RCBS Universal Hand Priming Tool

[lotech]

Anyone have experience with this priming tool? Does the universal shell holder work satisfactorily?

[rda72927]

Yes, the universal shell holder works very well. Here's the but; If you use it for a LOT of priming, the parts wear. RCBS is great to replace parts, but it never was the same. The bench top primer tool is much better and I am a lot happier with it...

[lotech]

I appreciate the comments. I think I'll give the RCBS a try.

[GONRA]

GONRA has always been happy to use my decades olde "RCBS Standard Priming Tool 09512".
Maybe one will showup on Internet cheep if your are interested?
Spring loaded primer parts are same as current RCBS "Primer Rod Assembly 09471".
Parts are easy to adjust or tweak on yer lathe.....

[JWT]

GONRA has always been happy to use my decades olde "RCBS Standard Priming Tool 09512".
Maybe one will showup on Internet cheep if your are interested?

What he said ^^^. Good luck finding one cheap though, they hold value pretty well.

[NC_JEFF]

I own two RCBS hand priming tools, I've hand primed everything for years and plan on sticking with the RCBS tool. I have complaints.

[Artful]

I have the RCBS and rate it just behind the Original round tray Lee - but ahead of the "improved" square Lee hand priming tools - Go ahead and get it, you'll like it until your get your hands on a Lee round tray priming tool.

[lotech]

I used a couple of the original Lee round tray models, the "dangerous" ones, for a long time. They eventually wore out; became difficult to seat primers deeply enough. Tried the subsequent square tray models: junk.

[GhostHawk]

I have one and love it. I just wish I'd bought 2 so I would not have to switch sizes.

It is all I have used for priming all rifle and pistol for the last 4 years. No issues, no problems.

It primes everything except .410 magtech brass hulls. Shrug, close enough for me.

Best of all, no messing around with shell holders.

I have learned to keep a pretty close eye on the primer coming up as I slide the brass into place.
Have had 2 manage to flip upside down and got one in sideways.

When I used a Lee depriming pin for the universal depriming unit the primer went off. No damage, no harm, just scared the **** out of me and the wife.

[winelover]

I have both the RCBS hand primers. The one that uses dedicated shellholders is the better of the two. But changing over from small primers to large is a PITA. I recently purchased the Universal, in spite reading plenty of negative reviews. It does hiccup, occasionally, as Ghosthawk mentioned.

Winelover.

[w5pv]

If you guys saw the thumb and fore finger ot the guy that had a primer go off in his hand held priming tool you would go to the slower but safer method of using your bench press for the priming stage.None of my business do it any way you want I was thinking of your safety and well being.

[MT Chambers]

I have a few diff. hand primers incl. the RCBS but I always go back to priming on my Co-ax reloader, I get much better feel seating the primers.

[GhostHawk]

w5pv Sir, respectfully, I have had primers go off within 3 inches of my hand, and thanks to care on my part recieved no damage.

On the RCBS Universal primer tool the tool handle is cast of Aluminum, drilled for a shaft. Plus my hand is below the primers at all times. Primers are at the top, the only one that could go off is the one being inserted. There is no path downward towards my hand at all. Now it could blow out the primer tray, not fun but not the end of the world. Most would I suspect go out the side where you slide the brass in. Now I don't know about anyone else, but I am pretty fussy about not having that side pointed at me when I am squeezing a primer in. Call me careful.

I don't know what someone else may have done, or how many primers it took to screw him up.

I do know that in 4 years I have never had an issue, except, that you can once in a while get one upside down or sideways. So I have trained myself to eyeball each primer as part of the process to make sure it is coming up right.

That is as careful as I need to be until you see me posting on here that I blew my hand to pieces.

Caution is a good thing, but a good tool is a good tool. And they are not all created equal.

[Gofaaast]

I have 2 of both the RCBS hand priming tools. I had a slight issue with Winchester small pistol primers once in my universal. I swapped out the white primer feeds and that fixed my problems. I just haven't gotten around to selling my 2 old models and much prefer the universals that don't require takin the darn thing apart to change shellholders. If you load rounds for both small and large by 2 universals and don't look back would be my advice.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I have several hand priming tools and my favorite is the older Lee round tray model. I have two of them so I don't have to convert when switching from large to small primers. A friend gave me an RCBS hand primer that used those strips with the primers inserted in them. I liked that it used regular shell holders but my hands grew tired quickly when using the tool. My hands were just not big enough.

[No Blue]

I have the Lee round tray model. I like it because you aim the tool away from your face using it. I bought a Smart Reloader clone of something, and that one aims the tool at you. So if there is a primer detonation, it's happening in your face.

The other thing I like about the Lee round tray is the linkage is designed to bottom out at the same time the primer is seated. So it's a brain dead tool; no intelligence required to use it.

Earlier Lee tools required you to stop pressing when the primer was seated. Lots of peeps figured they had to bottom out the linkage, or the primer wasn't seated. And crushed the primer as a result.

[lotech]

Thank you all for the many comments. I ordered a couple of the Universals.

[Wayne Smith]

I have the Universal - it does not reliably hold 32S&W and consequently I'm relatively sure 32ACP and 25ACP will be no goers. If you are not using any of these - have fun, it's a good tool

[flashhole]

You can see the two RCBS bench mount priming tools between the Lee Classic Cast press and the Redding Ultramag press. Best priming tool ever invented. I set up one each for large and small primers. Just swap out the shell holder. I've loaded many thousands of rounds with these and they show little wear, just developed some character with age.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v69/GuideGun/MainReloadingBench.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/GuideGun/media/MainReloadingBench.jpg.html)