Lee Auto Prime Problem

[BigJakeJ1s]

I like the RCBS Universal (square tray) Hand Primer. I still use my old auto prime for small primers, since I don't do many of those, and it keeps me from having to switch over the RCBS between large and small primers. The Universal's full hand grip means my thumb does not go numb after a few hundred rounds. The larger tray is easier to load, separates from the handle and lays flat, and has a gate to close off the corner opening. Because it feeds from a corner rather than the side of a circle, it feeds more consistently, requiring less shaking, etc. If I start to load a lot more small primer cartridges, I'll buy another and leave it set up for small primers. Both Lee and RCBS are about the same when it comes to changing them over.

Andy

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

... deleted

 

[Jeff F]

I had the tray with about 60 primers left in it go boom. Lee progressive 1000 was cranking out rounds when it happened. Thank god for safety glasses. I sure would not want that to happen in my hand like with a hand prime.

 

[FieroCDSP]

As stated before, the hand primer has one very important advantage over a press-mounted primer. You can feel the primer seating, and when it stops. On a press, especially the progressives, there are a lot of things happening and you can't really feel the priming arm doing it's job. I've had primers crush sideways and go in upside down on my Loadmaster and haven't had an ignition, but each time, I didn't feel it doing it because I was focused elsewhere on the press. I would honestly feel just fine using Federal primers in my hand-primer, as I know enough not to crush the thing trying to seat it. The only time I've had primers fail to seat completely was in brass whose pockets needed uniforming.