Hornady LnL AP Users

[tdt91]

Question for you guys. Do you have a grain or two of powder pop out of the case mouth when it clicks into the index hole. Loading 9 w/ 4.5 grn does this and I just want know if you guys are experienceing this also.
If I was to use a powder like HS6 and required 6+ grns that could cause issues with wanted velocity.

[Mikey]

I have never had this happen. My two 9mm loads use only 3.7 or 4.3 grains of W231 powder. I would give Hornady a call, their customer service is great!!! They have happily helped me out and sent me parts for free even though the damage was my fault.

[lx1x]

It happens to me few times but not a grain. a flake or two..Did you oil the case plate?

[tdt91]

I do grease the plate. I mean a flake or two. I'm just thinking more will pop out when I load hot with HS6.

[lx1x]

Originally Posted by tdt91

I do grease the plate. I mean a flake or two. I'm just thinking more will pop out when I load hot with HS6.

thats typical.. nothing to worry about..

[DocAitch]

I think that your concern for a larger charge is warranted.
I load with a Dillon 650 and when the shell plate clicks into place with the spring loaded detente ball, sometimes the powder will fly out of the case mouth (4.7 gr of W231). Over the past 12 years of loading with this machine, I have learned to manually catch the case with my left index finger and slow it from snapping into detente, and now the motion on my part is automatic.
I'm not sure how the Hornady is set up mechanically , but it is probably a similar mechanism.
By all means, call Hornady and let us know what they suggest(but I suspect their answer will be pretty much the same as lx1x's above)
DocAitch

[lx1x]

Originally Posted by DocAitch

I think that your concern for a larger charge is warranted.
I load with a Dillon 650 and when the shell plate clicks into place with the spring loaded detente ball,sometime the powder will fly out of the case mouth (4.7 gr of W231). Over the past 12 years of loading with this machine, I have learned to manually catch the case with my left index finger and slow it from snapping into detente, and now the motion on my part is automatic.
I'm not sure how the Hornady is set up mechanically , but it is probably a similar mechanism.
By all means, call Hornady and let us know what they suggest(but I suspect their answer will be pretty much the same as lx1x's above
DocAitch

i believe its just about the same how it indexes. little jerk to the next station. i can see more comes out if the powder charges are near full. (compress loads).

[Baumer]

I haven't really experienced the issue, but I'm typically only loading about about 4.1gr of powder. I would suggest loosening the shell plate bolt. I have seen when the bolt is too tight that it can create additional drag on the shell plate rotation and more snappiness when locking into place.

[Warpspasm]

I've had it happen to me as well. In my case, like yours, it's only a few flakes normally. I don't think it's enough to be concerned about, but it would be nice to have it resolved.

[Braddbdl]

A few flakes occasionally pop out, but not enough to really make a difference. The one thing you want to watch out for is those flakes making their way over to the primer seater, which can gum up and interfere with smooth operation.

[tdt91]

Originally Posted by DocAitch

I think that your concern for a larger charge is warranted.
I load with a Dillon 650 and when the shell plate clicks into place with the spring loaded detente ball, sometimes the powder will fly out of the case mouth (4.7 gr of W231). Over the past 12 years of loading with this machine, I have learned to manually catch the case with my left index finger and slow it from snapping into detente, and now the motion on my part is automatic.
I'm not sure how the Hornady is set up mechanically , but it is probably a similar mechanism.
By all means, call Hornady and let us know what they suggest(but I suspect their answer will be pretty much the same as lx1x's above)
DocAitch

I have done this, sorta hold the plate so when it indexes it don't snap into place. It works but really slows the process.

Originally Posted by Baumer

I haven't really experienced the issue, but I'm typically only loading about about 4.1gr of powder. I would suggest loosening the shell plate bolt. I have seen when the bolt is too tight that it can create additional drag on the shell plate rotation and more snappiness when locking into place.

This could very well help. I do tighten the bolt pretty good. Thanks.

[Samuel]

A few things...
1. Smooth operation of the press is important and will improve your ammo consistency in a number of ways. Minimizing powder spillage is one of those ways.

2. On the bottom of the ram there are two paws that can be adjusted to set how the shell plate indexes. The Hornady shell plate indexes every 45° which makes for smoother operation then the Dillon 90° system. Dillon users have your powder spillage issue frequently, and probably worse.

3. Only use a bit of powdered graphite to lube the shell plate. Reason being that all sorts of brass dust, powder, & other dirt will stick to a greasy surface. Grit like that will really make your press index poorly. This is reason enough to do your best at keeping stray flakes of powder off the shell plate. I keep a small paint brush handy to clear away any spillage as soon as it happens. Sometimes I'll even pull off the shell plate to clean up under there, particularly if I have a significant spillage or something.

4. Consider using a different powder. Some powders just don't work well in auto-progressive presses. Varget, and 800x are two that are well known for metering problems. 9mm is known for spilling some powders but there are lots of powder choices. Look for one that doesn't fill the case up so high.

5. Did I mention operating your press smoothly? Its not a race.

[tdt91]

Originally Posted by Samuel

A few things...
1. Smooth operation of the press is important and will improve your ammo consistency in a number of ways. Minimizing powder spillage is one of those ways.

2. On the bottom of the ram there are two paws that can be adjusted to set how the shell plate indexes. The Hornady shell plate indexes every 45° which makes for smoother operation then the Dillon 90° system. Dillon users have your powder spillage issue frequently, and probably worse.
You just lit this thread on fire.
3. Only use a bit of powdered graphite to lube the shell plate. Reason being that all sorts of brass dust, powder, & other dirt will stick to a greasy surface. Grit like that will really make your press index poorly. This is reason enough to do your best at keeping stray flakes of powder off the shell plate. I keep a small paint brush handy to clear away any spillage as soon as it happens. Sometimes I'll even pull off the shell plate to clean up under there, particularly if I have a significant spillage or something.
the instructions say grease. I remove my plate plenty and clean up.
4. Consider using a different powder. Some powders just don't work well in auto-progressive presses. Varget, and 800x are two that are well known for metering problems. 9mm is known for spilling some powders but there are lots of powder choices. Look for one that doesn't fill the case up so high.
Im using 4.5 grns of titgroup
5. Did I mention operating your press smoothly? Its not a race.

Even going slow the case jumps enough to alllow a couple flakes to fly out.

[Baumer]

Originally Posted by tdt91

Even going slow the case jumps enough to alllow a couple flakes to fly out.

I've only ever used grease on my shell plate. Just a touch on the rollers on the bottom, not the entire plate. I do recommend the One Shot dry lube. I use the dry lube to clean the shell plate for storage, or before initial use, then just add the touch of grease when I need to use it again.

[Samuel]

I think in the las few years Hornady revamped the instructions that come with their press. I didn't get any instructions when I bought mine.

If it really is only a couple intermittent flakes then don't worry about it. That's not enough to even register on a good powder scale. If you find that your charge weights are measurably inconsistent then its time to start trouble shooting for sure.

My comments re: Dillon indexing are non-controversial fact. Go ask the died blue in the wool folks over on Benos forums.