Hand priming tool recommendations

[HARRYMPOPE]

I have Sinclair-k&m-Lee-RCBS(old single)-Meecham Pope style and Lachmiller bench tool.All do a good job.The Lee(old style) does most of my home work and the Meecham is my range kit tool.The best cast bullet BR shooter i ever shot against used a standard lee and sat it in a coffee cup to keep it upright on the bench.This guy had $3000+ in the rifle and felt the Lee's feel was good enough.

George

[fouronesix]

Since I don't mass produce any reload I like the hand priming tool for one-at-a-time primer seating.

Picked up the RCBS version in a free box of junk a few years ago. Tried it a couple of times and threw it back in the box.

The pot metal el cheapo Lee with the round feed tray is OK. I just cut off the plastic tray holder and use it as a one at a time primer. Kind of handy with the bayonet type shell holder system.

Before that I used the old Lee type with the screw-in dedicated shell holders. Actually, that was a better design than the new ones IMO, but finding correct shell holders for odd ball calibers became impossible.

For most reloading I use an old Sinclair (or whatever they were originally since it has no maker's mark)- built like a tank and super feel for primer bottoming out. Really a SUPERIOR tool. Picked it out of the junk tray for $10 in a gunshop about 17 yrs ago. Today I think the comparable tool is way north of $100.

Left to right:
Wilson/Sinclair---Lee (sans round tray)---Older Lee

[TheDoctor]

I have both versions of the RCBS. For all around use, I prefer the older style that takes shell holders. The universal one is ok for me, if I am only priming just a few, but it is touchy with alignment on large calibers. The old style takes me about 30 seconds to change primer size and shell holders.

[357maximum]

I do not get to say this very often...I prefer the Lee hand prime over any other priming device I have ever used. I have sent all the RCBS primers both bench and hand units down the road....I PREFER THE LEE. When I wanna get picky I still have the priming unit on top of my Co-AX, but it gets used very little as I believe I can do a better/faster job with the lee handheld auto-prime. I can prime cases with the lee almost as fast as I can fill the primer tubes on the RCBS bench unit and the end result is still great....why bother?

[JohnFM]

I just like priming off the press and have been using one of the older RCBS tools for a long time.
The one that uses a standard shell holder. I did run into a shell holder from some maker once I had to run a counter sink into to remove a little metal before it would work with the RCBS.
No idea how many thousands of primers have been installed with it, never a problem, just wish I could fine a place to buy some extra trays so if I have a few primers left from a session I could just leave then in the tray and grab a different one for another primer type. I stick one of those "Post it notes" on the tray so I don't forget what Primer I have in the tray.

[Toobroke]

I have the Lee, Hornady and K&M. I like and use them all. For me they ended up: the Lee for small pistol/rifle, Hornady for large pistol and the K&M for large rifle.

[Blanket]

I have multiple RCBS, Hornady, Lee screw in and Lee round trays. My favorite before you could not get thumb pieces are the round tray lee's now the RCBS

[nightal]

I just bought a new Lee unit, it keeps jamming, the plastic top, right where they go into the hole to be fed keeps raising up, causing the primers to either feed upside down, or turn on their sides, or double stack, where the little Tee Pee is. when this happens the plastic lid raises up, then the primers spill out, or just jam the unit. I have taken it apart many times, looking for defects, can't prime more that 5-6 primers before this happens. tried putting a rubber band around the plastic tray but it holds the lid down to tight. what am I doing wrong. ....Thanks in advance....Al

[jmort]

^ Did you get the new Ergo Prime or the square tray model? I have heard good things about the Ergo Prime. Call Lee Precision, they will make it right. I agree with the above, nothing better than the old round style Lee Precision Auto Prime. Will report back once I get an Ergo Prime

[nightal]

I bought the one with the square tray.

[km101]

I hand prime with a Lee. I have two of the old style (round tray) units. They work better and feel better for me than anything made since. I use one for small primers and one for large, that way I dont have to change anything but the shellholder.

[jmort]

"I bought the one with the square tray."

Since you already have the shell holders, I would give the Ergo Prime a try, I expect you will like it.

[opos]

I use the old Lee primer....Being "belt and suspenders" careful I thought I should have a spare because I don't like the newer square tray Lee as well...so off to E play I went...I now have 3 of them (super cheap and in great shape) so when one breaks (which it probably won't) I'm covered...sort of like guns....they multiply. I've also got one of the little units that goes on the single stage press...slow but really positive and I like the one primer at a time deal...never had one detonate but if it did I'd not want a bunch of primers in a tube...

[Chicken Thief]

I hand prime with a lee as I watch T.V. Usually do 2-300 cases at a time.
1Shirt!

Amen to that bro!

[40Super]

I have the original RCBS that I got in the nineties, works fine, I have multiples of most common shellholders so it doesn't matter if one is left on the primer.

[Pavogrande]

I don't suppose it helps the OP much but I still favor my lyman tong tool for priming --

[bear67]

I am very seldom disappointed with Lee, but the square tray current model does not cut it for me. The clear lid does not stay on. The ram jumps out if you hold or place it wrong and my big hands get tired after a short priming run. I had an older round tray lee, but could not find it when moving reloading equipment from the farm shot to the little machine shop at the house.

Using a RCBS bench mount and like it so far and it uses regular shell holders. I am working on a homemade vribrating primer tube filler--will share results if it works ok.

[historicfirearms]

I hate my rcbs hand held, sometimes. Once in a while the priming rod gets jammed up in the plastic primer chute and I have to tap it back down. It doesn't seem to matter if I hold pressure on the plastic piece either way, I've fiddled with it for thousands of rounds. Some days it frustrates me to no end, I will set it down and come back the next day and it works great. I can't figure it out. I want to buy a new hand primer but whenever I make my mind up to order a new one the rcbs starts working good again.

[Green Frog]

My first single primer was a 310 tool about 30 years ago. Then I went through the second generation Lee (round tray) and a couple of things not worthy of note. THEN I discovered The Jerry Simmons tool in the schuetzen world and thought I would never need anything else. Since then, I've discovered the first generation Lee, a custom unit from Dave Arawinko, the one Lyman made briefly for their wax bullet set, and a couple of bench tools like the RCBS.

Is there a best one? Yep, the one with the right shell holder in it for me to use right now. I sort of prefer the Simmons, Arawinko and Gen 1 Lee, and do just about as well with any one of those as anything else (unless I go back to the old 310 Tool ) I do prefer the Simmons and Arawinko at Schuetzen because they decap as well as recapping, so the overall process is smoother and faster.

Back to the OP's question, I don't think there is a best one, just whatever works for you when you need to reload. All of the ones that have been mentioned in this thread will get the job done, so whichever one fits your hand (or comes to hand ) will do fine. Try it, you'll like it!

Froggie

[wyattjames]

i have the lee and the rcbs my fav is the lee been using it for atleast 20yrs no complaints