Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/137309
FI RE ARMS TACTICS competition. Since I had other products for which to compare this product, I found it only moderate in the speed in which one can reload—honestly, several other presses can flat outrun it, given the same user with the same experience. However, it is definitely on the top end of precision, and accuracy wins here. In other words, quality rules. Powder measuring, primer seating and bullet seating are more predictable on this product then many others I have tested. In fact, the Lock-N-Load AP Press has the type of consistency that one can get from single-stage (one at a time) reloading, at a much faster rate. Each station moves half a stage on the upstroke and half a stage on the down stroke, making for ultra-smooth function. This process is much smoother than presses that do all their indexing on the down stroke. The strongest suit for the Lock-N- Load Ammo Plant is its versatility. It is capable of almost any caliber, using any standard dies, with almost any powder and bullet combination. I tried it with a die set that was several decades old and I used it to reload some wildcat (non conventional) cartridges. Hornady uses a heavy gauge rod that surrounds the primer tube. This is an important safety feature: when primers are stacked, accidental detonation of a single primer risks detonating all of them. Some manufacturers use a primer feeding system that feeds from a tray, not a vertical tube. This is generally safer, but is not as smooth, and looks like an appliance attached to the press. Primer detonation is a statistically unlikely event, but without the safety features, it could be catastrophic. The Hornady system is engineered to deflect all of the dangerous stuff away from the user. Still, it is important to remember that every reloading operation requires safety glasses. The primer tube holds an entire box of primers and it can be filled without removing it from the press. I have to admit; I learned how to operate it the wrong way. That is, I assembled it incorrectly, which caused me to spill primers on the floor. Don't blame Hornady for this...I didn't read the directions. Considering the fact that several resellers of this product also have instructional videos, I have no excuse for my folly. Besides the smooth priming operation, the Lock-N-Load AP Press uses case actuated powder dispensing. Not only is this the safest way to dispense powder, the Lock-N-Load AP Press uses a brilliantly engineered linkage system and a micrometer measuring system. Many progressive press products use a powder bushing system to measure Circle 74 on Reader Service Card www.officer.com June 2013 Law Enforcement Technology 41