Poor Lee design: safety prime

[Dutchman]

I bought the retro kit to fit the safety prime to my Lee 4 hole turret. I was starting a 1,000 rd run of .380 acp (a one time 1k run) so I thought it would be a good idea to install this "improvement" to my press.

Less than 500 rds into the run the part that hooks onto the pin inside the ram that holds the primer... broke. Sintered metal. That portion of this item that actually hooks over the ram pin is just not very beefy. I'd bet there have been a fair number of these failing before much use.

The basic premise of the safety prime takes some feel to get used to. Eventually it goes faster than the older priming method but I think the plastic parts are rather flimsy. I usually defend Lee products as I use quite a lot of them.

Dutch

[DLCTEX]

I got the Safety prime with my Classic Cast Turret a few years ago and have loaded many thousands of rounds with it and really like the safety prime. I feel the press is a great product and recommend it to anyone who asks what press they should get.

[MtGun44]

Is this the swinging primer feed system, with the arm the goes under the ram and
locks horizonatal as it seats? If so, the ones that I have scatter about 10% or more
of the small primers on the floor, just not tight enough tolerances on the unit for
the small primers. Have not had issues with the large primer feed unit, but it is
still a bit mickey mouse, but does work.

Bill

[Catshooter]

Yep Dutch, I broke mine in the same way after about the same amount of use too. Design flaw.

I have noticed over the years that handling primers seems to be a weak spot of most reloading manufacturers.


Cat

[JDFuchs]

Iv'e had mine for a very short while and only tried it once. I still cant get the thing to work more then one of every 5 tries...



the ones that I have scatter about 10% or more
of the small primers on the floor, just not tight enough tolerances on the unit for
the small primers. Have not had issues with the large primer feed unit, but it is
still a bit mickey mouse, but does work.

Bill

I only use my lee turret for small primers so this is not encouraging!!

[skeet1]

I have the Lee Safety Prime on my Classic Turret and have used it a lot with both small and large primers. I must say it is not perfect but it does work as well and any other primer feed device I have tried. Yes I do get the occasional dropped primer but not a big deal.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

Ken

[markinalpine]

Over 20,000 small and large primers inserted with one of these systems over the past 2 years. Hardest thing is crawling on the floor with a flashlight trying to find the few that I fumble and drop - still not over the "Great Reloading Component Shortage" that started in 2008.
Works pretty well for me,
Mark [smilie=s:

[geargnasher]

I love mine, use the heck out of it. It's like a Pez dispenser, and the little bumps on the primer trays are FAR superior to the concentric ring design of any other primer flipper tray I have ever seen, including the RCBS one that is decent.

Haven't broken the little hook yet, the only problem I've found is with the regular, cheap turret press the primer residue accumulates on the arm in the hook area and gunks it up, making it jump out and fall on the floor when the ram is raised. This happens every few hundred rounds. The Classic Turret doesn't have this problem at all.

I wonder if the hook got a buildup of primer gunk between it and the pin, so the force of seating the primer was all on the hook rather than on the tab sticking out toward the user? If you have a regular turret press that catches primers inside the base this is likely the problem, primer gunk causing a bind somehow.

Gear

[MtGun44]

Gear,

I agree that the pin pattern is far superior as a primer flipper pattern than the normal rings.

Bill

[Dutchman]

I'd really like this priming gadget to work...

I'm contemplating the purchase of a classic cast turret. I don't need it... but I've been using the old turret for quite a while now, I'm actually on my 2nd. I've not heard one single bad thing about the classic cast turret so that's not the hold back. I guess just timing.

I'll check the ram to see if there's junk built up. I figured there would be some who've had the same problem. I've not used the safety prime yet with large primers only loading the .380 acp and small primers. I like shooting my Beretta Model 1934 and since it was one of the like-new Romanian models I'd have it for a long time. I'm not about to buy factory .380:).

I have a Dillon 450b I bought new in 1984. No setup for .380 acp. I just bought a couple shellplates to fill out what I can load on the Dillon. .45 AutoRim was one of them. I love the Dillon but most of my loading anymore is small runs of cast bullet rifle batches and the Lee turret handles them just fine.

$85 for the Lee classic cast turret at factorysales.com. Can't go wrong with that.

thanks for the feedback!

Dutch

[shotman]

If you use primers that come in the row , in the box put them on a old towel and roll around to get that packing dust? or what ever they put on them ,off. It makes big difference on the Lee

[oldreloader]

I have one on a CCT and it works great.

[firebrick43]

mine works wonderful once I adjusted it correctly. I think ones that spit primers are not adjusted correctly. I had to remove some flashing where the primer cup touches the dispenser.

[lonnydk]

I have both presses. The priming system works great on both of these presses as far as despensing primers goes. In addition to proper alignment adjustment I discovered that an additional washer just like the one furnished to attach to the press, when used UNDER the priming attachment point, raises the system about 1/8 inch and I have not had a primer on the floor since.

Now for the priming arm itself. I tried everything and I mean EVERYTHING to prevent this part from falling out of the press occasionally. Although they hit the concrete floor many times I only broke two....still a pain in the a..

The classic press has been designed so that this part cannot come off the pin UNLESS the shellholder is removed.........GREAT DESIGN!

I have three Lee Pro 1000's set up full time for 9MM, 45 APC, and 357 MAG. Everything else that I load (about 20 calibers) I load on Lee turrets.

I have one set of RCBS dies (219 Zipper) and everything else is LEE I don't need to tell you, I'm a big Lee fan.

[Colorado4wheel]

I'd really like this priming gadget to work...

I'm contemplating the purchase of a classic cast turret. I don't need it... but I've been using the old turret for quite a while now, I'm actually on my 2nd. I've not heard one single bad thing about the classic cast turret so that's not the hold back. I guess just timing.

I'll check the ram to see if there's junk built up. I figured there would be some who've had the same problem. I've not used the safety prime yet with large primers only loading the .380 acp and small primers. I like shooting my Beretta Model 1934 and since it was one of the like-new Romanian models I'd have it for a long time. I'm not about to buy factory .380:).

I have a Dillon 450b I bought new in 1984. No setup for .380 acp. I just bought a couple shellplates to fill out what I can load on the Dillon. .45 AutoRim was one of them. I love the Dillon but most of my loading anymore is small runs of cast bullet rifle batches and the Lee turret handles them just fine.

$85 for the Lee classic cast turret at factorysales.com. Can't go wrong with that.

thanks for the feedback!

Dutch


You just need to adjust the entire assembly up a little (use a washer to raise it). That will fix the primers on the floor.
As far as the broken part. Call Lee and they will send the replacement. It's not a common issue in my experience. All my experience is with a Classic Turret

[perimedik]

I have loaded countless large and small primers on mine. The occasional dropped primer, and the only challange I have had is the last primer never feeds the ram. I have not loaded any pistol calibers in it though. I like it. It take a few passes to get the motion right to swing and set it in the ram. Once you do it becomes second nature.