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Old April 6, 2014, 08:58 PM   #1
Millet
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Priming question with Lee bench press

Hello Guys
I just started reloading and I'm using a Lee breech lock press and i prime with the press.My problem is my primers aren't always flush or under flush. Sometimes when I go to measure oal the primer protrudes up to .008" sometimes which messes up my measurement.How much pressure is too much? Do primers vary in thickness? Any ideas?
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Old April 6, 2014, 09:16 PM   #2
nemesiss45
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I have the same problem priming on my press... so I avoid it at all costs. I have a lyman ezee prime, and it works like a charm I have also used a lee auto-prime and it worked just fine. At $20 it is a small investmen to not have to deal with priming on the press.

Last edited by nemesiss45; April 6, 2014 at 09:28 PM.
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Old April 6, 2014, 09:21 PM   #3
jimbob86
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I've always found priming easier with the Auto-Prime.
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Old April 6, 2014, 09:23 PM   #4
filthy phil
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You should consider getting at least a single stage. Can get good leverage.
(You could use the hand press for expanding the case, maybe crimping)
But inspecting primer flush is one of prolly 5 inspections I make during the process
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Last edited by filthy phil; April 6, 2014 at 09:52 PM.
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Old April 7, 2014, 07:40 AM   #5
stubbicatt
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Filthy Phil, you ever find that you have squibs or other ammunition defects when you reload while drinking alcoholic beverages?
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Old April 7, 2014, 08:45 AM   #6
filthy phil
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I dont drink while messing with powder.
I lay out my cases like so and check my powder levels

Inspect every case after you seat the primer. Once you seat and crimp the bullet its too late to safely press it further in
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Old April 7, 2014, 08:58 AM   #7
snuffy
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Quote:
Priming question with Lee bench press
Hello Guys
I just started reloading and I'm using a Lee breech lock press and i prime with the press.My problem is my primers aren't always flush or under flush. Sometimes when I go to measure oal the primer protrudes up to .008" sometimes which messes up my measurement.How much pressure is too much? Do primers vary in thickness? Any ideas?
Which lee press? How heavily built is your bench? Which cartridge? Who makes your primers?

Ideas? Your question is much too broad, no specific info to make suggestions. I'd be guessing, so will everybody else.
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Old April 7, 2014, 09:44 AM   #8
filthy phil
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Google says dude has the hand press
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Old April 7, 2014, 10:23 AM   #9
snuffy
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Quote:
Priming question with Lee bench press
Quote:
Google says dude has the hand press
Well then why title the thread "bench press"? Attention to detail and nomenclature is of the highest requirement in handloading. It's either a hand press or bench mounted.
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Old April 7, 2014, 11:10 AM   #10
mikld
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Just for grins, try to push the primer in as hard as you can. Feel (how hard) is pretty hard to define. Mebbe you just need a bit more ummmph. A steady push won't set it off. Also check and see if the primer pin goes through the shell holder far enough to fully seat the primer. One of the best priming systems I've found in nearly 30 years of reloading is the ram prime. Lee, RCBS, and Lyman make them (mebbe more mfgs.) and there is plenty of "feel" and enough leverage to make priming easy. I have two hand primers, a Hornady and a new Lee, but I much prefer rem priming...
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Old April 7, 2014, 12:01 PM   #11
Millet
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Sorry for the minimal info.
I'm reloading 243. win with cci #200 primers. I have a Lee Breech Lock Challenger press with a Lever prime system. I have a fairly sturdy bench. I'm suspecting a little more "ummph" would eliminate most of my protruding primers. I prime a few more shells and see if I see a difference. Thanks for the info!
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Old April 7, 2014, 12:21 PM   #12
Sevens
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Sometimes when I go to measure oal the primer protrudes up to .008"
Not good, not even close. You want those primers BELOW flush, so that you can feel each one with a fingertip.

How much pressure is too much?
It's EXTREMELY difficult, if possible at all, to detonate a primer if you are using the proper tools and the primer is oriented properly.

Do primers vary in thickness?
For darn sure, they do. Federal small pistol primers have a well known industry reputation for being the softest and easiest to pop of any. Many competition revolver shooters uses Federal exclusively because it allows them to use LESS mainspring on the hammer, which equates to noticeably less trigger pull weight, and the Federal primer still lights off where other brands might not because they haven't been whacked hard enough. Winchester and especially CCI primers occupy the OTHER end of the spectrum, and are more resistant to detonation.

Any ideas?
Yup! Try this for piece of mind!
Get yourself a bath-sized towel, something heavy, and fold it and drape it over the press entirely. Make a shield so that if you are ABLE to pop one, all the blast will be contained under this towel for protection.

And, as with all priming activities, all the time, no exceptions, EVER, wear safety glasses. (quarter century, just a teenager when I started, and I have always done this)

Now, seat a primer and give that sucker HELL! Slow and smooth, but with all the hand pressure you can possibly give it. Add more, more, more, MORE, until you feel like you are going to damage your press or it's lever.

No...
You aren't going to prime all your brass in this manner, but do this with 3, 5 or 10 cases, towel draped over all of it, in a radical attempt to ACTUALLY detonate one of these.

If you succeed in detonating one, I would be surprised, but it will give you an idea of what kind of pressure it takes. But what I suspect will happen is that you'll strain your shoulder or wrist and never get even one to pop.

Hopefully, that will give you piece of mind that you have a setup that is not prone to popping primers.

Keep in mind that if you get one sideways, or caught up in a jumbled mess in the wrong place, you can definitely blast a primer this way.
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