I have been using the Lee auto-Prime since the mid 70's and love the tool, although I found it to be not very durable and usually broke around the 10-15K round mark.

when they stopped making the original design, the 2nd version, the one with the square primer tray, was a real headache. It jammed more frequently, and I ended up with more cases with upside down primers than I could believe. I never experienced that with the old original style, so bought up a bunch of the originals on ebay... but they are becoming scarce, and what you get is usually already halfway through its useful life.

I just bought one of their latest version, the one with the triangle shaped primer tray. Haven't tried it yet, but from all I've see and read, it looks promising.. The primer tray looks to be the weak link and what i predict will break first.

Its a well designed tool, just not at all made to last..

I'll let ya know how it works out..

Please do give a report on the new one. I have had the exact same experience as you on the original and the replacement for it.

quote:

Its a well designed tool, just not at all made to last..

I own a few Lee products, dipping cups, and crimp dies. For the most part I have given up on Lee reloading equipment because it's not made to last. Their stuff is cheap and serves the purpose for a lot of low budget reloaders but you would think people would get tired of replacing their equipment.

Why don't you buy something that will last?

RCBS

I have a few of the old style Lee tools and have had handles break.

I now mostly use a RCBS bench mount priming tool.

I like it.

Buy yourself the RCBS Hand Prime. It will last you a lifetime.

I had a couple gamekeepers fractures in the army (scuba on a anchor chain, and free fall with tangled lift lines, etc.

All hand primers have hurt me over the years.

There is now a custom high speed primer seater that sets the primers to within 0.001" of desired depth. I'll post a picture as soon as I can find it.

http://bulletin.accurateshoote...rom-primal-rights/co NICE Primer

That's a very interesting tool but so much more then I need. The micro adjustment for the primer depth is cool but it assumes all the primer pockets are uniformly the same depth and the case rims are the same thinness. It's a cool tool but not for anything I do. I'll stick with the RCBS bench priming tool.

I generally uniform my primer pockets with a carbide cutting tool, and then measure them with my depth micrometer, or the tail of my calipers. You can feel the anvil barely bottom out. Add three thousandths, and you get a perfect primer position for the entire batch. There is good feel in the seating handle. If not for many injuries, I would still be using one of the hand priming tools on my reloading shelf. You might like a Sinclair hand priming tool. Exquisite feel. It's all great.