Why do I need primer flipper tray?

CCI primers are the best. You gotta flip/orient those.

Katitmail said:

Is there primer brands where they not oriented the same and flipper tray needed?

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Yes. Most primers are oriented in different ways in their trays.

Remington = Sideways
Wolf = Primer Cup Down
Federal = Sideways
Winchester = Primer Cup Up


etc. etc.

Katitmail said:

Even better - just slide into smooth surface and pick up. No need to flip it.

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Yep, Wolf definitely makes for a good workflow for me: Place hand-primer tray on top of Wolf packaging tray, flip over, remove Wolf packaging tray, put on hand-primer tray cover, attach to handle, rock out.

Don't know how Wolf primers are packed since I won't use them; not USA made.
But, what's the sweat with a primer flipper?, it's just part of reloading.

JohnM said:

Don't know how Wolf primers are packed

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My batch of Wolf LP primers are packed anvil side up.

SuperNaut said:

Remington = Sideways
Federal = Sideways

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Too funny.


CCI = Cup side up
PMC = Anvil side up
Tula = Anvil side up

Magtech = Mixed

My CCIs, in the newer boxes, are packed normal. Some up, some down.
Don't know if I've ever seen any brand, either packed flat or on edge, that all faced the same way.
Course, I never pay much attention, they all get dumped in a primer flipper tray

"Why do I need primer flipper tray?"

If you ask that, you don't need one.

Lately my CCI, SPP and LPP have them both. I just pick up all the anvil down ones first then flip for the others. Just faster for me than shaking

I don't use a flipper tray, because I use Lee Auto Prime. It takes a step out of the process. I use a single stage press for quality not quantity.

I've seen videos where guys attach vibrator to tube and it auto-fills tube.
Is there any way I can just attach "primer filler" to press and dump let's say 500 primers at once?

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I guess that would depend on your vibrator.
For me, I went all-out and spent $3 on a flip tray.

I just got 2k of Federal primers and they all in trays of 1000 oriented one way.

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Yeah, they're all one way - sideways.

I'm sure I can flip them up without shaking using 2 cardboards or something.

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When you figure out how to flip them all up using just 2 cardboards, let us know! That seems like it would take very steady hands.

Every tray of CCI I've ever opened had at least 3 or four turned anvil up. I use the tray and/or lid of my hand primer to orient them the right way.

You probably don't need a tumbler, either.
Actually, all you really need is a Lee Hand Loader and a mallet.

But all of those "nice to have" items really make hand loading faster, easier and more enjoyable.

A flipper tray is probably a $10 item bought new. I've bought several at gun shows for $2-4 each, and given them away.

Use one, just once, and the reason for that small investment will be obvious. You will wonder how you ever got along without one.

Is there any way I can just attach "primer filler" to press and dump let's say 500 primers at once?

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Probably yes - not smart though. If an accident occurs, and they do with surprising regularity even to reasonably experienced users, you'd rather have a small number of primers involved.
/Bryan

bds said:

Magtech = Mixed

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LOL yeah, Magtech = AOFP*




*All Over the Freakin' Place

Otto said:

I guess that would depend on your vibrator.
For me, I went all-out and spent $3 on a flip tray.

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You are a big spender LOL

Like almost all the other reloading tools, they just aren't needed--but they can make life easier.
You certainly don't need to shake 'em.
Put primers in tray.
Load all that are anvil up.
Flip tray over.
Load rest of primers which are all anvil up now.
I have seen people sit there for almost 5 minutes shaking to get that last one or two primers to flip over.
Believe it or not, I consider the Dillon to be the worst for flipping primers and the old Lee hand primer to have the best tray for flipping.

noylj said:

Like almost all the other reloading tools, they just aren't needed--but they can make life easier.
You certainly don't need to shake 'em.
Put primers in tray.
Load all that are anvil up.
Flip tray over.
Load rest of primers which are all anvil up now.
I have seen people sit there for almost 5 minutes shaking to get that last one or two primers to flip over.
Believe it or not, I consider the Dillon to be the worst for flipping primers and the old Lee hand primer to have the best tray for flipping.

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If it takes someone almost 5 mins to flip the last two primers they probably shouldn't be reloading.

I load about 1500/month of 9mm on a Dillon 650... everyone is different I guess, but I don't see loading primer tubes as anywhere near being the bottleneck in the process. I have 8 tubes and can load 800 primers in front of the TV in just a few minutes.

I find Wolf are the easiest to work with since they come packaged perfectly... Remove from sleeve, cap it with half of the Dillon flip tray, turn it over and remove Wolf tray, and you have all 100 oriented perfectly for picking up with a tube.

For Federals I pour them into the Dillon tray, shake... this will flip 90% of them anvil side up. Flip them, then pick up correctly oriented ones with a tube. Flip again and pick up the remainder. Takes a little more time than Wolf, but I'd have to be loading many thousands of rounds a month before I'd be thinking about buying automated primer loaders and dealing with the headaches on them that I constantly read about.

“Believe it or not, I consider the Dillon to be the worst for flipping primers and the old Lee hand primer to have the best tray for flipping”

Then there was the problem getting all those primers from the ‘large’ Federal tray into the Lee flipper to flip.

I use the flipper tray to flip primers for primer tubes, not a problem, but, to load the primer tube the primer must have the bevel side up, and the anvil down, meaning to load primer tubes the primers must be flipped/upside down.

F. Guffey

Primer tubes.. never mind. I find it funny how many say "I can load x rounds in x time".. after I tumble, prime.. yadda yadda. No, add that time to that time and that's the time to load those x rounds.

I have a nice RCBS round green flipper tray I've had for years. Works fine - other than its diameter is about 2 primers smaller than the diagonal of a winchester or cci primer box. grr.