Reloading 223 Primer seating issues

Munkey1973 said:
I can't say that I know anything about Lyman hand primers.

However, I've had RCBS hand primers in the past... whenever I had issues with seating depth using those for 223, it was because I forgot to change out from the large to small rods.... I did that more than once !

If Lyman tools have one for large and one for small, be sure to check that you didn't forget to switch to small after your last batch of 30-06 ?
Click to expand...

I am using the small rod, it comes with 2 trays.
 
I have not used that specific machine, but if you are not actually feeling the primer come to a stop when seating, is sort of waste of time?? Most presses have a priming function if you just want to go to a specific seating depth. If you think that the unit has too short of stroke - could be wear in the camming parts, or could be that the shell holder is out a bit - it will be supporting the forward edge of the rim - so is opposite to when used in a press. I believe that you are looking for like .004" or so - that is thickness of computer printer paper - so very tiny error will get you what you described ...

My experience and most everything that I have read about it says that protruding primers are nothing but bad news - as mentioned above - ideally should be below the level of your case's rear end.
 
Use a tool to prep the primer pocket of a few pieces of brass, and see if that makes a difference.

I use a Lee hand primer tool, and find I have to pay careful attention to the process of priming, esp with some brands of brass.
 
It has likely been several decades since I "prepped" a primer pocket - both new and previously fired cases. I use an RCBS bench mounted tool, shown below with an RCBS #10 shell holder, which I think is correct for 223 Rem - should be able to see the push rod tip is likely long enough to reach all the way to the bottom of the primer pocket - is no "protruding primers" with this unit. It comes with 100 count primer magazines, for when I get into "production" mode. Comes with the interchangeable bits needed for both Small Rifle and Large Rifle sized primers - I never tried the various Berdan primer sizes with it.

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I had a similar problem years ago. Changed the shell holder and problem went away. Took a pile of struggling to figure it out. Had the same issue on the press and the handheld rcbs tool.
 
Thanks everybody for your input! I got a Lee shell holder today to replace my Hornady one and it is seating the primers correctly now.
 
I'm not sure which ones are best but even from the same manufacturer the shell holders can be slightly different thicknesses or have more room in the gap the rim sits in and allow the case to rise a bit too much to seat the primers below flush with some hand priming units. My rcbs wont seat the primers to the bottom of the pocket with a couple shell holders I have.
 
45C said:
You think that’s the problem?
I’ve used all the same type brass he mentioned and the some.
I’ve never uniformed the pockets and never had the seating issuue because of it.

I also have the Lyman hand primer.
Click to expand...

Could be many things although I see you found it was the shell holder. Uniforming the primer pockets is definitely worth it. The more variables you take out of the equation the more consistent your loads become.
 
Glad you got it "solved" with a different shell holder but I still think it is a bad design; primer push rod is too short.

It should work with any brand universal shell holder imo.
 
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