RCBS hand primer

[Mr.Snerdly]

Do you have any luck with this thing with the small primers? I had given up on it before but tried it again last night. It worked fine except on the last one I did the primer must have gotten turned crossways and had an awful time getting the case off the shellholder. I ended up ruining the case. This is the second or third time this happened, although I didn't damage the case getting it freed before. It seems to work pretty well on the large primers but I am less than impressed with the small.

[CFJunkie]

I have two of the RCBS hand primers and they work fine. I've loaded over 50,000 primers with them, about 40% with small primers, and haven't ever pressed a primer sideways into a primer pocket.
One of my RCBS hand primers is set up for large primers and the other is set for small primers.

I have learned that you can't be ham handed, and also have to keep the tray arranged so the primers smoothly flow into the tool.

If a primer, especially a small primer, slides into position when you are jostling the plunger, it can tip and cause the problem you described.
It rarely happens to me but when it does, I know it well before I squeeze the handle hard enough to jam a tilted primer into the primer pocket. If you pay attention and stop pressing, you can easily turn the primer flat and set it with a relatively gentle press.
After your experience, you probably won't try to press so hard that you get the tilted primer jammed into the primer pocket.

It isn't a problem with the tool, but with a tool user who 'pressed on' when the tool was telling him that something wasn't right.

[Texas10]

Common problem with the design that uses a plastic tray to feed the ram. I have learned the hard way, to raise the ram and visually check that the next primer is correctly positioned BEFORE sliding the case onto the shellholder. If it's upside down, sideways, or there are two stacked ontop of each other I can fix it before I jam a case.

[Mr.Snerdly]

I think I will use the press from now on, on the small primers. I have a lot better luck with the large primers with the hand primer and it is convenient. I suppose the press is slower but it works pretty good.

[charlie b]

You have to be much more careful on the press. When a primer goes in sideways it gets really stuck. I've only set off one when doing so. And trying to get the case back out of the shell holder is even tougher.

[jpx2rk]

I've got a RCBS universal hand primer, works fine IMO, but if the primer is hard to seat, it's usually because the brass case is slightly off center in the spring loaded jaws or the old crimp needs a bit of fine tuning. I also use the old school LEE hand primers with out issues as well. I've got a LEE bench mount primer set up that works great on small primers but not so much on large rifle primers IMO. These bench mounted ones are $25 or so, and I mounted mine on a small piece of flooring that I clamp down for stabilty.

[yobuck]

Being old schooled, i still do it the old way, one at a time with a hand tool.
But then im rarely doing any large volume at one time.
My favorite tool is the small Lee hand primer that came in the box with the old individual hand loading kits.
I would buy a kit for that tool, then throw away the rest of the kit.
I also have a Sinclair hand tool i use for the larger cases which is far superior quality to the Lee and also pretty pricey, but id rather use the old Lee.

[Balljoint]

I've loaded several thousand over the winter when i can't get to the gun club, all have been resized all have been used in MATCH shooting.

[yobuck]

I've loaded several thousand over the winter when i can't get to the gun club, all have been resized all have been used in MATCH shooting.
So Balljoint, where can one in the Philly area go nowdays to shoot?
Does the old Holmesburg club still exist?

[charlie b]

I liked the old Lee hand primers. I was stuck without at one time and the only one the LGS carried was the Hornady. I really don't like it. Doesn't really fit the hand well. Hard to change shell holders. Only one thing going for it is it uses std shell holders. It is built like a tank, but, not very useful. I prime on the press instead.

[Bill2905]

I'm still using the old Lee hand priming tool that I acquired over 25 yrs ago when I first started reloading. I use it for rifle cartridges. Not sure what I would buy today if I were to find myself without it.

[GaCop]

Common problem with the design that uses a plastic tray to feed the ram. I have learned the hard way, to raise the ram and visually check that the next primer is correctly positioned BEFORE sliding the case onto the shellholder. If it's upside down, sideways, or there are two stacked ontop of each other I can fix it before I jam a case. +1:thumb:

[GaCop]

I'm still using the old Lee hand priming tool that I acquired over 25 yrs ago when I first started reloading. I use it for rifle cartridges. Not sure what I would buy today if I were to find myself without it.

A Lee is what I used for many, many years, bought it back in 1972. The shell holder screwed into the tool body. When it finally broke a few years ago I bought a Hornady. I'm not too happy with the Hornady primer seater either.

[yobuck]

I'm still using the old Lee hand priming tool that I acquired over 25 yrs ago when I first started reloading. I use it for rifle cartridges. Not sure what I would buy today if I were to find myself without it.
Problem ive had with them is the lever handle being just pot metal breaks making it useless.
But i saw on Ebay that somebody makes a replacement part for it.
Type in Lee hand priming tools and it might come up.

[Bill2905]

Problem ive had with them is the lever handle being just pot metal breaks making it useless.
But i saw on Ebay that somebody makes a replacement part for it.
Type in Lee hand priming tools and it might come up.

Yes, it does look kinda cheap but it's held together. I was a little lax in keeping the pivot point lubricated and it developed a flat spot. I was able to clean it up with some light filing.

[GaCop]

Problem ive had with them is the lever handle being just pot metal breaks making it useless.
But i saw on Ebay that somebody makes a replacement part for it.
Type in Lee hand priming tools and it might come up.
I didn't know that, threw the broken Lee away years ago.

[Ted_Feasel]

Frankford arsenal perfect prime hand primer is awesome. When you hold it you know you are hold a well made piece of equipment designed to last a life time.. no gimmicks with it. It comes with all the shell holders, the don't leave ones out that they know you may have to buy. Ive tried lee, rcbs, just about all of them and in my opinion it is leaps and bound superior

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[Fuj']

All my testing ammo, I use the Sinclair. I have a lee packed away,
but just don't load quantity anymore. That Frankford tool has been
rated right up there.

[Ted_Feasel]

All my testing ammo, I use the Sinclair. I have a lee packed away,
but just don't load quantity anymore. That Frankford tool has been
rated right up there.Yeah, I can speak first hand, all metal construction (except primer tray of course)
It has a dead stop adjustment that is awesome for precision reloaded that uniform the primer pockets. If you ever get another hand unit I can promise you won't be disappointed

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[Stumpkiller]

I have a Lee bench-mount auto prime. Very easy (steel lever arm with lots of leverage). Though, for that matter, I have used an early version of the hand prime (no primer tray) and a later version with the auto-feed tray. Never had a problem with them, either. The bench-mount is on a thick & heavy wood base with my neck turner and neck wall thickness/runout jigs so I can turn the one I need at the time to be in front.