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Hornady Lock & Load progessive

6K views 57 replies 20 participants last post by  Reeferman 
#1 ·
Good evening Fellows, I'm looking for some info. I've been looking at one of these progressive press for several years now and I'm about to pull the trigger on one. I've been loading on a single stage press for many, many years and I think it's time to treat myself. So here's my questions. What all would I need to order to get this thing up and running. Now of course I've already got dies, ect, but I'm reading about bushings, plates. I just don't want to get it and still be missing something that I need to get started and I also don't want some sales person getting me to buy a bunch of crap that I don't need.
I'll be basically just loading for my shooters.
380, 9mm, 38 special, 357, 44 mag, 45acp and 45 colt
Any input from someone that has one would surely be appreciated.
Thanks
 
#2 ·
You'll need a shell plate for the calibers you want to reload. Of course the 38/357 will be the same and the 9mm/380 may be as well but am not sure on that. The press used to come with 3 bushings but look into getting multi packs for your other dies and you'll save a little money. I had a LNL AP for several years but never could avoid it spilling a few grains of powder when loading magnum cases with max charges when the shell plate indexed but other than that, it did great with regular loads such as 38 special. I ended up going back to turret presses but sometimes miss the progressive.
 
#3 ·
1. Shellplates:
Chart is HERE. Looks like you will need 16, 8, 6, 30, 45, 32 respectively . . . but check for yourself.

2. Bushings:
You will need one bushing for each specialty die you plan to use on the AP . . . powder measure die, powder check die, universal decapper (though you'll probably leave that for your single stage at least for now).

You will want/need one bushing for each sizing die and seating die. If you crimp/close the bell separately (recommended) you'll need a bushing for each of those.

See below for more info on bushings.

3. Powder Measure Rotor and Meter
I *believe* the AP comes with a powder measure equipped with a "standard" rotor . . . if so, that works well for powder charges >17gr. If that's the case, you will want to buy a pistol rotor and meter insert.

4. Tips/Future Possibilities
- (Now) The manual is downloadable for reference . . . google "Hornady AP manual".

- (Now) Amazon is a good place to check for equipment prices, especially if you have Prime.

- (Now) Buy a ten-pack of bushings immediately . . . do some setup and reloading and then, before you use up the last 3 of those 10, calculate what you need beyond that and order them.

- (Soon, when convenient) Your AP comes with a couple of spare parts. With your next order you would do well to buy 2 Part#8 (LNL AP Bracket) and 2 Part#17 (Spring Case Retainer). If you have a history of SPROING when removing springs, grab a couple Part#16 (Spring, Primer Slide) as well.

- (Future) There are other parts you can buy to eliminate adjustments to (eg) the powder measure . . . get some experience first and then come back when some part of caliber changeover becomes tedious and worth spending some money on.

- If in doubt about anything, CALL HORNADY and ask. Unlike manufacturers of other consumer products, they really like talking to you and helping.
 
#6 ·
I have owned one for about two years and just now comfortable with getting rid of my single stage and turret.

With the single stage/turret I never had a bad round made in over thirty years. Can't say the same for the LNL AP. This can be frustrating at first but when you can easily crank out 100 rounds in 15 minutes it seems less of a problem.
There are many YouTube videos (some better than others) that will let you fine tune the unit. I got tired of certain little problems and finally spent time watching them.
Actually the only problem I still have is upside down primers. Maybe 1 in 200-300 rounds. It used to be much more but smoothing certain parts was the fix.
Some units are reported problem free but others not. I got mine at a great sale price and it had a couple of the rough parts the videos talked about.

It came with rifle and handgun metering inserts. The powder measure is decent.
I bought the LED attachment along with many bushings and a couple spare parts.
I recently broke the large primer slide and one call to Hornady had a new one on the way.

I bought the Inline Fabrication mount system. It is a purchase I am very happy with. Keeps the press up off the bench and organizes all the spare stuff. Also am able to swap out with the other presses and my vise.
 
#7 ·
I'm not dissing Hornady because I do have a fair amount of their equipment , but if you haven't made your purchase yet I would suggest you take a look at the Dillon 550.

Dillon is the company everyone else wants to be like.



Here Kitty Kitty
 
#8 ·
I don't know if you ever experienced this, but it happened to me and a neighbor of mine, on his Hornady single stage press. Once in awhile a lock&load bushing would unlock. When it happened to me it was the powder measure that came unlocked. When the shell casing came up it lifted the entire powder measure and didn't drop any powder. To remedy this, I drilled and tapped a 1/4-20 hole and installed a thumb screw.

(I backed the screw out a few turns for the photo.)
 

Attachments

#9 ·
Issues like this don't happen with a Dillon.

Like I said, Dillon is the company everyone else want to be like.

Sorry vilkus, I'm not picking on you.



Here Kitty KItty
 
#12 ·
GONRA sez Dillons are great too. Checkout the MODERN Dillons.

Do NOT get rid of yer Single Stage Press and Related Equipment!
You'll appreciate single stage press for "necked rifle caliber case prep"
to feed yer Progressive Press. Makes everything easier and trouble free....
 
#14 ·
I load on a Lnl love it watch Highboy YouTube videos to set it up voila. Enjoy

Thewelshm
 
#18 ·
I don't think there is any such thing as a perfect progressive press. That said, the best premium presses for the normal reloader are Hornady LnL AP or Dillon RL550 or XL650. I do believe the Dillon's are more trouble free but of course I'm biased because I own a Dillon RL550. I bought it just before the 550B models came out .... nothing more than a slightly redesigned frame. That was back in 1993 and until just a few months ago, the RL550B remained pretty much unaltered. Recently, the RL550C was released .... same basic machine only with grease zerks in the pivot arms.

Had the Hornady LnL press been available back in '93, I may have bought one. They do have some innovative designs ..... especially the LnL die mounts. My former neighbor had one so both of us bragged about our own presses. Finally we had a "fly off".... by mounting both machines on my reloading table then putting them through their paces. Putting all bias aside, there was no clear winner. Both of us liked the Dillon's priming system better that the Hornady system. Dillon's automatic powder measure was more accurate and easier to set up when changing dies. Hornady's "5 hole" shell holder was obviously better. Despite the Hornady's auto advance shell holder, reloading speed was nearly identical. Dillon's manual advance has the capability of using the press as a single stage, a turret, or a full progressive without any alterations at all. This has come in handy for me countless times.

Hornady's LNL die mounts are cheaper than Dillon's tool head design but take longer when changing to a different caliber. The overall cost advantage goes to Hornady but the overall quality goes to Dillon. We both concluded .... Dillon dies are superior to Hornady but they also cost more. I guess it all depends on where your priorities are. Both have an excellent warranty with Dillon's being the absolute best in the industry.
 
#19 ·
The items you MUST have (shell plates, bushings, etc) to start using your LNL press have already been mentioned above. An optional item you might want to consider [I would not be without one] is the "Powder Cop" die.
 
#20 ·
+1 more for the Dillon 550B.
Mine was purchased 2nd hand at a garage sale about 25 years ago and is still running strong. When purchased, it was missing some parts. Dillon replaced them for free - even AFTER I told the sales rep they were missing when I bought it SECOND HAND and he said it didn't matter! I still use my single stage for most rifle cartridges, but all my handgun ammo is loaded on the Dillon and I use nothing but Dillon dies on that machine.
 
#21 ·
Make sure you will have a pistol rotor for the powder measure. It uses two sizes and may come with the standard rotor that won't go down to the powder volumes needed for your smaller stuff.

Buy a pack of spare shell plate spring hoops. Crushing the one on there will likely be part of your learning curve.

Get a supply of LnL bushings, probably a dedicated set for each of your most often used die sets.
 
#27 ·
BearBio & THEWELSHM, I hate to see this thread turn into a "brand war" .... but that's what appears to be the direction it is headed.

Anyone that says a Hornady LNL is a POS obviously hasent taken the time to learn how to adjust and run them. Also, anyone that doesn't keep up with changes has no business knocking Dillon presses, saying they are an old design. All progressive presses work pretty much the same and do exactly the same functions in exactly the same order so there really aren't any revolutionary changes that can be implemented. Think of S&W revolvers .... their design, appearance, and function haven't changed much in over 100 years but S&W still makes and sells a lot of them .... as does Ruger and other manufactures .... and guess what? Other brands of revolvers work exactly like the 100 year old S&W design. Take a look at single stage presses .... like a S&W revolver, they haven't changed much in 100 years .... except the RCBS Rockchucker is now a cast aluminum frame made in China versus the older presses that were case iron and made in Oroville, CA .... not what I would call an improvement.

Just a bit of history for Dillon presses. It started with the Model 450, which was a 4 stage progressive press but the dies were directly mounted in the press frame .... making it time consuming to change calibers. Both the primer feed and powder measure were manually operated. The 450 was upgraded to a RL550 .... similar design only the dies were mounted in a removable tool head. The powder measure was changed to an automatic unit which was activated by the presence of a case in the second stage. At the same time, the priming system was changed from a manual operation to an automatic operation. These changes made a RL550 much easier and faster to operate. Later a new press frame was designed and renamed to RL550B. The automatic powder measure went through a few minor changes .... still works the same but better linkage helped improved its function. Not long ago, a new case feeder was made for the RL550B that increased operating speeds considerably. There were also a few more upgrades to include a "Strong Mount" that vastly improved ergonomics. Just recently, the RL550B press was redesigned. A quote from Dillon: "The "C" designation indicates a significant design change. The upper link arm pivot pins are now threaded in place, and have a grease groove around the pin that connects with a lube hole on the end of the pin.* You can use a needle fitting on a grease gun to lubricate the upper pivot pins now."

I highly commend Dillon on their upgrades. Unlike some gun manufacturers that make changes to reduce manufacturing costs, Dillon actually made the press work better. If you look back to their very first model .... all changes were still backward compatible .... except the press frame, however Dillon still offers a 450 to 550 upgrade for a very modest cost. Dies, powder measures, and caliber conversion kits work on both presses and further .... you can use a manual 450 powder measure or manual priming system on a RL550C, if you so desire.

I don't own a Dillon XL650 or a Hornady LnL so I haven't followed their upgrades. I will say this .... Dillon and Hornady both make very respectable equipment and anyone that owns either brand should be very proud. The primary reason I'm partial to Dillon is .... I own a RL550 and have many caliber conversion kits and other accessories that pretty much lock me into a RL550. I might be partial to Hornady LnL presses had I started with a LnL AP and bought the necessary accessories.

Thus ends the "brand war" for progressive presses.
 
#29 ·
I think that is a fair analysis .... however you will never end the brand war mate,,,,

thewelshm
 
#28 ·
If anyone is considering one of the early L&L presses, check out the powder measure setup.
My first machine had a rod that ran down the center of the press and contacted the ram. It would drop powder (if connected) every time the ram came up. It would drop powder whether a case was there or not. (Big mess):eek:
My newer L&L press has a case activated powder measure.
That was a big improvement!:)

As already stated, they have made changes and they both are good presses.

Bill
 
#30 ·
however you will never end the brand war mate,,,,
You're absolutely right and that's because when you get a significant sum of money invested in a press and accessories .... and it produces great ammo, you become very brand loyal. You will find without fail ..... reloaders are more brand loyal with their presses than shooters are with their guns.

Over the years, I have loaded on many different brands of presses .... single stage, turret, and progressive. They all seem to work .... some better than others. At one time (back in the 70's) all I owned was a RCBS Rockchucker. All my dies and accessories were also RCBS. In fact I still have that old Rockchucker, RCBS 510 scale, Uniflow powder measure, powder trickler, primer pocket swaging tool, auto primer feed, and many sets of RCBS dies plus an RCBS Ammo Master tool kit. I think you could have called me a RCBS junkie.

In the early 1990's, I got into a push for time .... I just couldn't keep up on a single stage press and still have time to shoot ... not to mention working and other family obligations. I bought a RCBS "Piggy back" conversion kit for my Rockchucker. I was sadly disappointed .... a very poor design. My brand loyalty days were over. I worked about a mile from Dillon's factory in Scottsdale, AZ so I spent many lunch hours talking to the sales reps and playing with the different machines. I finally decided to get the RL550. I had enough money saved for the XL650 but the features on the 550 sold me on the design. Funny .... I still feel the same way more than 25 years later. Hornady LnL AP presses were not available at the time or I might have bought one. Once I bought several sets of Dillon dies and a bunch of caliber conversion kits and tool heads, I was committed to Dillon and am now a full blown Dillon junkie. That said, I try to keep an open mind and respect for other brands of equipment and accessories.
 
#31 ·
I have RCBS JR3 , Lee Turret and Hornady LNL on my bench... Hopefully they should last me the next 30 years? Heck Ill be 83 by then :)

thewelshm
 
#32 ·
WCWV all I can say is the Hornady LNL has worked very well for me after setting it up as per Highboy videos and have loaded about 8000 rounds so far. I don't load more than a 100 to 200 in a session and dont have case or bullet feeders so can't say if I could load the amounts that others claim to be able to do per hour.
 
#35 ·
Nope not too complicated or fussy. Like any mechanical device it can be tuned to work better. After watching how he timed the priming and press systems and doing the same to my LNL it hasn't missed a round since I got it.
A friend has a Lee Pro 1000 and it takes more than several videos to keep it working but he is happy with it and it loads what he shoots.
Whatever works for you is what it's all about.
Myself I really don't get into the bull crap of mine is better than yours.
 
#34 ·
Well, we don't have pennies here anymore so I am going to toss in a nickel.. I bought a TRG 42 in 338 Lapua, a Hornady LNL progressive, all the dies I thought I would ever use, Hornady trimmer, Hornady concentricity checker, Hornady ultrasonic cleaner, Hornady.......blah blah. I set the press up to be a true progressive BUT my OCD and meticulous nature now has me prepping all the brass beforehand, cleaning and recleaning brass, hand priming with RCBS primer tool, powdering individually by hand (except for 45 ACP) and then back to the LNL for projectile pushing. I can still crank out 500 45 ACP in an evening, but only 100 or so of the precision rounds for my Lapua or my 6.5 Creedmoor. I have an associate that has the new Dillon and cranks out ACP like a gumball dispenser, but he also spends more time at the range than the target stands lol. There is only one sport shop in town that sells reloading equip and he only stocks green so I have to special order anything Hornady that I want. There you are, one shiny beaver spent!
 
#40 ·
Danad - GONRA's pretty sure you REALLY WANNA process "Necked Caliber Brass"
FIRST then use it in ANY progressve press - to produce Really Nice Uniform Ammo.

Keep a ROBUST SINGLE STAGE press on hand to resize any necked caliber brass
before feeding into any progressive press.
 
#42 ·
I have to hear this too.....................:)

thewelshm
 
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