Hornady Lock-n-Load AP

wildarcher

wildarcher

New member
I am very Intersted in the lock-n-load auto progressive press , What do you guy's think about this reloader Always used a single stag load but I think I might like one of these but do not know anyone personally who owns one . Any info or thoughts would greatly be appreciated and thank you in advance.
 
I've used one for 2 years now and asked the same question back then. Most will say go the Dillon route and they would be correct if you could swing the extra cash. I went with the Hornady AP due to lack of funds and I have no regrets. It's performed very good for me. The only knock I have on it is the primer feeder; it will be a little finicky from time to time. When I purchased mine I had rebate for about $100 worth of bullets that brought the net cost to a steal in my book. I hope my comments help.

Good luck,

Eric
 
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I absolutely love mine. Wouldn't trade it for a Dillion, ever. Don't think Dillion's get away from problems. I've found the keeping the primer shuttle area clean and having good clean primer pockets on your brass makes 99 percent of primer feed problems go away. Caliber switches are a breeze, and after you buy one you will also want their single stage press so you never have to set another die again. I did have to put some shimes under the lnl bushing on the single stage press to make the clearances the same but now I can take a die from one press to the other without any adjustment. I've also added the case feeder and hope to add 22 cal bullet feed as soon as it's available. Go Red, you won't regret it. I've thought about a second! Pm me if you have any other questions.
 
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I have been trying to compare the dillion 550 and the 650 to the Hornady ... I kind of like the 550 but like one guy said that change calibers is a snap on the hornady ... I have read alot about keeping the primer tube clean either way it is a big purchase how accurate is the powder measurer on the hornady if you don't mind ... I still need to read the thread by virginian ... thanks for the info guys it is very much appreciated ... I will be reading all I can before purchasing one ... and yeah I am sure I will be bugging you all after I get one lol.
 
Awwww Nice virginain ... that is a great Idea with those bin's ... and good to see you spent those bonus points on the machine I've been looking at ... cabela's has the AP for 449.00 right now with 500 free bullets... bUT i GOT A LOT OF POINTS AT BASS PRO TOO ... DECISIONS I HATE EM !!!
 
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You cant go wrong with the hornady. I bought mine about 3 years ago and have never had any problems. I did a lot of reading and researching between it and the dillons. I just felt like it was just as good for less money. Plus I got 1000 free bullets. To me there was less little parts, I already had the dies, easier change over, and the same great customer service.
 
I bought a LNL progressive in Jan. of '13

No regrets!

One thing no one has brought up yet: If you use Lee dies you may have to turn your lock ring upside down because they are short bodied and the head of the AP press being aluminum is thick and the LNL bushings take up a little more length as well.

If you are buying dies anyway ...... buy Hornday ....... they have about the longest body in general and you'll have more thread to lock down on.

Don't get me wrong ........ Lee works but you watch your P's and Q's more with them ....... particularly pistol calibers.

Best regards and trust you'll have a long run with that press if you make the jump!

Three 44s
 
I have had my LNL AP for a couple years now and couldn't be happier. I went with it over the Dillon 550 because of the 5 stations and auto indexing.

I work with a guy who had a dillon and it gave him nothing but problems. He bought a LNL AP and mounted it next to his Dillon.......two weeks later the Dillon was gone.
 

I bought one last Fall, and love the thing. I researched both
the Dillion, and the Hornady. For the price, Hornady beats
the Dillion, even at the 550 level, which doesn't auto index.
It is a breeze to change cartridges on the AP. I load 380 Auto,
9mmx19, 40 S&W, 45 Auto, 10mm Auto, 223 Rem., 6 WOA, and
6.8 SPC on mine. I have a new LR-308 ordered, and when it
lands, I will probably start loading 308 Win, on it too.

Yes, keep the primer feeder clean, and there are no issues.
Start getting powder flakes in it, and trouble begins.
I will add, Hornady CS is awesome. My Grandson double
stroked the press somehow and broke the primer cam guide
holder(plastic meant to break if something binds the primer
feeder). Hornady included a spare in the new kit, but I
e-mailed Hornady, and two new "spares" arrived at my mail
box a couple of days later.

My only problem is this thing is so much fun to use, I have
loaded thousands of rounds of ammo, filled all of my storage
boxes, and ran myself out of bullets...I HAD a BIG stash
of bullets. I have been slowly re-supplying the bullet
hoard, but until I shoot up some rounds, I am out of storage
boxes!
rolleyes.gif


Squeeze
 
From what I've seen on the powder dispenser if your using ball or flake powders it's always +\- .1 gr.

The biggest problem I find with my AP press is I like to reload, and now
I find myself buying way more bullets, powder and primers!
 
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I've run progressive reloaders for many years - the Hornady is currently the best bang for the buck. It will put out 300/350 rounds an hour if you have loaded spare primer tubes.

When adding the case & bullet feeder you can go faster but the Dillon 650 will be a tad quieter and a bit faster but more expensive as well.

The Hornady powder measure is extremely accurate with ball or short kernal powders such as VV133/135/140 etc. I'm normally within a tenth or two with VV powder but can be spot on as well and normally on the money with ball powders. Long stick powders will vary more, but usually not more than a couple tenths.

Dillon 550 is an excellent machine but not in the same speed class as the Hornady or the Dillon 650. Red or Blue is your choice, your money and both are top notch with great customer service.
 
Ran a LNL AP for the last few years and have run 223,40,357,and even 243 with no issues. I have reloaded on a dillon many years ago but don't remember what model. It was faster than a single stage and produced very good results on the PD towns. But the LNL AP is a dream to use and I am running out of empty casings for the pistols to reload because they are all loaded. I'm going to have to start running through my supply of 22cal bullets next. I also like that there is a station for a powder check die or you can set that station up to crimp instead of doing it when you seat the bullet.
 
Originally Posted By: cherokee305Just got my new cabelas flyer today.

Just buy it!

6F6158C7-39DC-4CD4-9609-60A252BC1BFF-74684-00001C41732D2982_zps58336c28.jpg


What are the dates that sales flyer good for? I looked at their site and it is still $449.

I want one.
 
I got mine from Natchez for $389, deduct the cost of the 500 bullets and you're at about $289. Can't hardly beat that with a stick! IMO accessories are less expensive than dillon, caliber changes are faster, and it has the same lifetime warranty as dillon. It compares closer to the Dillon 650 because of the auto indexing, but the prices aren't even close. Buy the Hornady with confidence!
 
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