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Old December 30, 2013, 11:52 AM   #26
old roper
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This is picture of my hand priming tools

http://www.noslerreloading.com/viewt...hp?f=4&t=11623

I've got old Lachmiller bench mounted priming tool no feeder tube and has adjustment for primer depth and also have RCBS bench mounted priming tool.

I got started using hand primer shooting BR as we loaded at the range there was no real volume type shooting and I still load at the range all my hunting ammo I hand primer and some match type ammo.

When I was volume PD shooting no way could I keep up hand priming and I used the RCBS primer. On the primer pocket I'll use carbide Whitetail Uniformer that Dick Wright made.
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Old December 30, 2013, 01:16 PM   #27
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I use the Lee Classic Turret press with the Safety Prime. I like the idea of only one primer being in the area of actual compression.
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Old December 30, 2013, 01:17 PM   #28
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I use the RCBS hand primer (not the universal). I really like it and have used it for years and years. You can feel the primer seat home and never have to touch a primer. Also I am still using a Single Stage press as I don't need the 'volume'. A 100 here, 200 there over a week or two. No biggie.
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Old December 31, 2013, 04:58 PM   #29
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I wonder. What makes the Ram Prime slower than a hand primer? I have never used one, but just looking at it, it seems (once installed) that it would be exactly the same number of hand movements (though the operating lever does travel several times further with the ram prime than the two inches or so the hand primer requires). Other than that, it does not seem things would be slower.
I have used both. I started with a Lyman ram prime die, because that's what the store had when I started accumulating handloading tools.

What makes the ram prime die slower is having to handle each and every primer. With a hand priming tool, you fill the tray, and don't handle primers after that.

In my experience, you can get reasonably fast with a ram prime die, if you lay out the consumables well and get into the rhythm. But, a hand prime tool is still faster.

Quote:
I use the Lee Classic Turret press with the Safety Prime. I like the idea of only one primer being in the area of actual compression.
The Lee Ergo Prime works the same way. A primer gets picked out of the crowd, pushed up a little elevator thing before dropping into the recess in the shell holder.
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Last edited by lee n. field; December 31, 2013 at 05:03 PM.
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Old December 31, 2013, 05:47 PM   #30
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What is the advantages using a hand primer vs doing it on the press?
I totally agree with Bart B.

For me, there is an additional reason to hand prime: if I use the press, I prime out in the cold garage. If I hand prime, I can sit on the couch and watch football games.
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Old December 31, 2013, 06:47 PM   #31
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For 5 years I hand primed when I used a single stage press. The only round that I did not hand prime was 7.62x54R due to the fact that I do not have a shell holder for it. Since I upgraded to the Lee Classic Turret press I have the Safety Prime, and I use it to prime on the press.

If I were single stage loading I would use the hand prime tool as I could prime sitting down watching TV.
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Old December 31, 2013, 09:33 PM   #32
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m&p45acp10+1: Where do you get your components for your MN if you don't mind me asking? I recently acquired a 1932 Tula hex and prepping it to test it out with some non-corrosive store box steel cased rounds at $10.45/20rnds. Haven't much info on the MN for ammo components. Plz list all the components, grain, oal if you don't mind.
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Old January 1, 2014, 09:31 AM   #33
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bt380 most of my brass is from PPU ammo. I pick up a box of it every now and again. I have 20 pieces of Norma brass I bought off of midway when I could not find any of the loaded ammo that is cheaper than the Norma brass. The PPU brass works just the same as the Norma stuff.

Most of my loads I use light bullets with Trail Boss, or Red Dot. I load them for my wife to shoot out of her rifle. They sound, and feel like .22 LR and hit the steel swingers harder than a .38 Special. I chrono tested some that averaged 1200 FPS with a 110 grain .308 FMJ RN. The bullets I also load in my .30 Carbine. They shoot well enough to hit a 6 inch swinger plate at 25 yards.

I have also loaded with Sierra .311 JSP Hot Cor 150 Grain with IMR 4320. I did not chrono them. They gave great results for me at 50, and 75 yards on paper. I hit inside the middle close enough to claim minute of deer at 100 yards with open sights. The lack of grouping at 100 yards with open sights is not because of the rifle. It is due to my vision.
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Old January 1, 2014, 09:32 AM   #34
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Press rammers are akward to use and slow and lack the 'feel' to set primers properly, IMHO.
I use the Lee almost exclusively. Just wish it were made of better plastic to it wouldn't wear out as quickly as they do. But the design is proven and it works great.
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Old January 1, 2014, 12:30 PM   #35
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For the OP; Well you can see from all the different answers the choice of a priming tool is entirely personal preference. I think ram priming has better "feel" and consistency than a hand prime. I think the hand prime tools I have used (3) are not that much faster, if at all, than a ram prime. But as you can see, there are just as many who say the opposite. The only method I haven't tried is an RCBS bench mounted priming tool. I have used/primed many, many cases on the "stock" priming arms on a half dozen different presses, and all seated primers successfully. I don't think of case preparation and TV go together, but to each his own (I once saw a woman breast feeding, eating, and driving on a freeway in LA). To make a good choice you would have to try all methods and find the one that fits your reloading needs, or be less picky looking for "perfection"...
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Old January 1, 2014, 12:59 PM   #36
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I prefer hand primers because I have a better feel of the primer going into the case and I can feel it hit bottom.
I use an old Lee auto prime that has been working for over 30 years and had the chromed piece that holds the shell holder replaced. The top cracked where the shell holder goes.
One thing I would not do and would suggest you go somewhere else is the new Lee primer tools.
IMO They are junk, plain and simple junk. The tops covers are so easy to break its nuts. Instead of the primer just sliding into the slot where the ram is, it has a lift that brings the next primer up when the previous one is inserted. It catches on the lid and gets turned sideways. Then ones in the tray turn over. The tray has this unique method of aligning a 1 inch row of primers that works about 20% of the time then they hang up.
The shell trays have lines in them so that when primers are upside down you gently vibrate and the lines catch the primers and turn them over. The new Lee’s are so shallow they don’t work.
Just stay away from the new Lee primers tools. I have both of these. If I can ever find an old one for sale I will buy it because mine is wearing out and the parts I need Lee does not supply any more. The XR was so bad at breaking the small weak catches on the lids that for some time I couldn't order from Lee because they couldn’t keep up with demand. That is why I got stupid and purchased the ergo.
DUMB!
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/413...d-priming-tool
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/962...d-priming-tool
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Old January 1, 2014, 03:00 PM   #37
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Quote:
Press rammers are akward to use and slow and lack the 'feel' to set primers properly, IMHO.
Quote:
I think ram priming has better "feel" and consistency than a hand prime.
Ram prime dies don't need seating by "feel". You adjust them by measuring with your caliper, and set the adjustment.

Quote:
MO They are junk, plain and simple junk. The tops covers are so easy to break its nuts. Instead of the primer just sliding into the slot where the ram is, it has a lift that brings the next primer up when the previous one is inserted. It catches on the lid and gets turned sideways. Then ones in the tray turn over. The tray has this unique method of aligning a 1 inch row of primers that works about 20% of the time then they hang up.
The shell trays have lines in them so that when primers are upside down you gently vibrate and the lines catch the primers and turn them over. The new Lee’s are so shallow they don’t work.
Just stay away from the new Lee primers tools.
I have had no problems whatsoever with the Lee Ergo Prime.

I avoided the slightly cheaper XR because of bad reviews on MidwayUSA.
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Old January 2, 2014, 07:58 AM   #38
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lee n. field
Quote:
I wonder. What makes the Ram Prime slower than a hand primer? I have never used one, but just looking at it, it seems (once installed) that it would be exactly the same number of hand movements (though the operating lever does travel several times further with the ram prime than the two inches or so the hand primer requires). Other than that, it does not seem things would be slower.
I have used both. I started with a Lyman ram prime die, because that's what the store had when I started accumulating handloading tools.

What makes the ram prime die slower is having to handle each and every primer. With a hand priming tool, you fill the tray, and don't handle primers after that.
Thanks for the reply, Lee N. Field.

Yes, with handling individual primers, a Ram Prime would be significantly slower. The pictures of press-mounted Ram Primes I have seen show a tray of primers that seem to feed into the Ram Prime without handling. Hence my confusion.

Thanks again.

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Old January 2, 2014, 11:31 AM   #39
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Just a thought; I disregard any "primer depth dimensions". Of course all primers must be below the case head, but a "dimension" is of little value if the anvil isn't seated. I seat all primers to the bottom of the pocket, regardless of depth of cup face; all the way down. I have not had any mis-fires because of mis-seated primers in over 25+ years.
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Old January 2, 2014, 04:36 PM   #40
lee n. field
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Yes, with handling individual primers, a Ram Prime would be significantly slower. The pictures of press-mounted Ram Primes I have seen show a tray of primers that seem to feed into the Ram Prime without handling. Hence my confusion.
I guess I haven't ever seen one like that. Who makes it. What I'm seeing are Lee, Lyman and RCBS dies.
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Old January 2, 2014, 06:54 PM   #41
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I have a hand primer and the fixins to prime with my "classic" Lee. If I'm only doing a small number, the hand prime is fine. I find that after 30-40 shells, my hands don't appreciate the strain (sucks to get old). With the press, I can do hundreds of rounds. Perhaps if I was into benchrest shooting (which I would like to do some day), that last .001MOA achieved by Jedi feel of the primer being seated exactly in the pocket would appeal to me.

It's like anything else...tennis/golf/hunting/fishing/etc. It's usually the operator that's the limit, not the equipment. If/when I get to the point that I cease to be the bottleneck, I'll think about all those little extras that are probably huge if you compete, but are perhaps less relevant in day to day shooting.
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Old January 2, 2014, 08:18 PM   #42
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I can sit in my living room recliner and prime with my Lee hand primer
I have also, but be sure to wear safety glasses and make sure no little ones are around. I had one go off in my hand one time and my boy just got up from "helping me", It was a .223 shell and never did figure what made it go off. Left a black mark on my sore thumb and my ears ringing, I no longer prime with my thumb over the shell either.

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Old January 2, 2014, 08:33 PM   #43
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Some folks say you just have to use a hand primer and nothing else will do. So I have to admire those folks at Remington, Winchester, and Federal as they sure can work those hand primers.

Jim
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Old January 3, 2014, 12:39 AM   #44
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Originally Posted by lee n. field
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lost Sheep
Yes, with handling individual primers, a Ram Prime would be significantly slower. The pictures of press-mounted Ram Primes I have seen show a tray of primers that seem to feed into the Ram Prime without handling. Hence my confusion.
I guess I haven't ever seen one like that. Who makes it. What I'm seeing are Lee, Lyman and RCBS dies.
Well, this shows the dangers of depending on my memory for bookmarks, footnotes and references.

But I did find one that looks familiar.

It seems like it would be simplicity itself to provide a gravity-feed into a ram prime. It would be far easier than the feed that hand primers use, since the press- mounted ram primes are always in the same orientation to gravity.

Have you ever seen something like this?Lee Ram Prime.jpg

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Old January 3, 2014, 03:42 PM   #45
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I believe the unit Lost Sheep linked to is called the Lee Auto-Prime. I had one, worked great, but sold it during a messy divorce and I believe Lee discontinued them, IIRC. I now use the single unit with ram (with interchangeable cups/pins), and shell holder assembly.
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Old January 3, 2014, 11:10 PM   #46
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RCBS hand primer for us, usually at the kitchen table. I really like the feel of a hand primer because we load 5.56 LC brass that was crimped and we can almost always feel when a crimp wasn't fully removed before we crush the primer. We do all our pistol primers by hand too.
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Old January 4, 2014, 11:05 AM   #47
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My press has a primer arm and I primed with it for years. I do have to manually put a primer in the cup each round. Though this gets the job done, it is rather slow compared to the hand priming too. The speed and ease of the hand priming tool is why I prefer it. I am not one to worry about the "feel" or depth, but push the primer firmly to the bottom which ever system I use.

Quote:
Just a thought; I disregard any "primer depth dimensions". Of course all primers must be below the case head, but a "dimension" is of little value if the anvil isn't seated. I seat all primers to the bottom of the pocket, regardless of depth of cup face; all the way down. I have not had any mis-fires because of mis-seated primers in over 25+ years.
Agreed! I will add, I have had no mis-fires in over 50 years of reloading doing this.

Last edited by jamaica; January 4, 2014 at 11:17 AM.
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Old January 4, 2014, 01:01 PM   #48
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So long as a primer is correctly seated the ammo won't care how it got there. I've done this a long time and have used several priming tools from inexpensive to horribly costly but the effects were the same. There is no "best" - or even "better" - method of primer insertion, all methods work ,and the system an individual prefers is best for him. Speed, as such, has no meaning in my reloading but convienience does and I use the method that better suits what I plan to do.

If I only need to prime a box of rifle ammo I'll likely do it on the press arm because thats so quick and simple. I rarely load such small quanities of small primer stuff so swapping primer punches is rarely needed but, given that I can make the change in less than a minute, that's irrelivant. My first press, a Lyman, had a tube feed syster with a very good and smooth brass tube. It worked flawlessly for a very long time but I finally replaced that press with a (green) compound toggle press and I never cared for the poorly feeding aluminum auto primer tube.

For the last 25 years, for volumes up to maybe 100 rounds, I've mostly used my original two Lee AutoPrimes (one large, one small) without difficulty or breaking anything. I don't react to mechanical problems by applying more force so IF a primer isn't seating normally I check to see why not. An occasional spot of car grease on the toggle knuckles has controlled wear quite well.

For volumes greater than 100 rounds I will usually turn to my Lee AutoPrime II sitting on it's own little Lee "Reloader" press, which sits beside it's twin with a Lee Universal decapping die; love 'em both. The AutoPrime II is the only "ram prime" device I know of with an auto tray feed mechanism; seating depth can be very well controlled with it too. In fact, it's the best high volume priming tool I've ever used but seems too few reloaders agreed so Lee dropped it years ago.

No matter the method, anyone thinking he can feel the tiny pressure of prestressing a primer pellet is kidding himself.

Last edited by wncchester; January 4, 2014 at 02:11 PM.
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Old January 4, 2014, 02:11 PM   #49
William T. Watts
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I have an RCBS 90200 hand priming tool, it's more than 20 years old, rcbs has replaced a couple of pieces that were lost. What I like most is if you use this hand priming tool you will develope a feel for when the primer is fully seated and anvil is pressed into the primer mix! Well pleased! William
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Old January 4, 2014, 08:18 PM   #50
lee n. field
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Have you ever seen something like this?Lee Ram Prime.jpg
That's what I thought you might have meant, but I couldn't find it on Lee's site. Discontinued? It seems like an obvious thing to make.

Certainly better than their current ram prime die: http://leeprecision.com/ram-prime.html

(Why don't I like Lee's currnet ram prime die? Not enough length on the die body to have a lock ring, so you can have a nice repeatable adjustment.)
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