Reloading Primer Problem

[Gaucho Gringo]

I finally got everything bought I need to reload and it was going smoothly up until primer insertion. I have a used Lee 3 hole turrent press and I am trying to use the primer attachment that comes with it. I am having about a 70% success ratio, the other 30% the primer either went in upside down, sideways or did not want to go in at all. I am using mixed brass that I had bought as reloads from Milwall and shot in my guns. I have tried holding on the shell plate, the brass or the primer holder but have not hit the right thing yet. Anyone have any ideas as to what I am doing wrong. I bought a Lee Auto Prime to use but I bought the wrong type of shell holder and am trying to find the right one. Thanks in advance.

[CortJestir]

I would check your set-up to make sure the primer feed arm is aligned perfectly with the lever prime. Also, some folks have needed to raise the primer feed by using an additional washer on the press. The ram should be raised all the way up when you attempt to load the primer feed. Lastly, make sure all the primers are facing the correct way in the tray and that the lever prime "cup" is clean and clear of debris/dirt. When you press the primer feed "trigger", it should click and that's how you know you've got a primer loaded correctly into the lever prime.

The safety prime on the turret can be a tricky thing to get set up, but once done correctly, it should work pretty consistently and reliably.

[Shoney]

The press should have a large primer and a small primer assembly. If you are using the large primer assembly and putting small primers in it, that could be your problem. Check and see how tight the primer are in the assembly cup, and report back..

[madmo44mag]

CortJestir and Shoney got you covered. Outside of that there's not much that could happen.
That's a pretty fool proof press and primer system.

[1SOW]

+1 to what everyone had to say.

One thing, if the primer is going in upside down it's either the primer feeder; or when you are shaking it to get them rightside up, you may have let some slip unnoticed into the lower feed portion before you started shaking .

I have managed to do that a couple of times.

[Doodlebugger45]

I have analyzed the problem and I have concluded...

you must be down in Australia, or perhaps New Zealand. At least part of the time, because it's upside down sometimes.

Look out the window and tell us if you see some gigantic rats hopping around outside, or maybe some weird birds that can't fly.

But since some of the primers do feed correctly, then you're not there all the time so the obvious answer is you are caught in a space-time continuum anomaly.

Don't worry, it will correct itself in due time. Say 150,000 years or so.

[Shoney]

Doodlebugger45
?????????????????????????????????????
Where do you get the down under crapola, when everyone in this thread is in the lower 48. And I'd be willing to bet that Hugh Jackman is one of your favorite actors.

Have you been sippin' on WhyoWyo sweetnsour sagebrush n' saliva sauce again?

[CortJestir]

Well, that was a little out of left field, doodle...

Anyway, I think Shoney might be spot on with the smaller primer in a large lever prime. I'll also add that just like there are two lever primes, one for each size primer, there are also two primer feeds. The one with the white trigger is for large primers and the one with the black trigger is for small primers. Make sure you have both the correct sized lever prime and primer feed on your press.

One other thing I forgot to mention: Ensure that the safety prime tray is filled with enough primers. Load up with a box of 100 primers. The feed can get finicky if you don't have enough in there. I always have a tough time with the last 1 or 2.

[Russ5924]

What do you mean you don't have the right shell holderWhat are you trying to reload and with what wrong shell holder what number is it

[Gaucho Gringo]

I am sorry I guess I wasn't too clear about what I was using. I had bought a hand held Lee Primer and found out I had ordered the wrong shellholder for it. I then decided to go ahead use the priming tool on the Lee 3 hole Turrent Press. It is T shaped and has large and small primer spring loaded holders depending on which way it is turned. I raise the ram and put a case in the right sized #1 shelllholder. Then I was manually putting the primers in the primer holder anvil side up and pushing the primer holder back into the slot in the ram. Then I was lowering the ram back down on the primer holder. Sometimes it would seat the primer right, other times not. I tried holding the shellholder, the case.and the primer holder different ways but had no better success. I have enough good ones to start reloading and have the right shellholder for the hand primer on order but I wound still like to know what is wrong. Also what do you recommend soaking the cases with bad primers with before trying to deprime them. Again thanks in advance.