CCI Primers only in lee auto prime, Really?

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BondoBob

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I read in the Lee manual that you can only use CCI primers in their auto prime tool. Is that true? Is this just some marketing alliance thing, or is there a real safety concern? I will be using this tool, or at least I was intending too. In my area Winchester primers are much more available.

Thanks,
 
For small primers Lee recommends CCI or Remington 7 1/2 primers. I have the auto prime and the bench prime. Both come with the same warning. Luckily, all ai use are CCI primers for the most part.

I seriously doubt that they would claim it could be dangerous if it wasn't
 
Is the Lee Auto Prime the hand held device? If so, I primed thousands of cases using Winchester primers without a problem. That is until the thumb lever broke, then I switched to the Lee press mount system. But same there, tens of thousands of rounds on the press mount with Winchester primers.
 
The story I heard on this is that during testing CCI and Remington were the only ones that supplied primers so they only recommend these primers
 
I would think that if any primers were more volatile than others, that would be an issue in a tube stack situation. The auto primer basically lays them out in a tray flat, just like the packaging when they are shipped. So, maybe I'll just get the winchesters that are available here and be very careful.
 
The original Autoprime fed primers from a round tray and there wasn't a cut-off to prevent having the next primer sitting immediately in adjacent contact with the one you are setting. I'm sure Lee was concerned about the possibility of setting off the entire tray. Their recommendations changed over the years. When I bought my first (old-style) Autoprime, they said to use ONLY Winchester or CCI, and to never put more than 20 primers in the tray at once. A couple/few years later I bought another, so I could leave it set up for small pistol, and the recommendation had changed. They still listed CCI as okay, but Winchester was out and had been replaced by some other brand. (Don't remember whose.)

I've done tens of thousands of Winchester large pistol primers with my old-style Autoprime, and several thousand Winchester small pistol primers with the other old-style Autoprime. I do adhere religiously to not putting more than 20 in the tray at once, and I wear eye and ear protection when priming, but so far I haven't had a problem.

The new Autoprime, which I don't own, apparently incorporates some kind of cut-off so there's not supposed to be another primer sitting next to the one you're setting. Since I've never seen one of the new ones up close and personal, I don't know just how that functions.

One of the selling points for the new one is that you can now drop a full 100 primers onto the rectangular tray at once. I have seen the new tray, and I don't like it. Once the primers have been deposited, the idea is to let them all slide down to the half of the tray closer to the priming tool, then you flip over the other half of the tray and lock it closed. But the "hinge" isn't a true hinge, it's what is laughingly referred to as a "live" hinge -- which means you're just folding the plastic. You know that's only good for 'X' number of cycles before it breaks.
 
The reasons are written down in the late Richard Lee's book Modern Reloading 2nd ed, pages 82 through 85. Lee says:

"Lee spends many hours on the phone and thousands of dollars advertising and advising customers that the only safe primers to use with the Lee tray primer feeders are CCI or certain Winchester types {and Remington types added in the Second Edition}. We have been accused of playing favorites, taking handouts, and simply being unreasonable. None of these are the case. We do not want anyone to get hurt.

"We do not think that other brands are inferior or more powerful. They simply are not safe to use with the Lee Auto Prime {because of the automatic tray feed}…

"…A single exception: a primer explosion guard is available for the Lee Load-Master {so you can use any primer with that in place}."

And, though part of the last paragraph, what is an overall exception:

"Should you use primers other than those recommended at the end of this chapter, be sure that you feed them one at a time."

Lee's list of safe primers for multiple loading in the trays from the 2nd edition, which he notes he modified since the first edition and that is where Remington came in, is:

A full tray of 100 primers:
All CCI sizes
Winchester WSP
Remington 2½
Remington 5½

A partial tray with no more than 20 primers:
Winchester WLP
Winchester WSPM
Winchester WLRM

A partial tray with no more than 10 primers:
Winchester WLR
 
Rem, CCI, Win, and Federal

I've been prepping my cases for the last week and have used all three small pistol primers above. The ones I've had double stacking problems or a primer flipping sideways or upside down in my old Lee Hand Primer has been the Winchesters. For Remington 9mm brass and Winchester primers, I noticed a slight indentation from hand primer's seating pin. This is just my observations after seating 2000 primers, mostly Winchester, Remington, and CCI.
 
Ok i just watched a video on the new auto prime . First is that the one we are talking about ? If so what makes it more dangerous or more likely to have issues with certain primers then the RCBS universal primer or hornady hand primer ?

I never looked to see if either of those recomend against any types of primers but have loaded many thousands of primers with those two . Incuding Fed SP and LP , both Win sp & LR as well as all types of CCI . You all are freaking me out a bit . I do wear a leather glove when hand priming for a little protection just in case .
 
Well my Breech Lock Challenger kit comes with the new Lee Auto Prime #90230. I think the book calls it the XR, but mine doesn't say that. The Lee manual says it can be used with any brand of primer including Federal. This is because it segregates the one being pressed from the rest via an elevator feed system. The O press also has the on-press priming but that is one at a time handheld. I'll probably just get what I can, CCI, Winchester or Remington but no Federal. Should I use latex or nitrile gloves handling the primers if I do it on press? Or is that not necessary? I read somewhere oil from our skin can foul the primer.
 
Metal god said:
Ok i just watched a video on the new auto prime . First is that the one we are talking about ? If so what makes it more dangerous or more likely to have issues with certain primers then the RCBS universal primer or hornady hand primer ?
Click to expand...
The new (current) Lee Auto Prime has no restrictions other than regarding Federal primers. This is because they redesigned the primer feed to incorporate a positive cutoff between the primer tray and the priming ram. The instructions for the current Auto Prime read:

The new Auto Prime (patented) is designed to reduce the likelihood of a mass detonation when priming cases. This is accomplished by remotely locating the mass of primers during the priming operation. A separate elevator raises a single primer from the tray and presents it for priming. We have tested the tool by intentionally setting off a variety of brands and types of primers. Our testing has demonstrated that wearing safety glasses and hearing protection will prevent serious injury. However, all types of FEDERAL BRAND LARGE PRIMERS frequently caused the entire tray to explode with sufficient force to cause serious and painful injuries. These primers must be fed individually, see step 7, single priming option.
Click to expand...

Video showing the old (original) Lee Auto Prime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t16cZbDNCK4

Video showing the new Lee Auto Prime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR8Oia_0ZGw
 
I do remember reading those cautions regarding non CCI primers in the beginning of the Lee Manual 2nd edition. But later on page 33 it says "The new Lee Safety Auto Prime can be used with all brand of primers including Federal". I have that one. And it says you can use any primer one at a time, on press. So, I guess I'll just avoid the Federal which are apparently very sensitive and use Winchester or Remington if CCI can't be had.
 
The instructions for the new Auto Prime that I quoted above were taken from the Lee web site today, so IMHO that's more current than anything you'll find in the 2d edition of the book.
 
Thanks . Both my hand primers are like the old model . There is nothing separating the primer being inserted and the the rest in the tray . I sure love how well my RCBS universal primer works with not needing any shell holders . It holds 9mm , 45acp in the same clamping/holding system . I actually have two of them so I can have one for small primers and the other for large primers so I don’t need to switch out the inserts for each .

I’m however going to take a closer look at this auto prime .
 
I read this when I started my handloading. Didn't like what I read regarding the Lee hand held primer thing, so, bought and have used a RCBS version. Zero issues with any primer I use.
 
The issue isn't with Lee's hand primer, the issue is with sensitive primers. I've been using Lee's old design for years and I haven't experienced any mishaps with either large or small pistol primers, but I load almost exclusively Winchester primers. (I did have a small batch of Remington primers several years ago, during one of the previous ammo shortages.)

Lee's new design Auto Prime should be safer than the RCBS, if the RCBS doesn't have a cutoff between the reservoir and the primer you're seating. I don't mind that aspect of the Lee. I just don't like the chintzy construction of the new, folding primer tray. That folding hinge WILL fail after 'X' number of cycles. It can't not fail -- it's inherent to the material characteristics of plastic.
 
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