Hand Prime On Progressive Press ?

[luckylogger6]

I have a question for people who hand prime with progressive press. Do you decap on a single stage then hand prime, then load the primed case on the progressive press for resizing, charging, and seating the bullet. Thanks for the clarification as I am currently on a single stage and getting ready to make the jump to a progressive but see many people calming to hand prime on their progressive presses

 

[lil ski]

I don't understand why guys still hand prime unless it's to have something to do while watching TV. I use to hand prime with my old Rockchucker but now that I have a 550B Dillon I see no advantage to hand priming the Dillon works very vell at it so let it do the work. Just my 2 cents.

 

[04JRB]

I risize and decap on my progressive (only press I have) and then hand prime. after that the primed cases may not be charged and seated with a bullet right away. Sometimes a week or so will go by, Then I finish it up.

I hand prime because my progressive came with a small primer feed and I started handloading .270win first, not the .40S&W that it came set up for. So I bought the hand primer while my parts were on backorder and it just became a routine. I like the positive feel of the handprimer over doing it on the press too. my press primes on the downstroke. Im also a beginner and I was trying to learn all the functions of progressive reloading seperately to get started.

 

[Walkalong]

I tumble all the brass. Then I run it all through the progressive with the sizer only. Then I hand prime. Then I load them with the progressive without the sizer.

Nothing wrong with doing it on the progressive all at the same time, I just do not do it that way.

 

[snuffy]

Hand priming while using a progressive is like loading with handcuffs on! It defeats the purpose of having a progressive. Some just can't let go of well entrenched habits formed from loading on a single stage.

 

[cpttango30]

I hand prime my rifle brass because I use the single stage press for it. I also like to give it about 15 minutes in the tumbler after sizing before moving on. That way there is nothing to cause the powder to bridge in the neck.

As for the pregressive I really like the priming system on my 550b. I have plenty of seating feel.

 

[Shoney]

In 1960 I sized/primed on a single stage. Somewhere in the mid 80's I was introduced to the Lee hand primer, and used it exclusively to prime.

In the early 90's I got a 550 and sized/primed/charged/seated and crimped all straight wall semi-auto cartridges on it. All straight wall wheel gun and single shot cartridges larger than 357 were sized and hand primed, then individually charged before seating/crimping on single stage. All rifle, single shot pistol, and bottleneck pistol were sized, hand primed, hand charged and completed on a single stage.

Around the turn of the century I got the LNL Auto progressive. The 550 is now used only for 38/357. For a few years all rifle were sized on the single stage, then hand primed. I slowly gained confidence in the LNL for rifle loading and now use it almost exclusively (except for a few very hard to size cases), but hand weigh most charges for rifle, single shot pistol, and bottleneck pistol on the LNL.

Snuffy is right on with his handcuff analysis.

 

[Citroen]

I do!

I reload only .45 ACP using a Dillon RL 450 I bought in the early 1980s. When my revolvers were reworked by a very good gunsmith, he told me to only use Federal primers and only prime with the Lee AutoPrime - the hand held unit.

I did not like the feel of the priming station on the Dillon, so the switch was not a problem.

The 450 uses removable brass pins to capture the round in the turrent so I removed the one at the powder charger. I size and deprime in the first station then toss the brass in a plastic container. At the same time I insert a primed case into the powder station.

I make as much speed as I care to and I like the feel of the Lee primer. I scale about every 5th round anyway so speed is not my main objective.

I have worn out one Auto Prime. I also keep another set up to install large pistol primers in the Speer plastic case for .38 so I can shoot that in my garage. Works like a charm.

John
Charlotte, NC

 

[Walkalong]

Hand priming while using a progressive is like loading with handcuffs on! It defeats the purpose of having a progressive

Perhaps, but it is still much faster than a single stage.

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

With most recent design progressives, hand priming would slow one down significantly. On a few of the older presses where the priming systems were perhaps "not the best developed," it can sometimes be beneficial to hand prime off the press, especially if you are dealing with rifle cartridges. But most times, you'll get your best efficiency and rounds produced per hour using the press's priming system.

Dave

 

[Walkalong]

On a few of the older presses where the priming systems were perhaps "not the best developed,"

I would have to include my Projector in there. Almost drove me insane trying to prime with it. :banghead: