taming the wild primers

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blackwidowp61

New member
I have a Rockchucker press that I use for my 30-06s and 22-250s. The problem is when I am resizing, the primers fly every which way. About a fourth of them wind up on the bench, the floor and a few other spots I probably haven't found yet. Have any of you found a way to get the primers to behave without screwing up the process?
 
First, I have to assume you are decapping as part of the re-sizing process. I do not do this. I have a universal decapping die and knock the primers out of the cases before I wash and clean them.

Second, the RCBS primer catcher is not a particularly efficient design. There are third-party add-on primer catchers that you can get for the Rock Chucker that will catch nearly all the primers.

Third, try raising the ram into the resizing die more slowly than you are. Raising it fast does two things; 1) it imparts more energy to the decapped primers, so they are more likely to end up all over the place, and 2) it allows the brass a chance to "spring back" within the die rather than doing so after it has been withdrawn from the die.

If you want speed, get a progressive press. If you're going to use a single stage, then remember that the precision and control that goes with a single stage is not compatible with speed. A single stage press is truly in a race where the prize goes to the tortoise.
 
if it is Rock Chucker Supreme the cheapest cure is to cut a small piece of foam then place it behind the primer catcher to force it closer to the ram. Also get a small straw or cut another piece of foam and cut it and place it in the hole/slot in the front of the ram. Great press but the design of the spent primer system sucks.

If you want a more elegant fix fixes you look on EBay and Amazon for aftermarket primer catcher upgrades
 
I have a Lee SS press from the mid 90's with a Lee Universal decapping pin set up. This press just has the small bin/compartment to catch the spent primers when they pop out of ram. I found/discovered that some primers would not behave either, so I got a half gallon milk jug and cut a piece out to act as a deflection shield for wild primers. My lee press has a removable panel on the spent primer bin, I just loosened the retainer screws and slid the milk carton panel down and tightened the screws back. I used a corner of the milk carton to have a bend in this shield so it would catch on the press frame. This mod controls the majority of the primers, but I still have to chase down a few on occasion. I have to use a small shop vac to empty the collection bin but this lessens the possibility of spilling alot of spent primers.
 
I have a Lee SS press from the mid 90's with a Lee Universal decapping pin set up. This press just has the small bin/compartment to catch the spent primers when they pop out of ram
Click to expand...

completely different issue, Lee actually has a much better design than RCBS on spent primer retention.

The problem(s) with the RCBS is that the plastic primer catcher does not ride snugly against the ram and instead of the spent primer going down the chute into the little catcher bins they pop out of the side never making it to the plastic chute into the bin. I suspect the random popping out the front could be also cured by tilting the entire press a few degrees to the back when mounting

this seems to be a long standing issue for a number of years now. I am surprised RCBS has not fixed it
 
RCBS Jr, Lyman Turret, Dillon 550B, all flip primers on the floor. I have a broom and a Shop Vac. ..............................................................
 
For an RC IV:
Styrene tube in the ram to close off the priming window.
Neodymium magnet in the tray to maintain proper alignment.

99.9% effective.

attachment.php



Remove the tube with needle nose pliers, or by stabbing it with an Xacto knife, when priming on the press is needed/desired.
At the time that picture was taken, that piece of styrene had seen about 8 years worth of use. It's still kickin'...
 
here is how to fix it at least on the Rock Chucker Supreme
https://imgur.com/Y0dIK0d

notice the 1/4 inch gap between the back of the primer catcher and the frame and how the primer catcher rides away from the ram

attach a 1/4 inch thick piece of foam, cardboard, wood or what ever you have handy to the back of the primer catcher with tape or hot glue so the primer catcher rides snugly against the ram

https://imgur.com/a/klDOe

then get a plastic drinking straw from a fast food joint and cut a 2 inch piece and drop it into the hole in the ram . That will stop the odd primer from popping out the slot in the front

This is an easy fix and I would think that RCBS would fix this issue by altering the primer catcher so it would ride snugly against the ram and putting a bevel on the inside of the primers exit tube so that if one hits the rim it bounces back in.

Saying everyone else does it too is a sad excuse. My daughter learned not to try that excuse before she was six years old
 
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