primer routeing issue

H

Heavy Metal 1

New member
I have an old Huntington A2 press that routes the spent primers down the inside of the ram, but they frequently hang up and need to be dislodged with a coathanger. Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this?
 
I hate presses that do that. one of my dad's does. I didn't ever have them jam bad enough to need a coat hanger, but they would pile up in the outlet hole then 1 would creep over just enough to jam the press on the upstroke, then I would have to lower it and remove the primers with my pinky finger.

so are yours getting stuck in the shaft of the press? my first inclination would be to cleaned it out really well with a bore brush and some carb cleaner in case any junk is reducing diameter enough to catch the primers causing a jam.
 
My Herter's number 3 presses are the same way if that is any consolation and there is hardly any cure. A hang up occurs maybe a dozen times during a loading session of 100 or so cases that must be cleared. About the best that can be done is to keep the primer escape route cleaned and dried off as well as possible. I wasn't aware that other presses had this same malady. But since the Herter's press is such a good press otherwise, I try not to be too irritated over the situation when it happens. I've tried to devise a cure but there just doesn't seem to be anything short of a major machine shop overhaul.
 
yeah, I was gonna say bore it out.. but that'd be a chore. I did a little searching and found small bore brush hones... maybe honing the hole a bit would polish it up and open it a hair to limit the rate of clogging.... but again... I don't have one of these presses, so I'm not even sure I'm looking at the problem from the right angle.
 
You might try giving the drop tube a good "bore cleaning" followed by a shot of silicon spray or other non-sticky lube. I used a graphite paint intended for use in grain wagons and planter boxes and applied by a cleaning patch on a string. Did this on my old Herter press years back when I was using it full time and it helped significantly.
 
Well that's true but the time spent on clearing the jams is not that significant, just more of a minor irritation that it happens. With the Herter's press there is a log jam of spent primers right at the exit near the bottom of the ram that is responsible for the situation.
 
Try using a can of brake clean, one with the little red tube, and squirt it down the inside of the ram. Used primers are dusty;gunky and get residue all over. Prolly chute is clogged with carbon, dust or even loose anvils...
 
Maybe there is a pretty good solution after all. I Just finished sizing 100 '06 cases and discovered that by just giving the handle a little extra bump at the end of the ram down stroke, the small vibration caused the spent primer to jump out every time. Not a great discovery in the overall scheme of things but every little improvement helps.
 
I have given the handle a thump from time to time which can knock a few loose. I will try the bore brush & silicone concept a ry. Thanks to all. Additional comments still welcome!
 
The problem isn't crud after all. There are some cross bolts inside the ram. I recall that when the press was given to me I had to get a ram extender. I think the least stressful way is to decap in one of my other presses first.
 
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