Lee Pro1000 and .223 - priming issues

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Woodcogger

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I've loaded thousands of pistol rounds on the Lee 1000, and have a pretty good feel for how it runs now. It's quirky, and needs a lot of attention, but runs pretty well overall.... until I tried reloading .223 rifle rounds. Out of 80 rounds attempted, I wasted 30. The priming process just isn't working out - I'm getting twisted primers and some just aren't seating right. I think it may have something to do with the military crimp, but I was very careful to ream them well and think I've got everything out. Any ideas? I'm thinking of resorting to hand-priming and inserting them in the press by hand (because I like the auto-powder loader, and don't want to hand-pour powder).

The infinite wisdom of the 'Nutz is called upon once again!

Darren
 
well, since you had no problems with pistol, the FIRST place i'd look is in the primer pockets of those rifle rounds- did you use a proper crimp remover or just a knife and possibly leave a burr or is there residue in the bottom of the primer pocket- then i'd look at the primer trough next-that has to be ABSOLUTELY CLEAN so the raceway isn't clogged- 3rd- you realise that the lee system DEPENDS on the weight of the primers in the trough to advance - you WON'T get an advance or partial advance if there's something like 10-12 primers left in the trough- i use a bamboo skewer to "help" the feed along when it gets that low- take off the tray, and use the skewer to push on the primer column- if your primers are tipping and inverting, it's b/c they're not centering on the pin properly- and that's usually a feed problem- you MAY need more force to seat them - ie make sure you go down to the bottom oN EVERY STROKE and full to the top- a good 80% of the problems with lee are operator error and SHORT STROKING- you "get away" with it when you're doing pistol b/c of the shortness of the case- the other thing i would check is the timing- and if you have the "magic tilt" to help with the primer feed, that a lot of us have put on, you need to get rid of that- the 223 HAS to be vertical, as it throws the centering of the decapping pin in the die off
 
I found my Lee Loadmaster had more trouble with small primers.

When I did a bunch of .308 in it I sized first and then hand primed. Finally charging, seating and crimping in a final trip through the press.
 
Mine works fine as long as I don't use any sort of crimped primer pocket, even after swaging the pocket and triming the holes I still have issues. so far I find , winchester, fiocihi, RP, S&B brass to reliably load new primers. PMC, FC, and NATO stamp will be problematic, basically any with the visable ring around the primer.
 
I am presently loading 223 on a Lee 1000 and 1F crimped primer brass.

ALL primer seating issues I have traced directly to the crimp. For best functioning, I really ream out the crimp and even bevel the entrance a bit.

One a case that wouldn't accept a primer even when 'reamed', with the extra reaming, primer goes in easy as can be.

I now use a Hrn reamer on an electric screwdriver and have at it.

works well.

Jerry
 
Thanks guys. I used a Lyman primer pocket reamer, and thought I got it all, but I think I'll go back and clean them up again and bevel the pocket a bit. I did notice some of the casing tilt a bit as I was just doing the last push to seat the primer - do you hold the case level while seating? Maybe I'll just go with the hand priming... might actually be quicker.
 
t-star said:
well, since you had no problems with pistol, the FIRST place i'd look is in the primer pockets of those rifle rounds- did you use a proper crimp remover or just a knife and possibly leave a burr or is there residue in the bottom of the primer pocket- then i'd look at the primer trough next-that has to be ABSOLUTELY CLEAN so the raceway isn't clogged- 3rd- you realise that the lee system DEPENDS on the weight of the primers in the trough to advance - you WON'T get an advance or partial advance if there's something like 10-12 primers left in the trough- i use a bamboo skewer to "help" the feed along when it gets that low- take off the tray, and use the skewer to push on the primer column- if your primers are tipping and inverting, it's b/c they're not centering on the pin properly- and that's usually a feed problem- you MAY need more force to seat them - ie make sure you go down to the bottom oN EVERY STROKE and full to the top- a good 80% of the problems with lee are operator error and SHORT STROKING- you "get away" with it when you're doing pistol b/c of the shortness of the case- the other thing i would check is the timing- and if you have the "magic tilt" to help with the primer feed, that a lot of us have put on, you need to get rid of that- the 223 HAS to be vertical, as it throws the centering of the decapping pin in the die off
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips, t-star. I've discovered most of these loading pistol (except for the bamboo skewer trick - thanks!). I just found so many more errors priming rifle compared to priming pistol. I think it's two things: the primer pocket needs more work and the tilt of some of the casings. I'll work on it a bit more and decide whether to go with hand priming. Thanks.
 
I have ordered a RCBS #9495 primer pocket swager die. I was using a lyman bit on a drill press but it is hard on the fingers and doesn't always remove the entire crimp.

I have 7,000 pieces of .223 to uncrimp.

I have a Lee 1000 as well but would not attempt to do .223, I have a Lee single stage press where I use a priming die, then load powder, seat bullet then factory crimp. The 1000 works great on pistol calibers once you get the hang of it.
 
i GUIDE the casing into the die- once the decapper has gone past the bottom of the neck, it doesn't matter- it 's the TOLERANCE that's machined into the shelplate that makes it a little sloppy in there- i hold the case against the wall of the shelplate- done right, you can FEEL the pin enter the flashole- then you KNOW you're centered,and the primer feed can do it's work
 
Woodcogger said:
Thanks guys. I used a Lyman primer pocket reamer, and thought I got it all, but I think I'll go back and clean them up again and bevel the pocket a bit. I did notice some of the casing tilt a bit as I was just doing the last push to seat the primer - do you hold the case level while seating? Maybe I'll just go with the hand priming... might actually be quicker.
Click to expand...

The reamer will not do the job, even if it feels fine, had the same problem, I have yet to get a surefire method to ensure a proper primer pocket, might have to try Mystic's route.
 
I have the RCBS Swaging die kit, and Lyman reamers. Sometimes the RCBS kit does not swage enough to allow easy seating and then reaming or beveling with a case deburring tool is also neccessary.
 
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