Better small primer tool

1

1972RedNeck

New member
I have all Hornady reloading equipment. Bought their lock and load kit a couple years ago and went from there. Not completely satisfied with their primer tool for small primers. Works great for large primers.

Small primers like to stand up on edge as they are coming out of the disc into the primer handle.

Is there a better primer tool out there for small primers?
 
I'm assuming that you're referring to the hand held priming tool which came with the hornady single stage lock and load kit? When you read the customer reviews for all the different brands of hand held priming tools, your complaint occasionally appears, particularly for small primers. So I'm not sure there is a brand that is better than other tools. I have used the LEE auto prime hand held tool for decades without any problems. I usually only load about 10 or 20 primers in the tray and make sure they are all upright. I gently tilt the tray, leave the cover off, and monitor the primers as they move into the feed channel.

If you want something which will consistently orient and seat the primers, then you probably will need to consider a bench mounted priming tool. RCBS and Forster both make them and they are tube fed. I have the Forster bench priming tool, but I rarely use it. I think the bench tools are slower than the hand held tools, and set-up time between cartridge change, is longer and more complex. The other disadvantage is that the bench tools are more expensive. Figure about 120 $ for either one.
 
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I used the hand-held for decades. Then about ten years ago bought the RCBS bench primer (simple C-clamp
to Table top) and now would not be w/o it for any loading session of more than 3-4 cases at a time.

Cartridge change-out is just pull out/change the primer plug, and change shell-holder: 5 seconds.
 
Yes. The Forster bench tool is more complicated both as it uses adjustable fingers rather than standard shell holders, and because the primer tube is harder to fill than Dillon tubes.

One other question is whether you want to load for high precision or not. There are quite a number of hand-held one-at-a-time primer tools with no tray that the benchrest competitors use. You pick up and place each primer in them for each case. Their advantage is a better "feel" for when the primer touches the bottom of the primer pocket. But if you want volume, the tray-fed systems, the RCBS APS system, or something similar will be a bit faster. However, I note that if I am priming while watching TV, the one-at-a-time tool is better as I feel and see the primer's orientation with my fingers each time.
 
I have RCBS (2) and Lyman hand primers and am happy with them. The Lyman requires Lyman shellholders or you get high primers. I bought the standard set and keep them with the promer. I prefer to prime as a case prep step (size, inspect, prime, expand) in batches, before sitting down to drop powder and seat the bullets.
 
I've always used the Lee hand primer. Worn out quite a few over the decades. But they are basically designed with the large primer in mind, and the small primer set up is the "compromise." And as such, it doesn't feed as reliably and the primers can get turned side-ways or upside-down, etc. It just doesn't work as well.

I too wish they would make one designed specifically - and only - for small primers.
 
After the Lee Primer seater and a couple of RCBS seaters, I am very happy with the Frankford Arsenal Platinum seater. It’s adjustable for seating depth, has all the shell holders you should ever need, and is easily swapped between large and small primers. Still have to squeeze it though, so if you have arthritic hands…
 
I've used the Lee hand primer with good results but now I'm using the RCBS Universal Hand Primer. It's easy to change between large or small primers and there's no need for shell holders.
 
I took my RCBS universal priming tool and turned it into a single load.

How? I don't use the tray!

Why? Sooner or latter the tray came undone and primers all over the place and all the time spent fiddling with it to get it to feed.

The only thing I have to do is hold the tool with a slight left cant (I use if left handed) so the primer does not try to get into the old loading port.

I may get ambitious and block it off one of these days.

I figure all in all I can prime them as fast as any other method, gets a good feel and if the gun has been tuned to a load, sub 1/2 inch groups.
 
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