A better priming method?

[Okie2]

Just need a little advice from those who know... I need a better priming method...have been using a RCBS hand priming tool and it works fine...but there has got to be a better, faster, easier on the hands way! It is fine for a couple hundred rounds...gets sucky after that. I'm Using a Hornady Lock n Load turrett and really like it...just don't like priming through that machine...don't like forcing primers into casing...only 12 inches from the powder...just an uneasy feeling. Any ideas? Thanks guys. Scott

[oneokie]

Prime in batches. Do what you are comfortable with, take a break, do some more.

[roysha]

If you are only interested in a hand type priming tool, I can't really help you much. However, if you want a bench type, as far as I'm concerned, you cannot beat the RCBS AutoPrime.

[462]

Till a couple weeks ago, I had been using a Lee hand primer, but seating Wolf large rifle and pistol primers requires the thumb strength of a Sumo wrestler. I bought a Lyman Ram Prime and am very satisified with its operation and performance.

[Russ in WY]

The bench mount RCBS works great also . Haven't any experience with the Auto Prime.. My 2¢ Russ.

[Ben]

The Lyman Ram Prime is my favorite priming system.

May not be the fastest, but for me it is clearly the most trouble free and dependable.

[Dennis Eugene]

+1 on the RCBS bench mounted primer I love mine it's all I've used for the last 20 years and all I plan on useing for the next 20. Dennis

[geargnasher]

I agree that the RCBS hand primer can't be beat for tough hand priming jobs. If that is wearing you out, take Onokie's advice or get a bench-mounted system. Personally, I detest tube-fed priming mechanisms, and the plastic strip system is probably safer but even more stupid to me from a user's perspective, so I end up priming either by hand or with my turret or progressives. YMMV. I haven't used the Lyman Ram Prime, but have an RCBS universal press-mounted kit that provides a shellholder die for the top of the press (you'll be up-close and personal with it if you pop one!) and it works very well, just use a latex glove for handling primers without getting salt/oil/sweat from your fingertips on the priming compound when placing it in the cup. Occasionally I'll break out the RCBS hand primer for stuff that I batch load and don't have a Lee shellholder for. Although weaker and made from cheap materials, the Lee is much faster and more convenient for me than the RCBS, but I have nearly 20 year's habit formed with the Lee.

Gear

[Dennis Eugene]

+1 on the RCBS bench mounted primer I love mine it's all I've used for the last 20 years and all I plan on useing for the next 20. Dennis Link http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=457599

[MikeS]

I like the Lee AutoPrime II. It's a ram prime like unit that primes on top of the press, but has a tray that holds 100 primers, so unlike the Lyman you don't need to manually place the primers in it for each shell. I also like that it uses regular press shell holders, not the special ones needed for a Lee hand priming tool.

[garym1a2]

My Lee safety prime system works rather well on the Classic cast turrent press. It probally will also work OK on a cheaper single stage lever prime press.

[geargnasher]

My Lee safety prime system works rather well on the Classic cast turrent press. It probally will also work OK on a cheaper single stage lever prime press.

That is dependent on whether or not the SS press has a place to mount the plastic Safety-Prime bracket.

Gear

[DCM]

Just need a little advice from those who know... I need a better priming method...have been using a RCBS hand priming tool and it works fine...but there has got to be a better, faster, easier on the hands way! It is fine for a couple hundred rounds...gets sucky after that. I'm Using a Hornady Lock n Load turrett and really like it...just don't like priming through that machine...don't like forcing primers into casing...only 12 inches from the powder...just an uneasy feeling. Any ideas? Thanks guys. Scott

Remove the powder and other dies from the press. I do this occasionally on my progressive when I just want to prime a large batch of rifle brass.

[Dan Cash]

For pure priming, Forster/Bonanza/Co-Ax is as good as it gets. Precise seating depth and no shell holders needed. You will prime a couple hundred cases in nothing flat and not have sore body parts.

You might rethink your aversion to priming on your press. If smokeless propellant is not right on the primer and confined, it won't ignite.

[GabbyM]

You can help an RCBS hand primer out a bit by fully disassembling it , wiping parts clean then applying wheel bearing grease to all the moving parts. Pivot pins and ball and socket joints. Light oil just does not get it done. Another advantage of grease is it will last for a couple years.

[Okie2]

Thanks for all the advice! Good ideas!

[QUON]

started with a lee handloader kit in the 60's. hammering the primer in. back then it was good enough. some where away the way. i picked up a couple of old lee screw in shell holder type priming tool. works great too. then a lee auto priming tool. used that in the car between trips to sports or chruch,etc. thousands of rounds out of the house or watching the tv. rcbs hand priming tool as a gift. rcbs brench auto as a treat for me. then the press mounted rcbs aps tool. they all work well so far very well for my use here and there after 35 years or so.[smilie=s:

[Horace]

Have used the RCBS hand prime tool"with shellholders" for 15 years, Hornady hand tool very good also.

[Green Frog]

The priming step of a 310 tool works well when used by itself... you can batch prime that way if you like. The old style Lee (screw in shell holders) also does a creditable job and uses the whole hand in an ergonomic (to me at least) manner.

For me though, the re- and decappers used by the Schuetzen set make the best job of it. They are not as widely available as some of the others mentioned in this thread, but the styles made popular by Harry Pope and George Schoyen among others, are being copied in modern form. They allow you to decap your fired case, clean and examine the primer pocket, then positively seat the new primer by squeezing a handle or pair of handles in a sort of "nut cracker" movement. I prefer this to all other styles of priming, but as with all things, YMMV.

Froggie

[Geraldo]

For pure priming, Forster/Bonanza/Co-Ax is as good as it gets. Precise seating depth and no shell holders needed. You will prime a couple hundred cases in nothing flat and not have sore body parts.



+1 on the Co-Ax. I started reloading with an RCBS Rockchucker (great press) and used the tube primer system that came with that (not so great). Then for years I used an RCBS hand primer, which I liked better. Finally, after nearly 20 years of reloading and developing gorilla like hand strength, I bought a Co-Ax. Great press and a great single priming system.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Yes, the RCBS Automatic bench top priming tool is about as good as it gets!

Just don't make the mistake of buying one of the Forester bench top tools.

Been there and done that, and it is a piece of junk, not even coming within miles of the RCBS tool!!!!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

P.S. Just don't mount it on the bench, rather use the under bench receiver system for all tool mounting. No holes, cuts, grooves in the bench top with the receiver system.

CDOC

[a.squibload]

Always used the older Lee Auto-Prime, works OK I guess.
Sometimes I rotate the case and squeeze again.

When I got the Classic Cast press I tried priming on it, works fine, good feel to it.

Never liked the idea of tube-type primer feed.

[Blanket]

I have always hand tool primed because I like the sensitivity of feeling the primer seat and know right away if a pocket is loose or any other abnormal situation. A small low leverage press set up with a Lee autoprime die and feeder would work well without the filling of tubes or strips but I think I would fabricate a blast sheild to protet the operator in case of a failure..Russ

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Have seen some negative comments as to primer tubes, and may as well throw in my 2cents worth on the subject.

One of the reasons I like them is, I try to avoid as much as possible touching the primers.

I have never had a failure to fire because of a damaged primer due to contamination or -------------

But have seen it happen with other people who did not take proper care with their loading.

I cringed as I watched their loading process, and sure enough that hunting season, there was some failures to fire.

So, I make it a habit to not only wash my hands after sizing and whipping cases, but take care as much as possible to avoid any possibility of contamination.

Now, I know others have a process that works for them and that is just fine by me, but have seen over my years of reloading no reason to give primer tubes a bad rap.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Dan Cash]

Yes, the RCBS Automatic bench top priming tool is about as good as it gets!

Just don't make the mistake of buying one of the Forester bench top tools.

Been there and done that, and it is a piece of junk, not even coming within miles of the RCBS tool!!!!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

P.S. Just don't mount it on the bench, rather use the under bench receiver system for all tool mounting. No holes, cuts, grooves in the bench top with the receiver system.

CDOC

If your Bonanza bench mounted priming tool is a piece of junk, throw it my way as I will use it with pleasure.
Dan

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Sorry Dan, ----- long gone and quickly!!

I tried the Forester out, likely the day it arrived.

The "primer tray" part of the thing was not well thought out, the folded metal primer "tubes" did not function well, and as I recall bent/deformed in some way.

In fact, the whole thing is not well thought out when compaired with the RCBS tool.

The thing very quickly, that same evening, went back in the box it came in and headed back to Cabela's ASAP.

It was exchanged for the the RCBS tool, which turned out to be a major improvement.

I tried to save some bucks by buying the Forester, and got what I paid for.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[a.squibload]

...have seen over my years of reloading no reason to give primer tubes a bad rap.

I have no experience with 'em, maybe I shouldn't take so much stock
in magazine writers tales, I think that's where I got my unqualified opinion of 'em.
Just seems like if one goes they could all go, but then again I've never had
a primer go off without it being on purpose!

That reminds me, there's a bent primer on my shelf that I'd like to "make safe",
victim of the Lee tool, it got sideways and I squeezed it.
Suggestions? I thought about a slingshot and a brick for a target...

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Yes, I have heard that "can" happen, and my Hornady L-N-L progressive has a steel tube around the aluminum primer tube but I have never seem it happen.

Hope not to!!!!!!!!!!!!

But as said, I try to touch/handle my primers just as little as possible and a good -CLEAN - primer flipper and the primer tubes help me make that possible.

I have seen as posted contamination cause failure to fires. Wasn't there for the failure, but watched the ammo being loaded and sure didn't like what I was seeing.

I know this was an extreme case, but it happened.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

P.S. soak that bad primer in oil. Case lube is what killed the one I saw loaded.

[Sonnypie]

I have several of the old Lee Priming tools. So I have 2 dedicated to Lg. Rifle, and one to Lg. Pistol. (That way I don't put pistol primers in my 06 cases, or vice-versa. ;-) )
My pistol method varies as I do have an auto prime feeding system on my 4X4 press for 45 ACP reloading.
But I like hand priming (Lee) because of the better feel for the primers seating.

Using a press I have had the occasional misadventure of weird priming occurrences. :violin:

[casterofboolits]

+1 on the RCBS bench mounted primer I love mine it's all I've used for the last 20 years and all I plan on useing for the next 20. Dennis Link http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=457599

Love my RCBS bench mount tool. :bigsmyl2:

[rbertalotto]

I broke my wrists (both of them) in a motorcycle accident a few years back. I can prime about 50 cartridges with a hand primer and then my grip weakens. A buddy gave me one of these:

http://www.huntingtons.com/images/rcbs_auto-prime-tool_600.jpg

It is made by RCBS. Not sure if it is made any longer, but it is a fantastic tool. Very fast as it automatically seats a primer into the press and very light down pressure on the lever is all you need.

Regardless of a bum wrist, this seats primers better and more consistantly than any hand primer I've ever used.

[Sonnypie]

Sorry to hear about your wrists.

RCBS makes this whizz-banger (https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/MainServlet?storeId=webconnect&catalogId=webconnect&langId=en_US&action=ProductDisplay&screenlabel=index&productId=2868&route=C06J032) now.
For another 39 bucks :shock: you can get the strip reloader (https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/MainServlet?storeId=webconnect&catalogId=webconnect&langId=en_US&action=ProductDisplay&screenlabel=index&productId=2870&route=C06J032).

Your feeder tubes look just like the ones for my 4X4 press. :mrgreen:

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

That's the one rbertalotto,

Best primer tool I have ever used, and the one that replaced the junker Forester.

Somehow, somewhere, I ended up with an extra pair of primer tubes. Seldom need them, but great if I have a real big priming job.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Sonnypie]

When are we going to get some girls? My hand is getting tired. [smilie=l:

:kidding:

[a.squibload]

AR AR AR!

rbert.:
My cousin broke both wrists falling off a roof. Danged inconvenient.
Hope yours continue to improve.

I would use the Classic Cast but would have to move the lever pin back and forth
between that and swaging.
The Lee hand prime is OK but the handle could use some traction.
A little grease on the pivot points helps some.
I read here that the new model is prone to breakage, and the curved handle is not so great.
Maybe I need a RCBS bench primer (say "Yes, you do!").

[BoolitSchuuter]

I like the Lee AutoPrime II. It's a ram prime like unit that primes on top of the press, but has a tray that holds 100 primers, so unlike the Lyman you don't need to manually place the primers in it for each shell. I also like that it uses regular press shell holders, not the special ones needed for a Lee hand priming tool.

+1 on the LEE

[DCM]

That reminds me, there's a bent primer on my shelf that I'd like to "make safe",
victim of the Lee tool, it got sideways and I squeezed it.
Suggestions? I thought about a slingshot and a brick for a target...

I used to drop them in environmentally unfriendly brake clean (the chlorinated stuff) now a days I use a thin oil.


I am not saying it cannot happen, but knock on wood I have primed 10s of thousands of cases on progressive presses with primer tubes without incident. I have had a few of them get mashed and not go off which is when I learned to deactivate them.

[Mike Kerr]

As mentioned you could use your LnL on a two step system and just prime until you get a few hundred cases ready then put everything back on and load away.

Really though the RCBS hand loader is about as good as anything when you consider speed, consistency, and low cost. As mentioned, just prime in batches or lots of 200 or so, then do something else, comeback and do 200-300 more.

regards,

:):):)

[1hole]

I have two 25 year old Lee hand held Auto Prime tools AND an Auto Prime II press unit that sits on a dedicated little Lee Reloader press. For small quanities I use the hand tool. For large quanities the press mounted tools is fabulous, IMHO! (And I de-cap with a second Reloader press with a Lee Universal Decapping die, it's the most rugged such die I've ever seen.) None of my Lee's have ever broken, none of them have ever failed me in anyway. (But I am a careful worker.) The auto feed/press mounted tool will drive any primer into any case with ease and do it as fast as I can swap the cases.

Lee's hand held unit does require a different design shell holder but they sell a kit of them for not much and that will handle most cases. They are much easier to swap out than those tools that use standard shell holders. And it's simplier/faster to work with both the primer and press when I don't have to swap my shell holders around. ??

The only press mounted, tube fed auto priming system I've ever liked for smooth and consistant feeding was Lyman's old brass tube model, but it's long gone so it doesn't matter.

[Doc Highwall]

I have used for years the one like rbertalotto posted with the tubes but the new APS primer strip one feed is even better I think.

I bought the press mounted RCBS APS and I am very happy with it.

The press mounted one has the advantage that primers will be seated most consistantly varying only by the difference in rim thickness of the lot of cases.

If you buy CCI primers they are the same price for both APS packaged or conventional loose.

I bought the APS primer strip loader for other brands of primers and it works pretty slick.

[rbertalotto]

Deactivating primers...........

I took some 45APC pistol cases and wanted to make tire air valve caps for my motorcycles. I wanted them to have the look of an unfired primer.

I seated live primers and then tried everything fluid imaginable to deactivate them.

I don't care what I filled the case with..........oil, alcohol, acetone, water, bourbon, witch hazel, etc, etc, etc..........After sitting for days, and the primer being good and wet, all of them still went bang!

I finally turned little stainless plugs that look like primers.

http://images112.fotki.com/v355/photos/3/36012/4899531/P1020849-vi.jpg

[LazyJW]

Place a single primer in a cast iron skillet, cover the skillet with a properly fitting, heavy cast iron lid. Set on stove and heat it up until you hear the primer pop. You now have a de-activated primer that still looks "new".
Joe

[Moonman]

I use the RCBS bench mounted, actually board mounted and c-clamped as I move it to different rooms sometimes.

[OlManDow]

I had the RCBS and several others. Got rid of all of them except the old tried and true Bonanza. A bit expensive, but it is fast, easy to use either sitting down or standing up, and the built-in adjustable shell holder holds the cases more nearly axial than the removable RCBS type. Maybe it doesnt' matter, but I like precision even when I am not sure it affects the outcome.
Only complaint I have is fillling the tubes, which hold primers edge to edge, unlike the RCBS end to end arrangement. I have both an old Lee and an old RCBS primer flipper which have a little spout on the edge to dump the primers out edgewise. Hold it right, and it fills the Bonanza tubes in a snap.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm?

The edge to edge primer position sounds almost like the Forester priming tool, that was a real piece of junk. IMHO

The primer tubes deformed during the "attempt" at using the thing, and was one of the reasons it went back, along with their hooky shell holder.

Glad your Bonanza works, wonder how they differ from the Forester.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[daboone]

I don't post here very often but I'm a satisfied user of the Forester/Bonanza bench primer. I did fit a 5 inch piece of copper pipe over the handle. This added about 3 inches to the over length and made it very comfortable to use. This set up has excellent feel when seating the primer and very consistent seating depth. The adjustable shell holder are precise and easy to set up. Using an RCBS flipper tray with a notch cut on the side make the tubes simple to fill. I agree the tubes are soft aluminum but never have had a problem deforming them. As with most tools and their makers we all have favorites. Forester and Bonanza have been good to me.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

daboone,

Good to hear your primer tool is serving you well.

We need all, or at least most - some in this Ol'Coot's mind could be gone yesterday - of the reloading tool makers to stay in business, so a positive customer experience will be passed on and possibly bring that company more satisfied customers.

Guess your positive experience about balances out my negative one.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot