Mounting the Lock-N-Load® Auto Progressive. Your work area should be well lit and have plenty of room for your reloading accessories. Your Hornady Lock-N-Load® AP™ should be mounted securely 2 1/4' from the edge of a solid level bench and 3.75' apart and at least 16' from the nearest wall.
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Lock N Load Meaning
I just finished and tested your case feeder. It works great. I’m brand new to 3D printing and this was my first “real” project, after doing the typical improvement parts for my printer.
I have been operating a DIY case feeder on my Hornady Lock-N-Load for a couple of years. I made it with a table saw and a couple of plastic breadboards. It functioned well but it was quite fiddly to make and needed frequent adjustment.
Your design is a huge improvement. I like your cam and follower the best. It’s much better than the bent-wire style of feeder like the Hornady factory unit and the one I made a couple of years ago.
I couldn’t resist some changes. I printed a tubular shaped extension to the top of the upper slider which is just a bit shorter than my shortest case; 6mm BR Norma. It replaces the short piece of clear tubing in your design and works for all my rifle cartridges. I don’t reload pistol ammo, but if I did my current extension would need to be interchangeable with a shorter one.
My earlier DIY design relied on a tall piece of 1” square hardware-store aluminum tubing mounted to the factory mounting points on the back of the press. It acted as a “spine” for the whole case delivery and feeding assembly and it acted as a tower to to stabilize the top of the factory Lee collator, which is very similar to your design. So rather than use your mounting system, I redesigned your parts so that they would mount to my existing square tubing. I wanted to retain that feature so I could mount a rather heavy motor operated collator on it. More about that in a moment.
I made a lower bracket to connect the cam pattern component to my square tubing rather than use your lower pattern support attached to my bench because my Hornady press is mounted on an INLINE FABRICATION ULTRAMOUNT platform which puts my press 10 inches above my bench.
I also installed a small bearing, (similar to a typical skate board bearing but reduced in size), to the back end of the upper slider. That reduces the sliding friction between the “mast” of the lower slider and the upper slider. The idea is similar to a “roller cam” in an automobile and was a feature on my previous DIY case feeder. It works well.
Finally, I topped the whole thing off with a motorized case collator inspired by the Shoebox Case Feeder designed by dyspreficks and available on GitHub. The Lee style unit is an improvement over individually handling cases, but the motorized collator is a huge improvement over the Lee-style design. The Shoebox Case Feeder uses a lower unit similar to my old DIY feeder patterned from the Hornady factory design and, in my opinion, is not nearly as elegant as your design.
So, what I’m enjoying at the moment is the best of two worlds. The motorized collator similar to the one by dyspreficks which arranges cases and delivers them down to a case feeder very similar to your design except for the mounting scheme. It’s ultra-deluxe and takes the drudgery out of hand loading on a progressive press.
Thank you very much for showing all of us your wonderful case feeder design.
In this article, you’re going to find a progressive reloading press comparison of the two most popular presses, which are the Hornady’s Lock N Load and the Dillon Precision Pressive Presses:
Hornady’s Lock N Load Auto-Progressive Reloading Press
The Hornady’s product arguably enjoys the best progressive reloading press reviews. It’s easy to use, easy to set up, and produces a consistent cartridge. Here are the pros and cons of the Hornady Lock N Load progressive reloading press:Pros:
-- Easy to start out on as a beginner reloader
-- Works highly effectively and consistently
-- Easy to swap out dies (5 minutes!)
-- The EZ-ject station makes it easy to pop out bullets
-- Main body built to last
Cons:
-- The product could get fairly expensive (at least, more than a turret or single stage press)
-- Doesn’t come with die sets – they have to be purchased separately
-- Extra tools are needed for the most effective reloading
-- The moving parts are numerous, therefore more fragile than simpler presses.
Watch this video on YouTube
Dillon Precision 16944 Progressive Reloading Machine
Another product that might be considered the best progressive press is the Dillon Progressive Machine. (The one above includes dies for reloading 9mm; if you want the Dillon with other dies, the pick the one with the dies for your caliber). Whether you’re just getting started or have been producing for a long time, it has some qualities that make it well worth its price. Here are the pros and cons.Pros:
-- Can load over 120 different kinds of calibers (with appropriate dies)
-- Capable of reloading both pistol and rifle bullets
-- Lifetime Warranty (Dillon is well known for its great customer service)
-- 4 stage reloading system
-- Cranks out over 500 rounds per hour
-- Is consistently near or at the top of the best progressive reloading press reviews
Cons:
-- Requires a caliber conversion kit (the above includes 9mm; you need dies for other calibers)
-- Some of the moving parts could break more often than turret presses.
-- Setup can be a bit complex for first-timers
Watch this video on YouTube
Why Use Progressive Reloading Presses Over Others
Progressive reloading presses tend to be both more expensive and more time-consuming to set up than a single-stage or a turret product. A progressive reloading press:
-- Produces more rounds in less time than others
-- Completes multiple reloading stages in one go
-- May not last as long (due to all of the moving pieces involved)
If you’re planning on reloading large batches of identical bullets, then a progressive product is the best way to go. Once you’ve got the gist of the machine down, you can create hundreds of bullets in an hour. If you do a lot of shooting, or reload bullets to sell in bulk later, this product is a great option for you. Even if you’re just stockpiling bullets for the future, a progressive press is a good investment.
Lock-n-load Ap Auto Progressive Press
The only reason you might want a different product is if your goals are for smaller batches, or if you want your product to last even longer. The best progressive reloading presses last for years, but a single stage reloading press will last even longer because of the simplicity in its design. As long as you take care of your press and do regular cleaning and maintenance, you should be able to get whatever product you choose to last your lifetime.
Tuning The Lock N Load Ap Auto Progressive Press Review
Well, we hoped you’ve enjoyed our best progressive press comparison. If you’re interested in our recommendations for single stage or turret presses, please check out our homepage for more info.