"Best" primer seating tool?

And then there's the Armstrong method. Just seat firmly by
by feel [as the primer fully "stops"] as consistently as you can
Click to expand...
Which (quite frankly) is more than good enough after a few hundred cases under your belt.

FWIW: The RCBS_Universal hand primer needs no shell-holder changeout, and provides
extra leverage for tight brass (like I found w/ my Lapua Grendel brass). Otherwise, the
old Lee handprimer is as good as it gets
 
I think my Lee handheld priming tool is called the Auto Prime. Overall it works well but it does break. The bar/rod that connects between the handle and plunger broke. I believe the metal used for this tool is zinc.
 
Well, I will say it again. Don't fool around on this one, get the RCBS Automatic priming tool, especially for rifle case priming, and be done with it. Yes, a little expensive perhaps, but it will be the best upwards to $100, which includes shipping, that you will spend on equipment this week and you will never miss the $100.
 
And . . .

So after looking at all the alternatives I got back to my Lee hand primer. The lever that one pushes to make the rod protrude that seats the primer was hitting the body of the tool. I bent that lever and now have about 1/16 of an inch more extension in the seating rod. I went back and "reseated" about 300 9mm and almost every one of them went in further. Good deal. Learned a few things this go around.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young
 
The lid on the RCBS hand prime does not want to stay tight after a few year of use and then the primers will flip over. Simple solution is to use two clothes pins or spring type chip bag clips to hold the lid closed and tight. Since I started using the clips a few months ago I have primed several thousand cases with no more flipped primers.
 
And I ask: "What holds the lid onto the flop tray? The bottom of the tray is called a flop tray, it is designed to flop primers when the smooth side of the primer is up.

TOOLS: Start with two, WD40 and duct tape. If it moves and is not supposed to use duct tape.

If it does not move and is supposed to use WD40.

F. Guffey
 
All you need is to purchase a Redding uniformer tool with the handle. When the pockets are not consistently the same you have problems. The uniformer reams out material to a consistent size. You will be surprised how your primer seating problems go away.
 
Note that Longshot4 is talking about primer pocket depth with the Redding uniformer, an important consideration, rather than removing material from the sidewalls which you wouldn't want to do. If you have more than one case to do :), connect the cutter to your electric drill.
 
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The RCBS Universal hand priming tool is the best hand primer out there, bar none. It requires no shell holders (LEE absolutely sucks that you need separate shell holders to prime than you do to put in a press - absolutely stupid idea), it will prime anything from the small .17 calibers up to .45-70 (assuming larger, that's the biggets I've ever done), can change from small to large or large to small in about a minute, and the tray has yet to give me a single problem over the past 10+ years.

If you have a tray that needs duct tape, paper clips, welding rods or anything else to work - do yourself a favor, spend the $3 and get you the new square tray that RCBS uses. It works great and doesn't need to be jerry rigged.
 
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/56...-tool-replacement-square-primer-tray-assembly

$3.00? Midway is closer to $8.00 plus shipping, again, I am not the one with the problem of primers flipping in the flip tray. And I am not the one that had all the problems with the large Federal box when loading the small round tray on the Lee auto prime. Rather than complain I cut a 1/4 section out of the large Federal sleeve and dumped 25 +/- a few at a time.

Or I used the large Dillon flip tray, it is round but large enough to dump primers from the large Federal tray. After flopping the primers I herd the primers off to one side then transfer the primers to the lid then to the tray.

F. Guffey
 
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Yes Guffey, we all know you do everything the correct way and we all do things the incorrect way.

Pardon me for being off on Midway's pricing. I was winging it. The point is that the part is not prohibitively expensive - most people pay that much a day for a crappy Starbuck's coffee - so getting the part that works wonderfully is, in my mind, better than jerry rigging something that doesn't work properly.

BTW, the tray is also great for flipping primers (it does have the same grooves in it that other trays do) in preparation for loading my primer feed tubes for the LNL, so it serves a dual purpose.

And I don't have a problem with Federal's packaging in terms of not being able to use it - I just dont' like it. It's crappy packaging that is not nearly as user friendly as the rest of the brands out there that don't require me cutting packaging up to efficiently get primers out. Different strokes for different folks.
 
most people pay that much a day for a crappy Starbuck's coffee
Click to expand...

I added a link, I took you literally when you claimed $3.00, I thought the time spent furnishing the link was helpful to anyone interested.

I like the large Federal primer trays for one reason, the primers are stacked on their side, that makes if difficult for the primer to launch itself or any part of the primer, it could be said the primers in the large tray are captured.

Rather than go through life looking at everything and everyone as being 'crappy' I look for a little good in everything and everybody.

F. Guffey
 
After flopping the primers I herd the primers off to one side then transfer the primers to the lid then to the tray.
Click to expand...

That is a lot of flopping and flipping, WHY?

F. Guffey
 
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Sometimes I use the press mounted priming tool, others I use the RCBS APS hand priming tool. Both work well and allow the primers to bottom out in the primer pockets, and have a good feel for when they are properly seated.

Uncle Nick, that was a great posting, with super information. Really swell.
 
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I actually decided to give the tube fed primer on my RCBS turret another try but found out that since I mounted the press on the Inline Fabrication stand, I don't have enough clearance for it. Oh well, back to the hand primer. It works better anyway. ;)
 
I have an old Lee hand priming tool. I'm returning to reloading after a 25 year break. Lost both my shooting places and put the equipment away when the kids came. I moved and got some shooting places back, and had shot up most of my ammo stash, so here we go again! The old Lee hand priming tool always served me well. I can feel the primers seat, and I never had misfires. I've looked at the new one, and the RCBS tool. The only concern I have is that I read somewhere that you should not use the old Lee tool with Federal primers. Something about them being softer? I used to use Remington or CCI, but when replenishing components guess what kind of primers I bought? This whole shortage thing has proven very interesting as well!
 
Yes Federal primers have the reputation of being the softest and CCIs the hardest.

And "You may talk o' gin an' beer" (Rudyard Kipling Gunga Din) or more appropriately and to the point should I say, you may talk of primer bottoming out with your Lee hand priming tool, but you haven't experienced bottoming-out until you have used the RCBS automatic priming tool that attaches to the bench. Best by far, especially for rifle case priming, and I never miss an opportunity to recommend this tool. Yes a bit expensive at close to $100 with shipping but well worth it.
 
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I had a lee for years then last month Scheels had the Lyman on sale. Normally 49.99 down to 19.99. It's like day and night difference. While the Lee worked somewhat fine, It fails in comparision to the Lyman. Lyman is much more comfortable to use and operate. The primer feeding tray is 10 times the Lee.
 
RCBSprimertraymodifiedforloadiin-1.jpg

The type of primer that is on top of the co-ax press is available in tube feed.
The slot in the tray is milled as deep as the bottom of the square primer tube, so it makes a loading dock height for the primers in the tray.

I modified an RCBS tray with my mill, to load the tray.

I made dummy cartridge heads on the lathe [can't use the real cases, want a primer pocket outy not an inny] for fast adjustment.
 

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Best priming tool huh?
Thats not likely to cause any disagreements.;) It such a subjective thing.
Not only does it have to work, but you have to like using it.

Here are my choices:

Best- The 21st Century hand priming tool. ( I like this very much for low volume priming. It is perfection.)

http://www.21stcenturyshooting.com/S.S_FQUY.php

Another one I like allot is the RCBS APS bench top priming tool..
I use this one quite a bit. I have lots of CCI primers in strips, plus a strip loader.
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For me though, the choice of best of all worlds is the LEE auto prime 2.
Hard to find because LEE quit making them. Plus you also have to do a minor upgrade to make it the most reliable priming tool. ( need to add the RCBS plastic inserts into the shell holder.)
Once done it is by far the best priming set up I have ever used. Fast, simple, repeatable.

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If you ever see one. I recommend buying it. If for some reason you dont like it. PM me. i will buy it from you.

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