Priming Options?

T

trky chsr

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I currently have a Rockchucker press which has served me well for many years. I have been using the primer arm on the press for priming but I find this part very tedious. Does anyone use the primer feed attachment for this press? How about the various hand primers or bench primer? TC
 
I use a RCBS hand primer and love it but I have friends with smaller hands than mine who claim to find it awkward to use.

I recently tried a friends RCBS bench mounted primer and have to say it was the nicest tool I have used in a long time. (I think I am going to order one soon)

I used the Lee hand priming tool for years and do admit they have very nice "feel". They do however wear in the linkage and after a while will either break or fail to fully seat the primers in the case. (If you are using a Lee tool and start to experience misfires with normally good loads check for seating depth) After going through a number of them I gave up on Lee.
 
I've been through a few thousand rounds with my lee auto prime, and I can't see what you're talking about. Where in the linkage did it break for you multiple times? It's all metal to metal.
 
You are supposed to keep all that metal to metal contact lubed, but knowing 'Boo, if it wore out it was from huge amounts of use - not lack of maintenance. A few thousand rounds is nothing.

The primer strip system sounds great to me, I look forward to a chance to check it out in person. I'd love to see other primers supplied in strips, but of course they have no motivation to do that.
 
"...primer feed attachment..." Not for a Rockchucker, but I've used nothing but an RCBS single stage press with the primer feed tube for eons. Works just fine.
 
I've used the Lee tools for years. Lube the camming surfaces occasionally. Keep one set up for small primers, the other for large.
 
I use my Pro 2000 for all my priming for rifle cases. it uses the strip feeders and is much quicker than normal hand priming. you can still get a good feel for seating too.
 
TC,
for rifle loading, IMO, You should get yourself a hand priming tool.
All makes are good, I would go with the new RCBS were you no need the shell holder.
 
[quote='Boo]I use a RCBS hand primer and love it but I have friends with smaller hands than mine who claim to find it awkward to use.

I recently tried a friends RCBS bench mounted primer and have to say it was the nicest tool I have used in a long time. (I think I am going to order one soon)

I used the Lee hand priming tool for years and do admit they have very nice "feel". They do however wear in the linkage and after a while will either break or fail to fully seat the primers in the case. (If you are using a Lee tool and start to experience misfires with normally good loads check for seating depth) After going through a number of them I gave up on Lee.[/quote]

I found the same. The lobe on the cam wears down after a few years use. I had two - one for small and one for large primers. These things are grreat.

Recently, though, I've switched to a set of the Hornady hand primers. Again, one for small and one for large primers. They feel much more solid, and I like the positioning of the seater lever as opposed to the Lee thumb lever that feels like it's giving you carpal tunnel after a few hundred rounds.

The Hornady takes standard shell holders, instead of the proprietary ones that Lee uses. This is good and bad - no more buying shell holders, but it's a longer lift to the bottom of the case, and it's possible for the primers to get flipped around and seat upside down. I've never had that happen with the Lee.

All in all, I'd stick with the Lee's if it weren't for the ultra soft linkage. I kept mine lightly lubed, but that just seemed to alter how the wear happened - there was a 'dimple' on the top of the cam that caused it to short stroke and not seat the primers deep enough. Without lube, it seems to 'smudge' the metal on the lobe of the cam.
 
I have the Lee auto prime II that mounts on the press (not the hand held unit). This one uses standard shell holders. It works great and is about the same price as the hand held version.
 
sunray said:
"...primer feed attachment..." Not for a Rockchucker, but I've used nothing but an RCBS single stage press with the primer feed tube for eons. Works just fine.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies! The feed tube is what I meant to say, thanks sunray. I've thought about the strips but to me it would seem like doing the same thing twice, loading the strips and then priming the cases. I may look into a hand primer. I should mention that I load mostly handgun loads 100 or 200 at a "shot" :) TC
 
You can actually buy the strips loaded, but only with their brand of primers. If they open that up to sell other brands of primers in that format, their sales would skyrocket. They won't of course, because they are more interested in guaranteed sales of thousands of primers to the folks who buy the strip system.

With Federal match primers becoming harder to find, the strip system looks more appealing.
 
trky chsr said:
Thanks for the replies! The feed tube is what I meant to say, thanks sunray. I've thought about the strips but to me it would seem like doing the same thing twice, loading the strips and then priming the cases. I may look into a hand primer. I should mention that I load mostly handgun loads 100 or 200 at a "shot" :) TC
Click to expand...

As said by C-K, they are availible pre loaded (CCI brand) but I reload the strips with Federal primers and use. I have the strip loading tool. It really doesn't take long.

You can also buy an RCBS hand priming tool that takes the strips.
 
prosper said:
Recently, though, I've switched to a set of the Hornady hand primers. Again, one for small and one for large primers. They feel much more solid, and I like the positioning of the seater lever as opposed to the Lee thumb lever that feels like it's giving you carpal tunnel after a few hundred rounds.

The Hornady takes standard shell holders, instead of the proprietary ones that Lee uses. This is good and bad - no more buying shell holders, but it's a longer lift to the bottom of the case, and it's possible for the primers to get flipped around and seat upside down. I've never had that happen with the Lee.
Click to expand...
Prosper, where'd you get yours? I was looking around for this item a while back and had no luck. I believe it was Russell's who told me they were out of production?
 
All my pistol cartridge priming is done on my Lee Progressive. I load so few rifle rounds a year that I prime those using the Rock-Chucker (RCBS) priming arm attachement. Always fonctionned well, you can "feel" the primer seating.
I DO clean the primer pockets for the rifle rounds, but I reload too many pistol/revolver rounds to do it for those.
 
I have an RCBS hand held priming tool, and about 5 of the Lee units. While I had some of the early production Lee units break at the flange above the shellholder, the replacements Lee sent (free of charge) are sturdier and have held up well. I lube all the contact points with Ponsness-Warrens STOS and have never had any other part wear out, and I have primed literally tens of thousands of rounds with these units. I personally like them better than the RCBS unit, simply because the primer seating rod does not fall out if you tip the tool upside down. Have NO experience with Hornady's unit, so will not comment. I also have the Auto prime II unit, but have not used it much. I like to be able to "feel" the primer seat and touch the bottom of the primer pocket. Regards, Eagleye.
 
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