New priming tool recommendations please

[Barry54]

I’ve been using some Lee round tray hand priming tools for years. They are wearing out now. I thought what the heck and bought a new red one with the stair step apparatus. What a plastic *** it is! I looked on fleabay and old well used Lee priming tools are going for more than the new attorney appeasing trash.

I started reading reviews of priming tools on midway and all of them have enough bad reviews to give me hesitation. I know some bad reviews might be operator error but still...

So what can I buy now that is well made and works properly?
Thanks in advance!

[TNsailorman]

Barry, I use the RCBS posi-prime and have for years. I also have and use the old Lee priming tool that uses screw in shell holder but they are becoming harder to find and more expensive to boot. I also have a sinclair priming tool but they sell for way over a hundred dollars but they are adjustable for depth of seating of the primer. Of the 3 types I have, I think I prefer the RCBS posi-prime but they too are very hard to find. I do not like the priming tools that have a feed tray on them, I just never got the "hang" of using them. I bought two of them of different brands and ended up selling both to get rid of them. my experience anyway, james

[georgerkahn]

There are many threads on this site re priming tools: I suggest you do a search? Sadly (to me ) you did not indicate if your replacement needs be a hand-held device, or a bench priming too.
I have two RCBS bench priming tools, and would never ever consider using anything other. I keep one set up for large primers; the other for small. There is a great video on it -- https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/s...57&action=view -- which you may wish to view. I never have used the primer function of presses -- and attribute my (knock wood) almost non existent ftf or misfires greatly to my use of this tool. As a sidenote, too, I view it as one of the safest means to prime brass.
My recommendation...
geo

[MUSTANG]

Most of my old Lee Hand Priming Tools (Round Trays) are RIP. I detested the RCBS Press Primer arm that would throw primers across the room at times; so I went to a Lee Ram Prime Priming Unit for Single Stage Press a few years ago.

Price is pretty good at: https://www.titanreloading.com/produ...ock-ram-prime/

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have older Lee's, RCBS Hand Priming Tools set-up for large and small primers, a K&M Priming Tool and the recent Frankford Arsenal Priming tool. I like the RCBS Hand Priming Tools better than the others, though I still use the older round Lee, setup for different shellholders. It is a little more difficult to change shellholders on the RCBS than the Lee's and Frankford. It uses standard reloading press shellholders but does work very well. The Frankford Arsenal works well, is precisely adjustable, but is very heavy compared to the others. Have not tried the RCBS Universal Priming Tool or the newest Lee. I have used several different 'Ram' primers on loading presses, and the Lyman Tong Tool also, but if just one, I would stay with the RCBS Hand Priming Tool.

[kaiser]

Since I acquired the Lee Ram Priming unit, many years ago, I have not had a single misfire from primers not seated deep enough! (It seems that as the Lee hand primer toggle link is worn or "indented", primers will not always fully seated.) The Ram unit solved the "weak link" problem. I have also found the primer seating attachment atop of the Co-Ax press to work as well, just not as adaptable or fast.

[metricmonkeywrench]

I have 3:

An RCBS hand primer that took the place of the ram prime (without the feeder setup) I started out with (a definite upgrade). The only issues I have with that is the switching between big and small it can be a bit tricky to get all the pieces back together and even with RCBS shell holders sometimes the plastic feed adaptor/guide is a bit tough to get back into place if the shell holder is not machined just right.

An RCBS bench prime. Other than the annoying floppy primer feed tube it is my standard go to and used the most. No issues what so ever.

the last is a old Lachmiller with an RCBS adaptor kit. Works great but is limited to the appropriate OEM shell holders if they can be found or a large hole RCBS shell holder. RCBS has a current model of this style still available. It works great, the downside is the one primer at a time feeding like a ram prime. This one is permanently relegated to doing 30-06 low volume priming.

[JimB..]

There are many threads on this site re priming tools: I suggest you do a search? Sadly (to me ) you did not indicate if your replacement needs be a hand-held device, or a bench priming too.
I have two RCBS bench priming tools, and would never ever consider using anything other. I keep one set up for large primers; the other for small. There is a great video on it -- https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/s...57&action=view -- which you may wish to view. I never have used the primer function of presses -- and attribute my (knock wood) almost non existent ftf or misfires greatly to my use of this tool. As a sidenote, too, I view it as one of the safest means to prime brass.
My recommendation...
geo

This, and I also have 2, but since caliber conversion is less effort than changing the shell holder, each a 5 sec process, I just keep one as a spare. Primed 2500 pieces of 45acp last week.

[Barry54]

There are many threads on this site re priming tools: I suggest you do a search? Sadly (to me ) you did not indicate if your replacement needs be a hand-held device, or a bench priming too.
I have two RCBS bench priming tools, and would never ever consider using anything other. I keep one set up for large primers; the other for small. There is a great video on it -- https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/s...57&action=view -- which you may wish to view. I never have used the primer function of presses -- and attribute my (knock wood) almost non existent ftf or misfires greatly to my use of this tool. As a sidenote, too, I view it as one of the safest means to prime brass.
My recommendation...
geo

I did search and got about 1700 threads for priming tool. I’ve read more times than I can count “this thread is xx years old” and could live happily the rest of my life without seeing something along those lines again.

I intentionally didn’t specify a style in hopes of getting more replies of what works well. I’d prefer not to handle tiny little primers one at a time, but if all the modern offerings are sloppy and inferior, I might just order the ram prime for the Lee classic cast press and do it the slow way. My, how I wish we had a time machine and could go back and get discontinued things.

Hindsight really is 20/20

[deces]

Lee shell holders might be compatible with this.
https://youtu.be/x6YUA6mJygI

[mdi]

I tried 3 (maybe 4) different hand priming tools, several times. None were comfortable, none fit my hand, and if I seated 50 primers without fiddling with the tool, I would celebrate. I have used hand tools a lot since the age of 10 and know how to use them, but hand hand priming tools just don't fit my hands. I got a ram prime many years ago and since using it I have had zero FTFs due to seating. I have an old single stage C press with the ram prime mounted and use it more than my RCBS Bench Prime (don't get me started on that poorly designed "tool"). I have old beat up fat fingers and picking up small items can be a pain, but I place a paper towel on my bench and dump primers on it. Easy to pick up small primers and rarely fumble with any. Yes ram primes can be slower but so is FTF or needing double strikes or "tap and rack". I have used most primers available with a ram prime and have been able to get 100% good priming even with the "troublesome" makes. (some primers I find work better by "sensitizing" or preloading them, easy with a ram prime)...

[gmsharps]

The rcbs bench priming took is hard to beat. Use the pickup tubes that hold about 60 primers and off you go. I use several priming tubes loaded up and I think it is pretty easy and have good seating pressure. I’ve tried the hand priming tools by both lee and rcbs and they are for me too much hassle. Just my thoughts

Gmsharps

[schutzen-jager]

the old style LEE with the round reservoir is the best i have ever used - tried their new style + i gave up + gave it away in a few weeks - been building up a reserve of the old style i find at estate sales + flea markets + never paid more then $5.00 for one - they should outlast me -

[deces]

This one will use your Lee shellholders.
https://kmshooting.com/product/priming-tools-kit/

[Shawlerbrook]

Have said it before and I am still a fan of the RCBS Bench tool.

[wilecoyote]

...this_
slow, costly, indestructible and very accurate, if you follow the instructions_

[Mk42gunner]

Back in the 1990's when I was living in the barracks (no reloading there) and using various friends tools; I tried both the Lee round tray and the RCBS hand priming tool. The RCBS fit my hands better than the Lee, although it was a bit more money (I think the price tag on mine reads $22.95).

Swapping from large to small primers isn't all that difficult, and I can't remember ever having a shellholder that wouldn't work with it, even Lee's that are supposed to give problems.

I have not tried the newer one that has the "universal" shellholder.

Robert

[GhostHawk]

When I got back into shooting and reloading I searched long and hard for a good hand priming unit.

What I ended up with was the RCBS Universal primer. No shell holders, switch on the fly from .32acp to .444 marlin with no issues.
But you did have to change the shaft that seats the primer. Well after a year or two I saw here where some people were smart enough to buy two.

Set one up for small primers, set one up for large. Pistol to rifle does not matter.

Well it took me a few months but I found one for sale used for about half the cost of new. Was missing the large part, but that was no sweat. Switched mine to large, left the new one setup for small. Hey presto life is dang easy.

I will say if you use it a lot you might want to put a smidge of imperial sizing wax on the main central push shaft. Makes a big difference.

I love mine, and normally I buy more Lee tools. But these are worth what they cost. Will never use anything else.

The old guy who taught be how to reload looked at a box of my reloads and was amazed.

"Bill those primers look like factory rounds, they are all set to the same depth, they are perfect"
So next trip I brought my RCBS universal with me, and 100 9mm brass, all prepped and ready and a box of 100 CCI small pistol primers.
It was a good hour and he really enjoyed it. RIP Bob, miss ya.

[oldhenry]

+1 for the RCBS bench priming tool

[JimB..]

...this_
slow, costly, indestructible and very accurate, if you follow the instructions_

This is in my field kit with a Buchanan press, but at the bench I much prefer the RCBS universal bench primer, in spite of the feed tube bouncing about.