Need a new priming tool

Status
Not open for further replies.

NorthBorder

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
1,191
Location
2 miles past the end of the earth
I have to old classic Lee hand priming tool and it works well. Except the arthritis in my thumb really flares up after about 50 times.
Can anyone turn me onto a friendlier priming tool? And can it use the same shell holders? I saw one by Lee that is mounted on a board that looked pretty nifty but I think I need other shell holders if I understood what I read? As usual, your help is muchly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
 
I agree with all of the above posts. I can prime faster on the hand priming tools, I have a 15yr old Lee - the FA looks good too. They do give your hand a workout.
I bought the RCBS bench mounted one a few years ago, mainly because I had a few lite primer strikes in my 500S&W. The RCBS resolved this. Much easier to seat as you use your hand / arm to seat, not just thumb. It does take a bit more time (not too much) to load the primer tube though.
IIRC the RCBS uses standard shell holders - not the ones like the Lee handloader uses. I will need to check or, can someone confirm. I have not reloaded much lately :-(
 
I've found the Lee hand primers easier on the hands than the FA. The Lee hand primers and the FA hand primers use the same type of shellholders. Most other priming tools use the same shellholders as the reloading presses.
 
The best had primer I have ever tried and still use is a Lyman 310 loading tool with a priming die installed for the size cartridge base I am loading for. I used to actually load ammo with it, but now I just use it as a primer tool. The primer die out of, say a 243 die set, will work on ANY cartridge with that base size, which is most. Being a plier tool, it will obviously make your hand(s) tired.

I have a RCBS hand primer and HATE IT. I hear the Sinclair is good, but expensive.

Instead of a specific bench mounted primer, I just use the priming arm on my press. Does the same thing and works fine. No effort.
 
I have to old classic Lee hand priming tool and it works well. Except the arthritis in my thumb really flares up after about 50 times.
Can anyone turn me onto a friendlier priming tool? And can it use the same shell holders? I saw one by Lee that is mounted on a board that looked pretty nifty but I think I need other shell holders if I understood what I read? As usual, your help is muchly appreciated.
Thanks in advance

By the way, I have had the base joints of both thumbs replaced. That surgery works really really well.
 
I had the lee one that mounts to a board. The plastic parts break. I upgraded to an RCBS bench mounted one. It uses the shell holders that you would use in the press. I have arthritis too. The RCBS one does not aggravate it.
Automatic Priming Tool | RCBS
View attachment 1005426

This ^^
Its fast, easy and youll never have a high primer again. Buy a Vibraprime or something like it and you can fill a 100 into the tube in a few seconds. Well worth the money for a tool youll have forever.
 
I was happy with the lee bench prime for a couple years. Then the part that has the wiggly plastic bits broke and I gave up on it. I need a new priming tool but for the time being I'm priming on the press, I do it at the same time as flaring. Lower ram until the primer tool comes up through the shell holder, raise ram slightly, insert case, lower ram to prime , raise to flare and charge in one step. It's slow. I'm slow. Everything's slow. But it works.
 
Frankfort Arsenal is hard to beat. I sold all my others and now have 2 of these.
 
I use the RCBS hand primer. The one that doesn’t require shell holders. I have primed thousands with it.

that’s the Universal… I bought one, too, when my ancient Lee finally gave up. It’s easier on the hand, but after a few hundred it gets pretty tiring.

For what it’s worth, my RCBS press top primer is the best primer setup I’ve used… albiet, it’s one at a time. It requires little effort, you can feel the primer bottom, but it’s not a volume tool, for sure.
 
Im going to have my right middle finger center joint fused after hunting season. It's getting deformed. I asked about joint replacement. The doc said it wouldn't hold up for me being active. The base joints he said do well though with replacement.
 
Im going to have my right middle finger center joint fused after hunting season. It's getting deformed. I asked about joint replacement. The doc said it wouldn't hold up for me being active. The base joints he said do well though with replacement.

Just make sure you can make do with a finger that will never bend again.
 
My dad still has his bench mount bonanza priming tool. It’s slower than my hand held, but still working over 30 years. Hand tools require more effort, that’s for sure.
 
The doc said he will set it slightly bent. Thay way ill be able to grip stuff. And the back and front knuckles will function. I can't bend the middle knuckle now much with the swelling. It's also starting to point toward my ring finger. And cortisone shots to help are not lasting more than 2 weeks now. I been working on left hand shooting too. My trigger finger is going too. I figure i have a year yet with it before i need something done.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top