"Best" primer seating tool?

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Prof Young

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Loaders:
I've been using a Lee primer seating tool ever since I started reloading. My recent excursion into the question of how deeply seated a primer should be causes me to wonder if I need a different tool.

Apparently a primer is supposed to seat a few thousandth of an inch below flush. I would think that ideally it seats all the way to the bottom of the primer pocket. Anyway my Lee priming tool, at full-stroke, barely seats the primer flush.

Are there primer seating tools that have a longer stroke than the Lee? Is there danger of crushing the primer with a longer stroke?

Talk to me.

Thanks.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young
 
no expert here, but the RCBS hand primer will for certain seat deeper than you described with your Lee. HOWEVER, the RCBS hand primer is a piece of junk. lid comes loose, primers roll over and jam or get crushed, plus some other irritating things.
 
I wish I could help you. Never had a problem seating primers with the Lee primer. Its all I use. In fact, I like it better than any other primer tool I've tried including the "on the press" priming methods.
 
I have a lee hand prime and although I got use to correctly seating primers I had a time where it didn't quite go in all the way. Now I try to stand each case on end before moving on to the next step. If it wobbles it isn't right.

I also switched to a RCBS priming press that I picked up used for $5 and works great. Pretty sure they don't make my model anymore.
 
I prime on the press with my Lee single stage. Never had a problem getting the primer to seat deep enough in the pocket. The rare occasions when one has not been set properly has always been operator error, usually an unexpected tight pocket.
 
All priming tools still need the crimp removed. Once that is done effectively, then any priming should give satisfactory results.
 
As I don't have the hand-held Lee tool, I have no experience with it.

I do have three different methods for priming however, and all three are Lee.

My favorite is the Lee Safety Prime which they don't offer any more. (For the life of me I'll never understand WHY?!) This is basically the Lee Ram Prime, but with a tray and feeding chute. No priming tool that I know of gives you any more control, feel and brute force if you need or want that.

The above tool is my favorite, but the one I use the most is the priming system on my Lee Pro-1000. It handles all of my pistol brass prep so it has the highest round count. It never fails me as long as I'm paying attention to it. I actually shimmed the base under it just for that extra bit of force. It never "needed" this shim but I did it any way.

My third option is the priming arm on my Classic Cast. This is quick and easy for an odd job, but it is slow for volume work as there is no feeding system. It also seats primers fully and with no failures, but it lacks "feel."

My only suggestion for anyone who feels like they can't get the hang of priming fully or effectively 100% of the time is to GRAB A TOWEL.

Use a towel draped over it and folded over and with that in place for protection--
Go great gonzo!
Don't break any of your tools mind you, but use the protection of the towel to prove to yourself that these little primers are designed to be sent home properly with FORCE, and that they don't detonate easily with a priming tool.

No, I'm not suggesting you do your priming work with a towel;
simply use the towel a few times to teach yourself that a gentle loving touch is -NOT- at all the right touch for seating primers.
 
Hard to beat the RCBS hand primer. I replaced the round tray (bad) with the square tray (good) and have never had a single problem since. Several times I have thought I wanted to use the tube primer on my turret press so I re-installed it and everytime I end up taking it back off and going back to the hand priming method.
 
I have a RCBS. I like it it fits my hands well but it is a pain in the ass to change dies. You pretty much have to disasemble the the thing.

I also have a Lee. It is not as comfortable in my hand but it changes dies (sold seperately) easily. It does not runs as cosistant as the RCBS, but Lee my favorite.
 
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I use an RCBS handprime tool from the early 80's, I feed em one at a time and it works perfect so no need for me to try anything new really, however I saw a fancy new one in Handloader magazine and it looked cool, but I can spend that money on components.
 
For years I seated primers on the press. Then I got a Lyman Ram Prime die that i just used for large primers. Last year I finally got a Hornady hand primer, and now I kick myself for all the time I've wasted in my life priming the hard way.
 
I've always wondered why we are so quick to look to buy something else when we think that what we have isn't working for us? Maybe it's a guy thing. We love our toys!

There is nothing wrong with the Lee Hand Prime tool that you own. I've had one for a while and it works fine (yes, it is an effort in patience sometimes). The "problem" lies in the assumption that a primer should be seated below the base of the case. Not so, rather, flush with the base. Tweak your seating and you are done.

Good luck and be safe.
 
no expert here, but the RCBS hand primer will for certain seat deeper than you described with your Lee. HOWEVER, the RCBS hand primer is a piece of junk. lid comes loose, primers roll over and jam or get crushed, plus some other irritating things.
Click to expand...

I have two RCBS automatic hand primers, and I have enough spare parts to build another. Long story. There is not enough room between the top and bottom of the primer/flip tray for a primer to flip. I remove the tray when loading primers and the RCBS has more leverage than the Lee.

Then there is priming on the press, I do not use the tube, I use the priming tool on the rock Chucker press, I know, it is believed there is a lot of leverage on that long handle, if the RCBS Auto Hand primer will not seat a primer do not expect the Rock Chucker to do better.

I have 4 Lee Auto Primers of the old type, the one with the primer tray that is smaller than the Federal big tray, not a problem, I section the slip sleeve with a 1/4 cut out and dump 'about; 25 primers at a time.

Setting off primers: One day I decided to set one off, I started with the Lee small tray primer, seems most of the horror stories came from R. Lee or his primer installers or both. I gave up, then started on the RCBS hand primer. About the time I decided to give up I managed to mangle a primer enough to set it off.

Double clutching, as in pumping the leaver and stacking primers, the reloader looses leverage, some reloaders are persistent, others are hard headed. When attempting to seat a primer while sitting on another primer the primer on the bottom gets upset, not mad but distorted. The reloader should discard the bottom primer. When using the RCBS and Lee it is a good ideal to lean the hand primer to move the primers away from the gate.

Spare parts, I have enough Lee parts to build at least three more hand primers, I also have the red attachment for priming one case at a time.

F. Guffey
 
I have a RCBS. I like it it fits my hands well but it is a pain in the ass to change dies. You pretty much have to disasemble the the thing.
Click to expand...

I will guess we are talking about changing shell holders not dies.

Then there is that part about RCBS making shell holder for 60 +/- a few years. Not all of there older shell holders fit the newer Auto Hand primers. I know, "All you gotta do is etc.."

Then there is flipping primers as when finished the primer is installed upside down. When the press is being used to seat the primer the operation must be smooth.

F. Guffey
 
If you are exploring methods of priming, you will do yourself a disservice if you do not take a look at the RCBS bench-mounted "Automatic" tool. Maybe someone you know has one and will let you take a test drive.

I use this exclusively. It is fast. It gives me good feel. (I load for an M14, where it is critical that all primers be seated at least 4 thou sub flush.) Comes with two punches (large and small) and two tubes (ditto); uses your regular shell holder.

Ultimately this may not be for you, but you should give it a look.
 
I have tried three different hand priming tools. None seem to fit my hand. An older Lee, a new "ergonomic" Lee and a Hornady. I tried using the stock priming methods on five different presses I've owned but don't like the "up stroke". I have made a living using hand tools all my life and just can't seem to comfortably use these tools without "fiddling" with them during a priming session. I have to re-set my grip every squeeze of the handle and can't seem to get consistent leverage. I discovered a Lee ram prime tool and found it to be the best, most consistent and sensitive tool for priming I've found. I have had no problems seating primers in properly processed military brass (countersink to remove crimps), and can't remember a single problem with commercial brass. Been playin' with mine for mebbe 17 years now...
 
If you are loading handgun rounds by the hundreds, I suppose stick with the hand tool if that is what you like since it might be a little faster. However, if loading rifle cartridges by the dozens, forget the hand tool and go for the RCBS automatic priming tool. This bolts to the bench and provides plenty of leverage. The tool is still manual, not connected to a motor. Once you see how it works, the "automatic" part will be apparent. This priming tool is unbeatable, especially for rifle case priming. If you don't already have one, you'll need one of the round plastic primer flipper trays for laying out the primers for loading the tool's primer tubes.
 
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Thanks for the help and a query!

Loaders:
Thanks for all the help. I'll look into all your suggestions.

Mark Glazer - when you say "Tweak your seating . . ." What do you mean? I don't see anything on my Lee hand primer that looks like it will adjust anything.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young
 
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