filling primer tubes

B

brasscollector

New member
I've have pretty much tweaked and tuned my reloading processes to my liking. The only process I can say I do not enjoy is filling the primer tubes I use with my RCBS automatic primer press. Seems like there must be a better way to get the primers into the tube but anything simple, easy and at hand escapes me. I'm sure I could employ gravity to do most of the work instead of pressing them into through the plastic pick-up. I haven't seen much in the way of primer tube filling devices whether it be from my own ignorance (very likely) or just a lack of marketing. Either way I'd be interested to see what kind of solutions people have had to this. I'm sure I am not the only one who has become weary of chasing primers around a flip tray. For the record I'm more interested in $5-35 dollar solutions than I would be in a $1K solution (although I still want to see the $1K solution).
 
Filling primer tubes with 20, 50 or more primers takes less than a minute and hardly even rates a slam-dunk. I can't imagine what there is to dislike. An automatic way to fill the tubes would probably be more involved and time consuming. One suggestion however, be sure to hold onto the primer flipper tray while filling the tubes or a slip up could send primers flying off into space. But once anyone has filled two or three tubes, they should be an expert about it. The thing that I question is the primer strips. Storing the strips might seem to be inconvenient.
 
I find it one of the more easy,efficient jobs...which leads me to wonder if we do it the same way.
I think the original tool was a "Fitz Flipper" but the green RCBS primer tray does the same job.Its about 4 in in dia,and has concentric little grooves on one tray.
You open a box of 100 primers,cover it with the grooved tray,and then invert it to dump the 100 primers in the tray.
Then you gently jiggle it,and in a few seconds,all but about three primers will be oriented anvil side up.Give the stragglers a little help.
Now,place the other half of the tray over them,and invert.

Take the grooved tray off,and you have 100 primers with the shiny,cup side up. Set it on the bench.
Now take the primer tube in hand,with the cross pin in place. The opposite end is slit ,collet style,and crimped down a bit,or it has a plastic doohickey on it.
A primer won't drop through,but it will push through.Thats what you do. Push that end down on each primer in the tray.It will get stuck in the end of the tube,and the next primer will drive it through.You just poke each primer with the tube,and the tube picks it up.
Then you put the tube into the auto primer and pull out the pin.I suggest a wood match stick (non-static) to gentle poke that one primer in the end of the tube.
You ought to wear safety glasses and pay attention to where you put your face .
IMO,great system!
 
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I bought the Frankford Arsenal primer loading device. It fills a tube of 100 primers in about 15 seconds once you've dumped the primers, shaken the tray to up end them, then placing the cover on the tray. The vibratory motion drops them in the tube by gravity, then you drop them 100 at a time into your press primer tube(s).

I don't know if the overall time is any shorter, but it's less tedious. I load 10 tubes at a time when I start a reloading session.
 
I saw a home made device made with the tray off a lee hand priming tool. The plastic tip was removed from the tube, a tip was modified and fitted to the primer tray and glued in place where you could just shake the tray and the primers dropped into the tube by gravity. I guess you could hold a vibrator against the tray and it would feed the primers into the tube the same as a commercially made device does.
I have 3 tubes in each size. put 100 in the press, load all 3 tubes and you're good to go for 400 rounds. Then it's time for a break. No big deal for me.
 
which leads me to wonder if we do it the same way
Click to expand...
Yep, we're doing it the same way.

I'm going to look into the frankfort arsenal device, looks to be along the lines of what I need. I see my local cabelas has one in stock.

Pete2- where's the pictures?:p
 
I use the Hornady tool that's shaped like a pistol to load my tubes. Kinda pricey, but works great.
 
For a mere $335, you can have one of these babies from Dillon. An additional $49 gets you a conversion kit so you can use it to fill both small and large primers. ;)

Dillon-Web-Cat_0027_t.jpg
 
I assume you can just toss in the whole primer tray, large or small, pistol or rifle, paper slip cover n all and it sorts them all out?:D
For that price I'll take two.
 
Here's another fan of the Hornady. My old hands hurt after loading them the old way. I did find that it didn't care for Winchester primers but my preference is for CCI anyway.

After a little practice, it's a snap to load up a bunch.
 
I cannot recommend the Frankford Arsenal primer loading device, They are a major PITA...Primers get flipped upside down and sideways..Better off the old fashion way..
 
Some aspects of handloading simply take some time. Loading primers is one of them. I upgraded from a LEE classic turret to a Dillon 650. I still load slowly and enjoy the process.
 
It seems there has yet to be a good video on line (YT) that demonstrates best practice in handling the Hornady 1911 auto primer tube filler. Mine works okay but without guidance it takes awhile to figure out the best technique and sequence. I have never made a video or I might attempt sharing what I have learned. I am just really done with pecking at primers manually.
 
A friend has the Hornady pistol shaped tube filler. He says it works well once you have learned the angle to hold it so the primers slide across the tray to the tube.

Me?
I am glad of the break every hundred rounds on a progressive.
When I stop to load the primer feed I also check the powder level in the measure, the bullets in the pickup tray, and the brass in the feeder or tray.
People who preload multiple tubes or use a fast mechanical filler tend to skip those other items and run out of other components. An inconvenience if it is brass or bullets, but an empty powder measure is Trouble with a capital T.
 
I haven't really given it a whole lot of thought,
But if I used a small lightweight primer flip tray I could see it being more of a pain.

With the big dillon metal flip tray it is not bad. Yes it still takes time to stab them in the pickup tubes, but I generally load up about 5 pickup tubes before I start,and the powder measure is full before I begin loading.
 
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