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Hornady AP Ammo Plant Press (New Member)

3K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  Mister Dillon 
#1 ·
I am a new member I just joined today. I bought the Hornady Lock N Load AP Ammo Plant press about 3 months ago and have been cracking out a bunch of ammo. I have all ready filled all of my ammo cans up. I love this Press its great. I have been reloading for about a year and half. I started out with a Lee single stage press kit and learn how to reload on that. Once I learned alot on that press I decided to buy this press and I was not disappointed its a great press and just wanted to show it off along with my man cave.










 
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#3 ·
Welcome to the forum. This is a very good place to be, lots of very experienced people always willing to help. I've never seen the Ammo Plant in person, but it certainly looks to be a really nice unit. However, with that said, you're loading area is just disgustingly neat.:eek: Mine actually looked like that ONCE...when I first set everything up. You'll have to work on that, then get back to us....:D
 
#5 ·
I spent 13 years in the Marine Corps and have thing organized and neat is one of the many things that they taught us. I was and 0311 and 0372 which are both combat arms and even if I spent weeks in the field our rooms in the barracks had to be clean and neat. I keep my reloading bench clean and neat so that I know we're every thing is and I don't have to spend time looking for it. If I am to neat for you well that too bad.As for my setup it runs great and I reload at least 200 rounds every day after I get home from work just to keep my stock pile up!
 
#8 ·
Neatness can be it's own reward. Lots of Vets here and I'm sure most all of us remember how to keep our "areas" STRAC...probably not a used phrase anymore. Sometimes a little ribbing amongst "friends" is good for the soul and keeps us from taking ourselves to seriously if done in "good taste". No offence meant and none taken. :cool:
 
#7 ·
If you look closely at the picture of my whole reloading bench you will see that all of my ammo cans are labeled with the caliper of ammo that is stored in them. Every ammo can under there is full with ammo, I have another set of ammo cans that are stored in my safe that ammo I use when I go out to my land to shoot. Being organized helps me find things that I am looking for and that way I don't wait time looking for some thing I need.
 
#9 ·
I have been watching this form for about 6 months, and found no reason to join until I saw your post. I have been waiting for a fellow brother with my intrest. Well Jar-head this Wing-nut is a 20 year vet. My bench is like yours "neat" but no where near "squared away". My military bearings fell off the table a long time ago and rolled out the door. But after 22 years if my shirt is a 1/2 inch off my wife will tell me to check my gig line.

I have 3 Ammo plants 1 is set up for large pistol primers and 1 is set up for small pistol primers, my other 1 is set up for rifle. I have both .22 feeder and 30 cal feeder. All three of mine have the deluxe control panel.

Now to show everyone how important neatness is. You are having a problem of your cases hitting the V-block. Your drop tube for the case feeder is about 5°cant to the left. If you run into any problems let me know. I should be able to talk you threw any problem.
 
#10 ·
Welcome to the shooter forum, both of you!

I don't have a designated reloading area now, so my kitchen counter does double duty. Something I've learned is never trust anything pertaining to reloading to memory. Only one can of powder, one type of primer and one box of bullets are out when reloading a particular cartridge. Everything is put back when done. Make sure every aspect of your reloaded rounds is written down and so labeled on the ammo box.

Also pays to crack open that reloading manual or log book before getting set-up, just to verify what you already knew.
 
#11 ·
Welcome Ru and Ds .
Cool that you can post pics strait away.
The amo plant looks complicated , i would not want that in a messy cave.
Nice set up.
How long does it take to crank out a couple of hundred rounds.
And what are they like.
I take it it would take a while to change to another cartridge.
What are you loading you said your cans are full , sounds like you are loading a few diferant chamberings.
What about a pic of yours Ds.
 
#12 ·
The ammo Plant is not really that complicated once you get it set up and see how it works.I can crank out about 500 rounds per hour, that what Hornady says you can do. I had to test there claim and it is true I have only done it once. Change over it actually really fast and easy. You get 15 Lock N Load bushings with the Plant,so you can set up all the dies lock them in. so when you change from one caliber to another the dies are all set so you dont have to set them up all over again. I load alot of round 9mm,45ACP,.223/5.56,300 Blackout,7.62X39,.270, 30-06,.308,458Socom. I will take some picture of my Dies soon and post them. Is any body else using the Hornady Lock N Load AP Ammo Plant??
 
#15 · (Edited)
A little over a year ago there was a guy that posted how terrible the Hornady Ammo plant is . So I offered to buy it and we settled on $290.00 for the l-n-l, case feeder and a box of parts. I declined on his Mr. bullet feeder. He said that he tried for over a year to make 1 complete round, and finally gave up. Well I got the machine and found the pawl for the dies were 380° off and the pawl for the primmer was sheered off. He had an extra pawl in the box of parts, So I made the first round 10 min. after I c-clamped it to my bench.
I then ordered a riser stand, ergo handle, and light assy. from Inline. and a deluxe control panel, and the rifle bullet feeder for both .22 and 30 cal.
Now here is a one hour run. 843 rounds of 308.
 
#16 ·
Thats a massive amount of ammo to be able to crank out.
How does the precision compare to a single stage press .
Primer depth , powder charge and bullet depth.
Do you need to do much if you want to change primer sizes.
I'm looking at loading ammo for some hard to get chamberings as a paid hobby.
Running a press that can make 500 - 800 rounds an hour would make it work for me.
What concerns me about the ammo plants is the odd bullet not turning out right.
There is no hope i'm going to find some one who has one to have a look So this thread is very interesting and exciting to ,it would be good fun to make that much ammo even if it was to fill a bath with it and swim around in it. ;)
 
#19 ·
I have all ready loaded a lot of rounds from 9mm thru 308. Just like with other presses you have to set the dies and make sure they are set right and than lock them with the lock ring. The progressive press is a lot faster than a single stage press, I can do about 500-600 rounds an hour. 500 is a nice easy pace and more if I get one it and bust my butt to get them done. I like to have a nice easy pace and make sure i get good quality rounds. Changing the primers from large to small or small to large is really easy and only takes about a minute. I have no problem with primer deaths they all set tight in and are flush. For the powder charge i was told to run some powdered graphite through it and that will lucubrate it and you will get accurate powder charges. for bullet depths that's up to you in setting the seating die right. I would recommend that you get a bullet puller because your going to need it sooner or later I own two of them a kinetic bullet pullet and the one that goes in to the press it self the cam lock bullet puller. make sure you test your powder charges at least 10 times before you load one round once you are sure its good than start loading. there is a big learning curve going from a single stage press to a progressive press. If you need any help please feel free to ask, I have a YouTube page (Razor's Armory) I have a reloading section on it please check it out.
 
#18 ·
843 is not my normal run it is usually between 600 to 650. But I was making a point against my lawyer who is a rabid blue dog Dillon owner. His always saying "buy once and cry once". I challenged him to a race against my Ammo plant with Hornady dies, against his Dillon mutt. What I mean by mutt is he loads with a Dillon 650 with a Dillon case feeder, a Mr. bullet feeder and a RCBS lock out die.
I let him choose what he was going to load, and what I was going to load. He chose 9mm for him and 308 for me. I beat him by 46 rounds. I then told him I loaded Hornady bullets into Hornady cases.
 
#20 ·
Truly an awesome set-up. I thought mine was nice, but you give me a run for my money

I have a Hornady LNL also, but I moved it further down the bench to make room for my new Dillon 650.

One suggestion I have for you. Check out inlinefabrication.com they make some nice accessories for that press. I bought the roller handle a few years ago. That **** thing is well worth the money.

I also have the stand that raises the press off the bench. Not sure if that would be good for you or not.
 
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