Lee Challenger Press throwing spent primers all over the place...

[raindog]

I just set up a Lee Challenger press. I have the collet neck sizer die on it and it is taking out the spent primers nicely...but throwing them all over the place! I think out of 20, one landed in the collection tube and the rest popped out in various directions, making a pile on the floor.

The manual says that "primer arm must be in place to direct spent primers". Hmmm...what is this?

Supposedly, the Challenger kit was supposed to come with a Ram Prime, though mine didn't. However, I have another one from a hand kit. However, I don't see how attaching this would alter the spent primer trajectory. And no part of it is called a "primer arm".

I'm not using the Lee Auto Prime. I have a RCBS hand primer, and the Lee Ram Prime.

 

[Landric]

The press should have come with two primer arms with cups on the end for primer seating. The arm goes under the shell holder, and its angle directs the primers where they are supposed to go. If its not in place, exactly what you describe happens.

 

[John Wayne]

There is a slot cut all the way through the ram. If the ram priming attachment isn't in place, the primer bounces out the right side instead of the left.

My ram prime likes to get stuck and fall out about halfway through the downward pull. I'm thinking about using a rubber band to hold it in place when depriming and resizing, since I don't prime on the press and this step doesn't require the ram to be fully lowered.

 

[GP100man]

go to your local fast food pit & get a straw, cut a peice to fit under the shellholder to the ram slot .

 

[atlanticfire]

Had this same problem when I first got the press. Landric, has your solution dead on. Once I did this it works 100%. There is no need to make a rinky dink modifications. If the primer ram is getting stuck and falling out it sounds like its time to clean your press.