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Need hand priming tool recommendation


Buckshot Bear

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G'day pards,

 

My 30+ year old Lee hand priming tool finally gave up the ghost and I need a hand priming tool recommendation.

 

I bought a Lyman one on Friday and it looks great and very modern, but what a POS it is....its being returned.

 

Reading reviews the new Lee ones don't get a lot of love.

 

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3 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said:

We bought a new Lee deel.  Lots of plastic crap and broke right away.  Took it back to Grafs and they gave us credit towards an RCBS. Sawmill Mary likes it.  

 

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/14287

 

 

 

Warden what's the shell holder for the RCBS is it just a normal shell holder or do you have to purchase a special one to fit it?

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Lee’s are crap.  I bought a Frankfort Arsenal one about a year ago after breaking the replacement parts from Lee several times.   Well built, steel and Aluminum, and you can adjust to get the primer depth.  

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My old Lee broke years ago and I replaced it with an RCBS which is more durable.  It is not an ideal tool.  A knob is forever loosening and the piston rod that seats primers falls out easily.  Still, it gets the job done and will outlast me.

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46 minutes ago, Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 said:

My old Lee broke years ago and I replaced it with an RCBS which is more durable.  It is not an ideal toll.  A knob is forever loosening and the piston that seats primers falls out easily.  Still, it gets the job done and will outlast me.

The newer RCBS have changed the piston a little bit and it no longer falls out.  But it takes a bit longer to change sizes now.

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2 hours ago, Buckshot Bear said:

G'day pards,

 

My 30+ year old Lee hand priming tool finally gave up the ghost and I need a hand priming tool recommendation.

 

I bought a Lyman one on Friday and it looks great and very modern, but what a POS it is....its being returned.

 

Reading reviews the new Lee ones don't get a lot of love.

 

Same here.  Sent it back and bought an RCBS Universal.  Really like not having to change shell holders.  

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I use an RCBS but the one I have needs the RCBS shell holders. I also have an RCBS with the universal jaws...piece of junk. 45 Colt pops right out. Don't like the spring pressure on the jaws. It sets on the shelf. I use the one that takes the shell holders all the time. My Lee shell holders won't work as the chamfer on the bottom of the holder is smaller than what the RCBS are.

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I use the newer LEE Auto Prime tools.  And I love them.  

Then (after a hand injury) I quit using the handheld Auto Prime outfit and started using the Bench Prime.

The guts all interchange.

And with the Bench Prime, you still feel the primers being seated, if you like that.

  

Yes, they do wear out.  But LEE has been replacing parts as I need and I bought a few extra adapters.

I reckon they ain't for everybody, but I like them.

 

Mustang

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I have an RCBS hand priming tool  for sale $30 + shipping.

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4 hours ago, Buckshot Bear said:

 

Warden what's the shell holder for the RCBS is it just a normal shell holder or do you have to purchase a special one to fit it?

 

The current model of the RCBS hand primer uses the same shell holder as your press. 

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I have been using an RCBS hand priming tool for years with very good results, easy on the hands.  I also have the RCBS with the universal jaws, works good on just about everything but 45 Colt, the rim is just too small to get a good hold on it and it will slip out when trying to seat a primer.  

 

I recently bought a Frankfort Arsenal and like it.  Very well made, even if a big larger and heavier than the RCBS.  You can dial in the seating depth of the primer in .001" increments.  Just did 500 pieces of 38 Starline brass and liked how easy it was to use and it was easy on my arthritic hands.  Randomly checked the seating depth on about 20 pieces and they all mic'd to 0.003", very consistent.  The one complaint I have is the primer tray does not flip primers very well.  I always seem to have to flip about 5 to 10 over by hand.

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My old Lee was great .

When I seen Lee making a new one .

I bought It and thought this SUCKS .

So I bought three more of the Old Style Lee Hand Loaders for a back up .

I now keep one setup for Large .

And one setup for Small .

And a back up for if ever needed .

Unfortunately Lee quit making the Old Style they was Great for a Cheap Hand Loader  .

So Saith The Rooster

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3 hours ago, Rooster Ron Wayne said:

My old Lee was great .

When I seen Lee making a new one .

I bought It and thought this SUCKS .

So I bought three more of the Old Style Lee Hand Loaders for a back up .

I now keep one setup for Large .

And one setup for Small .

And a back up for if ever needed .

Unfortunately Lee quit making the Old Style they was Great for a Cheap Hand Loader  .

So Saith The Rooster

 

This.

 

Every time I run across an old style Auto Prime at a gun shop or show, I buy it.

 

I have 7 or 8 of them now, and every shell holder.

 

I have them ready to go set up for individual calibers and marked .45, .223, .9mm, .38, etc.

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13 hours ago, Bingo Montana said:

 I always seem to have to flip about 5 to 10 over by hand.

 Keeping tray flat, gently rotate in a circular motion. YMMV

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17 hours ago, Not Dead Ed said:

Lee’s are crap.  I bought a Frankfort Arsenal one about a year ago after breaking the replacement parts from Lee several times.   Well built, steel and Aluminum, and you can adjust to get the primer depth.  

Also have had a good experience with this one 

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This is the POS that I'm returning -

 

2093_0.jpg.8d182fa2649492644694957f98df7b27.jpg

 

 

And now I'm think of getting a bench mounted one to save my hands and wrist from carpal tunnel ?

But its a Lee and some of the reviews ain't glowing, but some reckon its great.

 

download.jpg.1a52cf07da6686832aff5e27e92990bd.jpg

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2 hours ago, Buckshot Bear said:

This is the POS that I'm returning -

 

2093_0.jpg.8d182fa2649492644694957f98df7b27.jpg

 

 

And now I'm think of getting a bench mounted one to save my hands and wrist from carpal tunnel ?

But its a Lee and some of the reviews ain't glowing, but some reckon its great.

 

download.jpg.1a52cf07da6686832aff5e27e92990bd.jpg

I Have a bench mount RCBS, I have had it for about 9 years  and it works great, very well made ! V.D.

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I had an old Lee hand primer and ran 10,000's on it until the lever finally broke (cheap pot metal).

 

I bought another Lee, RCBS, Lyman and Frankford primer tools.

 

Kept the Frankford and returned the rest.

 

Frankford primer was weird to me at first because it was "upside-down" that is the slot for the brass was down instead of up! So you have to hold the brass for a half second while you put some pressure on seating the primer. It took a couple hundred rounds before it became comfortable, but now I just keep a bucket under it and the primed brass just falls into the bucket when I release the handle.

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The Frankford Arsenal hand primer is now on sale at www.midwayusa.com.  Click on the link below.

 

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1016958988?pid=582486&utm_source=general-promotion&utm_medium=email&utm_content=product_11_link&utm_campaign=reloading

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As a new to the scene reloader, I had tried to use the Lee Turret press to load my primers. Most of them ended up slightly proud, causing me conniption fits at the firing line. Frankford hand tool did the trick perfectly. 

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On 10/30/2021 at 1:47 PM, Warden Callaway said:

We bought a new Lee deel.  Lots of plastic crap and broke right away.  Took it back to Grafs and they gave us credit towards an RCBS. Sawmill Mary likes it.  

 

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/14287

 

 

I use this RCBS hand tool for pistol and rifle priming.  It works great.

 

SC

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1 hour ago, Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L said:

While not necessarily a hand tool, if you are looking for an "off press" option, this Lee tool works pretty well. Minimum of plastic parts.

Lee Auto Bench Priming Tool (midwayusa.com)

I ordered one yesterday..... Should be here in a few days. 

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48 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Let us know how it works for you

 

I've also ordered a spare plastic thingo for it so when it breaks (if) I don't get caught out waiting for one to come in the mail.

 

Watched a lot of fella's using them on Youtube, I hope it works well as it will be a lot easier on my thumb and hand which ain't gettin' any younger!

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The nice thing is it uses the auto prime shell holder which they haven't changed in years. The clear plastic part that holds the ram (one for large primers and one for small) is the weak link, I had the small one break but Lee replaced it. And there is no way to shake it if the primers get clogged. You can tap the bottom of the tray every once in awhile to keep things flowing though.

It's very positive and you can seat primers with one finger. Good choice. 

https://youtu.be/r5CSkxpomJk

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28 minutes ago, Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L said:

The nice thing is it uses the auto prime shell holder which they haven't changed in years. The clear plastic part that holds the ram (one for large primers and one for small) is the weak link, I had the small one break but Lee replaced it. And there is no way to shake it if the primers get clogged. You can tap the bottom of the tray every once in awhile to keep things flowing though.

It's very positive and you can seat primers with one finger. Good choice. 

https://youtu.be/r5CSkxpomJk

 

That's the vid that sold me.

 

Did you mount yours to your bench or to a board?

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25 minutes ago, Buckshot Bear said:

 

That's the vid that sold me.

 

Did you mount yours to your bench or to a board?

They always work flawlessly in the videos.^_^

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