Lachmiller Primer Tool

[metricmonkeywrench]

I picked up a Blue Lachmiller Bench Primer Tool and i think its complete, does anyone have an operator manual or exploded parts list I can get a copy of to see how it works. The rods and cam are pretty easy but in not sure what to do with the rest of the bits and pieces in the box. It did come with the top adapter that works with RCBS shell holders.

Thanks in Advance

[salpal48]

The lachmiller is sort of self explanatory. The small parts generally are for rods for large and small Primer some Had shotshell Primers . Does Yours have The external primer tube with The push button primer feed. . some models Feed primers by hand one @ a Time.
some had one rod with the small parts as adaptors

[Three44s]

I was just given one with a shotgun shell holder (12 ga I believe). It has a solid one piece primer seating rod and a single shell holder. An Allen set screw retains the SH.

I bought a used RCBS tool of the same ilk some time back. RCBS bought out Lachmiller many moons ago and began manufacturing their own version of this bench mounted seater. The RCBS tool (they called it their Standard) uses regular shell holders same as today’s presses. It has primer rods with spring loaded cups which interchange with the current bench tool they make today.

My Lachmiller tool has no mounted primer supply feed provision (the RCBS version is the same). You hand supply your primers.

Between the Lachmiller tool and the RBCS I do not see shell holder interchangeability, at least not of yet.

Three44s

[Pressman]

It depends on what the other bits and pieces are. There are large and small primer rods. Yours has the conversion parts to RCBS shellholders, maybe there are the old parts?

I do not have any instructions for the tool itself, I may have them for the conversion kit.

If you can post a picture of the extra parts we can figure it out for you.

Ken

[metricmonkeywrench]

Sorry for the delay, I'm on business travel and actually picked this up while on the road. See below for what i received. I monkeyed around with it a bit and can get the small primer rod to work with the bushing and spring. When i go to the large rod the spring is too long and the rod cannot travel the full stroke to insert a primer in the case. I appears i may be missing a second spring for the large rod.

[Pressman]

Those are all the parts for the conversion, and yes you are missing a spring. I have a complete kit still in the package and don't know where it is. I haven't seen it since the move. I need to begin a major search. When you get home and get it cleaned up you should be able to figure out how it works, and I will keep searching for more information.
The Lachmiller system does not work the same as everyone else's. There is no cup to hold the primer, rather the shellholder holds the primer and spring returns the lever. It's a good system and works rather well.
The two little bushings are used to center the punch under the case, to align it to the primer pocket. The 1968 catalog shows a picture of these parts and lists three part numbers for kits to fit Lyman, RCBS, and Pacific shellholders. I think that has to do with the diameter of the center hole in the shellholder as they all differ. You will have to experiment with different shellholders available today what they work with.

Or, you can locate original Lachmiller shellholders and use them. Herter's and the RCBS and Pacific Herter's types will fit the tool, but the center hole is too large and the punch won't center. It takes a trained eye to tell the difference between a Herter's and a Lachmiller shellholder.

[Pressman]

Lachmiller Primer Inst_20191031_0001.pdf

Found the instructions for the conversion along with the catalog page from 1968. The link opens a PDF.
Ken

[metricmonkeywrench]

Thanks Ken, Got back to the hotel and had to dig it back out of the box, instructions are a wonderful thing sometimes. between your explanation and the instructions I now understand how it all goes together and it appears that i have a complete setup with the #2 kit for RCBS.

The key is that the bushings go "up" into the shell-holder and center the primer and rod as you describe, not down into the adapter as i had it. That now lets the spring do its thing for either the large or small primers. My on the road purchase luckily included RCBS shell-holders with large and small center holes to try out

Now i have some scrubbing and clean up to do when i get home.

[Green Frog]

Ken, are Lachmiller and Herter's shell holders close enough to interchange. I can't lay my hands on it right this minute, but I would swear my heavy cast metal bench priming tool has a Herter's shell holder on it, but you've told me Herter's never sold one.

Froggie

[Pressman]

The hole in the center of a Lachmiller shellholder is primer diameter. Their primer punch does not have a cup to hold the primer like everyone else uses.
Herter's shellholders are a near copy of Lachmiller other than the center hole, either will fit in the primer tool. Most, but there are exceptions of course, Lachmiller shellholders are cut with half the top milled off, everyone else has a slot for the case to slide into the shellholder.

I suppose I will have to dig out shellholders tomorrow and take pictures to make all this muddled machining clear.

[Green Frog]

Thanks, Ken. That explains the SHs with small holes and the ones that look like half of the top is milled away. Maybe my “Herter’s” bench primer really is from Lachmiller.

Froggie

[Dale53]

Froggie;
When you next visit, we can dig out my Lachmiller priming tool. I used it for several years with satisfaction until I went to Progressive presses. It is a good tool and I believe that the cam offers better feel when seating the primer than other priming tools.

FWIW,
Dale53

[Green Frog]

Dale53, somewhere I've got one that I always referred to as being from Herter's. It was apparently designed to be used with a primer feed, but when I got it there was a shell holder and nothing else. Like so many other things I own, I got it because it was different, but I have so many hand primers I like better.

Counting down for the end of the month. The invasion is coming!

Froggie

Froggie

[Pressman]

Mr. Frog Person Sir; This is the Lachmiller pre-1953 primer tool. In '53 they changed then tool to eliminate the auto primer feed.

I have some things to send you tomorrow, I will have to include the catalog shot of this tool.

Ken

[metricmonkeywrench]

So here’s the update, I got back from my business trip and over a couple of nights cleaned up some of the small parts and some dry lube here and there. I still have some work to do on the handle, I got rid of the rust but the steel is stained and pitted. I may either sand blast it for a satin finish or try some of the handle dip finishes. Meanwhile I couldn’t resist trying it out.

Here’s what I learned, the small bushing fits all my pistol shell holders, both RCBS and Lee and my lone older Lyman 9mm X12 shell holder. Rifle dies however are a bit of an issue, out of all my die sets both RCBS and Lee I only had one older #3 RCBS that the bushing would fit in. All the center holes in the “modern” shell holders are too small. Telling the difference for RCBS is pretty easy, if the shell holder is cut flat in the entrance slot area it will likely fit, if there is a primer notch probably not. As I have a hand and bench primer there is no reason to mess with my shell holders. I did try putting a modern shell holder on without the bushing but there was too much slop for my taste.

As such though, until I tire of it, I now have a dedicated -06 priming tool. All in all it does work really well and there is a definite feel to seating the primers that is different than the other hand or bench primer. I could easily tell a loose or tight primer hole in my brass. I don’t mind hand feeding the primers for rifle brass as I generally only do 20 or so at any one sitting. Ill have to keep an eye out at the gun shows and such to see if I can come across a correct shell holder for my 30-30 as well.

[Three44s]

As I recall Hornady shell holders have a larger center hole, that might help you.

Three44s

[Green Frog]

While digging around looking for something entirely different, I discovered my bench priming tool. The metal tag on it describes it as coming from LACHMILLER! Does this surprise anyone besides me? It has a Herters #7 shell holder in it but the small primer punch, so it really isn't usable as-is, but I've got a couple of L'miller shell holders downstairs that fit cartridges that take the small primer, so I'll probably just set it up with one of those. I wonder what caliber they are?

Anyway, it's found now, so I can either set it up to use, or put it up on a shelf for display somewhere. Another mystery solved! "Organized people never make the exciting discoveries I do!"

Froggie

[Pressman]

See, I told you it was a Lachmiller.

[salpal48]

Lchmiller pre 1953 with Push button primer Tube. This is a Flawless system . i have both Large and small Tubes.
See enclosed

[MurDog63]

Would like to find small rifle stem for this blue Lachmiller bench press.