Priming Systems which is best?

[terryt]

Hi:
On presses with either manual or auto indexing which one hasthe best priming system?
Are they all about the same?
I see a lot of complaints at Midway in the reviews about thepriming systems on all of the machine’s weather they are manual or autoindexing.

Thanks,

Terryt

[NC_JEFF]

Terry I hand prime everything I load. I know a lot of people here have very good auto priming systems but I am very satisfied with my RCBS hand primer. Near 100% success for nearly 23 years. I load on a LEE auto indexing turret press for plinking rounds and a single stage press for a more exacting boolit and hand priming works great for both.

[jmorris]

I would vote for the 650, the only complaint you hear about them is that they always feed primers.

[VHoward]

The always feed primer issue is fixed with a zip tie. Can be used to temporarily disable the priming system.

[str8wal]

When the handle goes down the spent primer comes out, then I put a primer in the primer arm and when the handle goes up the new primer is seated. Not much can go wrong there.

[jmorris]

The always feed primer issue is fixed with a zip tie. Can be used to temporarily disable the priming system.


Or an un-inflated balloon over the ramp. ;)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?192165-Any-aftermarket-options-for-the-Dillon-650-Unused-Primer-Trayette&highlight=650+ziptie

There are other ways too like a QD setup on the cam.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?102956-Dillon-650-Primer-Feeder-disable&highlight=650+ziptie

[VHoward]

I don't bother disabling it. The primers that get fed through just get reloaded with the next batch of primers.

[dudel]

If priming off press or for the Rockchucker, I prefer the older Lee autoprime hand units. The ones with the round trays (work great for the old CCI primer sleeves; need to be a bit creative with the new larger sleeves). Keep the pivot points lubed; and they last forever (mine is almost 30 years old). They give good feel. Just wished they used standard shell holders. Why does Lee give you a free shell holder for the press; but not one for their priming system?

On press, the 550b primer system works fine for me.

[youngmman]

I prime as a separate operation with an RCBS bench top priming tool: good feel and fast.

[mdi]

I have ram prime "dies" set up on my Lee turrets. All I do is remove the shell holder from the ram, install it in the "die" and insert the priming stem in the ram. 30 seconds at most. Some folks say the ram prime is slow, but I have tried 3 different hand primers and they don't seem to fit my hand (need to re-position the tool in my hand after each squeeze, and I have difficulty getting consistent seating), and I don't care for press mounted primer systems (I've never found one that wouldn't occasionally jam). I have been using a ram prime for about 14 years and always get consistent, even seating and don't get cramped hands after 100 primers...

[Carrier]

I don't know which is best but my Hornady LNL works very well after fine tuning it. If it gets powder in it I have to blow it out as it will fail. As long as I keep that from happening then it just works.

[Tackleberry41]

I have an old RCBS hand unit, unfortunately the small pin went bad, has a hole in the end, it crushed one side where they won't go in straight. They do not sell parts for it, so only works with large primers, one at a time was the way I did it for a while.

Bought a Lee unit, newer one w square trays, the tabs to hold the cover in place break pretty easy, a rubber band does a better job. But hard on the hand to use it alot.

I use the ones that come w a press here or there, usually just to load a few rounds to test, where I don't want to break anything else out.

A friend gave me 2 of the Lee ram prime, they work, but can be a pain at times. Once you get down to 10 or so, you have to help them in or won't feed. I have 1 mounted to a cheap lee press, thats all it gets used for, mounted to a block of wood than can be clamped down to any flat surface.

Looked at some of the others, but the plastic strips look like an extra step.

[Gus Youmans]

Terryt,

For on-press priming the system on the Dillon 550 works without a hitch and for off-press priming the RCBS tube fed bench mounted priming tool is, in my opinion, the best there is, beating all the handheld priming devices I have used.

Gus Youmans

[oldfart1956]

Terry you didn't specify which press (by brand) so here's my take on 2 common ones. Lee Classic Cast Turret...mine came with the Lee Safety Prime, the one that mounts on the press. I looked at it and shelved it for a month or so figgerin' that thing will never work. I just dropped the primers in the ram primer holder and primed right on the press. The case is already in there so why not? Then I actually tried the Safety Prime thingy. It works. As a matter of fact several thousands of rounds in a half dozen different calibers and it works just fine. Next I picked up a Lee Pro-1000. I didn't buy a progressive so I could load faster, I bought it because my reloading time is limited. And I like to shoot a lot of 9mm/45acp. Heard a lot of complaints on the priming system Had a few issues at first. Once I mounted the press securely to a solid bench 99% of the issues went away. Keep an eye on the primer chute and don't run low. Keep it clean. Every now and again I take a Q-tip and bend it like an allen wrench and run it down the chute to clean it and then another Q-tip dipped in Armor-All. It works. Look at most of the YouTube videos on the Pro-1000 and it won't take long to spot the problem. Presses screwed to a sheet of flimsy paneling and clamped to a wobbly table. Audie..the Oldfart..

[offroader69]

I have a 650 and can feel when I prime the case if is is successful. I love the 650

[Maximumbob54]

I don't know which is best but my Hornady LNL works very well after fine tuning it. If it gets powder in it I have to blow it out as it will fail. As long as I keep that from happening then it just works.

100% agree. It was easy to take some Mothers polish and run the shuttle back and forth for a minute to get that thing super polished. Another bonus is the LNL AP dumps the spent primer down a tube which carries most of the yuck with it. The biggest enemy of most priming issues is getting a build up of spent primer grit or spilled powder in the priming parts. It really helps keep the headache away to keep a small can of air or dust vac/blower to pause production and keep that area of the press clean.

I also prefer to prime using Lee's Safety Prime system. I use a Classic Turret and have also used it on the Challenger press. Both presses again drop the spent primer down a tube and away from the press to prevent build-up. The bracket to mount the Safety Prime can be booger to get just right and the negative reviews are usually talking about primers falling on shoes because of this. Get it right and it's been years since I've dropped a primer. The Safety Prime's built in tray means you just dump in primers, shake, replace lid, start priming. Before I bought a primer tube filler I could load almost as fast on my Classic Turret as I could my LNL AP since it took forever hen pecking primers into tubes all the time.

I also have the tube fed RCBS bench prime unit (vs. the older one that is the same design but doesn't feed from the tube) and it's fast enough but again with filling the tubes.

Another item to consider is a primer pocket swage tool. Crimped primer pockets used to only be standard on surplus ammo. Now it's creeping into being more and more common. I've found them in factory 9mm, .40SW, .357, and a few others but those are the most frequent factory ammo I find with crimped pockets. A cutting tool works but IMHO a swage tool works better enough to warrant the purchase. I futzed around with the RCBS press version for a while and now that I bought the Dillon Super swage I hardly use the press version. RCBS copied the Dillon for a bench mount option and I would see which you can get for a better price. Run all your range pick up brass through once and save yourself the headache from happening later. It's bad enough stopping the progressive because the primer won't seat and it's even worse when you miss the primer not seating and have now dribbled powder out the bottom the whole way around the press.

If I could start over, I wish I had bought a Lee Classic Cast single stage with the breech load bushings and the Safety Prime instead of my RCBS RC and hand primer.

[terryt]

Thanks for the Info

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

By far the safest and most reliable priming system I've ever used is on my RCBS Pro 2000. It's their strip priming system. Unfortunately, typical of RCBS, they're discontinuing it.

If you leave out the the RCBS strip priming system, they are all tube types and all of them have their problems and quirks.

[salpal48]

The debate of best primer systems can only be described as what works best and that is good for you.
In the off line system I feel there are 2 The GUN CLINIC . complicated but Flawless. Or the lachmiller Feed with the push button tube.
The on press By far The Lyman All american with the Push button Primer Feed. Set it and Forget it

[M-Tecs]

For off press I use a RCBS Automatic priming tool http://www.midwayusa.com/product/457...h-priming-tool (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/457599/rcbs-automatic-bench-priming-tool) but most are seated in Dillon 650's or 1050's.

Before progressives this was all I used. I've had mine since the mid-70's. IMHO the Holland's upgrade would be one of the most accurate.

https://sierrabullets.wordpress.com/...primer-seater/ (https://sierrabullets.wordpress.com/2014/03/19/tools-of-the-trade-hollands-perfect-primer-seater/)

[375supermag]

Hi...

I use the RCBS APS bench-mounted unit for my priming.

It has worked very well for a very long time. Like anything, it needs to be kept clean and I order new priming strips every now and then as they do get worn out over time.

[cigarman454]

I don't know which is best but my Hornady LNL works very well after fine tuning it. If it gets powder in it I have to blow it out as it will fail. As long as I keep that from happening then it just works.
i agree with Carrier here

[RogerDat]

Lee Safety prime on a turret press works very well once you get the bracket attached and adjusted correctly. Thousands of rounds and about the only time I have a dropped primer issue is when I leave the wrong size primer cup in the ram. Nothing says epic fail like trying to feed large primers in a small cup.

I wish the safety prime felt more solid and heavy duty but it works and is very easy to load. Takes nothing at all to feed another pack of 100 primers. Having the primer being loaded separated from tube of primes which is in turn separate from reservoir does seem safer. Less likely to get a chain explosion, and might help reduce the number of primers that go off if one did have a chain reaction start.