How much pressure do you put on
the handle of a rockchucker press
when seating primers? Thanks

Enough pressure so that the primer is firmly seated in the primer pocked but not so much that it's mashed flat.

Actually, on some quite tight military primer pockets, the primers are flattened a bit in seating. I've never had a primer detonate while priming a case and cartridges with primers that have been mashed a bit seem to shoot as well as ones without smashed primers.

You need to develop a feel for primer seating. Only you can figure that out. Start out slow, feel the primer slide into the pocket. When you feel it come to a stop, check it. Make sure it’s even or below the face of the case head. If it’s standing out of the case, than that wasn’t the real seating depth, put it back in the press and apply more pressure until it’s even or below the face.

It wont take you long to figure it out.

Hand priming is the only way to fly.

Of course, I'm biased that way.

Thanks for the advice. I am putting
enough pressure to flatten the primers
a bit. Could that "deeper" seating
equal less depth fot the firing pin, and
some misfire?? Thanks again

quote:

Originally posted by 577ne:
Could that "deeper" seating
equal less depth fot the firing pin, and
some misfire?? Thanks again

Yes, that's one possibility. The other variable is the primer's internal pellet. Once crushed the pellet will react differently because the amount of compound under the anvil has changed.

Whether hand-priming or using your press, after initially seating the primer turn the case 90 degrees and (lightly) seat it again. This ensures that the primer is not tilted in the pocket.

Consistent = better accuracy.

quote:

Originally posted by MuskegMan:
Hand priming is the only way to fly.

Of course, I'm biased that way.

yep... lee auto prime is my favorite way to prime cases!.....

Does anyone think you could set off a primer by flatning or seating it in a press???


A little test done at Bartsche house a few weeks back we put a primer in a vice and crushed it, AND IT DID NOT GO OFF UNTIL Roger hit the vice with a hammer.

You would have to work that lever really fast and hard to set off a primer while seating it in a press. You will ruin the primer long before you set it off.

Now if you are using one of the old Lee load kits and seating the primer with a mallet (as per instructions) it is fairly easy to set them off. That is why I got an arbor press back when I started reloading.

quote:

Originally posted by Hunt-ducks:
Does anyone think you could set off a primer by flatning or seating it in a press???


A little test done at Bartsche house a few weeks back we put a primer in a vice and crushed it, AND IT DID NOT GO OFF UNTIL Roger hit the vice with a hammer.

My dad had a small pistol primer go off while seating once. It happened years ago, and what brand primer I`ve no idea. I do know it was being seated in a 38 spcl case and suprised the piss out of him..

Using the device furnished with a press is the least-favored method for primer seating due to the lack of sensitivity that you are experiencing. Using a press-mounted or bench-mounted tool is superior, but the hand-held tools like the Lee AutoPrime are by far the most popular. If you are are priming your 577's case, not all tools may accommodate it.
.

Does anyone know of a hand held primer that
will accomodate the .577? Thanks

577nem you may have to tweak the shellholder just a touch, but the RCBS uses regular RCBS shellholders and will allow seating with whatever cartridge case fits the shellholder.

I would suspect their universal does the same thing, meaning tweaking (read: filing or sanding to open up a bit) would accomodate the 577. I'm not sure for sure--but a quick call to RCBS will tell you quick!

The restriction with the hand-held tools is the shellholder. I don't believe the Lee unit will work since it uses a proprietary shellholder that Lee doesn't list for 577; check with Lee. With others, it's the diameter of the central hole; the seating stem must pass through it. If you have an RCBS shellholder, their handheld presses are popular. Their newest that has a universal shellholder is listed as up to 45-70 and probably is not what you are looking for; they offer their earlier model still. The Hornady tool has adaptors for the RCBS shellholders and otherwise requires a Hornady shellholder (if available for 577). I seem to recall that Redding shellholders have the same I.D. as RCBS, but that would need to be confirmed. If your shellholder is custom-made, check its I.D. (a smooth drill-bit shank should serve) and confirm its compatibility with the priming tool's manufacturer. An e-mail or two should put you in business.
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