Hornady Lock and Load AP

[cgaengineer]

Just wanted to inform anyone who may have this press that Hornady now list on their website the same LNL press with a new case ejector. To upgrade your existing press you will need new sub plate and new shell plates.

This pdf was just added last week sometime.

http://www.hornady.com/media/LNL_AP.pdf

 

[Waldog]

I have the LNL. I know people have had ejection problems, especially with the 9mm. I fixed my ejection problems with the following: I used a Dremel tool with a "felt tip bullet point" and some polishing compound. I polished the ejection wire and each recess on the shell plate. It took about 10 mins. To be fair, I still get a shell jamb about every 100-150 shells. But, it is vastly improved!!!!

I would be nice to retro fit my press but, I have too much invested in shell plates to scrap everything and start over.

 

[DEDON45]

Dang! Why didn't they do that the first time! I don't have many problems with my ejection as it is now, but that sure looks like it would be more reliable... I can see buying a new sub-plate, but shellplates are expensive... unless they could take my old ones and machine them (that's what it looks like they did)...

 

[cgaengineer]

I spoke with Hornady today. To upgrade it will be $100 and they will upgrade/swap out your press...this will cover up to 2 shell plates. Additional shell plates will be swapped for $10.

What I suggests is to fill out Hornadys web form and express your distaste in the $100 deal. Why should we have to pay for a poor design? This should be a recall.

 

[shepherddogs]

Mine has never had any ejection problems.

 

[cgaengineer]

Mine has from the moment it was removed from the box and I fisrt ever used it. I did polish the ejector spring which seems to help.

 

[lll Otto lll]

Why should we have to pay for a poor design? This should be a recall.

Why a recall? My LNL ejects perfectly even with 9mm. It just took some deburring and polishing of the shell plate.

Personally, I wouldn't buy the new EZject LNL until I had read enough reviews that the system is at least 99% reliable. Time will tell...

 

[shooter313]

Sorry for the long post..

Quote From their web site: “We guarantee every one of our reloading tools and accessories for Life”No-Risk, Lifetime Warranty
Hornady reloading tools and accessories are ((warranted against material defects and workmanship for the life of the products.)) Parts which by nature of their function are subject to normal wear such as springs, pins,bearings, etc… and, parts which have been altered, abused, or neglected are excluded for the warranty.
((If the product is deemed defective by either workmanship or material)), the reloading tool or accessory will either be repaired, reconditioned or replaced at Hornady Manufacturing Company’s option. If it breaks, we’ll repair it
Or replace it at no charge.
To return a product call toll free, (800) 338-3220 and ask for Customer Service.
What is the difference between this and a new car? I have been in the car business for over 20 years, and when a part or parts are causing a problem they HAVE to be replaced by the company that made the automobile. It is termed a “recall.” ((If the product is deemed defective by either workmanship or material)),
In this case, I would consider it to be both. But that is just my opinion, but as car companies know, workmanship is part of the designing process as well. If you design a part that does not work properly, it is simply defective, and it is changed for one that works.
I have this press at home still in its original box, and from hearing this post I am already disappointed in buying it. Not to mention I have still not received my “free 1000 bullets from Hornady”. (I don’t know how long this usually takes, but I submitted my paperwork almost a month ago now.)
I hope they come to their senses and (do the right thing) by their customers. I am not saying that they should replace it for free for a 3 or 4 year old press. But come on!! One that is less than a year old is a no brainer. They had to have KNOWN about this problem AT LEAST that long to have made a new item to replace it, test it, and figure out a way to implement it. It doesn’t happen over night. They should have either stopped building the press when they found out it was “defective” or offered a FREE upgrade once they had it figured out.
I for one have no intention on mailing my press back to them, and THEN paying them $100 on top of it for something they should never have put on the market in the first place, knowing it was not working correctly, not me. Fool me once shame on me..Etc.
This is just my opinion and everyone has one. But to find out what you JUST BOUGHT is ALREADY defective, and they want YOU to pay for it just burns me to no end.
MANY thanks for the post; I had not heard about this until now. But I WILL be on the phone to Hornady ASAP.
Shooter313

 

[cgaengineer]

Shooter,

I know where you are coming from but trust me the press is a good press. I myself think Hornady should step up and take care of this problem (Its a known issue). I will tell you that the press as it is will work nearly 100% if you either bend the spring where it rides on the center bolt or if you polish the ejection spring and shell plate. Besides myself having a defective shell plate (Wouldn't always seat in the detent holes) for the 9mm size I have not had much of an issue since I polished the spring with my Dremel tool, the plate would not fully advance at a certain position on the sub plate, but the .223 shell plate worked fine.

I will post back my findings when I hear from Hornady and when I receive my other shell plate.

Your bullets should take 6-8 weeks, and from what Hornady told me yesterday is that they cannot make stuff fast enough, bullets, dies and press parts.

I urge all of you you fill out the web form on Hornadys website and force the issue of replacement of needed parts. There is more power in numbers...don't make me do all of the work!!

 

[TEDDY]

hornady LNL

they should have made a new press and made it with a turret.the adapters were away to repair an obsolete design.now you have to buy the addapters.

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

Before we claim that any company must upgrade for free any existing product as soon as an improved model is offered, we need to consider the long term effects of such a policy. When a car company comes out with next year's model that gets better gas mileage, or is faster, or whatever, do we expect them to retrofit our one year old cars for free (or even at cost?) However, if it is a safety-related issue, then they are required to fix it for free, and they are required to notify existing customers that there may be a problem and offer to fix it for free.

Why is it any different with a reloading press? Dillon has made several SAFETY-related improvements that they will, upon request, upgrade existing presses for free. Why? Even though there is no safety recall legislation covering reloading presses, if they do not fix safety problems, they are subject to liability claims that could severely impact their bottom line. But they have also made non-safety-related improvements that they do not upgrade for free (primer early warning system, magnum and extra-small powder bars, etc.) even though some are now included "at no extra cost" with new product.

Hornady has produced a press for several years with a case ejection system that is not as good as it could be. Is that "faulty"? I think not. Neither should they upgrade existing products for free (or even at cost).

Andy

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

Please clarify/expand on the Hornady offer. Are they charging $100 to replace the plates?

 

[DIXIEDOG]

Please clarify/expand on the Hornady offer. Are they charging $100 to replace the plates?

They replace the subplate on your press and 2 of your shell plates for $100. (The subplate is the plate that your shell plate bolts to, the new ejector is built into the place rather than having the add on wire ejector)

 

[cgaengineer]

To Andy:

If you are driving down the road and the trunk of said car keeps popping open and you can get out and simply close it and are good for a few miles before it pops open again...would you just keep closing the trunk or would you bring the car back to the dealer for repair? Would you expect the dealer to fix the trunk that pops open for free, especially if the trunk latch was a bad design? What if the car dealer knows the trunk latch on some cars works OK, but on others the trunk repeatedly pops open at unexpected times do to variations in manufacturing process or tolerances?

Say what you wanna say...but from what I have read about the ejection spring and loaded rounds flying across room....I have a valid arguement. I have also experienced this issue and have made changes to the part to make the ejection more reliable...something Hornady should have done.

If they will not replace the shell plates and sub plates...why not chrome the spring and send those out. I am about 100% sure a chromed spring would fix most of the problems.

Last but not least I think the LNL is a great press, and when the ejection works I have no gripes at all.

 

[shooter313]

To Andy,

I am not talking about a year old press here. It is STILL IN THE BOX. (Their rebate for the free bullets has not even arrived yet.) I dont think it is to much to ask that when you buy a "new" product it should free of defects.
As stated above, if your trunk would not stay closed, or your radio only picked up 5 stations, and the CD skipped every other song, or your AC did not blow as cold as you think it should, would you say..oh well, thats ok? I doubt it.
Does it work, sure it does, but I am SURE you and everyone else would expect it to be REPAIRED for free so that it works the way it is suppose to work. And why would you expect this service? Because it is under warranty. Not a "lifetime warranty" like Hornady says they give with their products, but at least a 1-3 year warranty that covers everything on it with no deductable.
I dont want it replaced, I just want the parts to FIX IT. Like the old saying goes..(If it aint broke then dont fix it)..Well, they FIXED IT..so it MUST be broke.
I am not trying to tick anyone off, but new IS suppose to be new. And a life time warranty is just that. (On a car you even get a warranty on normal wear and tear items, such as breaks and wiper blades for at least a year. Why? Because if it is defective, it should be replaced at NO charge to the buyer.)
But everyone has an opinion, and that is mine. I am not asking anyone to agree with it, I am simply stating what I believe.
Shooter313

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

Well, they FIXED IT..so it MUST be broke.

This is exactly the sentiment that leads manufacturers not to improve their products, but come out with completely new models that are not interchangeable at all (think Dillon 450 vs 550 or 650), because everyone will claim that it must have been broken before, and demand a free upgrade. I don't hear folks demanding a brand new press from Lee because they brought out a new model with their new quick change die system. I don't hear folks demanding that Dillon send them a free magnum powder bar either.

As far as cars are concerned, they come with a warranty that if you read it carefully, they are only required to repair or replace (at their option) any faulty components (lemon laws notwithstanding, and they do not apply to products other than automobiles). They are not required to re-design it and replace yours with the redesigned part (unless it is safety related, which you could argue in the case of a trunk lid latch). Under Hornady's manufacturing defects and workmanship warranty, you are entitled to call hornady and ask for a replacement ejector wire, or ship your press to them and they will repair/replace it at their option. You are not entitled to a newly designed product unless, at Hornady's option they decide to (i.e. if giving you the new part was cheaper than giving you a replacement ejector wire). Now if enough people refuse to buy their product, then it also might be cheaper for them to upgrade it.

For those who are not familiar with the definition, "defects and workmanship" specifically excludes engineering/design issues. If the part was built per the manufacturing specifications, it is not faulty, and "fixing it" is not required under the warranty. Whether it's GM, Hornady, or Sony, it makes no difference.

That is not to say that you would have no other recourse to correct a poorly designed part/product. If you can make your case in court that their part/product does not meet a reasonable interpretation of their advertisement and/or published specifications, then you could be awarded a judgment. But the burden of proof would be upon you, not the manufacturer.

Andy