Hornady Lock-N-Load AP vs Lee Load Master

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Hi All,

I am going to get a progressive press for 45 ACP and 38 Spcl.  Just to load for Bullseye. These 2 are in my price range, and will provide the modest volume that I would need for my level of shooting.  Does anyone have experience with the 2?  Should I get one over the other?  The Hornady press seems to get better reviews.  It seem that either people love the Loadmaster (5 star) or hate it (1 star). 

I have a Lee Classic Iron press for rifle.  It works great and have a Lee mounting system on my bench.  So the Lee Loadmaster would mount nicely, allowing me to exchange quickly.  But I don't want a lemon, and if the Lee press is a nightmare, I would not get it and find a way to mount the Hornady.

Best,

Joe

I have used Dillon 650, Dillon 550, Dillon Square Deal, RCBS Rockchucker, Lyman Spar T, and Lyman Spartan. They all produce good ammo.

As far as progressive presses, I like the Hornady Lock N Load for the aforementioned reasons. Brass can be single loaded and  easily inserted in the the left side of the press. The five stations accommodate using a powder check die. Dies can easily be switched out quickly. THE PRESS IS SMOOTH.

         Cons: The auto case feeders don't work as well as the Dillon case feeders. There is a simple fix for this, look on You Tube
         
         Have some extra case index pawls on had. They snap off easily due to operator inattention when something hangs up and the           operator tries to force the shell plate to advance.

Hornady LNL has been great for me and I do like the quick change dies. Overall it feels far more solid compared to the Lee presses I looked at. Lee parts look and feel stamped or cast aluminum to my eye.

Someone said that they all have their idiosyncrasies or quirks. I bought a used Dillon 550 but didn’t get along with it. I’ll leave it at that. Picked up an LNL and “preferred” it’s quirks to the blue press. I also load on a single stage RCBS for one-off loading. Nice to have that option. I’d be curious to try an RCBS progressive or even a Lyman turret press. Turrets I guess are slower but possibly less fiddly to set up. LNL is easily 300 rounds per hour and 400 without much stress. Once set up it’s Katie bar the door except for refilling the primer tube every 100 rounds. I have a complete set of dies and parts to swap from 45acp to 9mm without adjustments. Works for me.

I also have a Ponsness-Warren P-200 which is a nice (simple) semi-progressive press. The turret can be set up for 2 calibers and is easily switched over. It makes very consistent rounds. I don't use the primer feed system, rather, I load them by hand in the primer post.

tovaert wrote:I also have a Ponsness-Warren P-200 which is a nice (simple) semi-progressive press. The turret can be set up for 2 calibers and is easily switched over. It makes very consistent rounds. I don't use the primer feed system, rather, I load them by hand in the primer post.

I forgot about PW.  They look sturdy! Is there a primer station or do you prime by hand?

There is a primer station (station 1), where you can pull a spring-loaded primer tube down and drop a primer in the primer post. I don't use it; I place primers on the primer post by hand. On mine, station #1 has a Lee Universal decapping die with the stem removed, exposing the female (NF) thread (3/8 or 1/2"...I can't remember) on the top. Then I bolt the metal support base of a Lee PPM on top of this decapping die (so it raises up the PPM), with its outlet sitting up and over station #2. On #2 I have a Lee powder-thru expanding die, with a Satern .223 funnel resting inside the top of the expanding die, which then sits about an inch below the outlet of the PPM. I get an audible "ring" as the powder hits the funnel and falls down into the flared case...my version of QC. So I prime the case on #1, then move it to #2 (expand, and fill), seat the bullet on #3 (Hornady New Dimension die with the Hornady micrometer installed), then resize/crimp on #4 depending on the round. My turret has the same setups for 9mm and .45. It's good for short runs and match ammo, and with prepped cases I can prime and load about 200/hr.

Gracias!