Hornady Ammo Plant - oy!

[unfy]

http://www.hornady.com/store/Lock-N-Load-Ammo-Plant-110-VT

Expensive, $1100-$1350 ... and Cabela's has at least one... I think at $1099 ?

But is a LNL AP progressive press with case feeder and bullet feeder attachments.... and a few extras of standard LNL AP supplies (ie: extra pick up tubes, retainer springs, etc).

Sadly, it doesn't mention what bullet feeder / case feeder plates come with it... so... might need an additional out of pocket expense.

Also, at that price range, you'd think they'd throw in some extras like their reloading manual or other things... but.... nooooo . 

I dunno if any other brand offers a fully progressive "just pull the handle" press.  Dillon comes close... but I think still needs manual bullet insertion.  There are aftermarket bullet feeders maybe ? I dunno.

Still... just... eeek...

[jonm]

RCBS is the only other company I am aware of that makes a bullet feeder.

[sparky0068]

My LEE Pro 100 has auto feeders on cases, primers, and bullets.

[SemperFiGuy]

And the Lee setup didn't cost any $1350 retail, either.

Lee's stuff is practical, it works reliably, and it doesn't cost your life savings.

sfg

[jonm]

It also doesnt crank out ammo like the Hornady does. Presses do the same thing, the more expensive ones do it faster with awesome manufacturer customer service.

[unfy]

Lee has great customer service afaik.

The more expensive presses just tend to be over-stat'd ... which means they can take more abuse or cut a few more fractions of a percent off failure rate.

There are plenty of lee presses that have worked for decades.

With that said, I do prefer the heftier beefier more "solid" presses imho.

I'll be picking up a single stage press soonish, dunno if gonna go more expensive or cheaper (but not the $30 cheap heh... will insist on at least O ring design etc).

[jonm]

Lee has great customer service afaik.

I'm not saying they don't, just that Hornady and Dillion are better. I broke a part on my Lee dies, I bought a new $5 part and paid $3 shipping. I broke a Hornady shell plate, they sent me a new one, no questions asked. I do love my Lee dies but I'll stick to my Hornady and RCBS presses.

[R35P3CT]

Ive wanted the ammo plant ever since I started loading on my rock chucker. Midway had them on closeout a month or so ago for like $900.  I wish I would have purchased it then.   

I will most likely just purchase the base lnl ap press a d upgrade it to the ammo plant slowly.   And with getting 500 free bullets if I purchase before the end of the year makes it even better. 

[00BUCK]

Hornady's bullet feeder is for handgun only loads - so if you are thinking about an ammo plant for rifle loads you'll be fairly disappointed.

[jonm]

I will most likely just purchase the base lnl ap press a d upgrade it to the ammo plant slowly.   And with getting 500 free bullets if I purchase before the end of the year makes it even better. 

hornady has been running that promo for at least 3 years now. I don't think you will have to rush.

[unfy]

500 bullets at hornady's prices is quite decent aye.  the free bullets tend to be on the lighter side, tho.

As far as upgrading it to an ammo plant ....

someone else here is fiddling with the thought of making a bullet feeder, and i'm drawing up a plan of attack for a case feeder

[sparky0068]

It also doesnt crank out ammo like the Hornady does. Presses do the same thing, the more expensive ones do it faster with awesome manufacturer customer service.

How fast do you you need to churn out pistol ammo?  My LEE does 3-400 per hour.

[jonm]

How fast do you you need to churn out pistol ammo?  My LEE does 3-400 per hour.

I am sure guys that shoot upward of 20k/yr appreciate the speed. fwiw. I do faster than that on my LnL without the case or bullet feeder going at a steady pace.

[NENick]

500 bullets at hornady's prices is quite decent aye.  the free bullets tend to be on the lighter side, tho.

As far as upgrading it to an ammo plant ....

someone else here is fiddling with the thought of making a bullet feeder, and i'm drawing up a plan of attack for a case feeder

I'm working on making the bullet feeder, but haven't made much progress due to work and what-not. Someone one mentioned that it is only for pistol rounds. Are they referring the the actual hopper, or the actual device that drops the bullet on the casing? The hopper part is easy enough to build. Might need a new plan if there isn't a dropper thingy for rifle rounds.

[JTH]

How fast do you you need to churn out pistol ammo?  My LEE does 3-400 per hour.

  I need it faster than that. 

My Dillon 550 got me about 400 per hour (or so) without a casefeeder or a bullet feeder.  My wife got tired of seeing me down in the reloading room hour after hour, so one day I got home and found a Dillon Super 1050 on the floor. 

Now I can crank out 300 rounds in 15 minutes on average.  (Faster if I really need to.)  It has a case feeder, but not a bullet feeder.  (I might be upgrading to a bullet feeder in the near future, and later maybe adding the motor to it all...)

I don't have any experience with Lee presses, but it surprises me that one with a case feeder and a bullet feeder is so slow.  And that rate would just take up too much of my time, I know for certain. Different people need different amounts of pistol ammo, no argument there----but just 300 an hour would not work for me.

[unfy]

Might need a new plan if there isn't a dropper thingy for rifle rounds.

Canonical bullet point prolly makes them bind up in the tube or at entrance/exits of the tube.  Also dunno about the "righting" cutout shape in side of drum near entrance of tube.

Not to hijack the thread but..

A spinning feeder might not work ? Might call for a magazine like thing with a conveyor belt kind of set up ?  Something where the person throws them in the magazine aligned the correct direction and it feeds them into the tube that way ?

====\ /      shaped kinda thing.  the hole for the tube can prolly be offset and not center ... or perhaps more of a \ | shape or something so that the base/tail falls in first ?


PS -

Sorry if i've not been clear, just woke up and not looking forward to picking up some plating supplies (noteably oven mitt for steel-wool-mitt idea, and looking for smaller bolts/nuts).

[00BUCK]

Someone one mentioned that it is only for pistol rounds. Are they referring the the actual hopper, or the actual device that drops the bullet on the casing? The hopper part is easy enough to build. Might need a new plan if there isn't a dropper thingy for rifle rounds.

It's actually both - the hopper and the die. Once they make a hopper that works for rifle rounds you will be able to buy different dies, just like the pistol setup now. The rifle bullet feeder has been in "Coming Soon" status for a couple years now.

[jonm]

  I need it faster than that. 

My Dillon 550 got me about 400 per hour (or so) without a casefeeder or a bullet feeder.  My wife got tired of seeing me down in the reloading room hour after hour, so one day I got home and found a Dillon Super 1050 on the floor. 

Now I can crank out 300 rounds in 15 minutes on average.  (Faster if I really need to.)  It has a case feeder, but not a bullet feeder.  (I might be upgrading to a bullet feeder in the near future, and later maybe adding the motor to it all...)

I don't have any experience with Lee presses, but it surprises me that one with a case feeder and a bullet feeder is so slow.  And that rate would just take up too much of my time, I know for certain. Different people need different amounts of pistol ammo, no argument there----but just 300 an hour would not work for me.

its because it takes forever to load up the tubes for the case and bullet feeder. you can't just drop in a ton into a hopper and start going to work.

also, your wife is awesome.

[JTH]

its because it takes forever to load up the tubes for the case and bullet feeder. you can't just drop in a ton into a hopper and start going to work.

also, your wife is awesome.

Ah!  I was wondering where the time was lost.  So you have to load bullet/casing tubes like primer tubes?  Yuck.  I think loading primer tubes is one of my least favorite things to do.  (Which tells you that my life isn't that bad, if loading tubes is one of the "bad things.")

I'm thinking of spending the (stupidly large) amount of money on Dillon's primer tube filler just to not have to do it anymore.  These days, I fill 10 tubes at a time and then go load them.  Doesn't really take THAT long, but it is annoying.

And yes, my wife is awesome. 

[jonm]

there are plans online to use a lee hand primer as a primer tube filler. it's cheap and gets awesome reviews. there is even someone selling them complete if you didn't want to diy it.