Hornady LNL ap malfunctions

[Jacobbo2020]

So I'm very new to reloading, and have purchased the hornady LNL ap for the purpose of learning and producing range rounds for plinking. I will get into more precision stuff later but for now im just trying to conquer the learning curve here.

So my problem is, as i extract the primer and the tray trys to index into the next slot, the primer is getting caught and preventing forward movement. I give the tray a slight nudge in reverse with my thumb and the primer falls and forward movement is restored. I have played with the paws and extracter/resizer die quite a bit and cant seem to find a middle ground that will fix my problem. Is it my paws or something else i could be adjusting?

 

[drano38]

Is it the old primer, or the new primer that gets caught?
If its the old primer, adjust the decaping pin so its a bit lower, allowing it to completely push the old primer out. With the ram at the top of its stroke, the old primer should have fallen down the tube on the back of the ram.
If its the new primer, make sure the slider that brings the primer forward is working properly. My LNL AP is from the '90s, and maybe they changed how it works. But mine drops them well into the shell plate.

 

[Enosiophobia]

Try setting your primer pin deeper to punch them all the way out. Had this happen as well. Sometimes a firm pull once the plate has locked into its position helps.

 

[Cecil S.]

^^^^^^^Good advice right here. Do a search on You Tube many helpful Vids on there. I am cuurently setting up a LNL AP to feed our new pistol habit. Girlfriend will be running the press so trying to keep it easy for her to manage.

 

[Rsadams]

You will need to watch some YouTube videos on how to setup the LNL... I have read that once they are set up with all the little tricks they are supposed to run pretty good... Fortunately people have posted most of them for you already....

 

[El Matador]

I had this same issue with my Lyman 40 S&W dies on the LNL. No matter how I adjusted the decapping pin it wouldn't push the primers all the way through. Almost like they were sticking on the end of the decapping pin. I swapped the decapper out for another one (from my 9mm dies) and the problem was 95% solved. It would still occasionally stick a primer but not nearly as often. I can't say for sure what causes the issue but you may need to try a different decapping pin or somehow modify the existing one...grind a slight taper into the end or something. I've loaded thousands of 38's on this press using Hornady dies and never had the same problem.

 

[Tommie]

As a new reloader, who advised you to buy a progressive press?

 

[rwj]

As a new reloader, who advised you to buy a progressive press?

I did not... but I did buy a Dillon 650 as my first (and to date only) press and just used it in single stage mode to learn the loading process. Now have the option to use it as a progressive for pistol and plinking rounds for rifle, then convert it to single stage for target/accuracy rifle rounds.

 

[divingin]

It's not a pawl problem. Those manifest themselves as the plate not lining up with the dies.

As others have said, the decapping pin is likely set too short - the way I set it is to run a piece of brass into the sizing die, screw the decapper in until it bottoms out against the brass, and then back it out about a half to a full turn and lock it in place (you want as much throw as you can get, but also want clearance if you use brass with different head thicknesses.) The pin should extend below the die bottom by a decent 3/8" or more.

If you remove the vinyl tube and put a plastic bucket or similar below the port, you can run several pieces of brass through and ensure that the primers are not sticking to the pin. They should fall free, and you'll hear them fall into the bucket. If they don't, first try changing the pin itself. If that doesn't work, take a close look at the pin tip and change the profile - if it's round, square it off a bit; if it's square, round it off.

I run into this problem on 223 brass quite a bit (though it's on a single stage press using a Lee decapping die.)

 

[Jacobbo2020]

Thank you all for advise. I have set my depriming pin as low as i can get it without limiting the throw of the ram, the problem is still there my next move will be changeing the profile of the tip of the pin. I believe it is sticking to the pin enough to be slighty resat into the case.

 

[AZLongGunner]

I had a problem with my Hornady Ammo Plant where the shell plate would not index fully to next station and always messed up the priming until i nudge it like you said. I adjusted the left pawl in a counter clockwise motion 1/16 at a time until correct indexing was achieved. As I re-read you said you messed with the pawls already but there are two so the right side one counter clockwise may help. hope you get it fixed

 

[marvintm]

Jacobbo2020, sounds like you are explaining the de-capped primer stuck to end of de-priming pin and retracting into the case pocket/shellplate area on withdraw. OR the primer is not making it fully out of the case pocket. Either way, you need to perform TWO separate adjustments.

1) Set the De-capper /sizing die body depth to shell plate first. Barely touching the shell plate or "camover" may or may not be the proper rule for your goals especially with shouldered rifle cases where you have to tune the proper shoulder bump back for your chamber.

2) Loosen the de-capper pin retainer nut and pull the de-capper pin all the way UP in the die, snug nut again. Now place a fired case including its spent primer and down stroke fully into the die and STOP. Now loosen the Decapping pin and lower it until you feel it touch the primer inside the case. MARK this spot on the decapper with a sharpie. Complete the stroke and remove the case/ die.

Now you can figure exactly how much deeper than this to set the pin to get the primer pushed out of the case pocket. A primer is about 1/8" or 0.120" tall plus a little more to allow for case pocket depth. 1/4" deeper is PLENTY. Too much and you start breaking de-capping pins since the unsupported pin flexes on each stroke. Too little and... jammed up press.

Finally, take a dremel polishing wheel and make the decapping pin tip round and shiny like a ballpoint pen. Primers shouldn't stick to it any more.

For those witnessing the priming slide on station 2 hanging rearward or missing a new primer:
1) Empty and remove the primer feed tube then remove the outer safety tube.
2) Looking straight down into the primer drop "shoe" with press at full stroke (ram UP), the shuttle receiving hole should pass under it centered exactly or slightly favoring to the rear. If not, then loosen the cam-wire anchor screw at the top of press and move the (slotted) bracket assembly to correct the shuttle hole to line up where the primer drops in (or just pass center).
3) I also used a dremel cotton wheel to mirror polish the shuttle hole entry face just for good measure. I have never had a miss fed primer over thousands of rounds and 15 years of press service.

 

[drop_point]

What happens is small primers tend to stick to the decapping pin and get pulled back. A flicking decapping die like the mighty armory will prevent this.