[party01]

In your opinion which is the best hand primer for the money. I don't want to have to buy special shell holders for each caliber so I would like to get one that uses standard shell holders or has some kind of universal holder. That pretty much rules out the LEE Auto Prime.
Thanks

[SgtMaj]

I've had good luck with my RCBS hand priming tool. It uses the same shell holders as all my presses.

SgtMaj

[Black Snowman]

As an owner of the Lee Auto-Prime I second the RCBS recomendation. It's slower to convert between shell holders but it's much more comfortable for long sessions of priming.

I got my Auto-Prime with my Lee Aniversary Kit so it came with all of the shell holders. I had to modify it with a Dremel so that I could prime my .50 AE brass in it as there wasn't quite enough clearance.

The Auto-Prime + the full set of special shell holders is about the same price as the RCBS, but if I didn't have one already I'd rather spend the extra money and have the RCBS and just buy a set of spare Lee standard shell holders ($12 at Cabela's cheaper from Midway USA or Natchez).

[Mal H]

RCBS for me. The only thing I've ever had to do to it is oil the pivot.

I don't buy into the philosophy I've seen here and other places that goes, "you can buy 2 or 3 Lee hand primers for the price of one [insert other brand name here]." That statement is almost always followed by, "My Lee broke at about 10,000 rounds. All I did was go buy another Lee."

I do not want to own a simple mechanical tool that has a known lifetime shorter than my own.

[Larry Ashcraft]

100% with Mal on this one. I wore out two Lee's before I bought the Hornady tool. My second Lee broke on a Sunday afternoon when I was loading some rounds for my M1 to shoot a match with. I ended up using my 550B as a priming tool.

The Hornady priming tool will probably be used by my grandsons someday. I hear the RCBS is as good or better.

[party01]

Thanks for the replies. I am just getting into reloading so excuse me if I ask stupid questions but will the RCBS tool use the same shell holders that come with the LEE dies?

[Mal H]

Yes.

To give Lee credit where credit is due. Their shell holder sets are a real bargain and work with RCBS (press and priming tool) and other presses. The quality of their shell holders is as good as any other.

[rick_reno]

I've used the same Lee hand tool for about 15 years - it's primed a lot of cases. I load on Dillon presses but like to hand prime as it gives me an opportunity to check the cases. My only complaint is the handle isn't comfortable and I have to wear a glove or I end up with blisters.

[warrior23]

Rcbs for me too,I had a Lee it was a pos,had nothing but problems with it.

[Johnny Guest]

I like the RCBS very much. Larger, more comfortable, better constructed, and more durable than the Lee. I've worn out or broken at least three Lees over the years, so you can't say I haven't given them a fair chance. :p

Best,
Johnny

[Bullet]

Best hand primer

Sinclair International Stainless hand priming tool.

[Poodleshooter]

I've got the Lee and the RCBS and prefer the Lee not for it's price, but for it's simplicity,ease of changing shellholders and what I consider to be superior "feel" when seating primers.
My RCBS misfeeds primers more often,and I usually have more instances of "crushing" the primers with the RCBS. It does have a smoother feel, and is more durable than the Lee. Lee fixed their toggle by making it in steel instead of cast zinc, but they still haven't changed the handle to steel(I've broken two despite greasing it per Lee's instructions).

[Master Blaster]

How about the Foster priming tool?????


a bit more expensive than the others but really well made:


http://www.forsterproducts.com/Pages/seater.htm

Midway sells them for $25 more then the Hornady.

$55

[Wildalaska]

RCBS

WildprimemypocketAlaska

[Kamicosmos]

Another RCBS vote.

[bogie]

I'd go with Lee...

_IF_ you want to feel what you're doing... For every Hornady or RCBS priming tool I've seen at benchrest matches, I've seen 100 Lees, about 30 K&Ns (a variation on the original Lee primers), and about 10 Sinclairs...

If you're just squeezing the primers in, use one of the others... If you keep the Lee greased at the pivot points, it'll last a nice long while.

FWIW, I own several Lees (set up for different shell holders and left that way), a K&N, and a Neuler - one of the tools that the Sinclair priming tool was based on. For benchrest, I use the K&N and the Neuler.

[Master Blaster]

I recieved my forster hand primer from midway on Monday, monday night I primed 50 cases with it.

It works very well, much better than the priming arm on my Super rockchucker press. It loads 40 primers in the tube, but I only put in 20 at a time. It has a great hand feel you can really feel when the primer seat, and its easy to adjust. Since all of the parts are either machined from aluminum blocks, or steel, it should last a lifetime. There is considerable metal between you and the primer when you are seating so if there is a detenation of a primer you should be well shielded, at $55 from midway it seems like a great deal.

http://www.forsterproducts.com/Pages/seater.htm