RCBS Universal priming tool?

[FishingFool]

Has anyone had experience with this? I load using a forster coax and the biggest time waster is finding the correct shell holder and taking apart my primer to install the correct shell holder. I'm mostly priming just .223, .308, 30-30, and 45-70 with a sprinkling of 357/38.

Thanks

[jmort]

There are a lot of hand priming threads and I read them all as I like priming off the press. I use old Lee Precision Auto Primes. From what I have read, most a very happy with their RCBS Universal models. I like to read reviews from Midway USA even if I buy from another seller. It gets good owner reviews/ratings. Recent thread has a user who had trouble with smaller case, .32 cal, if I recall correctly, it was popping out. I have a couple sets of the Lee Precision shell holders for the hand primers, so I will always stick with Lee, going to try the new Ergo Prime. If you don't have the Lee shell holders, it seems like a good choice. Here is link to Midway owner reviews/ratings which might help
http://www.midwayusa.com/find?sortby=1&itemsperpage=24&newcategorydimensionid=12786

[seagiant]

Hi,
I used a LEE hand primer for years and was quite happy. Then an older gentleman at my gun club said he had some odds and ends to sale. One of them was the RCBS Bench Mount Primer Tool and I got it as a novelty it was so cheap. Put it on the bench tried it out and the LEE primers have gathered dust ever since! Go figure!

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have the RCBS Universal hand primer and it has been a good tool. The "universal" part is the ability of the shell holder to take any size rim wih no adjustment.

The tool is well made and worth the money.

Not much else you can say about it.

Randy

[Roundnoser]

Hi,
I used a LEE hand primer for years and was quite happy. Then an older gentleman at my gun club said he had some odds and ends to sale. One of them was the RCBS Bench Mount Primer Tool and I got it as a novelty it was so cheap. Put it on the bench tried it out and the LEE primers have gathered dust ever since! Go figure!

Seagiant,
I have the same bench mount tool and I love it too. Works great for small batches, test loads, etc.

[MattOrgan]

I prefer the Lee hand priming tools, cheap enough to have one set up for small and large primers and every shell holder they make for it. The Lee does a great job of priming. Heck the newer Sinclair priming tools use Lee shell holders. The RCBS hand primer is a great tool as far as seating primers. Its a PIA switching primer size/shell holders. I keep mine just in case I end up with a case I dont have Lee priming shell holder for. I tend to prim large batches of cases while watching TV with the wife. If you need to have RCBS I much prefer the bench mounted tool, just pull out the priming post and swicth shell holder or punch size and shell holder. I guess the primer tubes are dangerous, I always wear safety glasses when priming, regardless of the tool type.

[Dan Cash]

I gave up on the Lee hand tool when it became the flimsy thing it has become. I too am a fan of the CO-AX press and Forster tools in general so bought the Forster CO-AX priming tool. It surely works good for me and no shell holders to fiddle with.

[Pressman]

Everything Seagiant says in triplicate. The RCBS Bench Mount is the best, easiest to use and fastest primer tool there is. And it does not jam like the Forster.
Ken

[seagiant]

Hi,
I know I'm preaching to the Choir here,but over the years with my RCBS bench mount, I've needed a primer tube and a small primer ram. A 1-800 call to the nice lady at RCBS and everything was shipped out no questions!

The only thing I have found even close to as smooth working is my Lachmiller primer with an RCBS coversion to take the regular J shellhoders!

[375RUGER]

I have had the RCBS tool for a long time. I use it for everything I can't do on the press. If I only loaded single stage I'd get 2 of every shell holder, 1 for the priming tool 1 for the press. Actually I'd get a bench mount instead of the hand primer.

[MT Chambers]

My Co-ax does not use shell holders to prime, it uses an adjustable holder, and comes with a "post" for both lg. and sm. primers, it's a little slow to change cals. but once it is set, it works flawless and has never jammed on me.

[chsparkman]

The RCBS APS hand priming tool is the best I've used. It has the universal shell holder which works well with most casings, and no more spilled primers. I also have RCBS universal tool with a primer tray, but the APS beats it hands down, in my own experience.

[texassako]

I love mine, bought off the S&S here. RCBS supplied the parts for free to update it from the old hand operated primer feed to the extended lever that rocks the primer feed(in seagiant's pic) and a missing primer punch. Excellent customer service.

[David2011]

I've had an RCBS Bench Priming Tool for about 30 years. I still like it as much as I did the day I bought it. I've bought a few others over the years and still prefer the RCBS.

David

[Wayne Smith]

I'm the one with the RCBS Universal that sometimes pops a 32 S&W short. I should clarify that it is maybe two or three in 50, not frequent. Enough for entertainment chasing them!

[deepskyridge]

I use a RCBS press mounted strip loader, it works great. You can buy primers already in strips or load your own into strips.

Strips are reusable. It is pretty fast.

Good Luck
Gary

[Mal Paso]

I recently switched from the RCBS Hand Primer to the bench mounted APS System. It's fast and much better leverage for consistent seating of the primer. I borrowed a new Regular RCBS bench mount and found the tube feed a little clumsy but the feed accuracy right out of the box was a hair better than APS. Depending on primers, pockets, and the size of my hand in relation to the tool's leverage, the bench mount usually does a better job.

[Nickle]

Hi,
I used a LEE hand primer for years and was quite happy. Then an older gentleman at my gun club said he had some odds and ends to sale. One of them was the RCBS Bench Mount Primer Tool and I got it as a novelty it was so cheap. Put it on the bench tried it out and the LEE primers have gathered dust ever since! Go figure!

I use an RCBS Bench Mount regularly, and won't consider anything else.

[GabbyM]

I use the RCBS hand prime tool for fifteen years now. Set up around my recliner chair while watching TV.
Acro Bin full of unprimed cases wedged between my left leg and chair arm. Another bin on my lap. Grab case with left hand then insert into tool. Squeeze in primer while left hand reaches for another case. Open right hand holding tool to let primed case fall free into bin then insert next case. No effort runs 100 cases to empty primer tray in between commercials. scoot out to work bench and reload primer tray during commercial break.

I like to hold it down to 500 or so per night to avoid stiff hands the next day.
Hand tools do require a good grip ability. Plus I only load a couple thousand rifle rounds this way per year. Pistol rounds get run through the Dillon 550B. My iron grip days may be nearing an end. If that comes I'll use a lower effort tool. I'd go green as I see no reason not to. APS system would be nice but I've a huge supply of primers in sleeves. So I'll jump that fence when I reach it.
RCBS hand or bench mount they all work great. Come to think of it the primer system on my old RCBS Rock Chucker works pretty good also. Pretty hard to beat the recliner chair with hand tool for comfort though.