Lee loadmaster primer feeder

[BBQJOE]

I've had my loadmaster for almost 10 years now, and anyone else who owns one knows the headaches associated with their primer feeder.
I just got in the latest models for large and small, and by golly they might have it worked out.
I did about 800 rounds of 9mm. Not one crushed primer. One no feed, and only one upside down.

This is a major accomplishment!

Now if I could only figure out how to keep the gremlins from showing up and screwing with the press when I let it sit unused for a period of time.
Someone once suggested leaving a radio on in the loading room.

[tja6435]

I gave up priming on the Loadmaster. I run brass through the LM and size/decap and flare the neck with the 'size/decap' turret I have set up. I then prime on the Rockchucker one at a time. Then I'll run the primer brass through the LM with the 'seating' turret to powder, seat then crimp.

Its not near as fast as doing it all on the LM, I just couldn't take wasting so many good primers anymore. Not to mention the LM frequently wouldnt seat the primer all the way. I've been looking at the upgraded priming system offered by a guy a ran across online but hesitate to put any more $ into it as I'd like to buy a Dillon this winter

[seagiant]

Hi,
Is there a vid showing the new system???

[BBQJOE]

Hi,
Is there a vid showing the new system???
No but there are a few with mods you can do. I was ready to go for it, and do the mods, but when I got the new feeders most of the mods weren't/couldn't be/ done because the issues had been addressed.
There was one mod I did do though, and that was taking a piece of masking tape and partially wrapping the area of the feeder that sets down into the press. One wrap, partial, made it sit a little firmer in the press, reducing jiggle. It's covered on you tube. I might go look for it if you like.

[BBQJOE]

Ha ha!!!!
Found it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4o0NN-PoAI

[Gunslinger1911]

Load Master was my first progressive ! Waaaaaay back when. No hacks on the internet thingy back then.
Good thing I am a tinkerer !
As most Lee stuff, they are about 95% engineered ( probably why they are so reasonably priced). If you can put up with \ fix that last 5%, you are gold.
NOT knocking Lee - I use their dies exclusively, have a turret for calibers I don't want to set the Dillon up for, lots of small stuff.
The Load Master is low priced for what you get, the case feeder worked like a charm, you could really churn out some ammo !
But that damn primer feeder, if it wasn't flipping \ mis-feeding primers, it was jamming the little primer pusher and mangling it.
Great that they have come up with a fix, could steal some thunder from the more expensive presses if the word gets out.
$230 set up for one caliber at FS. If this turns out to be a reliable fix, I may get one again for the calibers I don't have set up on the 550 (turret takes a while, but inexpensive to set up for new caliber).

[hpdrifter]

since I leveled the primer feed with the primer pin, I've had very few missed, mangled primers.

But as op stated, If I leave it alone for any length of time, it needs to be stroked and loved before it'll work again.

Radio might work!

[1bluehorse]

Over the years I've had 3 or 4 (not sure anymore) Loadmaster presses and EVERY ONE had priming issues. This last one I picked up used (don't ask me why I keep doing this) was the same. I will also add I've been a member at Loadmaster Zone for many years and have tried most of the "fixes" at one time or another on these different presses but was never able to get a reliable primer feed. This last one was no exception. Even with the new priming parts I ordered I was still getting flipped and sideways primers at the rate of at least 10%....a run of 25 rounds would "generally" result in 4 or 5 bad ones. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Well, I sent the components needed to Magic Mike (Mikes Reloading Bench) to get his "fixes" to see if his revamped priming system worked as well as I've read from others. I received the parts a couple days ago and after going back through and adjusting the press per the instructions he sent I am happy to announce I have ran right at a hundred rounds without a single error. I'm impressed. I'm getting ready to make a bigger run here in a couple days and am hopeful there will be no issues with the priming anymore. The cost for the large and small priming parts plus a "set screw" setup for the primer pin on the carrier was about 70 bucks including shipping IIRC....a couple other items are included in the "fix". If this addition remedy's the issue then the LM really can be an excellent setup. For about 300 bucks (this includes Mike's primer system upgrades) you'll have a progressive press setup for one caliber with a nifty case feeder that will really crank out rounds. I just wanted it for doing 9mm as I have a couple other progressive presses I use for my other calibers but if this thing continues to be reliable I'm going to expand my use for it.

edit: I just ran another 100 rounds of 9mm through the LM, no priming issues, none. If any one out there has a LM and is having priming problems or has given up priming on the press I would recommend going to mikes reloading bench and check this out. Long term, don't know, but for now I'm pretty impressed.

[tazman]

I've had my loadmaster for almost 10 years now, and anyone else who owns one knows the headaches associated with their primer feeder.
I just got in the latest models for large and small, and by golly they might have it worked out.
I did about 800 rounds of 9mm. Not one crushed primer. One no feed, and only one upside down.

This is a major accomplishment!

Now if I could only figure out how to keep the gremlins from showing up and screwing with the press when I let it sit unused for a period of time.
Someone once suggested leaving a radio on in the loading room.

On your recommendation I have ordered the newest primer setup for my Loadmaster. I certainly hope it works as well as your does.

[etcher1]

Following

[rtracy2001]

My wife bought me a new LM for Christmas 2014. I had one failure to prime when I was going really slow, but once I started operating it at speed, I have not had any issues. I load 223, 40 s&w, and 30 carbine on it. No complaints.

[tazman]

I got the new primer feed installed in my Loadmaster today. It is a little different than the original. Some of the parts are designed a bit differently.
It is better but I am still getting primers that don't want to feed. There were no crushed primers, or upside down primers, just a few where no primer fed. I had 5 failures in 250 rounds. Still too many.
I am using Remington primers. I think I will switch to CCI and try those for a while. They feed better in my Lee turret so maybe they will work better here.

[Vinne]

I use my LM for larger calibers (44, 45 Colt, 223) and the Pro 1000 for smaller ones (9mm, 40, 38, 45). The only very small problem is the switch-over so I load a mess of each and only switch when I run low. Still a great value and worth every penny!!

[tazman]

UPDATE!!!!

I switched my Loadmaster over to CCI small pistol primers and proceeded to load 500 rounds of 9mm without a single primer feed problem. It looks like that was the key. Apparently this particular system doesn't care for Remington primers much.
I'll give it a while, maybe 2-3 thousand rounds to get broke in and try the Remington primers again but for now I am feeding it CCI.

[r1kk1]

Why would primer brand matter in feeding? I'm glad I don't have this issue. I like feeding a press with whatever I buy.

Maybe a 4th Generation upgrade from Lee may be needed. Maybe they will do something Classic Cast style with the primer feeder.

take care

r1kk1

[tazman]

Why would primer brand matter in feeding? I'm glad I don't have this issue. I like feeding a press with whatever I buy.

Maybe a 4th Generation upgrade from Lee may be needed. Maybe they will do something Classic Cast style with the primer feeder.

take care

r1kk1

All primers are not created equal. There are small differences in cup size and smoothness that can effect how the primers flow through a feeding system. Anything more complex than a straight tube can be effected by these differences.

[r1kk1]

All primers are not created equal. There are small differences in cup size and smoothness that can effect how the primers flow through a feeding system. Anything more complex than a straight tube can be effected by these differences.

I have a tool that shows the minute differences in primer cup height. It's the K&M deluxe primer tool. A progressive shotshell press uses a primer tray and chute to feed primers. I've never had a problem feeding whatever brand through MEC or Ponsness Warren.

I would reevaluate my mounting system and bench. I have fixed my friends benches where depending on the progressive of choice, powder charge fluctuations or indexing or priming issues were resolved. Pat Marlin's Rock Docks and Dan's Inline Fabrication mount help with flex.

I wish someone would post if Mike's Reloading bench primer modification truly works. If it does, the factory should embrace what he has done.

If neither of the above two paragraphs solve the problem, the press would leave my bench. I've seen primer shortages several times since the 70s and the last thing I need is a finicky press. It's a distraction during the reloading process I can do without.

The last thing I would try is to mount a knocker or vibrator of sorts on the chute. Spolar does this on their tray system.

take care

r1kk1

[sparky45]

Mike's Reloading refinements are a God send. If you're into optimizing your LLM, give him a call, you won't be disappointed.

[r1kk1]

Mike's Reloading refinements are a God send. If you're into optimizing your LLM, give him a call, you won't be disappointed.

Can you switch primers sizes easily and have tested it with available brands in your area without issue?

take care

r1kk1

[rancher5]

Can you switch primers sizes easily and have tested it with available brands in your area without issue?

take care

r1kk1
Use a LoadMaster for 9mm, have maybe 1 in a 100 primer sideways, onething i found the ram has to go up and down completely, steady rhythm is better than jerking
fast, Looking forward to trying new primer system, as i like to pick up the pace

[Gillie Dog]

Can you switch primers sizes easily and have tested it with available brands in your area without issue?

take care

r1kk1

Changing primer size with his modifications is exactly the same as a stock Loadmaster. Takes a minute or two for me but I am slow.

I have run 9mm, 40, and 45 with Magtech, Tula, CCI and Federal (a couple dozen Winchester I do not count as a good test) for several thousand rounds total without issue with his modified priming system. I make no primer system adjustments when changing primer manufacturer. You need to refill the primer tray when empty, this is my biggest issue when running a large batch.

I also made sure my press mount was rigid so there was no press wiggle when operating it, IMHO that helps a lot also.

GD

[r1kk1]

GD,

What did Mike do to make the primer assembly more reliable. Your post is very positive one.

take care

r1kk1

[Gillie Dog]

GD,

What did Mike do to make the primer assembly more reliable. Your post is very positive one.

take care

r1kk1

He explains it much better than I ever could on his website, http://www.mikesreloadingbench.com/

It is more than just the primer assembly. The primer pin and carrier also need work to make priming function properly, at least it does for me. Inexpensive upgrade to an inexpensive press, fit my budget and works well for me.

GD

[tazman]

I ran the rest of the box of CCI primers through the Loadmaster today without any hiccups. I switched back to the Remington primers and ran 200 through without and issues. I guess it just needed to be run for a while and get smoothed up a little from use.
It is working perfect now.

[outdoorfan]

I bought a new Loadmaster back in about February, and I've loaded maybe around 1500-2000 rounds on it since without a single hiccup that I can remember that wasn't my fault. In my opinion the new priming system seems to be working just fine.

Forgot to mention two things:

1. Yes, I did still go through it and look at the all the usual problematic areas, checking and smoothing as I went. Truth was, there wasn't much for excessive roughness. Looks like Lee has cleaned things up a lot.

2. My press is mounted so that it is so solid it doesn't wiggle or flex a single bit.

[1bluehorse]

As GD said, go to Mikes Reloading Bench and read his description and watch the videos, that will be the best way to see the changes he makes. My Loadmaster was a real problem. I had BIG priming issues, as much as a 20% failure (sometimes even more) with this press and this was with the new primer parts from Lee. I sent the carrier, large and small primer parts to Mike for his makeover. Took about a week to get the new parts back. Since installing the new parts I've run close to 1,000 rds of 9mm through the press with ONE primer failure. That was due to a case with a crimped pocket. That one also cost me a primer slider. So, to the question "does Mikes Reloading Bench primer modification really work?", it has made a world of difference in my press. I've had 3 or 4 of these presses over the years and each one had priming issues to varying degrees, I think this last one was probably the worst. It always surprises me to read where so many have "no problems" with their LM's priming. Or the much used phrase, "the only problem was of my own making", not sure what that means but I was always curious if the whole story was being told. Well, I just told you what my LM was like before (dismal) and how it's doing now (great). Long term?, don't know, and I haven't tried the large system yet (but in the past LP always seemed to work better than the small) so I'm not worried. I'm confident enough in the LM now that I've just sold off my two RCBS progressive presses. (however I still have my old 450, just in case :mrgreen: ) I hope that answers your question. For around 60 bucks Mike's modifications are certainly worth the try IF you're having problems...I was, now I'm not.

[outdoorfan]

As GD said, go to Mikes Reloading Bench and read his description and watch the videos, that will be the best way to see the changes he makes. My Loadmaster was a real problem. I had BIG priming issues, as much as a 20% failure (sometimes even more) with this press and this was with the new primer parts from Lee. I sent the carrier, large and small primer parts to Mike for his makeover. Took about a week to get the new parts back. Since installing the new parts I've run close to 1,000 rds of 9mm through the press with ONE primer failure. That was due to a case with a crimped pocket. That one also cost me a primer slider. So, to the question "does Mikes Reloading Bench primer modification really work?", it has made a world of difference in my press. I've had 3 or 4 of these presses over the years and each one had priming issues to varying degrees, I think this last one was probably the worst. It always surprises me to read where so many have "no problems" with their LM's priming. Or the much used phrase, "the only problem was of my own making", not sure what that means but I was always curious if the whole story was being told. Well, I just told you what my LM was like before (dismal) and how it's doing now (great). Long term?, don't know, and I haven't tried the large system yet (but in the past LP always seemed to work better than the small) so I'm not worried. I'm confident enough in the LM now that I've just sold off my two RCBS progressive presses. (however I still have my old 450, just in case :mrgreen: ) I hope that answers your question. For around 60 bucks Mike's modifications are certainly worth the try IF you're having problems...I was, now I'm not.

Glad to hear that Mike's work has proven dividends for you. Excellent!

I don't know about others, but what I mean by "the only problem was my own making" is that perhaps I didn't set the press up right.

[tazman]

I had a strange hiccup with the primer feed today on one round. The primer didn't seat all the way. Upon inspection, the bottom of the spent primer cup broke off during depriming and left the ring from the spent primer in the pocket. The Loadmaster pushed the primer into the case far enough that the cases continued to feed and it ejected the bad case at the end of the cycle. The only thing I had noticed was that the lever pushed a little harder on that one stroke.
Obviously not the fault of the primer feed.
I changed over to 40S&W today and loaded 600 rounds without a single primer feed malfunction.
This new primer system continues to work well for me.

[zomby woof]

I've been loading on the LM for 25 years. The new primer feeders are great. Primer problems are few. Keep it clean, lubed and timed correctly and she runs.

[1bluehorse]

I've been loading on the LM for 25 years. The new primer feeders are great. Primer problems are few. Keep it clean, lubed and timed correctly and she runs.

See, there's the kicker for me..."primer problems are few". I don't want "few", I want none. I do not remember ever having an upside down, sideways, or crushed primer on either of my RCBS presses. I have had a few no-feeds but that was when the tube ran dry. There's no reason the LM can't do as well, or should do as well may be a better statement. Right now it's doing that with MM's system. Maybe some are satisfied with "a few priming problems", I'm not. If my LM starts acting up, it's gone. Just like the last three.