Auto primer?

iblong · January 30, 2009, 07:23 AM

Wednessday I went to the range to work out some load issues Ive been having with my 38,I ran 200 rounds through it and got it worked out.
This mornning I was repriming my cases and my Lee auto primer broke,The camming lever broke in half,Now I need a new one and was wondering if I should stick with the Lee or If anyone has one they feel is better and why.
The darn Lee only lasted 15 yrs,LOL.Just thought Id ask as this chance for change or upgrade may not come for aother 15yrs.I do Know It will be replaced today I had to finish out the last 50 cases with the press and it took longer than the first 150.Guess I just got lazy.Any opinions are wellcome.
Thanks,Bob.

Qtiphky · January 30, 2009, 07:36 AM

I personally like Lee products. I read in here all the time about how a lot of people don't like them and yada yada yada. I have Lee Load All's for shotguns that I have had since the mids 80's that are still chugging along. Just got in to rifles and pistols the past year and for me there was no choice because of the quality of their past products, I went with Lee. I have had zero problems with all of my Lee products.

IllinoisCoyoteHunter · January 30, 2009, 08:23 AM

get another lee. can't be beat for the money you pay for it. plus you already have the shellholders for it. lee autoprimes are cheap, and you alerady know they do their job just fine. Why change?

jaguarxk120 · January 30, 2009, 08:40 AM

Take a look at the RCBS press mounted auto prime. You don't have to hang on to the tool loaded with loose primers, if that top comes off primers everywhere. Once the strips are loaded it's just the handling of the brass to prime. You don't have brass, tool, primers, juggling all of the place. Seems like an invitation to disastor.

HJ857 · January 30, 2009, 09:53 AM

You can get replacement handles from Lee and Midway for around two bucks each.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=227351

wncchester · January 30, 2009, 10:42 AM

1234567890

wncchester · January 30, 2009, 10:47 AM

I have two very old Lee AutoPrimes and an AutoPrime II, never had any problem.

I do wonder about all those broken levers I hear/read about tho. Do the users have any feedback, aka "hard to push", warning before they break? I sometimes - rarely, actually - have more than normal seating resistance so I stop and find out why. Just wonder if those who break them have any such resistance or do the levers just pop off without warning? I do wish Lee made that lever thing a lot thicker or, better yet, out of steel.

I also keep the toggle's pivot knuckle lubed with case lube to reduce friction and wear at that point. Does it help? I dunno, never tried without it!

A rubber band over the primer magazine's lid keeps it from popping off.

No matter, the Lee primer tools are by far the best value available. The others are stronger but do the job no better than my Lee's.

Slamfire · January 30, 2009, 11:09 AM

Quote:

I do wonder about all those broken levers I hear/read about tho. Do the users have any feedback, aka "hard to push", warning before they break? I

You need to prime more ammunition with a Lee Auto Prime, because you will experience more than just broken levers.

I prime all my rifle primers by hand with the Lee Auto Prime. I have broken at least ten levers, maybe less. It is in that range. I have had at least three, maybe four or five, Lee Auto Prime bodies break, just at the area above the shell holder. The linkage bar deformed so much that you could not get a primer seated deep enough. Then they changed that to a better grade of material.

These components are made of cheap pot metal. This material is not ductile, it just breaks without warning.

Still, they are cheap to replace, I have stocked up with spare parts, and I like the Lee Auto prime over the RCBS version.

I would have preferred a Lee Auto Prime build out of better materials, but then it would be more expensive.

January 30, 2009, 07:23 AM	#1
iblong Senior Member Join Date: October 1, 2008 Location: MN Posts: 559	Auto primer? Wednessday I went to the range to work out some load issues Ive been having with my 38,I ran 200 rounds through it and got it worked out. This mornning I was repriming my cases and my Lee auto primer broke,The camming lever broke in half,Now I need a new one and was wondering if I should stick with the Lee or If anyone has one they feel is better and why. The darn Lee only lasted 15 yrs,LOL.Just thought Id ask as this chance for change or upgrade may not come for aother 15yrs.I do Know It will be replaced today I had to finish out the last 50 cases with the press and it took longer than the first 150.Guess I just got lazy.Any opinions are wellcome. Thanks,Bob.

January 30, 2009, 08:23 AM	#3
IllinoisCoyoteHunter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 1,527	get another lee. can't be beat for the money you pay for it. plus you already have the shellholders for it. lee autoprimes are cheap, and you alerady know they do their job just fine. Why change? __________________ ~~IllinoisCoyoteHunter~~ ~NRA LIFE MEMBER~ ~NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR~

January 30, 2009, 10:42 AM	#6
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	1234567890 Last edited by wncchester; January 30, 2009 at 10:47 AM.

January 30, 2009, 07:36 AM	#2
Qtiphky Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2008 Location: Upper Michigan, above the Mackinac Bridge Posts: 568	I personally like Lee products. I read in here all the time about how a lot of people don't like them and yada yada yada. I have Lee Load All's for shotguns that I have had since the mids 80's that are still chugging along. Just got in to rifles and pistols the past year and for me there was no choice because of the quality of their past products, I went with Lee. I have had zero problems with all of my Lee products.

January 30, 2009, 08:40 AM	#4
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,620	Take a look at the RCBS press mounted auto prime. You don't have to hang on to the tool loaded with loose primers, if that top comes off primers everywhere. Once the strips are loaded it's just the handling of the brass to prime. You don't have brass, tool, primers, juggling all of the place. Seems like an invitation to disastor.

January 30, 2009, 09:53 AM	#5
HJ857 Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2007 Posts: 447	You can get replacement handles from Lee and Midway for around two bucks each. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=227351

January 30, 2009, 10:47 AM	#7
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	I have two very old Lee AutoPrimes and an AutoPrime II, never had any problem. I do wonder about all those broken levers I hear/read about tho. Do the users have any feedback, aka "hard to push", warning before they break? I sometimes - rarely, actually - have more than normal seating resistance so I stop and find out why. Just wonder if those who break them have any such resistance or do the levers just pop off without warning? I do wish Lee made that lever thing a lot thicker or, better yet, out of steel. I also keep the toggle's pivot knuckle lubed with case lube to reduce friction and wear at that point. Does it help? I dunno, never tried without it! A rubber band over the primer magazine's lid keeps it from popping off. No matter, the Lee primer tools are by far the best value available. The others are stronger but do the job no better than my Lee's.