[Bongo Boy]

Help: Setting Up a Hornady LNL AP for One Caliber

I currently use a Classic Turret and plan to move to the Hornady press in the next month. Having not even seen a progressive press but having read quite a bit, I'm overwhelmed with die options.

All I want to do is pound out a lot of .45 ACP using at most two powders and 3 loads. I don't care if it takes me 10 minutes or 30 minutes to change setups--once I'm set up for a particular load I just want to run with it, probably leaving the unit set up for several weeks in that configuration.

I currently decap and size on the Classic Turret, since I currently don't clean primer pockets. I load primers into the primer arm one at a time, by hand, then charge-and-flare, seat and crimp using Lee Factory Crimp.

I don't feel I need anything to check my charge in the case, and could get along without having a machine tell me when I'm out of primers, but that's an option I'd consider if it's an option. I'm mostly confused over the odd-sounding special-purpose dies folks seem to be using, since I've not seen them.

On the new-manufacture LNL AP is there still an issue with the cartridge ejection scheme and the Lee factory crimp die? Is there a Hornady or other die that works as well? I don't really need to crimp much--I'm mostly just taking out the flare and smidge more.

Finally, with the Hornady powder measure, do I need an optional something for the little wee loads I'm using? I'm mostly running 3.4gr of Clays, and would like accurate measures.

Sorry for being such a newb.

 

[Mush from PA.]

You will have many more questions so how about I tell you of free videos that will answer many questions and have you more prepared for a Hornady L-N-L press. First watch these on the Hornady site:

http://www.hornady.com/support/instructional-videos

next check out these:

http://ultimatereloader.com/?p=453

And the "New" presses do not have the ejection wire to worry about. The Lee dies will work but they are shorter than The Hornady dies. You may have to adjust the Lee dies all the way out. I finally bought RCBS and Hornady dies that IMHO fit better inthe L-N-L.

 

[Bongo Boy]

Thanks Mush. All of the videos are excellent, and the Ultimate Reloader site is quite the find. Between the Hornady vids and the UR site, all the questions I had regarding station setup were answered.

On the issue of the powder check die, I was thinking that the chances of 0 or 2 charges going into a case are remote at best. OTOH, it's also a small one-time cost that has no impact on production rates or anything, and I know first-hand how expensive a squib can be. What are your thoughts on the utility of a Powder Cop or RCBS Powder Check type die?

As for the Hornady PTX die, I've read both sides: that a) it doesn't provide sufficient flaring especially for lead, and b) it provides completely adequate flaring if you know how to properly adjust it. What's your opinion? Currently I'm putting from 0.004" to 0.005" of flare in my .45 ACP brass, and that about 0.001" or 0.002" more than I really need when I'm casting good bullets.

I can see using the top mounting point intended for the case dispenser support as a 3rd place to anchor the press either to the table or back to the wall. That would really add some stability.

 

[Bongo Boy]

Confusion continues.

One die setup recommendation (at Ultimate Reloader) is:

The PTX expander.
The standard 3-die set.
A taper crimp die.
A Powder Cop or Lock Out die.

The confusion: when you buy the 3-die set you get an expander die, so you're not going to use it in the setup above, and you get a seater/taper crimp die. So, why crimp as a separate operation...is it not adjustable separately from the seating depth?