recommend a hand primer

the RCBS hand primer with the round tray works great for me. only issue i had was getting Lee shellholders to work on it. i had to use a knife to trim up some plastic on the pieces the shellholders sit on to get the Lee shellholders to fit. RCBS shellholders work great with it.

RCBS also has a model with a square tray that has a universal shellholder. i'd like to give it a try.

+1

RCBS

rc

I've used the old Lee Auto Prime, which wasn't very ergonomic, and you had to use their proprietary Auto Prime shellholders.

I've used the RCBS hand primer with Lee shell holders, which works great, and I have not experienced problems with the interaction between Lee shell holders and the RCBS tool. As a Lefty, I'd develop a blister on my thumb due to the orientation of the tool in my hand.

The RCBS has very good leverage and ergonomics (for a righty). The Lee tool's lever didn't have as much leverage as RCBS'.

The Hornady tool looks a little dinky. Haven't tried the RCBS universal or the newer Lee ones.

Old Lee Auto Prime. Keeps on working great, after over 10yrs and thousands of rounds primed.

I have the old Lee handprimer, still works great, however I bought the new Lee Ergo prime and love it even more.
I gave up on priming on my LNL, I can prime 100 cases almost as fast as loading a primer tube---with out the headaches and stoppages

Smokeyloads

I have a Lee hand primer, been using it for almost 20 years. So much the ears that hold the lid on are pretty worn. About a year ago I bought a RCBS hand primer, it;s the one that does not use shell holders. They both work well, but the new one does some gettin used to.

I have an old Lee hand primer and a RCBS hand priming tool. Only issue with the Lee is that mine uses the Lee priming shell holders where the RCBS uses the same shell holders I load with. The RCBS also places a bar between the primer being loaded and the rest where the Lee does not. Both work fine but given a choice I prefer the RCBS.

Ron

+2 RCBS one in large & small primers.

Here is another vote for the RCBS hand primer. No problems at all with mine.

I was detonating too many primers with my Lee Classic Loader setup, so I bought a RCBS universal hand primer. It works magnificently, I recommend it very highly.

I like the Hornady hand primer well enough to have two, one set up for small and one for large primers.

I have the RCBS Universal hand primer, both with the tray and the APS versions. I like it, it has been a suitable replacement for the original Lee Auto-Prime that I used for decades.

I was not impressed with the updated Lee.

I have found at least one case that the RCBS Universal will not prime. It is 410 brass shot gun hulls.

I use the old Lee system. Cheap and works just fine for me.

I have two, one for large and one for small, Lee hand primers. They have worked well for years. But I like the feel of the RCBS also.

One of my Lee hand primers had the same issue as the OP. I just let it sit on there and keep the angle of the handle tilted or if I am particularly fed up I will tape it in place. It still works so I have no reason to replace it.

I dont have a good reccomendation but just some experience with my RCBS one. I have the RCBS with the round tray. What I dont like about it is that the little screw, that holds the blocker bar, comes loose all the time and I have to constantly tighten it. Once it came loose and when I went for the next squeeze, I bent it all up. Also the plastic needs trimming to accept some shell holders and I even had to trim my small primer one to let primers into it. Also, the plastic lid come loos alot and primers will flip if you dont pay attention.

In short, not reccomended....works, but finicky..

Maybe Ill try the Hornady next.

I have a Lee that works but I like the feel of my RCBS (round tray version) better.

The RCBS is a pot metal low quality tool. Get the Hornady primer tool. It is made from machined steel and aluminum.

I have both the standard and the universal hand primers from RCBS. I mostly use the universal one...it is convenient and works great...I've probably primed 3,000 cases, both rimmed handgun and rimless rifle, with mine. I've had no problems with either the tool or the primed cases.

FH

strange... when I broke the corner clip of the cover on my Lee hand primer a quick email to Lee CS and I got a new cover in the mail 3 days later, gratis.

Update: just checked Lee's website, they are out of stock of the cover.

beatledog7 said:

I like the Hornady hand primer well enough to have two, one set up for small and one for large primers.

Click to expand...

Yep

I have used a lot of hand primers from all different makers and the best one I have found is the new Lee Ergo Prime.