Primer flip tray

[PBA2]

I have a plastic primer flip tray and it's the first one I have owned or used. It does absolutely nothing. I put the primers in and shake it around slow or fast, soft or hard, and I'm not sure it flips over any. Last night I had to flip over 20 with my finger so my question is, is there one out there that works or is it me? by the way mine is transparent blue plastic

[Punkin Chunker]

I have a plastic primer flip tray and it's the first one I have owned or used. It does absolutely nothing. I put the primers in and shake it around slow or fast, soft or hard, and I'm not sure it flips over any. Last night I had to flip over 20 with my finger so my question is, is there one out there that works or is it me? by the way mine is transparent blue plastic

Mine is red transparent plastic, have no idea who made it 30 years ago, but it works fine.

I've found that it works better if I lay it on the benchtop and 'swirl' it around, then when there are only a few left to flip I cycle it in a straight line so that the ones that need to flip slide perpendicularly to the ridges (it really takes longer to describe it than to do it).

On the other hand, I've found that CCI small pistol primers come in trays with enough space in each little primer compartment that I can pick up the primers directly out of the tray with the Dillon pickup tube, so my primer flipping time is cut WAY down.

[NickJ]

I have a plastic primer flip tray and it's the first one I have owned or used. It does absolutely nothing. I put the primers in and shake it around slow or fast, soft or hard, and I'm not sure it flips over any. Last night I had to flip over 20 with my finger so my question is, is there one out there that works or is it me? by the way mine is transparent blue plastic

Don't do that. I haven't used every type of primer that's available, I guess some may not come in the little trays, but- when you slide the primer tray out of it's little sleeve all the primers are facing the same way, either up or down. If the anvils are all facing up, like Wolf. just take the tray with the primers in one hand and put one piece of the flip tray on top of it. FLIP it over and the primers are ready to pick up with the primer tube. If the primers are all anvil down in their container, it's the same procedure but you have to do it a second time.

[Rig Magician]

I have an RCBS that works great.

Mark

[Jman]

Funny you should ask.

I use a cheap RCBS shake tray and a Dillon pick up tray.

Oddly enough my Dillon "shake" tray completely SUCKS.

I should go over to Dillon's and exchange it, now that I'm thinking of it.

Edited August 15, 2010 by Jman

[j33716]

It may sound a little too basic but you should only be shaking side to side so that the ridges catch the edge of the upside down primers and flip them. Don't shake to hard.

[sperman]

I have a metal dillon tray that works great.

Federal primers are packaged sideways, so when you dump them out you have to use the tray to get them all aligned the same way.

[GrumpyOne]

I have a plastic primer flip tray and it's the first one I have owned or used. It does absolutely nothing. I put the primers in and shake it around slow or fast, soft or hard, and I'm not sure it flips over any. Last night I had to flip over 20 with my finger so my question is, is there one out there that works or is it me? by the way mine is transparent blue plastic

Don't do that. I haven't used every type of primer that's available, I guess some may not come in the little trays, but- when you slide the primer tray out of it's little sleeve all the primers are facing the same way, either up or down. If the anvils are all facing up, like Wolf. just take the tray with the primers in one hand and put one piece of the flip tray on top of it. FLIP it over and the primers are ready to pick up with the primer tube. If the primers are all anvil down in their container, it's the same procedure but you have to do it a second time.

+1 Winchester primers are the same way. Remington primers however, are stacked sideways in their trays, so if you try this, they roll around. Dillon makes a nice brass/aluminum flip tray (I have one). Heavy duty.

[MARKAVELI]

I also got an RCBS primer flip tray. I was talking with my wife about the Dillon tray and was going to buy it, but she gout one for me and when I see in I was thinking to myself; what kinda cheap piece of #!*@ is this? But I took it and tried it out and I still couldn't get the primers to flip! So I asked her where did she get this cheap piece of #!*@ from and as I was talking crap and shifting from side to side as I was talking crap and I stared to noticing that the primers started flipping the way the are suppose too I felt bad But thanked her for picking it out for me! So maybe you are shaking em and they might only need to be shifted like on a flat surfes side to side rotate and side to side!

[bassochist]

i use an rcbs, and it works perfect, i use it with, federal, cci, s&b, winchester primers, and no problems at all.

just put the primers in, shake it from side to side for about 10 second, put the cover on and flip it over.

[MARKAVELI]

Oh yah if I'm not mistaken I paid 6 dollars for my RCBS at cabela's!

[PBA2]

I'll have to try the one from Dillon I guess, and maybe the metal is better than the plastic. I got mine from Berrys and I just don't think the grooves are distinct enough to grab and turn. I agree on the CCI primers you really don't even need a flip tray but for the sideways stacked Federal, what a mess!

[Corey]

the rcbs tray i use seems to work just fine. few shakes side to side and most if not all are flipped over.

[noylj]

I have two very old RCBS units (at least 20 years old) and two Dillons. The Dillons are nice and big and heavy. The RCBS units are small and light. The RCBS units do an excellent job of flipping the primers, but, there is enough flex in the plastic that as you push one primer into the primer tube, another one might flip over. The Dillon is heavy metal so there isn't the flex, but it doesn't flip the primers as well and the weight makes it somewhat more difficult to shake around. The Lee units, as part of their Auto-Prime, seem to work really well, but Lee doesn't market a flip tray. No matter what, out of 100 primers, there are always one or two of the little buggers that just won't flip. You can either flip them by hand or just leave them until you pour in the next 100. There is something funny about a person's reaction to just keep shaking to get those last one or two to flip and they end up re-flipping 5 or 6 more.

[z40acp]

When you are doing this, you are holding only the half with the circular ridges, right?

[PBA2]

When you are doing this, you are holding only the half with the circular ridges, right?

I'm sure glad you realize that no question is too dumb to ask Thanks, I was actually putting the smooth side on like a lid I figured they would fly everywhere if not. Just tried it and it worked perfectly. Nothing better than "eureka" and feeling incredibly dumb. Thanks again

[98sr20ve]

Some like a side to side motion. Some like a circular motion. I only try and get 95% flipped. Then I grab the stubborn ones with the tube before I grab the others after flipping them onto the lid.

[BayouSlide]

Dillon here...and more of a spirited swirl than a shake. 100 percent success and rather quickly.

Curtis

[Dacsoft]

Dillon here...and more of a spirited swirl than a shake. 100 percent success and rather quickly.

Curtis

+1 here. The metal Dillon work great for me.

[Tim/GA]

My flip tray- an empty primer tray and a paper plate. I use Winchester if possible, CCI if not, and they come with the primers facing smooth side up in the tray. Put empty tray over the full one and flip it over, now most will facing with the anvil showing. Lay paper plate on the primer tray, hold tight and flip it over. Pick up the tray and you have 10 nice straight rows ready for the pickup tube. There might be a few upside down but a little "flick" with the end of the primer tube to get them upright is all it takes.

[GForceLizard]

The Hornady flip tray is too small and will not catch all the primers when you flip. It's smaller than the Federal tray of primers. It's big enough for CCI. It works once you have the primers in it.

[benos]

I had better luck with the Dillon Primer Flip Tray if I swirled it in the air (rather than on the bench).

Another method - pick up all the primers that are anvil side up on the first pour, then put on the lid and flip it over and pick up the rest.

be

[foilhat]

I have the Dillon tray (brass), it seems to work good. I do like the wolf primers for practice. Just place the tray on top and flip over. Primers all all lined up and ready for the tube.

[MARKAVELI]

When you are doing this, you are holding only the half with the circular ridges, right?

I'm sure glad you realize that no question is too dumb to ask Thanks, I was actually putting the smooth side on like a lid I figured they would fly everywhere if not. Just tried it and it worked perfectly. Nothing better than "eureka" and feeling incredibly dumb. Thanks again

why you!!!!! lol...

[Rico567]

Not familiar with a blue plastic one, but whatever you do, don't buy the "Blue" metal one (the Dillon flip tray). I had a green RCBS tray that worked great until the dog chewed it up (NOT a figure of speech!), and made the mistake of buying that humongous Dillon metal tray. While Dillon's big stuff, like their presses, is fine, I have no idea who came up with things like that primer flip tray or the old 'bench wrench.'

The flip tray I'm using now is the one that came with my battery powered primer tube loading device (I think it's just one of those Midway "Frankford Arsenal" branded accessories), and it works great. I can also recommend the primer tube filler, as it loads Dillon tubes slicker than snot, but I don't think Midway carries this item any more.