Kind've silly equipment

[mattgreennra]

I was browsing all the major makers of reloading equip, as I often do, and I saw that dillon make an automatic primer tube loader. http://dillonprecision.com/template/...3&min=0&dyn=1&

I've never used primer tubes: I've used a hand priming tool & APS strips. How long does it actually take to prep one of these tubes? It seems to be a lot of money for $264 l(list) to just load primers. I guess if you have to use that priming system, fine, but for that much I would consider another company/another type of priming system.
I'm curious of any random things people have seen that are far too expensive, or simply not useful. Please post links as well.
Thoughts?

[Dannyboy303]

I agree lol. there is a fine line between saving time and laziness i reckon and thats on the border. Still, people must be buying them if it's on the market.

[snuffy]

Hmmm, they offered a cheaper one in the past, it didn't work too well. The alternative is the vibra-prime sold by midway and others, BUT it don't work either. I bought one, tried it, then gave it away. After having to pull apart shell that had upside-down primers, it lost it's favour with me!

[Scorch]

Actually, primer tubes are used in a lot of automatic and progressive presses. They used to be standard equipment on reloading presses until Lee came out with the first hand priming tool, then the AutoPrime tool. Now, everybody offers priming tools, some use loose primers, some use strips. On a progressive press, you could never keep up without a primer feed, whether that be primer tubes or gravity feed.

[bfoster]

I have one of the Dillon units shown on your link.

I shoot a lot, and use a Dillon 1050 to load much of my handgun ammunition.

There's little point in using a loader that's capable of producing close to 1000 cartridges per hour if you're going to limit its output significantly by having to take numerous time outs over the course of an evening to manually fill primer tubes. As it is you've got to stop often enough to top off the primer, powder, case and bullet supply and to move the finished product aside- all while watching for minor problems and keeping an eye on quality.

My primer filler does work well; its' only real problem is that the cover does have to be shimmed up about 3 thousandths of an inch for the machine to function well with some lots of Remington large pistol primers.

Bob

[Archie]

I have an XL650 and I fill primer tubes with a flipper and my hands. I just haven't decided to part with the money to buy the filler machine. I just load for myself, so I'm not panicked to load all the rounds I can in the shortest possible time.

Still, it might be nice to have one of them thingies. Or I might just have to invent one myself.

Using the primer flipper and filling tubes by hand is not such a burden. I can fill five tubes in about fifteen minutes; that's 500 primers ready to go. Frankly, cranking out 500 rounds at one setting is not my idea of fun. I need to take a break or something.

[mattgreennra]

I kinda gauge equipment const versus how many rounds you have to make to pay it off. If you save $.4 a round that's more than 600 rounds to pay the thing off, that's alot for me. Especially since the primer thing costs about as much as 1/4 to 1/5 of all my equipment.

[cheygriz]

I use primer tubes in both Dillons, and in my bench mounted RCBS priming tool. the primers are poured from the box directly into a primer "flipper" where they are all oriented and flipped cup side up. The tube is pressed over the primers until full. It's much quicker than loading those primer strips.

And the primers are never touched by your hands. The automatic fillers are convenient. I've used them in the past but unless you're loading commercially, then IMHO, they're not worth the money.

[dakotashooter2]

My question would be if you are doing to mess with loading primers into a tube or strip why not use that same effort with a priming tool and insert them directly into the cases. Just seems like you are duplicating your effort. Never made much sense to me.

[cheygriz]

I do use a priming tool. In fact, the best one made, I believe. The RCBS bench mounted tool. It takes tubes. My Dillon progressives also take tubes.

[mattgreennra]

I use a RCBS press w/ APS strips. The loader came w/ it, no added cost, and they go super quick. Since it's progressive, i don't have to handle the brass more than once. I think APS is the best thing in terms of quickness and cost, not that i've tried others, I just like cheap stuff.

[snuffy]

My question would be if you are doing to mess with loading primers into a tube or strip why not use that same effort with a priming tool and insert them directly into the cases. Just seems like you are duplicating your effort. Never made much sense to me.

You obviously have never loaded on a progressive like a dillon. To do as you suggest, you would have to pull the shell out of the machine, prime it, then put it back in. Might as well wear handcuffs! In other words, it defeats the speed of a progressive machine.

Loading primer tubes is a necessary evil, or bother, when loading with a progressive.

[L Puckett]

Matt,

As Snuffy indicates, keeping primer tubes ready for an XL650 or 1050 can be a real chore. Yes, I own the primer tube loader and have found it to be a great addition with a couple spare tubes when I am loading a ton of pistol or .223 rounds. Rifle rounds are still done at my place, one at a time.

The only drawback to it is, when I am loading and I dump primers into the primer tube loader I find myself stopping loading and watching the danged thing because it is interesting watching those litlle primers go uphill and then the upside down ones get shuffled back to the start. I have even loaded a tube and then dumped it back in just to watch it work. Dangedest thing I have ever seen.

LP

[DaveInGA]

I use the Frankford Arsenal Vibra Prime primer tube loader. I had to tweak the plastic doodad a little bit, but got it to working great. Loading primer tubes is now quick and easy and I wasn't out the high cost of a primer filler. IF I was loading ammo at a thousand rounds an hour plus, I might invest in a more expensive one.

But I don't shoot that much ammo, so no need.

Regards,

Dave