Hornady Lock-N-Load AP

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hutchman

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
865
Location
Benton City, WA
I assembled and set up my new LNL press today and I am pumped. I have used and owned Dillon Products for the last 20 years and have been a believer, but decided to try the Hornady based on some recommendations and research.

It is easier to set up and the caliber changes are going to be a breeze. The Hornady Bushing system for the dies is very simple and appears to maintain adjustment when removing the dies. Primer change over is now a 5 minute job rather than the 20 - 30 on the Dillon.

All in all I think this was a good move for me!
 

bub

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jul 28, 2007
Messages
245
Location
NE Ohio
hutchman, I've had my LNL AP for a couple of years now and LOVE IT! Of course, I moved up from a Lee Pro 1000 to the LNL, so it was a case of going from a Ford Pinto to a Mercedes. I haven't run as many rounds through mine as some here have, but it's been a good, reliable and precise piece of machinery.

Bub
 

revhigh

Hawkeye
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
5,590
Location
PA
Funny you mention that ... just last night I helped my buddy set up his brand new LNL AP. I never really liked the bushing system as I have an older Hornady Pro-jector progressive, but it actually seemed OK, and the auto powder drop is pretty cool.

Seems like a pretty solid machine.

Almost makes me want to buy a new press .... nah ....

REV
 

hutchman

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
865
Location
Benton City, WA
I loaded my first 100 rounds today and I am a happy camper. Right off the bat, I decided the crimp die needed to go in another hole...........no problem, just twisted it, removed it, and installed it in the next location. No change in seating or crimp depth. Painless..........!

I really like the ease of removing a case from the shell plate. Simply slide it out and pop it out of the retaining spring....done deal. Because of this feature, it is very easy to recycle a case to a previous station if needed.

The powder feed is flawless and easy to adjust. One thing that is needed is a can of Hornady One shot cleaner and lube. I suppose something else would work, but the Hornady product is designed to work correctly.

Also, the supplied DVD is a great guide for setup. Everything is shown in great detail, and once seen, makes the set up go as intended.

The only complaint I have is with the shell ejection system. I have the new one and sometimes the shell gets hung up and has to be tapped to completely eject.

If I had to choose between this press and my old Dillon 650, I would take this one every time. It simply is easier to operate for me.
 

revhigh

Hawkeye
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
5,590
Location
PA
hutchman":2pq9xxqc said:
If I had to choose between this press and my old Dillon 650, I would take this one every time. It simply is easier to operate for me.

And about half the price as well ...

REV
 

bub

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jul 28, 2007
Messages
245
Location
NE Ohio
hutchman, I have the older version of the LNL, the one that has the wire to eject the loaded rounds. I have had some very slight problems with loaded .38/.357 rounds getting hung up and not ejecting properly, but it's not a real big deal. Just reach up and bump the loaded round and it falls out like it should. It's still a BIG step up from the Lee I was using!

I'll qualify what I am going to post by saying that I've never used a Dillon machine. But, when I was looking for a new press, I did see that the LNL seemed to give you a lot more features for the money than the Dillon. For example, with the LNL, to get true progressive indexing of the shell plate, you had to step up to the 650, which was considerably more than the LNL, to get that with Dillon. After being used to the automatic indexing of my Lee, I was afraid that the manual indexing of the 550 would lead to me ending up double charging a case.

The only thing I really miss from my Lee is the automatic case feeder. With the case feeder on the Lee, when it ran right, I could crank out 400-500 rds/hour with no problem. Without the case feeder on the LNL, I can do 200-300/hr. Not a real big deal for me, though, since the LNL just works so much better than the Lee. MUCH more consistent and much easier to use without all the little quirks that make owning and using a Lee SO MUCH FUN (NOT!)!!!!! To me, reloading is just as much a hobby as shooting, so the small amount of extra time is no big deal and is, in it's own way, as therapeutic and relaxing as shooting is.

Bub
 

newrugersafan

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 1, 2005
Messages
109
Location
Oregun
I have a newer LnL also and have been very happy with mine. I load 380, 9mm, 357-38spcl, 40 S&W, 44 mag- 44 spcl. and a few others and the ease of caliber change is a plus. The only draw back that I have found with the bushing system is the slight spring in the o-ring causes a bit of variation it the OAL of the cartridge, fairly small but still an issue.

Mike
 
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