Added LnL; what to order besides press?

[Bang!]

Got caught up in the ongoing sale frenzies and ordered a Hornady LnL. Ordered the press from Jet.com for $303 delivered. Shellplates ordered from Calibersusa.com for half price. Why not? No trailer behind a hearse. What else will I need to order unique to the LnL?

Been loading for three years and have everything I need along the Lee line. Lee Single Stage Classic Cast (breechblock), LCT, Loadmaster, and most reloading paraphernalia. I don't have anything bad to say about those three presses. Loaded many (tens even?) thousands on them. No press wars, please. Just wanted to add the LnL.

Press and shell plates on order. Don't plan to add motorized case or bullet feeders. Noisy.

Looks like Hornady powder measure doesn't come with pistol case mouth expander. Possibly a different die with Hornady? Would like to bell case and drop powder in same station. Could use one of my Lee powder measures and powder thru expanding die. But, what is the best way to do this in the same station with the LnL powder measure? Powder dispenser looks really interesting on LnL.

Looks like I'll need a primer flip tray to load primer tubes. Any other niceties to have in the primer area? My Lee stuff flips the primers in the tray that is loaded onto the press. Those are probably not strong enough to be stabbed at with primer tubes. Ha!

Hornady bullet seating die...how handy are those when using the individually loaded bullet tubes? Yea? Nae? Worthwhile or don't bother?

Any experienced Hornady folks know answers to other question I don't yet know to ask? Other things needed to make press run but not in kit?

I'm sure all this will be clear once I have the press in hand and time to research. BUT THE SALES ARE STILL ON!

 

[Brian425]

I bought a led light kit....other than that i bought a roller arm. If you have dies you are all set.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

 

[egd]

What is jet .com? is it a store or what?

OH, it just dawned on me, that's not a LNL AP, just a regular press-right?

 

[Elkins45]

Extra primer tubes are nice. Get some extra thingies your dies go in (having a brain freeze and can't remember what they are called) if you need to do fast caliber swaps. A pack of spare case retaining springs is handy, but the press comes with a couple.

I've just been using the regular expanded dies, not a powder thru. The only time you really need powder thru expanding is if you occupy all five stations but need to add something.

You won't regret it. I loaded on a Lee progressive for 25 years but after the first 100 rounds with my LnL I'm never going back.

 

[egd]

Well, I just looked up Jet. I shouldn't have. I just ordered a LNL press. My poor credit card...

 

[bbqreloader]

BANG, thanks for the heads up on the sale at Caliberusa, picked up a 45 and 9mm plate, cheaper than Amazon.

 

[Pokajabba]

You have a lot of Lee presses, but not the Lee Hand Press? You best put out the $30 and add it to the collection

lol

 

[TfflHndn]

Get a couple of 6-packs of the LNL bushings. I find it easier to leave the bushings on the sizing die for each caliber, and spin 'em on and off the flaring and seating dies when you are ready to load up.

 

[9mmepiphany]

You don't mention how many calibers you'll be loading on the LNL, but you'll want enough LNL Bushings for all your dies you're going to use with the AP. I usually buy them in sets of 10 as it drops the price from $7 to $4 per bushing.

I also highly recommend the LNL die rings...they come in packages of 6

The Hornady Powder Measure is excellent, but it won't work with the Lee Powder Thru dies...there is nothing for the Actuating Linkage to attach to. I prefer to expand with a separate die

Hornady makes the PTX insert that fits into the powder measure to expand case mouths. If you purchase the Hornady Bullet Feeder die, each one come with a matching PTX insert.

Another option would be to to purchase the Lee Autodrum powder measure to use with your Lee Powder Thur dies.

Primer Flip Tray I have a plastic one from Hornady and it does appear to be stronger than the one from Lee. You can also get a metal one from Dillon.

I'm using the Franklin Arsenal motorized primer filler and like it much better than picking up one primer at a time. I got some extra primer tubes and usually load up 500 primers before starting.

Hornady bullet seating die...how handy are those when using the individually loaded bullet tubes? Yea? Nae? Worthwhile or don't bother?

The new Hornady Bullet Feeding tubes aren't used with the bullet seating die.

However, they work pretty well with the Bullet Feeding die. Each tube holds about 25 bullets and the tube fits securely into the die. Alternatively you can feed the die with clear tubing ($28 bullet feeder) or you can try a Bully Adapter that feeds from the Lee bullet/case feeding tubes. You can search for the threads on both of the above on this forum.

Any experienced Hornady folks know answers to other question I don't yet know to ask? Other things needed to make press run but not in kit?

I highly recommend the Inline Fabrication Ultramount, Ergo Handle (short), Double Bullet Tray, Piggyback die rack, and Improved finished round output bracket.

While you're on that site, you mind as well order the order a LED lighting kit (15% off this weekend) and some Bin Barriers

 

[Bang!]

Thanks for the replies, and the laughs.

Made a list as I read thru. Gonna put a little more hurtin on the debit card today and then give it a rest.

Phew! This has been almost as bad as Black Friday. Off to the interwebs!

 

[springer99]

Here's a list of the extras that I found useful when I moved from my LCT to a LnL AP recently.

- shell plates for calibers you want to load.
- LED light strip option.
- RCBS primer flipper(yes the auto-prime trays to work, but this is much better.
- extra die bushings for your Lee dies
- get the Hornady die boxes for $4-5 each. Yes, it's just a plastic box but allows you to store your Lee dies with the bushings installed and preset.
- Hornady Lockrings (comes in a set of 6)
- Hornady die/press wrench

I didn't go with the PTX inserts for my Powder measure, as I just used my Lee expander die for that purpose. It does use up a hole in the press though.

 

[egd]

I've been using a Lee classic turret and was just going to use my dies on the lnl. But after see 9mm's post that the lee powder thru die won't work I'm wondering if I should just get a set of hornady dies?
And is the Hornady powder cop? die really worth it or can you just watch the cases as they go by just as easy. I'm in the habit of doing that now, so I don't think it would be a big deal.
I didn't buy any accessories cause I wasn't sure what I really needed.

 

[Brian425]

I use the hornady powder drop....i just eyeball the case as i set the bullet in place...the led light kit really helps on this too

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

 

[Bang!]

egd

Concerning the powder cop die: I look in every case before I place the bullet on it. I can't do it any other way. This operating procedure, for me, makes the powder cop a non player. Visually inspecting the powder has become an OCD QC process I couldn't stop even if I wanted.

If you have the Lee powder thru expanding die you can use it on the LnL. Just not with the LnL powder measure. You can put the funnel adapter on the Lee Powder Thru Expanding Die and use it solely as an expanding die in a seperate station from your powder dropper. Or as mentioned, use your present powder dropper and powder thru die from your LCT and not the LnL powder measure. I ordered the 9mm PTX for the the LnL powder measure. And as someone else has also suggested I can use the Lee Auto Drum from my Loadmaster. Hope I made sense somewhere in this rambling.

 

[John3921]

I try to keep mixing and matching between caliber changes to a minimum.

I like the Hornady die lock rings and order them for all dies I use on the LNL.

I also keep the bushings set and locked on the die.

for a caliber change, in addition to any lock rings or bushings, I order

Quick change powder die (set it up with a bushing and lock ring locked into the correct adjustment for the caliber) LNL comes with one.

PTX expander if for a straight walled case. If you use a bullet feeder die, the hornady feeder die comes with a PTX expander. The LNL doesn't come with any PTX inserts. It comes with a rifle and a pistol insert - but they are not expanders.

Shell plate

Powder measure insert - I don't use the micrometer insert - just the standard insert. I keep one for each caliber so there is little or no time spent dialing in the PM. The PM comes with one large rotor with insert and one small rotor with insert.

Powder measure link - Especially if using a PTX insert. It keeps the degree of belling much more consistent. The LNL comes with one link.

 

[egd]

I only load 9mm. I have a "perfect adapter" I believe it's named, set up above my powder thru Lee die and an RCBS powder measure above it to dispense powder. I just reach up and flip the stem each time to drop the powder (click-clack). It works well.
However the main reason I'm buying the LNL is to save time reloading. So I want to drop the powder automagically as I move the cases around. To do otherwise kinda defeats my purpose for getting the LNL. I don't know what the PTX insert is, I'll have to research that-and other stuff about the system too.
Actually, I have only recently been thinking of changing from a turret to a progressive. I had researched only enough to have narrowed it down to either a Dillon square deal B or the LNL. Seeing the great deal from jet on the LNL pushed me over the edge, although I had been leaning towards the LNL anyway. So I still have a lot to learn.

 

[John3921]

PTX is powder through expander. Instead of belling the casemouth using an expander die, you bell the casemouth and drop powder at the powder measure station. This frees up a station on your press.

On my LNL I deprime and size at sta 1. Expand and drop powder at 2, Bullet feeder die at 3, seater at 4, taper crimp die at 5.

If using cast bullets, I leave sta 3 empty, but it could be a powder cop if you'd like to.


ETA: I don't have a motorized bullet feeder. I just use lengths of aluminum tubing to feed the bullet feeder die. Cheap.

 

[Crunchy Frog]

I would prioritize as follows:

You will need a primer tray. I have a big square one from RCBS that matches the packaging of Federal primers.

As to expansion. You might be able to use your Lee expander die in Station 2 and charge in Station 3, but that leaves two stations. If you want to seat and crimp separately, that means you have no space left for a bullet seating die or a powder check/powder cop/lockout die, but you can get started.

I'm a big fan of the RCBS Lockout Die which (unlike the Hornady Powder Cop or the RCBS Powder Check die, does not require monitoring-if it detects an undercharge or overcharge, it stops your press cold). I do try to get a visual confirmation of powder level (the LED light kits help here) but it can be difficult to see a small charge of fast burning pistol powder in a tall narrow case. Anyway, the Lockout Die gives me one more layer of protection.

With 9mm and .45 ACP I seat and crimp in separate stations. For those cartridges I use a Hornady PTX in the charging station. The PTX Stop bracket helps me to get sufficient flare to seat cast bullets.

Lots of good suggestions in this thread for equipment to make caliber changes easier. I also like the Inline Fabrication accessories, but I'd suggest getting set up for your primary caliber first.

 

[thomas15]

When your LnL arrives, it will contain everything you need except dies and shell plates. You already have dies so all you need to get started is a shell plate for the caliber you are loading.

As others have said, you can free up a station by purchasing a PTX die and bell your pistol brass case mouth using the included (with your press) Hornady powder drop. When you chose this option, you will not be using your existing expansion die on the press. You will pack it away and probably never use it again. The Hornady PTX die is available in limited calibers and cost about $8.00 This is what it looks like:


The PTX is installed at the bottom on the powder drop and when the lever is pushed down the case is belled by the tip and the powder falls into the case.

The Hornady powder drop has a rotor mechanism that measures and releases the measured powder. Due to the design of the rotor, you need a PTX powder measure stop. This is used to adjust the amount of bell the die puts on the brass. Again, one comes with the press but it is nice to have one for each caliber you use so that you don't have to readjust every time you change calibers. The PTX powder measure stop looks like this:

It is the item marked 38 special in the above picture. There are screws and jam nuts on the top and bottom to adjust the link:



The PTX powder measure stop actually serves two purposes. It adjusts the amount of bell the case mouth receives (as I already mentioned) and it gives the powder drop mechanism some extra beef to keep it working well. This is why one comes with the press, you need one even if you are not using the PTX die. I say this because it might be confusing that one comes with the press but a PTX die doesn't.

Another time saving thing to consider for caliber changes is purchasing a dedicated powder measure lower unit for each caliber you load. One comes with the press but you have to re-adjust the lower for each caliber because the length of each calibers case is different.

As others have said having extra LnL bushings is nice so that you simply remove and replace dies with a twist. With all of the above extras, I can do a caliber change, including primer size changes in less than two minutes.

I hope this helps and if I can be of any further assistance feel free to ask.

 

[bluetopper]

No need for a bullet feeder or case feeder. You have to hand load the cases and bullets in the feeders. Why not just hand load them while you're using the press. I like to go slow while loading anyway.

 

[Bang!]

Thanks for all the great replies! Now I just have to wait for the brown truck.

 

[egd]

yeah, wow, lots of good info in this thread. My head is swimming, overload...
I'll keep this for reference as I learn how it all operates.
I guess though I need to order a shell plate for 9mm right away though. I didn't think about it not coming with one, DUH...

 

[Parman]

Shell plates are a must for each caliber you are going to reload.

 

[thomas15]

You might be able to purchase a shell plate locally. If there is a place that sells reloading supplies they may have on in stock. When you install your shell plate, place a lock washer between the cap screw and the flat washer that comes with the press.

 

[rsrocket1]

Same advice as always. These should be included in the kit but Hornady won't spend the $5-$10 to take a bunch of frustration away from a new reloader getting ready but without the not-so-obvious extras:

1. Hornady One Shot Gun Cleaner and Dry Lube (not One Shot case lube) - must remove thin film of anti-rust grease on powder drop assembly, otherwise powder will clump and stick to the drop and you'll never get consistent drops
2. Grease gun with Zerk fitting. A simple spray or wipe with oil is not enough. You need to get grease injected into the main ram piston groove and the lever mechanism.
3. Primer flipper tray. Unless you want to feed primers into the tube one at a time (not fun)