Seating Primers

[Robinhood]

Hey ernest, Do your thumbs get tired when you are holding that brass and uniforming the primer pockets? If they do try one of those rubber jar opener/lid gripper pads.

[Ernest T]

Hey ernest, Do your thumbs get tired when you are holding that brass and uniforming the primer pockets? If they do try one of those rubber jar opener/lid gripper pads.

Not only tired, but if I do it longer than about 5 minutes at a time, my hands cramp! I usually alternate 5 minutes on and 5 minutes off. Using a gripper pad is a great suggestion. Maybe it'll help the cramping since I won't have to hold the cases as tightly.

[South Prairie jim]

The K&M tool I bought is adjustable. I went with the depth they said to use, but I know I didn't get to the bottom of the pocket on this first effort.
Good to know’ I didn’t realize mine ( k& m) was adjustable.. thank you

[charlie b]

Yep, either the gripper pads or the mechanic gloves work great.

[Robinhood]

another good idea charlie.

[charlie b]

Thanks :) I have found them useful for a ton of things. The vibration damped ones I used when riding the motorcycles. Thinner ones I use for shooting gloves. Always keep a std set in the car in case of roadside issues. Newer ones work with cell phone screens.

[Ernest T]

I think I fixed these cases. The ring around the flash hole is gone, they shoot well, the primers aren't proud of the case head any longer and I'm getting more consistent CBTO measurements now. This is after firing a round and cleaning the pocket with the Lee Case Conditioner, the ring is no longer obvious like they were in post 77. Thanks for the help with the issue.

9428

[Ernest T]

I received the Lyman hand primer today and I cannot get it to fully seat a primer in a 9 mm, 45 ACP, 6.5 CM or .223. They all protrude below the case head.

Here's the 9mm. This is as far as I can seat the primer with the handle fully depressed.

9435

This is as far as this ram comes up with a 6.5 CM. You can see this won't seat a primer even with the case head, much less below it. I couldn't even get the case out of the shell holder while it was on the hand primer. I had to take both off and put it on my Lee press to seat the primer.

9436

I kept thinking I was doing something wrong or there was some adjustment I missed, but its a pretty simple tool. The primer holder slips into the handle, you stick a shell holder on top and lock the primer holder and shell holder onto the handle with a collar. It can only go together one way and there is no adjustment. It's going back tomorrow.

On edit: Lyman has been having issues with this primer since at least 2017. I should have done a web search before I ordered it.

[Ernest T]

It seems like there isn't any go to hand primer. The best ones seem to be like the Sinclair, K&M or 21st century which require you to load the primers one at a time. All those with magazines you load with primers like the RCBS, Lyman or Lee seem to have issues feeding primers at times.

[Ernest T]

After looking at myriad hand priming videos, I've come to two conclusions. First, hand priming doesn't do any good unless you uniform the primer pocket first. The main advantage to hand priming seems to be the ability to feel the primer bottom out in the primer pocket. What advantage is that unless all the primer pockets are the same depth? If they are the same depth, then all the primers will be seated the same. Two, they all have issues. No matter how many good reviews they get, a few people, sometimes a lot of people, will have problems with them. I'm thinking I'll only hand seat primers in my long range precision rounds so loading primers individually won't be a big deal and eliminates the great majority of the problems people have with them. I am considering, in no particular order, Sinclair, 21st Century, and K&M. Are there any other similar hand primers I should look at?

[South Prairie jim]

Lapua brass pockets are extremely accurate before uniforming. The advantage of hand held is two fold-1 the quality tools have the leverage and 2 accuracy being able to place the primer to bottom out plus a slight crush, As far as uniforming goes I use mine to just clean the carbon out and not change dimensions and when you shoot past mid range these things play a part. If you’ve tried a good one I’m surprised you don’t like it .

[Ernest T]

Lapua brass pockets are extremely accurate before uniforming. The advantage of hand held is two fold-1 the quality tools have the leverage and 2 accuracy being able to place the primer to bottom out plus a slight crush, As far as uniforming goes I use mine to just clean the carbon out and not change dimensions and when you shoot past mid range these things play a part. If you’ve tried a good one I’m surprised you don’t like it .

I've only tried one hand primer, the Lyman, and it wouldn't seat the primer below the case head so no, I didn't like it. I read just as much bad about most of them as good. RCBS has two models and both have feeding issues. Apparently Lee is on their second model and many people lament that you can't buy the original any longer. It seems like the Achilles heel of all of them is the feeder.

[South Prairie jim]

Just a single feed basic K&M is a game changer, great leverage, excellent feel ,adjustability and built like a tank. I’m not trying to change your opinion just pointing out from having owned a few for other fellas.

[Ernest T]

Just a single feed basic K&M is a game changer, great leverage, excellent feel ,adjustability and built like a tank. I’m not trying to change your opinion just pointing out from having owned a few for other fellas.

The K&M is on my short list, but I'm not enthusiastic about having to load the primers individually.

[Robinhood]

After looking at myriad hand priming videos, I've come to two conclusions. First, hand priming doesn't do any good unless you uniform the primer pocket first. The main advantage to hand priming seems to be the ability to feel the primer bottom out in the primer pocket. What advantage is that unless all the primer pockets are the same depth? If they are the same depth, then all the primers will be seated the same.

I tend to agree.

[Dave Hoback]

I received the Lyman hand primer today and I cannot get it to fully seat a primer in a 9 mm, 45 ACP, 6.5 CM or .223. They all protrude below the case head.

Here's the 9mm. This is as far as I can seat the primer with the handle fully depressed.

9435

This is as far as this ram comes up with a 6.5 CM. You can see this won't seat a primer even with the case head, much less below it. I couldn't even get the case out of the shell holder while it was on the hand primer. I had to take both off and put it on my Lee press to seat the primer.

9436

I kept thinking I was doing something wrong or there was some adjustment I missed, but its a pretty simple tool. The primer holder slips into the handle, you stick a shell holder on top and lock the primer holder and shell holder onto the handle with a collar. It can only go together one way and there is no adjustment. It's going back tomorrow.

On edit: Lyman has been having issues with this primer since at least 2017. I should have done a web search before I ordered it.


I’m willing to bet your Shell Holder is too tall. Go read reviews about it here. https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Products-ZEE-Universal-Priming/dp/B00AU6CA8O#customerReviews The Lyman shell holders are like .0660” tall or something. I use Lee Shell Holders and don’t have a problem. It’s the best, and most solid feeling hand primer I’ve ever used.

[Dave Hoback]

Actually, I believe the Redding Shell Holders are among the tallest! So of course it won’t seat primers…. The shell is sitting too high!

Why am I the only one catching this? LOL! I will say, in fairness, Lyman really should be telling people people this. And maybe include one of THEIR shell holders. (Although you’d need multiple.)

[Dave Hoback]

Just a single feed basic K&M is a game changer, great leverage, excellent feel ,adjustability and built like a tank. I’m not trying to change your opinion just pointing out from having owned a few for other fellas.

I’ve compared them both and prefer the Lyman. The K&M is also nice, but the single primer loading is tedious.. unnecessarily. And I look at little things. For $75 the K&M has stamped flat steel rising fulcrum, where the $49 Lyman while using fantastic locking trays to prevent primers from being lost, uses a Chrome piston style rising fulcrum ram. Maybe I just got really lucky. But I’ve used quite a few, and none felt as nice as the Lyman.

[Ernest T]

Actually, I believe the Redding Shell Holders are among the tallest! So of course it won’t seat primers…. The shell is sitting too high!

Why am I the only one catching this? LOL! I will say, in fairness, Lyman really should be telling people people this. And maybe include one of THEIR shell holders. (Although you’d need multiple.)


I’m willing to bet your Shell Holder is too tall. Go read reviews about it here. https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Products-ZEE-Universal-Priming/dp/B00AU6CA8O#customerReviews The Lyman shell holders are like .0660” tall or something. I use Lee Shell Holders and don’t have a problem. It’s the best, and most solid feeling hand primer I’ve ever used.

It doesn't work with the Lee shell holders either as I tried Lee shell holders with 6.5 CM, 9 mm and 45 ACP too. In fact, its even worse with Lee pistol shell holders. Just do a web search for Lyman Hand Primer issues and you'll find lots of threads about them not seating primers starting in 2017. If shell holder height is the issue, you'd think they would have some type of info about that in the directions by now since their usual response is to send out a new hand primer, sometimes multiple ones.

[Ernest T]

I’ve compared them both and prefer the Lyman. The K&M is also nice, but the single primer loading is tedious.. unnecessarily. And I look at little things. For $75 the K&M has stamped flat steel rising fulcrum, where the $49 Lyman while using fantastic locking trays to prevent primers from being lost, uses a Chrome piston style rising fulcrum ram. Maybe I just got really lucky. But I’ve used quite a few, and none felt as nice as the Lyman.

The K&M, Sinclair and 21st Century are all single primer loaders, but there are very few complaints about their operation.

I liked the Lyman too, its not fussy to change from large to small primers and back. The one I got didn't work and I wasn't willing to wait while they sent me multiple new ones to try.

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