Frankford Arsenal Hand Primer

I'm a little late saying anything about my Frankford Arsenal Hand Primer, I was disappointed because it had less feel than my older RCBS bench priming tool. I also had problems with the shell holder for the .44 Special -.44 Magnum that would not hold the rim of the cases.

So I went to the hardware store and found a lighter spring so that less force was required to squeeze the priming handle to get more feel. And then found out and ordered a .44 Special shell holder for the Lee hand priming tool pictured below that fit the Frankford Arsenal Hand Primer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000N8JZ0U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

41o2svjLA1L.jpg
 
bigedp51 said:
I'm a little late saying anything about my Frankford Arsenal Hand Primer, I was disappointed because it had less feel than my older RCBS bench priming tool. I also had problems with the shell holder for the .44 Special -.44 Magnum that would not hold the rim of the cases.

So I went to the hardware store and found a lighter spring so that less force was required to squeeze the priming handle to get more feel. And then found out and ordered a .44 Special shell holder for the Lee hand priming tool pictured below that fit the Frankford Arsenal Hand Primer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000N8JZ0U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

41o2svjLA1L.jpg
Click to expand...

Are tbw primer tool shell holders compatible with FA priming tool?
 
Like bigedp51, I went to a lesser spring to get more feel.
With the factory spring, it took 3 hands to change out a shell holder!
Two to depress the button while the third inserted the shell holder!
 
Bought the new Lee after many years with the original lee. What a piece of crap. It jams up constantly. There’s plastic on plastic resistance inside it that gets worse the longer you use it. I’ve never had a flipped primer in a hand primer until now. Not totally flipped, just on its side. It’s heavier too. I thought I was treating myself. Luckily the original one still works until I can try something else. I’m going to check this one out for sure.
 
My old Lee wore out. The newer model worked OK, but broke relatively quicklyly. So I ordered the FA. So far I like it a lot. Seems well built and functions well, but only ~1000 cases in so far. Time will tell. :)
 
Rod B said:
I have been using the RCBS hand primer for over 25 years. It works for me.
Click to expand...


The FA hand primer is a good little unit. Other than the adjustment for primer depth and finger operated lever, it's pretty similar to the old style Lee HP tool and I believe will be subject to similar issues as it wears.

I had to quit using my old style Lee HP because of arthritis in my thumb

I bought one of the Lee bench mounted presses and after a lot of judicious filing, finally got it to operate reliably and smoothly. The only fault I have found with it is that it isn't mobile/handy. Still, it's very easy on the hands and depending on the mood of the arthritis, it's there for occasional use.

Now, I use the RCBS HP press. One set up for large and one for small primers.

It works well, once you get used to it. Changing out shell head holders requires a bit more effort and I really dislike that floating ram system. I've already had to make up a new ram out of drill rod to replace one that fell out and disappeared into a black hole. I must admit, I really like the LONG FINGER OPERATED ram lever.

The main reason I chose the RCBS HP over the FA HP is the ram lever on the RCBS is longer
 
The spring is flat at both ends; so if you clip a coil it May push the pin off center a little bit as it rises.
I installed the spring from my old Lee hand primer but it felt too weak. Found a spring in between in my parts (junk) drawer that was just right.
 
bearhunter said:
I had to quit using my old style Lee HP because of arthritis in my thumb
Click to expand...

Due to injury my right thumb doesn't appreciate operating the priming tool for longer periods. But I found that turning the tool 180 deg and using 2 fingers on the lever worked pretty well.
 
Ganderite said:
That spring in the FA is heavy. Could I just clip a coil?
Click to expand...

I have a RCBS bench priming tool from the mid 1970s that has great feel. BUT you load one primer at a time by hand and I would drop primers that ended up on the floor.

I tried cutting coils off the factory spring but the FA priming tool still did not have the feel as the old RCBS priming tool did. The RCBS priming tool did not have a spring and all you feel is the primer sliding in and bottoming out. The spring I got at the hardware store just has enough force to keep the shell holder from falling out. But the FA unit still does not have the same feel as the older RCBS priming tool. Meaning the stronger the spring the priming tool has the less feel you will have.

The newer RCBS bench mounted priming tool with two feed tubes does not have any springs and should have good feel. I cut a butter dish lid out to fit on top of my older RCBS priming tool to catch any dropped primers and use it more than the FA unit. And I do not want to bad mouth the FA priming tool, I ruptured a disk in my neck and have nerve damage in my right arm and hand. And this is why I drop primers feeding my old RCBS priming tool and need more feel seating primers.

Below the newer RCBS bench priming tool does not have any springs and I wish I had bought it instead of the FA unit.

RCBS Automatic Priming Tool: Review
http://panhandleprecision.com/rcbs-automatic-priming-tool-review/
 
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