Lee Challenger Question (Primer Seater)

[GeeBert74]

On my Challenger press there is the detachable primer seater. You need to keep this in even if you are not using it to feed primers so when you de-cap and re-size the brass the old primer goes down the shoot. The head of the primer seater sometimes gets hung up in the bottom of the shell holder. It is just enough to pull it out of place and make it fall to the ground. So I tried putting a few drops of Rem Oil on it last night and it slid in and out just perfectly.

The question I have is that if I do choose to use the primer seater, will the rem oil affect the primer in a bad way? I cannot be certain that the inside where the primer sits will not get any rem oil in it.

 

[MrOldLude]

If you conceivably got some down oil into the primer-cup, then yes, you'd have a risk of killing the primer. My Challenger doesn't have this problem often enough to warrant lubing that area. If it hangs, I just tap it loose.

What I would probably be comfortable doing is just applying a very small amount of lubricant. Just a thin film on the contact area. Thicker stuff. Not oil though. Do you have any grease?

 

[Rory McCanuck]

Picking up the primer arm off the floor got old pretty fast!
I took a piece of emery paper to the inside hole of the shellholder. There was a slight machining burr there, that would sometimes catch.
Also, the primer seater body looks to be punched out, rather than machined.
Mine had a ridge all around it on one side. A file to remove the ridge, then emery
paper to polish it, and a drop of lube in the slot in the ram, now I have no problems.

 

[GeeBert74]

Im glad I am not the only one who had that issue. I will try and see about taking the emery board to the shell holder.

Thanks for the help.

 

[MGRAY]

Same here.....just stone the slot out a little. Marty

 

[GeeBert74]

Did it, and it works like a charm!

 

[Rory McCanuck]

Glad it worked for you.