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Thread: Lee hand primer help please

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy hotwheelz's Avatar
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    Lee hand primer help please

    I have never used one and and I cannot figure out how to change the large primer piece to the small??? I usually break stuff when I try hard so Im waiting for help.
    Ill be as nice as you let me and as mean as you make me, your Choice

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy Vly's Avatar
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    Place your thumb and fore finger at the base of the lever near the pivot point. Now push up toward the the primer tray and lift the lever assembly out. Now the primer tray will slide down and out of the metal body. Replace with the other primer tray. Replace the lever just like you removed it.

    Very simple once you have done it.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy hotwheelz's Avatar
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    Thanks. i see what your saying now to bad i allready broke it I was on the right path but I pushed a little to hard ............
    Ill be as nice as you let me and as mean as you make me, your Choice

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    Midway sells the parts to the Lee Auto prime very resonable. You would need to buy other things to make the shipping worthwhile. Of course you just could contact Lee for replacement parts or a warranty claim ...

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
    Jon K's Avatar
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    Midway has parts and the Lee Auto-prime is on sale $12.49.
    I keep one set up for small primers & one for Large primers.

    Jon
    Col 2:13-17

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    when you get our new parts....

    Lube the round ends of the link between the lever and the priming rod. I use imperial sizing wax. It helps keep the link thing from breaking.
    When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
    They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master


    Rick N Bama's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hotwheelz View Post
    I have never used one and and I cannot figure out how to change the large primer piece to the small??? I usually break stuff when I try hard so Im waiting for help.
    Buy 2 of the tools and you'll never have to make the change, best $9.95 I've ever spent for reloading stuff.

    Rick
    Democracy is two wolves and a
    lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting
    the vote. - Benjamin Franklin

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    IF you have broken Lee parts, just mail them back to Lee. In a couple weeks or less
    you'll receive replacements at n/c.

    The only Lee products I've never gotten along with are the less than perfect measures and disk measures because they leak powder all over the place. I had five of the perfects, even new they leaked. Adjusted many times, even sent two back for them to adjust and they all still leaked. I finally sold them to others and just today donated the disk setup to a friend that was going to buy one.

    I've discovered: Uniflows, and Lil Dandy's, love 'em and no leaks. Whereve I been for the last 20yrs??
    George so I can:

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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick N Bama View Post
    Buy 2 of the tools and you'll never have to make the change, best $9.95 I've ever spent for reloading stuff.

    Rick
    This is what I did. It's big time saver.. Just mark them for large and small. Then there is no guessing...

  10. #10
    Boolit Master S.B.'s Avatar
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    Did anyone tell you that they recommend you only use certain brands of primers in these things? I had one blow up with about 100 LR primers in it and damn near lost my vision. Be careful!
    I definately didn't like laying on an emergency room table with doctors and nuses picking pieces of metal and plastic out of my eyes, for an hour and a half.
    Last edited by S.B.; 03-19-2008 at 08:11 AM.
    "The Original Point and Click Interface was a Smith & Wesson."
    Life member NRA, USPSA, ISRA
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  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master



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    I believe that it is IMPERATIVE to wear glasses while reloading or shooting - EVERYTIME! A gunsmith acquaintance of mine lost the vision in his shooting eye when he fired ONE shot from a little auto pistol that he was working on. Just stuck it out the back door, fired the shot (didn't think he needed glasses for one shot) and that's all it took.

    When I was just a youngster and just starting to cast bullets, I had a "steam explosion" when I introduced a few drops of water into my lead pot. The pot completely evacuated ALL of the molten metal. I was standing over it when it occurred. I had glasses on, got some in the eyes but the glasses kept the worst away. I lost no vision. If I had not had glasses, I would most probably have lost my sight.

    Another time, I was shooting old GI 30'06 ammo in a Springfield O3A3. I had TWO catastrophic case failures in the same day. I had bits of brass embedded in my face around my shooting eye, but with glasses on I avoided ANY eye damage.

    A time or two like that and glasses become "Your best friend"...

    Dale53


    Not criticizing, but just suggesting for others.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
    HeavyMetal's Avatar
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    Lee tools are, mostly, good product for the price.

    Having said that I have noticed over the years that no extra maching is done on any of the products. As such I've gone out of my way to de burr many a tool or mold when it was recieved.

    The priming tool has always been a concern! Everyone I've bought, last one was 12 years ago, had a huge cut off tool tip dead center in the primer ram for both small and large primers! Spent 5 or 10 minutes fileing/sanding smooth and no primers have ever gone off(YET)

    Will suggest everyone who has one of these do the ram check and adjust as needed. I think its the best tool I've ever used but we are compressing an "explosive" material with quite a bit of pressure no sense leaving a "firing pin" on the rams!

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Safety glasses whenever you are reloading or shooting are a really
    good idea.

    S.B., I sure hope your eyes are OK - they are such an important thing for
    all activities but especially our sport!

    An aquaintance shot a Colt 1911 autopistol without any eye protection,
    he had an overload (his fault) blew a primer and a piece of brass went down the
    ejector slot directly to the center of his lense - destroyed his vision. Hold an
    unloaded 1911 up and point it at a bright light source and look at the ejector.
    You can see out the muzzle ! MANY guns don't handle gas well, and primer
    reloading incidents, while rare are very dangerous.

    Bill
    Last edited by MtGun44; 03-19-2008 at 06:05 PM.
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master DaveInFloweryBranchGA's Avatar
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    +1 on having two Lee primers for large and smaller primers - as inexpensive as they are, no reason not to have one for each primer size

    +1 on cleaning up the machining leftovers and plastic flashing to make the tool operate correctly - they're inexpensive because Lee doesn't do any extras, so you, the new owner, need to take care of the minor polishing stuff.

    +1 on lubricating the working parts of the priming tools - they aren't the heaviest duty, but if you lube them, they'll last many years and if you're breaking them, you've probably not prepped your brass correctly.

    +1 on shipping the broken parts to Lee - they'll send ya new ones.

    +1 on safety glasses - I can't think of how many times over my lifetime I've either had my own eyes saved by safety glasses (working in manufacturing or gunsmithing/machining) or seen someone else's eyes saved. A lot ot gain and nothing to lose.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy azcoyhunter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hotwheelz View Post
    I have never used one and and I cannot figure out how to change the large primer piece to the small??? I usually break stuff when I try hard so Im waiting for help.
    I have noticed on mine, is that the clear plastic cover, is getting scratched.

    I ALWAS ALWAS make sure I am only sending ONE to get put into a case.

    Lee Loader experience has brought that.


    Clint
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    If I should depart this life while defending those who cannot defend themselves, then I have died the most honorable of deaths. Marc R. Murphy '2006'.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master



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    I have an older Lee hand primer that still works quite well. However, there is one VERY aggravating feature. The primer "magazine" cover (clear plastic) has a tendency to fall off. I carry, in my range kit) a small scotch tape dispenser and after the "magazine" is loaded, I put a couple of strips of tape securing the cover. This has saved me MUCH aggravation.

    Lee has solved this on the newer versions as the cover has a neat latch system that works very well.

    Dale53

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dale53 View Post
    The primer "magazine" cover (clear plastic) has a tendency to fall off.
    Rubber bands? Small paper clip/clamp?

  18. #18
    Boolit Master at Heaven's Range 2010

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    Cover

    Thank you Dale53:I have used a wire tie the, plastic ones in size to fit the slot.
    I just got new on and will have to look at it.
    I have reloaded since1939 never had primer blow.never had gun blow up.and I have done some scary things.[no one to teach me in those days.]one must be alert at all times.you need the feel for priming.-------
    WILDCATT

  19. #19
    In Remembrance


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    I use a wooden peg to wedge into one of the lid latch holes to block the lid turning. I also use the same to keep the lid in place on my Lee Loadmaster . DALE

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check