Rcbs Priming Opinions

[jazzman]

Hello,

I presently prime with a lee hand primer which is fine, but I would like to make this operation easier and safer. I have been looking at the RCBS bench mounted primer tools. They have one that uses the aps strips and they have one that has a tube that the primers feed thru. I use CCI primers so I could buy them already in the strips. Has anyone used either one of these tools, how do you load the primers in the bench mounted tube type. I like the idea that this would be safer to use than my lee hand priming tool. I don't want to load primers thru my press.

Thanks for any help on this,

Jazzman

[John Dunn]

What is unsafe about the Lee? I've used mine for 15 years or so with nary a problem as long as you pay attention.

[George]

I use the RCBS tube fed primer system for all my single stage loading operations. It is fast and easy.

I have never tried the strip feed system so can't comment, but feel I would stay with the tube system just for consistency in the way I do things for the rest of my (Dillon progressive press systems).

+1 on the Lee hand prime system being safe if used properly.

BTW, why are you concerned about priming on the press (I assume you mean on a progressive press system)? Priming on the press with a single stage press is not preferred compared to something like the RCBS bench tool as you don't get as nice a feel for how the primer seats as you do with the dedicated tool system.

[jazzman]

Thanks for the replies. I like the hand press but I am looking for a faster method and one that is a little easier on my hand. My hand tends to get tired after a few hundred rounds of loading with the hand press.

I am using a single stage press and I also use a turret press so that is why I am looking for something easier than priming on the press.

I do think the hand press is perfectly safe especially since I always use CCI primers which are one of the harder primers.

How hard is it to load the tubes for the bench mounted model, is there a way to dump a whole bunch in the tube at once,

Thanks again,

Jazzman

[Justsomeguy]

Thanks for the replies. I like the hand press but I am looking for a faster method and one that is a little easier on my hand. My hand tends to get tired after a few hundred rounds of loading with the hand press.

I am using a single stage press and I also use a turret press so that is why I am looking for something easier than priming on the press.

I do think the hand press is perfectly safe especially since I always use CCI primers which are one of the harder primers.

How hard is it to load the tubes for the bench mounted model, is there a way to dump a whole bunch in the tube at once,

Thanks again,

Jazzman

Dillon presses come with a couple of "primer pickup tubes" which have a plastic do-hickey on one end that has lips that will fit over the shiny end of the primers and pick them up, and a lock pin that goes through the other end (read the manual!). You pick up the primers from a primer flipping tray (with the shiny side up) with the pick up tube by the hundred, one at a time. Then you turn it upside down, hold it over the primer tube on your press and pull the lock pin... Presto! One hundred primers are now loaded into the primer tube of your press. It only takes a minute or two to pick up the primers with the pick-up tube and transfer them to the press' loading tube.

[George]

The RCBS priming system works the same way as the Dillon except the tubes only hold about 50 primers.

You use a primer flip tray (get the big Dillon one) to make all the primers sit right-side up. It's fast and easy compared to strips IMO and allows you to use any brand bulk primer (I use WW primers almost exclusively).

[Airic]

I'm actually ordering a lee hand primer. Ive been told its safer, easier, faster than the RCBS tube. I can imagine it might make your forearm and wrist a little tired, but hey....just think to yourself that your working out to give yourself a more stable shooting platform

[JFD]

The RCBS hand priming tool is a lot easier on the hand than the Lee since it's not "thumb-only" operation.

If I were you, that's the only upgrade I'd make.

[George]

+1 on the RCBS being easier than the Lee hand system. It is also just as safe, even safer in fact because the primers are NOT in the palm of your hand!

[Airic]

I'll take advice from the more experienced ones and order an RCBS hand primer then.

[George]

The RCBS "Bench" primer system is the best priming system I own. It seats primers better than any Dillon press. It's just a single stage tool, or I would prime everything with it because of how well it works compared to anything else for feel and ease of use.

[Guy Neill]

The RCBS Auto Priming Tool, a bench mounted priming tool, is the best - as in easiest - tool to use if you are priming off the press. It has good feel in seating the primers and all the leverage needed. The auto feed makes it fairly fast as well.

Guy

[SSDriver]

+1 the RCBS Bench auto priming system is the way to go fast, easy, safe, and gives you excellent feel.

[spencerhut]

I have a Pro2000 and most of the reasoning behind buying it was the strip feed primer system. My uncle taught me how to load ~26 years ago on mostly Lee equipment including the hand priming tool. He's getting up there in age now and I bought him a bench mounted RCBS tool when I noticed he was having a problem fully seating his primers with the ~30 year old lee tool. Problem solved.

I know nearly everyone on this site has the "blue flu", but I'm very happy with my RCBS Pro2000. I've never had an upside down primer in many thousands of rounds. Can't say the same for some of my shooting buddies with other primer feed systems. Never had any type of primer feed related failure other than the time I dumped some 4895 all over the press by accident. That kind of messed up everything.

[ipscbob]

I saw a press release recently from RCBS that stated that they will no longer be producing anymore APS strips. Stick with the tube fed system.

[spencerhut]

I saw a press release recently from RCBS that stated that they will no longer be producing anymore APS strips. Stick with the tube fed system.

All the APS stuff is in the 2007 catalog they just released. Do you have a link to that press release?

Have you ever used the RCBS Automatic Priming System?

Edited January 26, 2007 by spencerhut