Hand Priming Tool

[spook]

OK, ever since I set off a single primer in my XL650 I have been afraid reseating my primers in my loaded rounds with my Lee Autoprime. So, I'm going to size and prime the brass before I throw it in the case feeder.

Anyways, I have worn out 3 Lee Autoprimes in about 1,5 years and I would like something a little more durable.

To all persons with Hand Priming Tool experience.... What's the best one out there? Is the RCBS more durable? Will it prime just as good as the Lee?

Thanks!

[AzShooter]

Spook.

Hate to say this to you but I like the Lee best. You may want to try Sinclare they have some real durable goods especially made for the benchrest shooters.

I still use the 650 to set the primers now. You may want to call Dillon and see why your primer ignited and what to do to fix the problem.

[spook]

Thanks for the quick reply. Yeah, I was afraid the Lee might be my best bet. It's OK though. I'll just buy a couple and live with the 5000 round life span.

Well, I knew the primer in my press might go off. It was stuck halfway into the primer pocket and I knew there were no primers in the tube. So I slooooowly forced it in and it went off.

Unfortunately my 650 doesn't seat my primers deep enough to ignite 100% reliably.

I figured just running them through my 650 with only the sizing die installed, and priming them afterwards would be an OK option. i could do about 10,000 in one weekend and have primed brass at hand. It also turns my 650 into a 1050, cause I don't have to prime on the upstroke anymore

[Guy Neill]

I've never particularly cared for hand priming, especially when doing a lot of cases. The fastest and best priming tool I've found is the RCBS bench mounted auto priming tool. The primer feed adds speed, and the tool has very good leverage with great "feel" during seating.

Guy

[knightkrawler00]

I like the RCBS over the LEE. My hands get tired faster with the LEE and the RCBS is just better built.

[wide45]

So sell the 650 and get the 1050 you really want. If you are going through 2 of the Auto-Primes per weekend, You will make up the difference right quick.

I've bought a few of the Auto-Primes. You can buy parts from Lee to keep them running. Cheaper than shelling out for a whole new one.

Edited November 15, 2005 by wide45

[spook]

Thanks for the advice guys. A 1050 doesn't fit the bill right now, but I'll see if I can tweak my 650 to prime better. I'm not th only one having this problem with the 650.

A bench mounted priming tool is a great idea. Thanks for the tip. And I'll probably try the RCBS hand tool too, just to see if it's any good.

Ah, you're right, I should just buy a 1050

[8ring]

I prefer the RCBS hand primer to the Lee Auto-Prime for 45acp because it's sturdier and properly seats all primers. Besides, Lee's Reloading Manual, (2nd Ed.) says never to use Federal primers in a Lee Auto-Prime.

The Auto-Prime works fine for .357 and 9mm with Winchester primers.

Chris

[JFD]

The RCBS is a lot better than the Lee and the Hornady.

[spook]

Thanks guys, I'll try the RCBS. I've had good experiences with their stuff in the past. They seem to make rock solid products.

[BBoyd]

i've used the same RCBS for over 10 years, I like to hand prime, you develop a feel for the primer seating in the case, I've had zero primer problems and you can do it while watching TV. I can hand primer faster and more accurately then I ever could trying to do it at the press.

[Stumpnav]

I've been using an RCBS for about 15 years and love it. However, the absolute top of the line hand primer is made by Sinclair.

[spook]

BBoyd, yeah the reason for a hand priming tool is being able to watch DVDs while priming.

Stumpnav, I heard the Sinclair is very nice, but does not have a primer feed?

[Clay1]

" I have been afraid reseating my primers in my loaded rounds"

Pull the bullets and powder first. I wouldn't try to set a primmer deeper with any tool on loaded ammo.

"Unfortunately my 650 doesn't seat my primers deep enough to ignite 100% reliably."

Call Dillion.

[magchange]

I borrowed my buddies sinclair when my autoprime handle broke right before the Nat's it was real nice BUT... it was way slow to use. Since then I used the machine shop at work to make my own stainless steel handle for the autoprime. I use CCI or Winchester primers only handseating Federals or Remingtons is not recommended , someone already mentioned that though. I just wanted to warn you the sinclair is a fine piece of precision, not made for quick seating of thousands of handgun rounds. Let me know how the RCBS works out if my autoprime ever needs replacement I will go a different route.

[Stumpnav]

Spook, the Sinclair has a feed mechanism. Unfortunately it is your left hand!!!!

I'm not much slower with a single feed RCBS than I am with my Lee AutoPrime.

[George]

The fastest and best priming tool I've found is the RCBS bench mounted auto priming tool. The primer feed adds speed, and the tool has very good leverage with great "feel" during seating

Agreed completely.

The RCBS would be the safest way to seat live rounds "if you were going to do that". It can be used with no other primers on it and if you wore heavy gloves and safety glasses, you could do it on a round by round basis and get away with it fairly safely, provided you like that type of excitement should one "Pop" on ya' ;-)

I use the RCBS for all my precision single stage loading, it really does have feel.

[anyracoon]

I have been using the RCBS hand primer for several years. I used it to reseat high primers on my old Ammo-Master progressive press. I have very few high primers from my 550 or 650 that I load on now. As to date I have not blown any up.

[spook]

Clay, I shoot revolver and the seating of my primers goes beyond eliminating high primers you can spot with the eye. I need the primer to make contact with the part of the brass where the flash hole is. Therefor, I thought I’d better seat every primer very carefully. So I used to load on my 650, and run all the loaded rounds through my Lee autoprime.

I don’t know if this is worth calling Dillon for. After all, I demand quite a lot of perfection in the primer seating. It is a common problem for revolver shooters.

Magchange, I have to use Federals for the reason I shoot revolver. It is like a mandatory thing, unless I want to put another pound or two on my triggerpull.

Nice solution of you to make a custom handle. Unfortunately I have not only broken 3 handles, but also the main body. I ripped off the top where the shellholder is held.

I will let you know how the RCBS works out.

Thanks for the advice again people! J

[TBF]

+1 on the RCBS, more durable than the lee, and they sent me free parts when the plastic guts in mine wore out ( this was from alot of loading ).

Travis F.

[wide45]

Unfortunately I have not only broken 3 handles, but also the main body. I ripped off the top where the shellholder is held.

I broke 2 bodies and one lever. I got the 1050.

[LPatterson]

+1 on the RCBS, more durable than the lee, and they sent me free parts when the plastic guts in mine wore out ( this was from alot of loading ).

Travis F.

My RCBS hand primer is 40 years old and they still sent me free parts when it started acting strange. They replaced everything except the body & handle.

[Sc0]

Which RCBS hand primer is recommended over the other, the tray type or the APS strip version? I am using a LEE right now but when it craps out i'll upgrade.

[spook]

I have asked my brother to bring me a "regular one" (not APS) from the US for Christmas (it's $23,25 at Natchezss and almost $50 here). The APS seems like a nice gadget, if you reload with primers already in the strips. If you use other primers, it just seems like more work, loading the strips...

Edited December 1, 2005 by spook

[Sc0]

Well a primer flip tray/press is available to load the APS strips, and of course you have the strips. Extra cost to use unless you use the primers that are prepackaged. (8pk of strips $4, strip loader $25) Then RCBS has a price difference between the APS model and the tray version, different design/parts internally? (Maybe Sinclair will add a tray version to their '06 catalog?)

If you are priming before dumping into the hopper I would seriously look at a bench mounted version. (RCBS or Forster) I would rather much rather push than squeeze. Also how do you check to ensure that no tumbling media is blocking the flashhole, decapping/resizing station 1? I reloaded 200rds of .45 on my 650, no high primers using Winchester, CCI, Federal, and some military brass along with Wincheester primers. I had a friend load another 200rds using the same brass except with CCI primers and he had all sorts of high primers, missing primers, and even one CRUSHED primer which didn't go off... If a overtravel stop was added to prevent you from crushing the primers into the pocket would you be more comfortable applying more force?