Hornady LnL Addition - Bullet Feeder

[sledgemeister]

A while back I brought a couple Bullet feed dies for my LnL with the idea of making something up to feed the bullets automatically instead of by hand. I looked at the Hornady one and wasnt prepared to sell a gun to afford to buy it so I compromised with a $1.00 plastic tubing. It holds just over 25 rnds depending on the size of projectiles 30+ if they are smaller but it saves me feeding the bullet and the case in one at a time, a lot quicker just to feed cases. I have 5 tubes I can load up ready to go and just swap them over when I get below the level of the die, (still has about five in the die).
I had to wrap a few turns of electrical tape around the tube for a snug fit, but hey it works and it cost sweet bugger all.
Here' s a pic of it, excuse my reloading bench mess I had just changed calibres from 460 to 44 and had shit everywhere LOL

BTW the Die Positions are:

1 Deprime/resize
2 Expand/Throw powder
3 Bullet feed die
4 Bullet Seater
5 Factory Crimp

[alfsauve]

Very very cool, Sledge.

Now we need to work on a similar "manually loaded" case feeder.

[Solus]

Very very cool, Sledge.

Now we need to work on a similar "manually loaded" case feeder.

I was thinking about that....

I'd say the best route is to get the bottom end and plastic tubes from Hornady.   All the fitting and timing and linkage work will be done...and I'd expect the bid machine at the top is were the cost is.

Just drop the cases in the top of the tube and let the factory linkage do the rest of the job 

[sledgemeister]

Very very cool, Sledge.

Now we need to work on a similar "manually loaded" case feeder.

Thinking about it Alf.
Although the universal case feeders from http://www.budgetreloader.com/ are only 135.00 as opposed to 400+ from Dillon and Hornady. Just need to get ahold of the sliding mechanisms.
An alternative was this  saw on a vid, canabalising a Lee case dispenser crossed with a LnL. The idea has good merrit

[Magoo541]

Working in the automation industry it amazes me how people solve problems outside of the industry.  If that were a problem in our shop we'd have a bowl feeder, two pneumatic cylinders a gripper or three and lot of fancy machining to do but it would run 24/7 at rate 

Having spent just a small amount of time at the reloading bench, just under a 1000 rounds of 45 ACP and a hundred 38 specials, I haven't looked at much automation beyond my turret press, YET....

Stay tuned I may reinvent the wheel with the aid of some fellow engineers and Solidworks, or I may find a new job that'll pay enough I can buy a Dillon 1050  .

First I have to finish my business degree, just 3 months to go!

[Sponsor]

[philw]

did Hornady get back to you about getting another pin??

[sledgemeister]

did Hornady get back to you about getting another pin??

Got this, but lori hanst called yet. 

From: sales [mailto:sales@hornady.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 9 May 2012 10:09 AM
To: sledgemeister@XXXXX.XXXXX.xx
Subject: RE: "Warranty Inquires" Contact from Robert

Robert,
Yes, we will replace this for you.  Lori from our Sales Department will be contacting you regarding the order details and getting it to you in Australia. 
Thank you,
Hornady Sales Team