LnL AP why I de-cap & size in a separate step

[Mr.Revolverguy]

Drill and Tapped my Hornady LnL Today to fix primer

See how I did it and let me know what you think. It is working great so far. I was not having any issues but I have been reading so many priming issues, I wanted to try a permanent fix to hopefully help the community.

Hornady LNL AP Primer Fix

 

[rskent]

Mr.Revolverguy – Thanks for the input.

Your fix seems like it would be a good fix if your press is not stroking the primer punch enough. Some people's AP press' are seating primers high even though the primer punch is not bottoming out.
When my AP was new it would (and still does) seat maybe one in ten primers high even though the primer punch does not bottom out. Hornady's fix’s were to make the punch longer and to glue a
round metal disk to the frame where the primer punch hits it to remedy the “dimple”. It still doesn't bottom out. The result (for me) is that I now get about one in ten high primers.

I am still working on a fix but so far, nothing. It's like the press just doesn't have enough force to seat the primers even with me on the handle so hard it feels like its bending. Think right hand on the
handle pushing and left hand on the press pulling. For now, it's easier and to just prime off the press.

 

[Mr.Revolverguy]

I take it you have called Hornady? It sucks to hear about your issue because I absolutely love my press. Even though I wasn't having the problems I could see how the "dimple" could cause the primer not to seat fully.

After all the reading I understand Hornady released another floor plate as well that recessed the primer punch deeper.

I wish you guys the best of luck and hope you get it worked out, I was just trying to help.

 

[RealGun]

I am still working on a fix but so far, nothing. It's like the press just doesn't have enough force to seat the primers even with me on the handle so hard it feels like its bending. Think right hand on the handle pushing and left hand on the press pulling. For now, it's easier and to just prime off the press.

Sounds like the shellplate is not holding the case close enough to the punch. The inconsistency could be a number of things, tight primer pockets for example...maybe thicker case heads mixed in (CCI et al.). Part of our job is to cull and recondition the brass. Are you finding problem brass in your hand priming?

 

[rskent]

Sounds like the shell plate is not holding the case close enough to the punch.*

The punch is not bottoming out. I had to get some help to find this out. You can see the base of the punch when someone else try’s to prime.
There is clearly pressure up against the primer and there is clearly more travel available to push it up further (deeper) into the case. It just doesn't want to go.

Are you finding problem brass in your hand priming?

Not at all. I use my trusty RCBS hand primer to seat the high primers I get with the AP.

Your thoughts?

 

[RealGun]

The punch is not bottoming out. I had to get some help to find this out. You can see the base of the punch when someone else try’s to prime.
There is clearly pressure up against the primer and there is clearly more travel available to push it up further (deeper) into the case. It just doesn't want to go.

That sounds like the shim washer under the primer punch would be the quick fix. I gather others have selected a suitable thickness and glued it to the frame under the subplate, where the primer punch hits.

The real problem may be the subplate and ram relationship. That is another fix involving fender washers on top of the ram.

 

[rskent]

That sounds like the shim washer under the primer punch would be the quick fix. I gather others have selected a suitable thickness and glued it to the frame under the sub plate, where the primer punch hits.

Done, Hornady glued a disk there when I sent it back to them. Again there is plenty of travel in the punch and it is not bottoming out when it is priming.
If you take the case out, the punch will bottom out, but not with the case in place and priming. To me it looks like it should just press the primer into place, easy peasy. No such luck.

The real problem may be the sub plate and ram relationship. That is another fix involving fender washers on top of the ram.

Done, I shimmed the hub. Didn't help at all.

Any more thoughts would be more than welcome.

 

[RealGun]

Any more thoughts would be more than welcome.

Replace shellplate.

 

[Blue68f100]

Have you checked to see if the primer punch assembly is tight? If this is loose any at all it will prevent you from fully seating a primer.

A few ways to determine if your getting enough downward travel.

1. Without any brass or shell plate how far is the punch being pushed up. Measure this. You need the Thickness of the primer + min 0.010" to cover clearance between the shell plate and seated depth.

2. When you bottom out the seating punch housing against the press, what position is the operator lever in? Is it vertical past vertical or before? The reason I ask this is once you past vertical position by a few degrees you start introducing torque, (twisting) action to the base. With the shell plate and 1 piece of unprimed brass, NO Primer, seat a primer but DO NOT release from your forward position. See if you can spin the shell plate. You should not be able too. If you can you have excessive clearance or not enough upward travel on primer punch.

3. When you seat primers are you pressing the primers in slowly? I use 1 swift hard push. You know when they bottom. Going slow is not good. As with any thing starting motion of an object takes more effort than maintaining the motion.

4. Do you load setting down or standing? This may not sound like much but if you have a bench that has any movement your loosing power. I load setting down. I grab the front support bar when I seat primer most of the time. This allows for more force weather or not your bench has some movement.

I did not notice which part of the world your located at. If close I would gladly help you sort this out.