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Old April 23, 2013, 06:49 PM   #1
Tmitch
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Which Is The Best Way To Prime Pistol Brass

I know there are several ways to prime the brass. What I'm looking for is advice on the best and the fastest way. There are hand tools, bench tool and the reloading press. Years ago I used the press, but things have changed in the past 20 years.

Terry Mitchell
Danville, IL.
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Old April 23, 2013, 07:27 PM   #2
hgmeyer
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I like to use a hand tool. I just feel I have control when I get feedback from the primer seating tool in my hand. And, I "think" it is faster.
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Old April 23, 2013, 07:29 PM   #3
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If you do not own a progressive, a hand primer. I can sit and watch TV and prime hundreds.
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Old April 23, 2013, 07:34 PM   #4
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I use the Safety Primer on the Lee Turret Presses. It works smoothly and efficiently for my purposes. It is best with the Classic Turret Press since the punched out expended primers drop into the tube and easily discarded. The regular Lee Turret Press thows them every which way.
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Old April 23, 2013, 07:41 PM   #5
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I started using the hand tool recently. I'm happy I started using it and I can watch TV at the sametime
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Old April 23, 2013, 07:43 PM   #6
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I use hand tools for the small primers , solely a Hornady , but for large primers I use a press mounted Lee autoprimeII on a RCBS partner press, it has a good "feel". My wrench turnin hands hurt with the Hornady tool.
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Old April 23, 2013, 07:48 PM   #7
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The hand primers work pretty well unless you have arthur in your thumbs--then not so well.
The Lee Safety Prime on the LCT works better than any of the several methods I have used.
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Old April 23, 2013, 08:22 PM   #8
superspirit
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The RCBS hand priming tool is my favorite, you use your whole hand, not just the thumb like my lee primer, and the rcbs does both large and small primers, with the use of the caliber specific shell holders from your die sets. IMO it's the best hands down and like said you can set and watch tv while priming. or set on the deck and watch the grandkids play, LOL
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Old April 23, 2013, 08:28 PM   #9
Strafer Gott
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I found a little old RCBS bench priming tool. It's manual and primitive, but has excellent touch.
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Old April 23, 2013, 08:42 PM   #10
57K
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If you had the LEE Classic Cast or Classic Turret press, I'd recommend the Safety Prime. If you're going to prime off-bench, the LEE Autoprime, the RCBS and the Hornady tools are all good. I use the Autoprime and have worn several out over the 28 years I've been handloading. They work very well and I use one for large primers and one for small.
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Old April 24, 2013, 12:58 AM   #11
boondocker385
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Love my RCBS hand primer.....
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Old April 24, 2013, 06:25 AM   #12
WESHOOT2
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I have been loading since 1976, and I either prime by hand (I prefer the RCBS unit) or on my XL650.
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Old April 24, 2013, 06:55 AM   #13
dahermit
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I have used Lee hand primers since there were only "one at a time" with screw-in shell holders. I wore out several (the linkage "knuckle" was made out of soft pot metal). I switched to the Lee hand priming tool that had round plastic primer reservoir that would orient the primers by shaking it. Wore out a few of those. When I went to a Dillon 550b for all my handgun hand loading due to high volume, I stopped using the Lee; just used the Dillon...except for my rifle loading, inasmuch as I prefer to clean the primer pockets on rifle rounds and still use an old RCBS Jr. for my rifle hand loading.
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Old April 24, 2013, 10:12 AM   #14
rodfac
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Without a progressive press, I like the Lee auto load tool or the RCBS equivalent. Either is quicker than a press, and faster than the old Lyman 310 Tong Tool. I still like that best of all for actually feeling the primer seat full against the case cup bottom and is easily adjustable for seating depth.

HTH's Rod
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Old April 24, 2013, 03:11 PM   #15
Sevens
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Lee formerly made and marketed a tool they called the Auto Prime II.
Click this link to see Midway's page for this tool:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/556...d-priming-tool
I am not sure why Midway continues to host a page for a tool that is out of production and no longer offered. I like that they do this, as it allows me to show it to people.

Here's the meat of my post--
Lee made a tool here that not only works, but it works phenomenally well. I bought my first one in 1988. I bought a second one in the late 90's, just because the price was so low and I thought for the money, a spare would be a good idea. I use them both, whichever I happen to grab. The old one is grubby, the "new" one (15 yrs old!) looks new.

No idea why Lee discontinued this product.
Can't wrap my head around it. Here's a tool that works like a champ, does NOT require oddball tool-specific shell holders (it uses standard shell holders that you'll have anyway) and it's totally robust and simple, it's extremely versatile and offers every bit of "feel" through the press lever.

I also very much like that you end up doing your priming work at the load bench, where, in my opinion, is the proper place.

No idea how cheap it was in 1988, but you see here that Midway's last price was $14.99.

The only way I can fathom -ANY- argument about a hand held priming tool over this tool is the portability of the hand primer that gives you the ability to prime while on the couch watching TV game shows or while plowing the back 40 behind the wheel of your tractor.

The handful of folks that immediately write off anything made by Lee simply on principle are of no interest to me because their mind is already closed. For anyone/everyone else, I urge you to BUY this item if you see it somewhere, or anywhere, for a low price.

It's no "faster" than any other priming tool. It is no safer, but it is no LESS safe than any other priming tool. It's versatility, ease of use, build quality, repeatability, precision and quick setup are not bettered by any tool that I am aware of...at any price.

I don't love every thing Lee makes and they've marketed a few products that nearly turns my stomach. Generally speaking, I love the tools they make considering the price point they hit. Often, they are clearly not the "best" on the market for any given tool, but the quality and service their tools usually provide at the price are slam-dunks.

I think this may be one of the single best products they EVER made, and I'm baffled that it's discontinued.

The only rational argument I can even imagine is that they make more money on their other priming tools and this one eats market share from their other tools?! Because it's so much better than Lee's other priming tools?
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Old April 25, 2013, 08:41 AM   #16
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One more vote for the RCBS hand primer.

Must admit the Lee gizmo, linked by Stevens, looks like the cats meow. I'll have to keep an eye open for one of those.
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Old April 25, 2013, 09:26 AM   #17
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I think this may be one of the single best products they EVER made, and I'm baffled that it's discontinued.

Bingo! That and their universal decapping die. The rest of their stuff, I've generally not been very impressed with, but those two are 'must haves'.
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Old April 25, 2013, 04:02 PM   #18
Ca Lunker
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Another vote for the RCBS hand primer. It came with my reloading kit and I never saw a reason to use anything else.
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Old April 26, 2013, 03:31 AM   #19
Hammerhead
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For most loads I prime on the press between stations with my turret press. Very fast, no separate operation or tubes to fill.

Some loads I use the RCBS Ram prime. Very precise, but it's probably the slowest of all the priming methods.
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Old April 26, 2013, 07:26 AM   #20
William T. Watts
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One more vote for RCBS hand priming tool.. William
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Old April 26, 2013, 09:47 AM   #21
Ben Dover
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The RCBs bench tool seems to give the best "feel." I have tried the hand tools and didn'r like them.
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Old April 26, 2013, 10:34 AM   #22
elkslayer4x5
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Hammerhead
Quote:
"Some loads I use the RCBS Ram prime. Very precise, but it's probably the slowest of all the priming methods."
May be the slowest but I'm not racing to get 'em done, just want 'em all the same. I also use the RCBS Ram prime.
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Old April 26, 2013, 12:08 PM   #23
kostner
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I use the Safety Primer on the Lee Turret Presses. It works smoothly and efficiently for my purposes. It is best with the Classic Turret Press since the punched out expended primers drop into the tube and easily discarded. The regular Lee Turret Press thows them every which way. Have two SDB's that I also use the priming feature. That said just received a Frankfort Vibra Prime from Midway yesterday. Looking forward to using it on the Dillons.
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Old April 26, 2013, 05:52 PM   #24
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I like the lee auto prime
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Old April 27, 2013, 11:03 AM   #25
boondocker385
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Last night, while watching a movie with my family, I primed 300 38 specialswith my rcbs hand primer.....made my wife happy to sit there with her and the movie was OK....once I got going it went fast and double checking them this morning they are all very uniform.
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