After reading the "flattened primers" discussion I started thinking about the loose primer pockets that were mentioned in that post.

I have primed on the press with the priming system that came with the press (Lee Classic Cast).
I have primed on the press with a "ram prime" system.
I have also used the RCBS APS bench mounted system.

I have found the tremendous mechanical advantage afforded by the leaver arm of all these systems don't allow me to feel anything regarding the ease of primer seating.

I encountered my first loose primer pockets the other day while priming with the APS system.
The primer seated normally to the preset .004" depth when I removed the case from the tool I noticed the primer hanging out of the case. When I touched it, the primer slide back into the case. Blown primer pocket!

The only primer seating system I don't have is one of those one hand squeeze type.

I'm guessing primer seating force would have been noticeably less had I been using one of those type of tools while seating a primer in a blown pocket? If so, now I may have to get one.

Who makes good hand primers? I see RCBS has one that does not require a bunch of different case holders, does it work on belted mag cases?

I have used the Lee Auto Prime for years. Apparently, this tool is not 100% safe, but I have yet to find anything better. Like a lot of Lee products, the Auto Prime does not exactly shine in terms of build quality, so buy 2 or 3 tools (or spare parts such as the toggle link), and you'll be good to go. The price is right in any event. I keep one tool set up for small and another for large primers.

I tried an RCBS hand held priming tool in an attempt to improve on the Lee tool used up until then. The RCBS tool is gathering dust, and the Lee tool is used for all my priming.

The expensive, well made tools from manufacturers such as Sinclair are supposedly a true step up in terms of quality. I have never been able to bring myself to feed primers individually by hand, though.

Be sure to wear safety glasses when priming - regardless of what tool you use.

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by greenjoy:
After reading the "flattened primers" discussion I started thinking about the loose primer pockets that were mentioned in that post.

I have primed on the press with the priming system that came with the press (Lee Classic Cast).
I have primed on the press with a "ram prime" system.
I have also used the RCBS APS bench mounted system.

I have found the tremendous mechanical advantage afforded by the leaver arm of all these systems don't allow me to feel anything regarding the ease of primer seating.

I encountered my first loose primer pockets the other day while priming with the APS system.
The primer seated normally to the preset .004" depth when I removed the case from the tool I noticed the primer hanging out of the case. When I touched it, the primer slide back into the case. Blown primer pocket!

The only primer seating system I don't have is one of those one hand squeeze type.

I'm guessing primer seating force would have been noticeably less had I been using one of those type of tools while seating a primer in a blown pocket? If so, now I may have to get one.

Who makes good hand primers? I see RCBS has one that does not require a bunch of different case holders, does it work on belted mag cases?

Being that you already have the APS Strips, why not an RCBS APS hand priming tool?

Yes it works on belted mag cases.

Your comment as to the leverage of your priming tools not allowng you to feel loose primer pockets surprised me. I have used the priming tools which are part of most presses, bench mounted priming presses, hand tools, etc., and find I can easily feel differences in primer seating effort with all of them.

Maybe you did not feel the differences because you weren't expecting to find any and therefore weren't paying attention to that feel? That is NOT intended as criticism, so don't take it as such, please. It is just saying that our minds screen out sensations we do not set as priorities when performing repetitive functions.

Anyway, yes, differences are easier to feel with the hand-held ones, but in my opinion not enough easier to make them worth buying a special tool just for that purpose. A little slow practice with any primer tool should tune your senses to where you will not be able to seat primers without feeling whether the pockets are loose or tight.

At that point, the best primer tool is whatever you have handiest. My current ones include a Lachmiller bench tool, 4 Lee auto-primes, 4 different Dillon progressive presses-mounted ones, 3 on RCBS single-stage presses, a Sinclair hand-held, two on Star progressive loaders, one on a Ponsness-Warren progressive loader, one on a Forster co-ax press, and miscellaneous others. All clearly show loose pockets if I am alert for them.

The Lee is adequate, but require separate shell holders. I had an earlier RCBS, too many parts to mess w/ when changing calibers/primer size. I am currently using a Hornady & I feel it's the best of breed. Easy to change over from small to large & lots of leverage. Also let's you prime the big cases the Lee won't accept w/o grinding on it.

A standard priming post lets you "feel" the
primer seat if you dont ram things.
I use a Lee Auto prime if I am loading more than a few test cartridges. At times it is a
PIA.
Good luck!

I used to have the RCBS APS hand-held. It provided a good "feel", but the guidance of the seeting ram is lousy. The ram continously hit the plastic strip in place of being centered on the primer. So I dumped that one, discharged all of the APS strips and am now using the Hornady. This one is really good. My only concern is, how long the plastic tray with its rather flimsy extensions will last me.

I use and like the Lee hand held unit.

I have used the Lee Auto Prime for years. They are not bad, I just wish they were made a little better. I borrowed a Sinclair and tried it. Hands down the best feel of any primer tool I have tried. The drawbacks are cost and no primer tray. I bought a Hornady Hand Primer and so far it seems to be well made, has a good feel, and is not too pricey.

My first was press mounted factory on the RCBS Jr, then a step up to the Lee hand held, followed of course by the RCBS hand held which broke sooner than the Lee! Next was the RCBS baby version of the bench mounted primer only press. This is one of my favorites, but Benchrest shooting got me on a best only quality kick and along came the Sinclair hand held... nothing not to like about that one. For many rounds I also will use the RCBS die body primer tool which utilizes shell holders and the short primer arms. I get all the feel I need and accurate ammunition is my goal.

I don't believe that there is a single best tool, only those best suited for a type or volume of loading. Personal technique has much to do with the results a loader gets.

The newest RCBS hand-held priming tool is
the berries. It has a universal shell-holder that works for every case I have, from .223 up to 45-70.

I just bought another one, so I don't have
to change out small/large priming rams.

Great tool !!

dxr

I brought a Lee auto prime 1983. It just wore out. so I brought a new Lee auto prime. The new one is not the same feel when seating primers. Thats progress I guess.
So I started looking around. I just got a K&M priming tool. The feel of the primer seating is great. Its got no tray but it is not too painful to load one at a time.

The priming station on my Forster Co-Ax press works so well I have never unpacked the RCBS hand primer that came with the kit I ordered. It seats them at .004 down everytime on the three cartridges I load for.

Ken....

I like the Lee's easy prime and I only use hand primers for reasons already said (for the feel) I always use safety glasses when I prime.

In over 50 years of loading I think I have used them all. I have setteled on the RCBS APS tool mounted on a little Lee reloader press, that press is dedicated to priming. I like it best of any i've used. I have another Lee reloader press dedicated to depriming.
Lyle

The Rem Ultra mag cases will not fit the Lee. Will it fit in any of the other hand hel priming tools??

Thanks,
Arniet

quote:

Originally posted by Arniet:
The Rem Ultra mag cases will not fit the Lee.

Thanks,
Arniet

It will if you open the tool up with a dremel, I did that for 300WSM priming, it has a .555" case head which is slightly bigger than the RUM.

Ditto Wrong Target, my Lee hand primer is out to .588 so I can do 416 Rigby cases.

Also to whoever said to wear safety glasses, I wear spectacles, expensive safety glasses and a clear full face screen to prime brass and make sure that the case is never pointed at me. I had a small pistol primer go off about 25 years ago and those little bits of hot primer compound really hurt.

Flamethrower

quote:

Originally posted by wrongtarget:

quote:

Originally posted by Arniet:
The Rem Ultra mag cases will not fit the Lee.

Thanks,
Arniet

It will if you open the tool up with a dremel, I did that for 300WSM priming, it has a .555" case head which is slightly bigger than the RUM.

Same here. I used a dremel to open it up for my 300 saum. Works good now.

the forster is probably the handiest and best thing going today