hand priming with progressive press

[6bg6ga]

have to agree. If your going to hand prime rifle ammo you might as well use a single stage press or set up two one for sizing and one for seating.

I'll have to agree also.

I do rifle ammunition on a Lyman turret press (T-MAg) simply because I don't want the wear and tear on my 650. I don't generally do more than say 100 rounds at one setting. I'm old school I throw each charge and use the automatic trickler that jmorris and I worked on to obtain constant right on the money charges for each round. I find that the quality and accuracy seems to be slightly better than reloading on the 650.

Pistol ammunition is all done on my 650.

[firebyprolong]

I run a pro 1000 as well. I deprime, tumble then hand prime. I removed the decapping rod from all my pro 1000 die sets. I size on the press then load as normal. This accomplishes several things, I inspect all clean brass, my primer pockets stay cleaner and I keep the press cleaner. Those Lee carriers can be really sensitive to junk in the inner workings. I have sized first and found that sizing on the press really aids in properly indexing the rest of the operations on that press. Just my two cents. The guy I bought my press from is the one that told me to try it and it works really well.

[megasupermagnum]

To those of you running single stages, how do you turn ammo out so fast? On mine, even starting with primed brass, I can only make around 50 an hour. I've ran large 300 round batches, and all I gained was a sore hand from all the tedious handling after 3-4 hours. I just can't see sitting down and cranking out a thousand at a time, where it seems like it will be easy on the progressive. Like Ghost Hawk, I just sit down and watch TV while I prime. I point the case away from my face, and there is nothing combustible nearby. Priming on the press has 50+ primers all ready to go off, powder, and if a primer goes off while seating in the press, I can only hope it doesn't take out my eyes. It seems once I get going, 400 an hour should be no big deal on the pro 1000. Even adding the 30 minutes to prime those cases, that's a 533% increase in production. At the $170 I paid for the press, tell me how that is a waste of a progressive press.

[william l evans]

Lee 1000 and rcbs jr. First I size and deprime with the jr. clean primer pockets, run brass through lyman 1200, hand prime, then run cases through the 1000
without the sizer and the priming accessories. I work the brass except the priming before it is stored, usually after coming back from the range. When I decide
to load up a batch, all I have to do is seat the desired primer, put the powder in the 1000, load the brass, start pulling the handle.

[kmw1954]

So we just received a new XD 45acp and I have never loaded the 45 before. Plan is to shoot a box of factory thru it then I will probably load 250/500 plated in the Turret press to become familiar with the cartridge before considering it on the progressive. Like all rounds they will be primed on press.

[Walks]

Using a ROCKCHUCKER I can load 100rds of revolver ammo in 50 minutes. I still clean primer pockets and hand prime using a RCBS hand-priming tool with a primer tray feeding system. I also use an RCBS little Dandy powder measure. In 1 hour (60minutes) I can load 100rds of auto-loading pistol ammo, it takes longer because of the extra step of using a separate TAPER CRIMP die. I also check 10 cases for length.

Using my HORNADY L-N-L, sizing,depriming and hand priming; I can load 450+rds in an hour. It all depends on your needs and commitment to quality.
Mind you this is for Cowboy or blasting ammo with lead Boolits. Ammo for hot loads, target and rifle ammo are all single staged.

[6bg6ga]

Hand priming with a progressive press? why would you want to? I run a Dillon 650 with a case feeder and dropper. I can run 16 a minute and figuring time to load primer tubes, bullet tubes, and keeping the brass collator full I end up at around 750-800 an hour. I quit hand priming anything pistol related when I purchased my first progressive press a Dillon square deal. My opinion ...there is no sense in wasting time. The progressive press can do it right as long as you don't try to play King Kong and set off a primer explosion.

Rifle loading I still do everything off the Lyman -T- Mag turret. Powder loading is done via a RCBS powder measure dumping into a RCBS 5-0-5 scale with a automatic DIY powder trickler finishing off the powder load and from there the powder gets dumped into the 22-250 or 308 case and finished off with a bullet.

[Walter Laich]

I'll get to my reason first: I became anal when wet tumbling hit the market. I have fallen in love with bright shiny brass that rivals store bought rounds. It is a sickness and I can stop anytime I want

I use SDBs which have 4 bolts to remove the tool head. I remove the it and replace with one that just has decapping pin.

Also remove all the dies out of the press frame (SDB has own special dies)

remove the primer assembly (3 bolts)

total time to do this: 5 minutes

now I can run empty cases through as fast as I can put them in station 1. They get deprimed and after traveling around the shellplate they drop into the bin. No need to take the case out after depriming--just put a case in, pull handle and repeat

use air compressor to blow off the press very well at end of this step

then off to wet tumbling--again what joy! I once did 150 or so 45-70 cartridges that had been in a garage fire and laid in water for a month. After wet tumbling they looked brand new--one of my success stories--did I mention I love shiny brass?

reassemble press and reload as normal

enjoy this so I'm happy with the process

[JBinMN]

I just got a Lee Pro 1000, and unlike so many others, my primer feed actually seems to work properly. The problem is, like all press priming setups, I just don't like how you can't feel it seat positively. I have always preferred to hand prime, I feel more confident they are seated properly, and it seems safer. I am trying to think of a way to run brass without wasting time. I also like to clean brass in an ultrasonic cleaner, and so far I have been using a universal de-capping die first, cleaning, then resizing before priming (no need to clean primer pockets with the ultrasonic cleaner). I have thought about doing the same thing, but then removing the resizing die from the press when I go to load ammo. It seems like there must be a faster way. I could simply resize, clean, then prime, but I'll be resizing dirty brass. Any ideas from other hand primers out there?

I would not be bothered by those who think your should be using your progressive press and use all the "stations".
It is YOUR press & you can run it any way ya like, regardless of what others think.

If you want to hand prime off press & then use the press to do the other things, so be it. As said, "it is YOUR press". And you can choose whatever methods to do what ya want.

I "ram" prime on a couple ss presses(RCBS & Lee) with the RCBS tool, sometimes with a Lee hand press, sometimes I prime on a couple of turret presses(Lyman & Lee) & I also now prime with a Lee hand prime tool. It all depends on what I feel like doing at the time.

I add powder off press with one or the other powder measures, or I can use some Lee, or home made dippers. Even though I could get powder thru dies & do it on press.

Sometimes I de-prime without sizing using a Lee de=prime die in a s.s. press, and sometimes I de-prime & size at the same time. Sometimes I de-prime & then later run it thru the de- prime/sizing die again as I start to load.

All of that above is to make a point. "I" do what "I" want to do, regardless of what the equipment can do, either on press or off press.

It is "my" reloading area & "my" rules/methods.

I think everyone should do the same. Just because someone wants to do something different, does not make it wrong for them to do it if the results are the same. Satisfaction in the time it takes, satisfaction in the results. Not everyone has the same "standards" for an end product although all should strive to have a safe & decent product in the end of a reloading effort.

Just as an analogy of this, but if one doesn't want to read it then skip on & seeya!


If I work in a place that has a parking area that I can use since I work there, but there is also a parking area in a park a block away, with a coffee shop or a cafe or even a pub in between the park & work, I can still park in the parking lot of the park & walk the rest of the way to, or from work, rather than parking in the work parking lot & then walking or driving to the park or one of the stops in between later, if I want to go that way. It depends on whether I want to walk or drive or not, and it really is of no consequence to anyone else if I want to do any of those choices. It is "my" choice.

Now some would say, why not park in the work parking lot because that is what "they" do. Others might say, I have a Lamborghini & you do too, so you should park in the work parking lot just like I do & it is silly to park your Lamborghini in the parks parking area where it could get damaged by someone, or why walk to work when you can park right there at work? Besides, it is a fast car made to drive fast, so why not drive it fast & get to where you are going just like the car is expected to do?

The answer is simple. Because I can...

I can also walk & stop in to one of those other stops on the way to & from work & I still accomplish what I want to do. Faster or slower, it is "MY" choice... Not anyone elses...

So, if anyone reads this far... IMO, If ya don't have any suggestions to help this member out with hand priming off press even though he has a progressive to use right there, but only want to post to basically say the member or anyone else is foolish not to use the progressive like YOU want them to do, since YOU do it that way& the press is made to do it that way, I say...
"Let the person do what THEY want to do & you do your thing & they can do theirs."

"Walk your own walk"

[kmw1954]

I would not be bothered by those who think your should be using your progressive press and use all the "stations".
It is YOUR press & you can run it any way ya like, regardless of what others think.

"Walk your own walk"

I have been advocating this since I joined. How anyone else does it or what equipment they use is none of my business. I have no skin in their game just as none of you have in mine. I don't care if you are putting bullets together with a screwdriver and a pliers as long as it doesn't blow up while you are next to me.
All I can do is relate what I do and then try to explain why I do it that way. You do not have to agree with it or use it, it won't hurt my feelings.

What irritates me is when people make open ended comments like, "that stinks" and then just walk away with no explanation or anything to support that view.

[gunarea]

Thank you so much.
All my loading begins at an original new purchase Lyman Spartan that is now fifty three years old.

Attachment 213975

Never used any picked up range brass or bought once fired. A Lee universal decapping die will begin every loading cycle. Wet tumbling with chips or pins for about ten years now. Before the wet cleaning process it was a Thumler vibratory and then to my homemade primer pocket cleaner. With the exception of 9mm and 45acp, every case used gets only neck sized.

Attachment 213976

Each firearm, handguns included, has brass used only in that particular firearm. Most all get hand primed with a Lee prime all.
Arthritis has me leaning on an RCBS bench primer more and more. Also an original new item purchase is my Dillon RL300.

Attachment 213977 Mike Dillon talked me into buying it 37 years ago(R.I.P. Mike).

Until three years ago, I was very active in competitive shooting. For thirty years in a row I averaged 2500 rounds a month. This is a conservative average based solely upon primer purchase receipts. Bear in mind that also includes casting my own projectiles.

Attachment 213978 Attachment 213979 Which I also take very seriously.

It is my privilege to brag that I have always competed exclusively using cast bullets. It is also my privilege to brag about how many Florida state titles I have won in several different shooting discipline. In 2000 I put rifles down for my shooting competition.

Attachment 213980 These Florida state medals are just since the year 2000. I appreciate the work you don't do.

You nay sayers keep up the good work. See you at the next tournament. Good skill to you all.
Roy

[Walks]

Prime however you want. Just weigh/throw your charges with common sense, double check that scale.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I pick up a lot of range brass. I take them home and deprime every one on a Lee Challenger single stage whilst watching TV. This gives me an opportunity to inspect the brass and when deprimed they are tossed into a carefully placed cardboard box. One for trash brass, one for steel cases and other trash, one for 9 MM, another small one for .380, one for 40's, another for 45 ACP large primer only as I trash 45's if small primed, and a box for misc (38's, 357's, 45 Colt, 44's and rifle brass).

Then sorted out and inspected these rounds go into my wet tumbler with ss pins, Lemi Shine and Dawn w/ H20 for a nice cleaning. Now I have clean and shiney brass that begs for resizing and all the rest. Most times I will handprime my clean brass and then with the decapping stem removed they will run thru my progressive. Lubing my brass allows them to run thru the progressive better. I also keep the powder die case expander very clean and polished and they run thru like grease thru a Goose. I lube my brass first then run them. Resize, powder drop, powder check, seat and crimp.

I am fussy about having clean primer pockets cuz that black stuff can really build up over several reloadings. For my rifle rounds I follow the same scenario except I inside lube the case mouths with mica prior to resizing and I also check these rounds for correct length. I tend to keep 100 rounds of rifle fodder separated in lots for the entire time I have them. I keep a record of firings and usually if one case needs trimming then the whole batch will also need it. Also I anneal usually after 3 or 4 firings.

I know it defeats the purpose of the progressive press but this is my way. I do not mind the extra steps and I enjoy everything involving the shooting sport including smelting, casting, sizing, PC coating, brass preparation and assembling quality rounds that are dependable and safe to use in my guns.

I am 76 years of age and I have lots of time to devote to my hobby.

[6bg6ga]

I've commented already but I'll do so again. I also pick up range brass that is filthy dirty and looks like its been thru two world wars. I wouldn't dream of having this brass even touch my dies until its gone thru my ultrasonic cleaner. Once its been thru the cleaner generally it either makes its way into the tumbler or I will start to process it. Its mostly rifle brass that will forgo the tumbler until its been sized and primer pockets have been reamed. The pistol brass will most of the time make its way to the tumbler.

My opinion here again based on my experiences is that having clean primer pockets hasn't affected accuracy. I've done some groups with clean pockets and with not so clean primer pockets and found they group the same for me.

Installing primers by hand.... Hey, if thats your thing then go for it and if your like a lot of other people you think along the lines of you bought a progressive press so you might as well use it. I belong to the second group. Some think your going to blow your fool head off by using a priming system in a progressive press. Again, there is some truth to this if you run machinery like a bear walking thru the china closet. One needs to get the feel of a machine and learn that one simply doesn't force things if by chance something doesn't feel just right. When priming with a progressive press or a single stage and yes this can happen on a single stage press too. It it doesn't feel right you stop and investigate and see if everything is ok before proceeding further. I load at roughly 650-to almost 900 rounds an hour for one hour and I do the almost 900 an hr with a second body that maintains my primers and keeps the bullet dropper full. I don't have a lot of time to reload as I'm still working so I make my time count.