Hand priming tools. What's your favorite?

Plowboy · Post by **Plowboy** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 6:04 pm

Ok I am thinking my priming tool is getting a bit worn as unless the primer pockets are very easy to prime, I am getting the odd primer sitting just that little bit out and making closing the bolt hard/unsafe.

Just wondering what brands people use and what they think of them? I am using a lee at the moment but have put a bid on an RCBS on eBay(dammit not sure I want it but am in the lead)

JasonF · Post by **JasonF** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:29 pm

I have the RCBS universal, which I don't think I would recommend. The universal jaws let go of the rim every now and again which is annoying. The tray and feeding on the hand are very good, as is the construction.

I have a theory (totally without any basis) that Sinclair's must be working on a tray fed version of their priming tool. Their current one is excellent, but I can't be stuffed loading the primers one at a time.

adamjp · Post by **adamjp** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:38 pm

I use the traditional Lee tray fed one. In fact, I've got two, one for large primers, one for small.

I have used the RCBS single primer and the RCBS tray fed one. The RCBS stuff is a PITA to use compared to the Lee.

Post by **MISSED** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:26 pm

Like Adam I use 2 Lee handprimers one for small and one for large primers.

I would lust after a Sinclairs but reckon single feeding would be (is) a PITA.

I think 21st Century make a Sinclairs look alike that uses the Lee primer tray and shell holders.

bigfellascott · Post by **bigfellascott** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:05 pm

What ever ya do don't get the square Lee Primer tool its shite, go the round one.

mick_762 · Post by **mick_762** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:06 pm

I use a lee as well, but just use two primer trays.

Not a big deal to change over when required.

Mick

Curtley78 · Post by **Curtley78** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:15 pm

Nothing beats the ol'Lee priming tool..

Brad Y · Post by **Brad Y** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:23 pm

I like the lee hand priming stuff but on the old model and the new model there were weaknesses in them. The old one, I kept snapping the handle- lapua palma cases with CCI450's, the new one has a beefier handle and can seat primers no probs. But the tray lid on this one is crap and Ive snapped the small clear plastic tabs on both lids. Im loading anywhere from 25-50 rounds a week for just me up to 100 rounds if I shoot at a couple of ranges/clubs or if Im loading for someone else. I wish these little weaknesses would get sorted and I would have a product that would last for what I need it for.

Ned Kelly · Post by **Ned Kelly** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:32 pm

G'day all,
been using the sinclair one for 16-17years, best available I reckon, I've got the heads for .223, ppc, and 308, easy to swap, 100% reliable and combined with a square rcbs primer tray to hold the primers, probably safer than the lee auto prime as they did have some issues some years back and I had one; A GREAT product, but I found I was nearly as quick with the sinclair and since I load 1500-2000 rounds per year, I wont go back. I reckon the Sinclair has loaded nearly 20,000+ rounds without fault. I was after the feel and precision for BR, it was a little more sensitive, feel wise, than the LEE, but for general varminting, I did use a LEE AUTO PRIME for nearly a decade with no problems.

Just work out what you want then buy it, either one is fine in my opinion.

Cheerio Ned

Plowboy · Post by **Plowboy** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:26 am

Thatnks for the replies fellas. I didn'twin the RCBS so still got the lee. I took it apart yesterday just to see what was happening in there and I have worn the round part of the "piston" that pushes on the priming rod. Just a little but I think that was the problem. I turned it around in the hope that I would be using a different part of the piston and put some grease on it too. Naïf this doesn't work I will go get another lee. Does anyone have the hornady priming tool?

Curtley78 · Post by **Curtley78** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:24 am

Plowboy,

If I recall correctly, Lee have a lifetime warranty and if you send the part back they will replace it although I think the catch is you must pay the postage.

juzz338 · Post by **juzz338** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:49 pm

has anybody tried the lee priming tool that screws into the top of your press and self feeds i find this to be easier and faster for me than any of the hand priming tools i have tried and i do not get a sore or cramped hand when loading more than usual

JD · Post by JD » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:54 am

DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT!!! Buy the Lee XR hand primer. The square tray one.

It is an absolute heap of crap! Don't confuse them with the old round types. I paid $15US for one in an order I got from the states to replace the round tray one I broke and at $15 I still feel like I got ripped off, it's THAT bad.

Ok, I know this is a little late on the thread but thought I'd post here for future reference. I've had the original round tray Lee hand primer for quite a while and liked it. It was simple, did the job and was just pretty much hassle free. A cheap set of shell holders and you are set to reprime most cases. Evenutally it broke. The cast frame that holds the shell holder broke out. So that was the end of that one. I got an XR (square tray one to replace it). Bad idea.

I seriously can't believe that Lee paid product designers/engineers money to design this new primer. It's is cocked up from the get go. The carefully changes parts so the lever and push rod of the previous design doesn't work, so they can't be a source of parts. Secondly they designed a tray that simply is a shomozzle.

1.The tray has no hole in the clear top to reinsert a dropped or stray primer (ok, you could drill one, but the original one had one already). You could just pop a single primer in through the hole. The new design you have to take the whole tray lid off. No way to put a single primer back in

You may think this is no big deal until you get to point 2

2. The double feed style mechanism. The only tray had a simple piston that pushed the primer into the primer pocket. Easy. Worked well. All a self contained system, you couldn't lose primers, you couldn't flip primers. The NEW design, has a two stage type system. The brilliance of the design allows the second in line primer to actually sit outside the device!!!!!

The slightest shake or movement and that primer bounces free and heads off merrily across your floor. Why the hell can a primer get out of the device!!! It just sits out there in the open sitting loosely on the piston head. Not only that, when it then slides into position number one there is some much space around the primer and where it has to go that they routinely flip. I have never loaded SO many reverse primers in my life. So you either lose the primers by the jumping free, or the bloody things go in backwards! Also, when they primers half spin on the first piston they push into the tray lid and either 1. jam, or 2. worse actually push the lid of the primer tray open and your $%^^ing primers fall out!!!

3. The tray lid. Has a nice little step up that tries to funnel the primers to the side shoot. Great idea. Except primers manage to get up on the top of that step, get stuck there or manage to push the lid off the whole tray or push it out just enough so that you don't notice until the primers you are trying to feed into the case start flipping, jamming or falling out again.

4. Somehow they managed to decrease the ergonomics of the device and decrease the leverage to seat primers. Comparing the old versus new shows you the difference. The old one is comfortable and easy, the new one just feel awkward and hard. I think they moved the lever rearward or shortened the length of the body so that it no longer protrudes far enough back into the hand to be properly supported.

The worse thing is they "re-engineered" with the Ergo-Prime, but kept the same failures the device by retaining exactly the same square primer tray set up that so badly fails on the XR!!!

Quite simply the product designer should be publicly shamed. I seriously can't believe they all sat around the table and decided this was the "new" improved design they were going to take to market. The pretty much cocked up the whole device from start to finish when they already had a working design. The could have put a square tray on the old device, strengthened the weak links and had an amazing product. Instead they have probably lost me as a customer completely. I kind of like Lee's for their prices, but this experience has caused me to drop them completely.

ALso, the Hornady Primer is abysmal also. A major fail in that department.

Solution: RCBS primer (not the universal one).

Camel · Post by **Camel** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 2:58 pm

Have never used one, and probably never will, I find its nice and quick with good feel seating the primer using my old Super Simplex press.

trevort · Post by **trevort** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:51 pm

snapped a handle off a lee. had an rcbs since. way superior

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