I broke the lever on my Lee Auto Prime yesterday. I think I have been using a little too much pressure. Have any of you ever ordered anything from Lee Precision? I would like to know the procedure for ordering parts. Maybe I can't just order the lever, I don't know. I can't find a 800 number. I did send an e-mail but don't expect an answer until later in the week. Thanks in advance.

Roger, I ordered the complete Auto Prime and shellholders direct, never any parts. I don't care for my auto prime, compared to my RCBS and Sinclair. Not needing seperate shellholders for either of these is one thing I prefer, and for me I get better feel with the RCBS.

I would just call lee on monday if you like your auto prime and they should help you out. If you're thinking of trying something different I obviously would recommend the RCBS. If you run into a wall with Lee (which I doubt) send me a message, I'll make you a good deal on my Lee Auto Prime and shellholders!

Fish, thanks for the reply, I don't expect any trouble with Lee. I feel the same way, I don't really care for the Lee and will probably pick up the rcbs at the first opportunity. I am also thinking about a ram prime set-up.

I, too, snapped off the handle of the Lee Auto Prime. Unlike RCBS where they treat you quite right, Lee charged me for the part. Think I will try the RCBS with the "strips".

The few times I have contacted Lee (including a talk with Lee himself) thwey were nasty people to deal with.
Good luck!

I broke the handle off mine last spring, they sent me a new one NC. I'm pleased with their cust, service,,

I've been using both of my Lees for over 30 years (Keep one set up for large primers, the other for small). When I've ever needed a new part, Lee's has always sent them free, postage-paid, no sweat or hassle. When the RCBS first came out, I bought one, didn't like it, and sent it back. Most RCBS products I prefer over most other makes, but not their hand priming tool. Different oars for different boats....

Roger, no more than they cost you might consider buying a new one. I've never broken a lever. What I usually break on them is the connecting rod or I crack the top at the shell holder. I scrounge through the broken ones and find parts to put them back together. When I do break the lever on one, I have several replacements to pick from. You can also buy a steel connecting rod for a couple of bucks to replace the pot metal one. They never break.

Years ago, I bought the RCBS version of the auto-prime. You have to partially disassemble it to put the shell holder in, and to take it back out. If you don't maintain pressure on the lever while it is apart, the connecting rod will jump out of position. Then you have to take the whole thing apart to get everything back in position. While I love most RCBS products, whatever drunken sot engineered that thing must have never reloaded. You only have to buy Lee Auto-Prime shellholders once. You have to monkey with that damned RCBS tool twice everytime you use it. I use it as little as I can.

If it was the "toggle link" you broke on your Lee Priming tool, then you are in good company. They even sell a replacement for that part, in a better material these days. (Quite apart, from whether Lee will supply a replacement free of charge...).

I share the experiance of Mark with the RCBS hand priming tool, and although the Lee tool is potentially subject to mass primer detonation, that is what I use for all my priming. But I keep multiple of the tools on hand, plus a few spare parts, just in case one should break down in the middle of a reloading session...

- mike