"Best" primer seating tool?

[jag2]

Prof, I had a similar problem a few years ago. Result was high primers and a lot FTFs. I found the culprit, the connecting rod between the handle and the piston. The end of the rod (the large rounded end) had worn down so much that at its full extension it still wasn't long enough to properly seat the primer. As a temporary fix I found a very small washer (the same diameter as the piston) and epoxied it to the bottom which basically made the piston a little longer. Still works but I did find another connecting rod to be safe. In hind sight, I may not have oiled that rod as often as I should have. Take a look at it, I'll bet it isn't as round as it should be. Best bet is to go to ebay and buy a new tool, there are always some for sell. Start your own collection of spare parts.

[oley55]

F. Guffey wrote: I have two RCBS automatic hand primers, and I have enough spare parts to build another. Long story. There is not enough room between the top and bottom of the primer/flip tray for a primer to flip. I remove the tray when loading primers and the RCBS has more leverage than the Lee.

there is more than enough room for the primers to tip on their side or over when the lid on the tray gradually climbs up. When I use mine I have to use a spring type paper clip to ensure the lid remains down. Unfortunately the spring clip must be located right next to or over the shoot into the tool and makes a comfortable tool uncomfortable. Something about a spring clip cutting into my knuckle I guess.

[Gravedigger56]

there is more than enough room for the primers to tip on their side or over when the lid on the tray gradually climbs up.

I agree. I was having a bad problem with flipping primers and found that the lid was not staying tight and lifting slightly. I eventually had to resort to using rubber bands to keep the lid tight. I finally called RCBS and they sent me one of the newer "square" trays that's used on the universal hand primer. The lid on those trays "snaps" shut and so far seem to be staying secure.

[oley55]

thanks Gravedigger, I'll call them and see if they can help

[polyphemus]

Are there primer seating tools that have a longer stroke than the Lee

OP take a close look at how the primer arm seats the primer,it pushes it in
until it bottoms out. It can go no further than that and no other method can push it any deeper. If you are looking for even more leverage then you could consider their ram prime,there you push the primer in on the down stroke.

[Prof Young]

Uncle Nick:
Thanks for the great info. An education in primers . . . so of a primer on primers . . . sorry I couldn't help myself.

Mark
When I use my Lee hand primer the post that seats the primer is at the end of its stroke when I am done. In other words it will not extend any further. This factor is what makes me think I may need a different/better priming tool.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young

[IDAHO GAITERS]

Call or email Lee Precision and they will send you what replacement parts you need. The tool should seat all primers below flush.
Idaho Gaiters

[F. Guffey]

there is more than enough room for the primers to tip on their side or over when the lid on the tray gradually climbs up. When I use mine I have to use a spring type paper clip to ensure the lid remains down. Unfortunately the spring clip must be located right next to or over the shoot into the tool and makes a comfortable tool uncomfortable. Something about a spring clip cutting into my knuckle I guess.
__________________

There is no shortage of 'C' clamps around here, if primers were going to flip in my tray I have to do something to cause that. Chatter when seating primers can cause primers to move, again, there is not enough room between the (my) lid and tray to flip primers on my trays when seating squeaky/chattering primers.

If there was and the tray is a flip tray flipping primers back with the smooth side down would be a matter of moving the primers across the flip tray.

[MarkGlazer]

Looking at the tool without the shell holder in place, with the handle upright, the seating rod is even with the plastic housing piece that protects and guides the primer into place. If your tool looks the same then the tool is fine.

Question: do you have issue with the primer pocket not being clean? Any build-up preventing the primer from being fully seated?

[mikld]

Prof., print Unclenick's last post and stick it in your "Reloading Stuff" file for reference...

[Bottom Gun]

I realize this is an older post but if anyone is still having an issue with primer depth, this may help.
I had a similar issue with my RCBS hand priming tool not seating deeply enough for my taste. It was seating the primers flush instead of slightly below flush as I prefer. Since it only happened when priming .338 Win Mag brass and no other calibers, I discovered the problem was with my shell holder. Apparently there are some dimensional differences between some of the older RCBS shell holders and the newer ones. Maybe the one I had was out of tolerance or at the high end of the tolerance range.
In any case, I discovered the older shell holder was spacing the brass just a little too far away for the seating rod to effectively seat the primers. I tried a newer RCBS shell holder which allowed the brass to sit a bit lower (closer to the seating rod) and my problem was solved.

[gschwertley]

So much can be said re. this one phase of handloading.

I used the old style Lee Auto Prime for 30 years. Had two of them, one set up for large primers and one for small.

Also had an RCBS because when I was silly enough to load .32 ACP, I discovered lots of variations of case rim and some wouldn't work in the Lee shell holder. Which I have found is a short-coming of some of the Lee proprietary shell holders.

Because of my difficulties with the .32 ACP, I bought an RCBS Hand Priming Tool, their #90200, which may not be what they sell now. It did a fair job of work if you were careful and didn't allow the tray to fall out. My biggest complaint about it, the shell holders are difficult to change. As someone before me said in this thread, you nearly have to take it all apart to make the change. Not convenient.

So, for the most part I was content to use the old Lee tools with the round trays. Then one of them broke and it was an ugly surprise to find that the old style was no longer available. It had been replaced by the new model with the square trays and the lawyer-proof (nothing really is, though) two stage lift to prevent chain detonation. I sent away for one of these a few years ago and it's never worked correctly and has been the source of much frustration.

It was such a pain in the prat to use that I set it aside for a couple of years. Then I figured, might as well get used to it and make it work. After exchanging several emails with an engineer at Lee, it still doesn't do what it's supposed to and does a few things that it shouldn't. I did get the action greased up well enough that the handle no longer sticks on every press.

After doing everything the way I'm supposed to with the tool, it still has issues that drive me nuts. It just hates small primers. It's that two-stage lift device that causes problems. It will flip a primer so it comes up on its side or back; it will jump a primer on top of another in the lift entrance and this nudges the cover off. I've had several spillages of primers which waste lots of time. I don't think I'm done with the Lee engineer yet; who knows, I might have a dud that won't work in any case and the thing may be making a trip back to Wisconsin.

One other thing I don't like about it is the stroke gives nothing to spare like the old version (with the round trays) did. After handloading for decades, you get a feel for when the primer has been properly set. More about that below. The old Lee tool had a little extra stroke left and you could feel when the primer was home in the bottom of the pocket. The new one has nothing extra on the stroke; if the shell holder is a loose fit (as some Lee holders are), then you may not get a primer seated quite deep enough. This is a problem with .223 Rem because the Lee proprietary shell holder is a #4, originally for a .32 S&W and anybody who has compared the two rim designs knows they ain't the same. A .223 case in a Lee #4 shell holder lifts up a few thou. before it stops and the primer starts to go home. The Lee engineer sent me the latest version of their #4 and this is still true.

Back to the RCBS Hand Priming Tool. The actual rod that pushes the primer into the pocket is just that, a simple steel rod. If you have problems getting the depth right in a given case, you can adapt your own rod to whatever length is appropriate. At least it has that going for it.

So why do some primers seat at different depths that others? Variations in depth of pocket, variations in case rim, even variations however slight in different brands of primers. The main thing is that the primer be seated fully. It may be flush or it may be recessed slightly. YOU DON'T WANT HIGH PRIMERS IN ANY CASE, this is an invitation to accidental discharge.

One more thing I have for priming is a discontinued RCBS bench-mount model, very effective, has good feel, will give complete seating with no problem but it's a load one at a time.

In the decades that I've been priming cases, I've never had one go off. That includes decapping live primers from cases, never had one go off.

[Geo_Erudite]

There is also the 21st Century Shooting, Inc. stainless steel priming tool:

http://www.21stcenturyshooting.com/S.S_FQUY.php

[F. Guffey]

Bottom Gun, All of my RCBS shell holders have a deck height, the deck height of my RCBS shell holders is .125", even the ones that go back to the 50s. Since the 50s RCBS has changed shell holder designs meaning I have 3 different designs. The first two designs are will not fit the RCBS Auto hand Primer with the round flip tray.

So, for the most part I was content to use the old Lee tools with the round trays. Then one of them broke and it was an ugly surprise to find that the old style was no longer available. It had been replaced by the new model with the square trays and the lawyer-proof (nothing really is, though) two stage lift to prevent chain detonation. I sent away for one of these a few years ago and it's never worked correctly and has been the source of much frustration.

Setting off a primer: Never once did R. Lee mentioning double clutching the Lee Auto Primer.

F. Guffey

[pete2]

Both the Lee and the RCBS will seat just below flush as will the Dillon 550 press. You may find certain brands of primers and cases that make primer seating easier. It ain't rocket science.

[mehavey]

And then there's the Armstrong method. Just seat firmly by
by feel [as the primer fully "stops"] as consistently as you can

Which (quite frankly) is more than good enough after a few hundred cases under your belt.

FWIW: The RCBS_Universal hand primer needs no shell-holder changeout, and provides
extra leverage for tight brass (like I found w/ my Lapua Grendel brass). Otherwise, the
old Lee handprimer is as good as it gets

[745SW]

I think my Lee handheld priming tool is called the Auto Prime. Overall it works well but it does break. The bar/rod that connects between the handle and plunger broke. I believe the metal used for this tool is zinc.

[condor bravo]

Well, I will say it again. Don't fool around on this one, get the RCBS Automatic priming tool, especially for rifle case priming, and be done with it. Yes, a little expensive perhaps, but it will be the best upwards to $100, which includes shipping, that you will spend on equipment this week and you will never miss the $100.

[Prof Young]

So after looking at all the alternatives I got back to my Lee hand primer. The lever that one pushes to make the rod protrude that seats the primer was hitting the body of the tool. I bent that lever and now have about 1/16 of an inch more extension in the seating rod. I went back and "reseated" about 300 9mm and almost every one of them went in further. Good deal. Learned a few things this go around.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young

[hartcreek]

The lid on the RCBS hand prime does not want to stay tight after a few year of use and then the primers will flip over. Simple solution is to use two clothes pins or spring type chip bag clips to hold the lid closed and tight. Since I started using the clips a few months ago I have primed several thousand cases with no more flipped primers.

[F. Guffey]

And I ask: "What holds the lid onto the flop tray? The bottom of the tray is called a flop tray, it is designed to flop primers when the smooth side of the primer is up.

TOOLS: Start with two, WD40 and duct tape. If it moves and is not supposed to use duct tape.

If it does not move and is supposed to use WD40.

F. Guffey

[Longshot4]

All you need is to purchase a Redding uniformer tool with the handle. When the pockets are not consistently the same you have problems. The uniformer reams out material to a consistent size. You will be surprised how your primer seating problems go away.

[condor bravo]

Note that Longshot4 is talking about primer pocket depth with the Redding uniformer, an important consideration, rather than removing material from the sidewalls which you wouldn't want to do. If you have more than one case to do , connect the cutter to your electric drill.

[schmellba99]

The RCBS Universal hand priming tool is the best hand primer out there, bar none. It requires no shell holders (LEE absolutely sucks that you need separate shell holders to prime than you do to put in a press - absolutely stupid idea), it will prime anything from the small .17 calibers up to .45-70 (assuming larger, that's the biggets I've ever done), can change from small to large or large to small in about a minute, and the tray has yet to give me a single problem over the past 10+ years.

If you have a tray that needs duct tape, paper clips, welding rods or anything else to work - do yourself a favor, spend the $3 and get you the new square tray that RCBS uses. It works great and doesn't need to be jerry rigged.

[F. Guffey]

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/564...-tray-assembly

$3.00? Midway is closer to $8.00 plus shipping, again, I am not the one with the problem of primers flipping in the flip tray. And I am not the one that had all the problems with the large Federal box when loading the small round tray on the Lee auto prime. Rather than complain I cut a 1/4 section out of the large Federal sleeve and dumped 25 +/- a few at a time.

Or I used the large Dillon flip tray, it is round but large enough to dump primers from the large Federal tray. After flopping the primers I herd the primers off to one side then transfer the primers to the lid then to the tray.

F. Guffey