Federal Primers

[gasboffer]

I've been using a Lee Classic Turret to load .45 ACP. Just purchased 1000 Federal L.P. primers. The package for each 100 primers was designed by an evil genius who has a diabolical hatred for reloaders. The Lee press has of course a round primer feed tray, and the Fed. primers come in a square box. To open the box you have to pry two cut-out tabs on the back with a knife or small screwdriver. I don't know if the boxes are of a size that will dump into the square trays on some of the new primer feeders, but they certainly will not dump into the round tray without dumping about 10 out on the bench. I have talked to God about this, but so far he hasn't answered me. Anyone have a magic solution for getting the primers out of the square box and into the round tray?

[Lonestar22]

I agree the Federal primer packaging is a pain. That said I use the Lee hand held priming tool [round], which I believe is the same configuration as the press mounted tray. After unlocking the Federal box [grin], I slide the primer filled tray out of the box until I see 50 primers, and dump 50 onto the Lee priming tray.
You can try putting the 100 count box in the priming tray but I find not all primers make it onto the tray. Place a small towel on your bench to catch the strays, and hand place these primers on the tray. I use a towel as the primers don't bounce as they will against your bench. Lee now makes a square hand priming tool, and may make the same for your press.
Hope this is of some help.

[sundog]

Yup, just did a couple hundred Fed LP primers last night. I have to agree with your comments about the new style packaging. If I want to dump all 100 I have a restaurant 'bill and tip tray' with a corner very carefully broke off. Unload them into the tray and then shake them into the primer tray through the broken corner of the tip tray. Works okay for my use. So much for lawyer proofing the packaging!

[Dale53]

I open half the box and dump them, then I turn the box around and dump the rest. It works pretty dern good. I seldom drop a single primer...

Dale53

[eniku40]

Square piece of stiff cardboard the size of the primer box.
Round hole in it the size of the plastic tray.

Cover 'n tip. It still leaves some primers in the box, but at least you won't be hunting for them on the floor.

The square trays are supposed to be the same size as the primer box, but as I only have a round one, I can't say for sure.

[gefiltephish]

I use the square RCBS primer flipper tray. Gather the primers in the center and lay the Lee over top, flip over. Nuttin' to it.

[JohnFM]

I solved the problem of dealing with those Federal boxes.
I don't buy Federal anymore!

[Tatume]

All primer packages are very poorly designed. Federal is the worst. Remington may be the best, but is still poor. Don't trust any of them. They will flex and spill primers when you least expect it. I agree with the "evil genius" comment.

[sirgknight]

I guess I learned how to dump primers from a square box into a round tray by using Wolf primers. It's fairly simple: dump one row at a time into the center of the tray until all 100 primers are on the tray; lightly shuffle the tray to get the primers all turned upside down. Piece-of-cake!!!

[Rocky Raab]

Just noticed your sig box, sirgknight. Howdy, fellow FAC!

On topic: I have no really good way to handle that pernicious packaging other than careful placement and dropping only a few rows at a time. But the cardboard sleeve with a hole is intriguing.

[cbrick]

Yep, Federal primer AND gas check boxes are a PITA. Why? Because they are so large that they take up so much room in my primer cabinet that I get about 1/3 fewer boxes than the CCI or Winchester boxes.

Fed 210's are some of the best I've tested in several rifle loads though so a solution to the primer flip tray was needed and I found that with the Dillon brass primer tray simply because it's large enough to place the Fed box into it and flip them. I'm not a big Dillon fan, I've only got a few pieces of Dillon tools but the brass tray is really great.

Rick

[kelbro]

Federal LP primers are the only ones that hang up in my Dillon primer tubes. Usually just one out of 100 but still a royal pain.

I also use the square RCBS tray (new style) to dump them.

Once I'm through with this 1K, back to WLP for me.

[contender1]

I use a lot of Federals, and I also use a Dillon brass flip tray. No problems with Federals to me. I think their design is to help prevent continous combustion in the event of a hard strike against one of them.

A side note about the tip tray, or the cardboard box. Go to Harbor Freight tools, and they sell a plastic "Parts sorting tray" that would be excellent for that as well. About $3-$4. I own 3 of them for different areas of the house for sorting things. A neat idea and well worth the money.

[imashooter2]

If you want to lower DA pull on a S&W revolver much under 7 pounds, you gotta go with Federal. I buy 'em 5K at a pop.

Mine fit easily into one of the big Dillon flip trays and I've heard about having to pry the tabs out... Personally, I don't see it. The trays slide out just as easy as any other brand for me.

[Beau Cassidy]

I those little flaps on the Federal primer package was the only thing I had to worry about life would be good. I don't let them bother me. But then again, for storage reasons, I usually don't buy a whole lot of Federal primers.

[Lizard333]

+1 on the Dillon BRASS tray. They aren't selling the brass anymore. The new ones don't work as well as the old ones. I stopped buying federal as well because of the packing. Just takes too much space.

Maybe it's my imagination but it seems like they are a tighter fit. Loading them in an S&B cartridge and it seems like I'm loading a primer in a military case without the primer pocket swaged. They suck.

[cajun shooter]

I use the same set up that you do and I do it the same as others have posted.
First you just push the tab in the direction you want to slide the tray out. I then only push the tray out to expose about 40 primers at a time. Doing it this way is easy and causes no problems.
I've also used the large metal primer tray from Dillon ant it also works.
Federal has decided that they will make the primer box so darn primer explosion proof that no wolf lawyer will come Knocking.
I've used all brands of primers in my some 40 years of loading and Federal give me the best performance with any gun that has lighter springs.
Just 4 years ago I made a good buy on some Winchester Lp and started using them. I was having one or two out of 100 fail to fire and that was too much. I went back to Federal .

[tomf52]

I don't like the Federal primer packaging either but I just dump them into the palm of one hand and then dump them into the Lee primer tray. Not really a problem. If you still need a solution, make a funnel from a one liter soda bottle to pour them onto the tray.

[sisiphunter]

Like others said. Only dump 50 then flip the primer box around for the other 50. and in my dillon 650 they are the ones that get stuck in the primer tubes. and they r too big to store easily bit they do work well. So i ise them quite a bit.

[Moondawg]

Don't know if it is true or not, but I was told the reason for Federal's large square primer box is because it meets NATO standards for shipping. Seems sometime back in the dark ages, Federal had a contract with one or more NATO countries to provide them with primers. It was cheaper for Federal to just go with one size packaging instead of having seperate size packages for military and civilian componants.