31 thoughts on “LNL-AP Case Feeder”

  1. Great series of videos. I am see that you have a modified ejector wire to eject the finished bullet. How did you do that? That is the only complaint I have on the LNLAP.

  2. Does anyone have any experience with using the case feeder with the FN 5,7? I just installed it and am having trouble with double and triple feeds.

  3. Gavin,

    I do not know what type of mojo you seem to have, but it is definitely working for you. I got the case feeder and keep having my cases drop onto the slide and kind of cartwheel off. Is there some magic for getting the drop tube lower or is there a technique in manipulating the press that reduces this? I bought this to help speed things up.

  4. My other issue is that the case seems to catch on the edge of the base plate when it crosses over the retainer spring into the shell plate. This causes the case to get catty wumpus and not make it into the shell plate. Any tips on that?

  5. I just purchased the Case Feeder for my LNL AP. I am reloading .40 S&W. I followed both the written and video directions from Hornady which state I need to use the large drop tube and large funnel for this caliber ( the small drop tube will not allow all my .40 SW brass to drop down the tube).

    The large drop tube is not a problem, but having to use the large screw on funnel causes the cases to get snagged and hung up in the pivot mechanism that takes the case from the drop tube to the slide ramp.

    The small funnel works great when I manually drop the cases, but it will only match up with the small drop tube which is just a few thousandths of an inch too small reliably drop my 40 SW brass.

    Has anyone run into this issue reloading .40 SW and have you found a fix?

    1. No glock shot brass i had to go to the large tube
      Half of my brass id springfield shot it all fits but my glocks must expand to much…. you can get a bulge buster die

  6. I just purchased a new LNL AP and Case Feeder along with shell plates. It is a 2010 model with the EZ Ject system instead of the eject wire. However. I have the same problem as John. My .45ACP rounds bounce all over the place on the slide and off the slide. The cases also tend to tip and catch the end of the shell plate and then jam with one side of the case beneath the bevel in the shell plate as expected an one side above the bevel.

    I am using a #45 shell plate and I have tried both the #4 and #6 v-blocks. I have also tried the paper clip on the v-block fix seen on a couple of forums without much luck.

  7. I am just setting up my Hornady case feeder for .40 S&W. The small diameter plastic drop tube is too small for .40 cases, so I have to use the large tube and the large aluminum tube at the bottom. The cases become cocked in the large tube at the shuttle that moves the cases over before they drop to the sub plate, causing feed problems.

    I am also having trouble with the small pistol case feeder plate becoming jammed somehow with the .40 cases. I am having trouble determining why these are jams occur because they clear with the smallest jiggle, so I can’t get a good look at them.

    Any hints or tips you can provide will be appreciated!

    1. Hey Rob- I haven’t loaded 40 on the LNL AP, but plan to shortly. I’ll let you know how it goes and see if I can help you out then.

      Thanks,
      Gavin

      1. I’m a bit disappointed with Hornady on this one. Bought my press specifically to load .40, and passed up on Dillon because of some of the features on the Hornady, but still felt I was taking a chance.

        I decided to make a bushing to fit inside the aluminum Feed Tube End-Large (part # 15). The outside of my bushing is a slip fit in the tube and fits flush with the bottom of it; the top of the bushing has a shoulder to hit the shoulder inside the Feed Tube End and is low enough that you can still get the Large Feed Tube into place. The inside of my bushing is the same diameter as the Small Feed Tube End (0.451 inch) and has a 20 degree funnel at the top end.

        The good news is that the pivot works fine now (without using the Pivot Bushing, part #52). The problem still remains that the interior diameter of the Large Feed Tube End is still too large for .40 cal cases. 10mm might be OK, but the .40 cases are shorter and able to get at such an angle that any constriction (the original shoulder in the Feed Tube End, or even the lip of my very close-fitting funneled bushing) is enough to cause it to jam. This is made worse by the weight of the column of cases pushing on the jammed case. When there are only a few cases the jiggling of the press as you work the handle dislodges the cockeyed cases, but with weight above them it requires a good rap or two to free them up.

        So, while I feel I can work with what I have, there is still an intrinsic problem with the case feeder for .40 cal. The true solution to this will be for Hornady (or someone else) to offer an intermediate size of Feed Tube, Feed Tube End and feed tube bushing (for the top end or the plastic tube).

        If I can find appropriate plastic (or any other material) tubing, I will machine the other parts I need. Others without this capability are currently out of luck. This may be a new product Ultimate Reloader can retail!

        Cheers,

        Rob

        1. An update to this saga.

          I’ve solved this problem for about $8 at Home Depot. 1/2″ pex water pipe, a couple of copper fittings, a hose washer and a plastic ferrule type coupler to hold it in the ring on the support bar, 20 minutes of trial and error and it is now working problem free. Completely replaces the Feed Tube End and the Feed Tube.

          The only special tool you need is a drill the diameter of the pipe to drill through the plastic coupler fitting, but a sharp knife or a Dremel could probably do the same thing. I’ve used tape for now, but a bit of epoxy or similar to glue the copper fittings to the pex would look a little better. Currently the drop tube is one piece, but with the right coupler it could be in two pieces to make installing it easier (tool-free actually).

          If anyone is interested in specific instructions, leave a note on this forum, and I’ll see what I can do.

          Rob

          1. I’ll second Chris’ motion for a picture, but think a couple might be even better. Thanks!

            I’m close to buying a feeder for my LNL and I do load a good bit of .40 cal. Maybe Hornady has improved on the component fit since these older posts…

        2. I too bought this L&L AP to load .40 S&W. I have had problems with the bullet feeder (the plastic funnel at the top would not feed .40 bullets reliably, so I used a round file and several grades of sandpaper to enlarge it a little and polish it, and now it works fine.

          With the case feeder which I just received today, I tried using the small clear tube, and the cases will go through it but only if I push them through. It’s too small in ID to let them fall just with the force of gravity, and I see no way really to enlarge that tube.

          So, like the other posters here I tried the large tube. The .40 cases slide through it easily, but end up stacked in a zig-zag fashion and when they get to the pivot they hang up and jam the pivot.

          I think it is completely unsatisfactory that this $300+ device doesn’t work with what is likely the most popular pistol cartridge out there today. If Hornady had tested this thing even a little with .40 they would know how utterly useless it is for .40. If they had made the ID of that clear tube even .005″ larger, it would work and it would work with the smaller cartridges too. I suspect they are just using some stock size of tubing and calling it “good enough”.

          Overall I am pretty disappointed in this machine and its suitability for loading the only caliber I wanted to load with it. Fortunately I bought it from Amazon, so I think I will send it back. I may send the entire mess back and get a Dillon.

  8. Gents-

    I had the same problem with the .40 cal. The main problem is the size of the small clear tube. If you don’t want to build a tube, you can expand the small clear tube to fit the expanded brass cases. I used a hair dryer, a couple of flared cases and and a .45 FMJ bullet to get it to handle even the worst cases. I posted the method I used here: http://woodhousellc.com/?p=3

    Good luck!

  9. Finally got around to checking back here. How can I get a photo up? Doesn’t look like much, but a photo might help.

  10. I’ve got a LnL AP that I purchased… well an embarrassingly long time back, and can’t get the case feeder to work right. I upgraded the sub-plate to the new EZject style, and I’ve had the thing apart and back together several times, no luck. Basically its set up for .223 Rem, and the cases snag and/or tip crossing the slot for the coil spring from the case feeder arm into the shell plate. It might feed two or three out of ten correctly. The rest either have to be guided in or unstuck by hand.

    I’ve called Hornady several times, and usually after telling them that I’ve adjusted the case feeder wire per the trouble shooting section of the manual and there is no more adjustment left, they tell me ‘you need to adjust the wire more.’ WTH? Then when I get someone not reading a canned script, they suggested trying a different vee-block… which also didn’t work.

    Anybody have any ideas?

    1. Since you have already tried with Hornady, what about breaking that sharp edge on the inboard side of the spring channel? I bet that sharp edge is catching them, and if you round the edge over in that area your .223s will then slide over it without snagging.

      Mind you, this is posted by someone who has absolutely no clue as to whether that sharp edge needs to be sharp for some other reason, so… try it at your own risk.

  11. Called Hornady this week about the .40SW cases not feeding correctly. They now make a new lower aluminum drop tube, to work with the large plastic feed tube. I got it today, and it feeds like it should without cocking or tipping the case. They were fully aware of the problem and sent me the new drop tube for free. It took two days from the time I called until I received the fix. Great customer service.

  12. Gavin,
    I am having a problem with my LNL case feeder reloading .357 magnum. The plate spins fine but only drops a shell every minute or so. I spoke to Hornady and they acknowledged the problem and did not have a solution. Have you run into this issue? If so have you found a solution?

    Thanks,

    Steve

  13. Gavin,

    Could you please tell me how tall the case feeder is from the top of the work bench, where it mounts, to the top of the case bowl on the LNL Press? Need to know this due to low ceiling in my basement.

    Thanks, enjoy your site. Great info

    Dave

  14. Well, I read above about the Hornady fix for the .40 problem, so I shot them an email and hopefully they will send me the part and it will fix the issue. This is a great place for getting good no-BS info!

  15. 40 SW Reloaders

    I just got off the phone with Hornady Support about the problem with 40 SW feeding.
    They now have a medium tube for the 40 that they say will fix the problem.
    If you call and tell them the problem they will send the tube at no charge.

    Jim C

  16. gavin Im having a minor/major issue with the case feeder was wondnering if oyu might have a fix

    the push rod bushing on the pivot/ Pivot assembly keeps rising with the push rod,

    before I glue the little basterard in place I was wondering if there was a better fix actual part number is # 27)-398349

    1. Aaron- I had this problem early on when I set up my case feeder, and I used what I had handy, a wire tie. It is a small one, about 1/8″ wide. Zipped it on and it is still on there today. 10 second fix. and I put a dab of grease on the rod the next time I lubed the ram.

      1. Would you mind posting a picture? I am having the same issue. Eventually the cases end up,falling on the end of the different v-blocks instead of the plate. If am afraid to over tighten it as it is only aluminum

        Thanks

      2. Loctite 680 would be a better fix,since its a retaining compound use for press fit applications……just my 2 cents

  17. Hi Gavin,

    Clément from France,
    I juste purchase an Hornady AP with bullet feeder and Case feeder.
    I’m curious if there is a chart or something which shows us all the different brass we can put in the case feeder ?
    Because i thought about my several SVT-40 and it will be really nice if i can use the case feeder to reload 7.62x54r…

    Thanks a lot for all your work it helps a lot !

    bye from France !

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