properly with

the primer hole in the brass, making seating a primer tough.

oh and polish the primer slide bar and the groove it goes in

Excellent thanks guys, I couldn't ask for better info. I think I'll hunker down and place the order tomorrow.

 

Ray Ray... I thought of a gun, I have my eye on a M&p 9mm... BUT I figure I'm better served with being set up to reload to save on $$$'s in the long term which would equate to be more guns and savings in the future. Plenty to be kept fed today.

Excellent thanks guys, I couldn't ask for better info. I think I'll hunker down and place the order tomorrow.

 

Ray Ray... I thought of a gun, I have my eye on a M&p 9mm... BUT I figure I'm better served with being set up to reload to save on $$$'s in the long term which would equate to be more guns and savings in the future. Plenty to be kept fed today.

 

Your not gonna save money. Your just gonna shoot more!!!

 

 

MAKE SURE THERE IS NO POWDER IN BETWEEN THE PRIMER SLIDE GROOVE!!!!!!!

Even 1 small ball of powder in there can keep the primer from lining up properly with

the primer hole in the brass, making seating a primer tough.

I would have to second that, I learned that from experience

I would have to second that, I learned that from experience

+3!