Lee RAM-Prime

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PolarFBear

New member
Any one using this "old" Lee product, or even information? Doing an "inventory" of my gadgets I found a Lee Ram-prime. Don't remember where I got it and never have used it. I see it is no longer carried as an inventory item by Lee. Looking in a 2000 catalogue I see it is for priming on the press on the up-stroke; and a warning that some have reported primer explosions with it. I have no instructions but all the parts are there. I was thinking of using it for rifles only on a single stage press.
 
I started with one of these. It's probably still around somewhere. Never blew myself up but you can certainly mash the heck out of a primer with it. Probably best set up on a low leverage press, seating by feel.

IIRC, it is a bit cumbersome getting the loaded primer tray back into the press mounted unit. Doable but all in all, I prefer hand units including Lee's. The "old" Lee unit anyway. Haven't tried the current ones.
 
RandomGuy:

I plan to use it on the little Lee "C" press. Light duty, yet very handy. I use it to deprime, "Bulge Bust", and size my cast loads. For $20, including shipping, it was a bargain in utility.
 
When I started reloading I used a Lee Loader to load my 38 Specials, and I had an occasional pop. I then thought I should get more "sophisticated" and bought a Lee hand prime. I didn't seem to fit my hand as I had to reset it every squeeze so I got a Hornady tool. Same thing, had to reset it after every squeeze. I happened on a Lee ram prime and successfully used one for mebbe 18 years. I had a very good "feel" and had zero problems priming any of the 11 cartridges I reload. Lyman manual states the ram prime is "the preferred method for obtaining correct and uniform primer seating depths...". I had one mounted on a Lee turret and one on a dedicated priming press.

I now have a Co-Ax press and the priming system is the same principle and it works quite well 99.9% of the time...
 
If you are talking about just the little stick doojie that you load by hand, I have two,one in each size primer, and there is no better way to load up small lots.

The one with a tray is far less useful than a hand primer. I use an Rcbs hand primer. I don't like the Lee.
 
I plan to use it on the little Lee "C" press. Light duty, yet very handy. I use it to deprime, "Bulge Bust", and size my cast loads. For $20, including shipping, it was a bargain in utility.
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Yep, I thought of using exactly the same press to turn the Ram Prime into a fulltime bench primer. Guess I shifted to hand primers before getting around to it. I'll have to try and locate that tool.
 
Random-Guy:

I have also had an Autoprime for many years. Use it some, never had a mechanical issue with it but my hand tires after about 100 "pushes". I am leaning to off-press priming (except for the little Lee C-press). I am challenged by the Lee priming system on the Pro 1000 and Load Masters. Finally got the Pro going and working on the L/M with the revised priming devices. But, after 15+ years those fired primers are really dirty. Just going to "clean up my act".
 
I've tried three different hand priming doodads, the RamPrime is by far my favorite. Using the Hand Press I can get a very good feel for primer seating and depth. Tens of thousands primed, no "explosions"...just the occasional sideways seated primer.
 
I use the ram prime in the Lee small Breech Lock Reloader Press. I have primed thousands of rounds and I have never crushed a primer with this press, in fact you get a lot of feel during the seating of the primers and you definitely feel when the primer bottoms out. The press is also great for depriming. I have it mounted on the Lee Bench plate for quick change out and storing
 
I got lucky and picked up an old lyman spartan new in the box at an estate sale. I no longer use the LEE stuff to prime. I just picked up the RCBS primer assembly for the lyman and a bunch of tubes. I prefer priming on the press but the lee stuff was a bit more of a hassle to me. I also broke 2 of the hand priming tools. Kept them clean and lubed and never worked them hard.
 
It's been quite a while since I've used a ram prime die. I have 3, RCBS', Lyman's, and the Lee.

Lee's sucks, compared to the others. Unless something has been changed, the body is too short to use a lock ring, which you kind of need to be repeatable.
 
I bought a replacement 2 or three years ago. I am pretty sure it is still used, maybe the number changed. I have thought about getting one of the primer feeders, rather than putting each one in by hand.

Never heard anything bad ever happening. No different than priming by hand, either way pushing it in. This may be safer, holding the primer in your hand can put it near your face, and nothing really covering it.


I like hand priming cause I do it in my recliner, and I can look at each one to make sure not upside down. But I have thought about getting the feeder, for when I do handguns.






I think the it has changed since they went to 4 hole. Which may be why I am not using mine.
 
lee n. field

Lee's sucks, compared to the others. Unless something has been changed, the body is too short to use a lock ring, which you kind of need to be repeatable.
Click to expand...

I don't know what kind of Lee Ram Prime you think you are using but the Lee Ram Prime goes into a shell holder on the press ram. Maybe that's why you think it sucks because you think it is a die.
 
Lee Ram-Prime

Mentioned I had found one on my "back shelf". Just finished 55 .303 British with it. The old piece works great. Easy to seat a primer, good feel, low effort. Primed 'um up real fast. Only caveat is to keep a sufficient number of primers in the round tray to keep "pressure" in the trough. Glad I have it.
 
HankC1

Just keep sufficient primers in the round tray to keep downward pressure on the primers in the trough. If I am "finishing up" I use a small paperclip to push the last few primers in. Easy.
 
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