Hand primers and arthritis

[GT1]

Ugh, I just watched some more vids of the RCBS bench primer. Leave it to RCBS to make something heavy slow and clunky, while charging twice the price or more.

I did catch gavin's video on the Lee bench set up, that is slick and you could tell he was impressed.

 

[9mmepiphany]

After watching that video, I was impressed enough to buy one.

The folding tray was handier than I expected. I found that it was much faster than the hand primer...almost 3x as fast... once you figured out a smooth process:
1. Used both hands...one to insert, one to remove
2. Use two trays...one to receive primed cases
3. Release the lever completely after each priming
4. Tap the tray to insure feeding

 

[thomas15]

I have used them both. They both work true, and both are certainly better than hand primers. But in actual operation there is no comparison. The price seems to cloud thinking on the matter. You get what you pay for.

 

[cfullgraf]

The price seems to cloud thinking on the matter. You get what you pay for.

Yup.

Last winter, a part failed in my RCBS bench priming tool. A call to RCBS and a new part was on the way on their dime.

Actually, I keep two priming tools on hand, one set up for large primers, one set up for small. Saves on set up time for priming.

But the side benefit to having two priming tools on hand is I have spare parts on hand and can keep priming until I get replacement parts delivered.

(For whatever reason, of all the reloading tools I have and use, priming tools are the most prone to breakage while all of the other tools virtually never fail.)

 

[9mmepiphany]

The price seems to cloud thinking on the matter. You get what you pay for.

I don't disagree with this, however sometimes a less expensive tool which does the job as well, perhaps even more efficiently, is a alternative route to consider.

I own the Co-Ax and Lee bench priming tools. I had used a friend's RCBS bench primer quite a bit before making my choices.

My choice wasn't based on price...the Co-Ax is about the same price point as the RCBS...but efficiency.

I hate loading the primer tubes used by the RCBS (I like the APS strips). It is hard to argue that the primer trays on the Lee tools aren't easier to load...even the ridges on them are more efficient than on "flipper trays".

I wasn't thrilled by the cast parts of the Lee compared to the sturdier parts on the RCBS, but the Lee has held up very well over 4-5k rounds so far (4 months). The Lee might not last as long as the RCBS, but it is only 1/3 of the cost to replace...the only part that is under any stress when priming is the case holder. It reminds me of Soviet Bloc Olympic firearms which didn't win any beauty contest, but functioned above expectations.

The reason I added the Lee to my bench was the ease of loading the trays and the speed with which cases could be primed...I'm primarily a handgun shooter

 

[GT1]

Yeah, it depends on perspective. My LCT gives me far more than what I paid. It beats any other turret out there at double or triple the price, easily.
I am not impressed with most of the RCBS line(poor to no innovation and the pro-chucker fiasco are the norm, instead of unusual.). They have a great warranty, but that is in the price. I don't have a problem with that practice, or I wouldn't have my XL650.

I am just starting to have the old arthritic hand issues. That Lee bench prime is in my near future for .223. I have about 8k of those and wasn't really looking forward to it. I have always liked my Lee XP hand primer just fine, though.

 

[ar-newbie]

If you really like the flexibility of the hand primers, try the lee ergo prime, it's much more comfortable than their more basic auto prime xl.

 

[GW Staar]

Yeah, it depends on perspective. My LCT gives me far more than what I paid. It beats any other turret out there at double or triple the price, easily.
I am not impressed with most of the RCBS line(poor to no innovation and the pro-chucker fiasco are the norm, instead of unusual.). They have a great warranty, but that is in the price. I don't have a problem with that practice, or I wouldn't have my XL650.

I am just starting to have the old arthritic hand issues. That Lee bench prime is in my near future for .223. I have about 8k of those and wasn't really looking forward to it. I have always liked my Lee XP hand primer just fine, though.

Perspective........Mine is a little different from yours. My best friend has a Pro 1000, my brother has a XL650. I have spent a lot of time helping them get them to work. I used and broke 3 Lee hand primers. Liked them though, beat the heck out of tube priming. I hate tube priming....Lees idea is safer and faster....when it works.....RCBS's APS is safest and it works well. It was why I have a Pro 2000 progressive over anything Dillon or Lee or Hornady for that matter made. It's also why I bought the APS version of the bench primer when my hands gave out. Would not trade them for anything else. But I did finally buy into the "fiasco" as you called it. (pro chucker 7 with ugh tubes) and you know what? I'm really starting to love that smooth little press.....I'm working out the problems quite easily.....I haven't broken anything on it so far. You just have to learn rules....like on any other press. The ONLY part I find not so innovative? The tube primer. but it works slick as can be if you learn how to do it.....and we got that because APS was a victim of blue bias. Is APS perfect? No.....can you name anything that is?

I find it sad that 4 or so early adopters on the internet can turn everyone against RCBS over a new innovative product with teething problems (PC line).....and at the same time the other brands seem to be immune to that sort of bias. "poor to no innovation"? Try one. Most that have like them the few that don't just yell the loudest. Impatience I think causes most of the yelling. Bulls in a china closet.

 

[tcoz]

I used a couple different hand priming systems until arthritis got the best of me as well. When I went to a Redding T-7 press, I tried Redding's on press priming system and have never looked back. Feel is somewhat subjective but for me it’s just as good or maybe better than the hand primers I used in the past and I’ve never seated a primer that hasn’t been flush or below flush with it.