Priming off Press

[ColtPythonElite]

Separate sizing, then hand priming, and finally running them thru a press and loading at a rate of 300 an hour sure is some fast hand moving.

 

[TheDomFather]

I prime with a hand priming tool or a bench mounted priming tool. No press mounted priming for me.

When I got my Hornady L-N-L and later my first Dillon SDB, I tried priming with the press. I did not like that I could not inspect the primer seating at least until I was confident that the priming system was functioning reliably. Both presses, I abandoned the priming system after about 800-1000 primers seated.

But, I really prefer to clean cases after resizing so it allows for priming by hand either with a hand primer tool or a bench mounted priming tool. I resize and clean the cases shortly after shooting. Small batch sizing goes quick as I do not worry about the rest of the process and I only have a "few" cases to process. I can set dies in the press and resize 100 handgun cases in less than five minutes. They tumble most of the night and it takes a few minutes in the morning to separate them from the media. The cases get stored for a future loading session.

As far as priming, I have found I can prime 100 cases with a hand priming tool (RCBS universal shell holder tool at present) in less time than it takes me to fill a priming tool so no time lost there. My bench tool is an RCBS APS tool. With pre-loaded strips, priming time is fast but if I have to load the strips, strip loading takes about the same time as filling primer tubes.

During loading, since I do not resize or prime, I have eliminated two major problem points for me on the progressive press and I have fewer stoppages and jams than when I was running fired case to loaded case.

I figure with my separate sizing and priming operations, my average reloading rate is about 300 cases per hour using hand case and bullet feeding.

More power to the folks that have straightened out their priming systems but I load more ammunition than I can shoot, I enjoy reloading and am happy with the trouble free time I spend in the reloading room. I have NO interest in spending time straightening out the press mounted priming systems.

I am with you my man, I have refined my process as follows:

Dirty brass gets sorted by caliber and in the case of .45 ACP sorted by SM or LG primer

All cases get decapped on a Lee universal decapping die in my Redding T7

Cases then get cleaned in a Frankford Arsenal Tumbler with Warm water, 1 TBSP of Dawn and 1 TBSP of lemi shine with stainless steel pins. I like clean primer pockets so this solves that problem as well.

Hand prime cases as in my video above.

Then onto the Hornady LNL where I resize (without the decapping rod since they are already primed)

Flare case

Drop powder

Powder cop to check

Seat and taper crimp.

Might not be perfect or the most efficient process but it works for me. I size on press as I find it keeps more even pressure on the shell plate and gives me more consisten OAL.

Thanks,
Dom

 

[Bang!]

I enjoy reloading. It's relaxing while at the same time challenging and satisfying. My favorite reloading is on a Lee single stage press in batches of 50. Hand prime using the Lee hand primer. Each individual step carefully performed. Haven't done it that way in several years. When my wife comes home from work and parks herself on the back deck firing hundreds of rounds an afternoon, after afternoon, after afternoon, after afternoon (lol). Then my adult children come over from time to time. Of course I like to shoot, too. We may go a couple of weeks not firing a shot. Then the next week it's a couple thousand rounds. Don't know who hates us more, neighbors or the mail lady (she sometimes tells me to go to the PO and pick up all that lead myself hahaha).

This all means these progressive presses have to keep up. One pull of the handle has to equal one completed well made round. 1000 round batches at a time. I expect my progressive presses to function as designed. And for the most part they do.

XL650 is a great press and really cranks out the rounds. No tinkering, no constant cleaning of whatever little speck, primer alarm to prevent that "ran out of primers" stoppage, large powder hopper, powder check die w/audible alarm (I still visual check), powered case feeder, and so on. That press is a great machine. Keep it set up for 9x19.

Lee Loadmaster is a good press. Yeah, it is. I have the latest updates and it works well. The priming system works flawlessly down to the last primer in the chute. Priming trays are quick and easy to fill. Powder measure is consistent. Case feed is manual but easy to fill and the simple design just works. I usually run a thousand round batch and then do a partial tear down to clean, tighten, and relube. It's important how you work the handle on this press. There's a rhythm to it to keep all parts working in harmony. You can prevent most stoppages by a feeling in the handle that the problem is about to happen. The Loadmaster lacks the smoothness, leverage, consistency and quality feel of the XL650 but at a quarter or more of the price. For the cost of a caliber changeover (including dies) on the XL650 I can buy a complete Loadmaster. The Loadmaster is great for straight walled cases like .45acp and .38/.357 that I use it for. Also do final loading steps for .223. I like my Loadmaster, minimal tinkering and all.

Recently started using the Lee Pro 1000. What a gem. Another progressive press that kicks out a completed round for every pull of the handle. I've been amazed at how fun it is to run this little press. Few more quirks than the previously mentioned presses but with a little homework and common sense in the mechanical arena and this press is reliable. $130 to my door from Overstock dot com. Complete and ready to rock. What's not to like. I use it for a different 38spl bullet profile than I load on the LM above.

I no longer use my LCT press but the priming system on it works, too.

All this rambling just to say, "prime on the press". A properly adjusted and functioning press will correctly prime your cases. You don't have to prime off press. Unless that's what you enjoy, of course.

I still get to enjoy fifty round batches of all other rifle reloading as I do rifle on a single stage and prime that by hand. That's where I get to relax and enjoy reloading.

Oh, my Hornady LnL AP? SOLD IT!

 

[Dudedog]

I too prime off the press but I use the Lee hand primer.
I wasn't happy when I learned that it used special shell holders. Otherwise I love that I can relax, and do a hundred or two shells while watching TV.

As far as priming, I have found I can prime 100 cases with a hand priming tool (RCBS universal shell holder at present) in less time than it takes me to fill a priming tube so no time lost there

I do the same. I could prime on my LNL progressive but I prefer to deprime then clean the cases.
I can watch the tube and prime cases (wear safety glasses!) then have primed brass ready when I go to load.
I think it gives a little more consistent OAL having primed brass and it's one less thing to worry about if I want to crank out rounds on the progressive.
Started hand priming for my old "Deluxe" Lee 3 hole turret press and it just sort of became a habit.

I could buy a tool to fill primer tubes but it really isn't that much slower to hand prime and gives me better feel
9mm LNL
Station
1 Powder drop (primed case)
2 RCBS lockout die
3 Bullet feeder
4 Seat and crimp
5 final crimp with the Lee FCD (some people hate it, I happen to like it for 9mm, and yes I can load without it.)

 

[Zendude]

For tall cases, 38 sp and 32 mag, I prime by hand. I can't see the powder level in the tall cases on my Lee 1000 press. Since it has only 3 stations, the only way to use a powder check die is to deprime and prime in separate steps. I bought the RCBS hand priming tool after getting frustrated with the Lee Ergo Prime. The RCBS is a big improvement.

 

[Dudedog]

Been using the Lee tool a long time. Liked the old one with round trays better than the newer one with square trays. The square trays and the newer still triangle shaped trays are about a tie IMO.
I put I piece of 1/2" clear plastic hose I had around the metal handle make it better for when I prime lots of cases.

Zendude,Please tell me why you like the RCBS better, I may need to buy one

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I load most of my handgun ammo on a Lee 4 Hole Turret Press and prime on the press. Most of my rifle brass is primed with an RCBS handheld primer. Like mentioned above, my hands are getting old so priming .223 brass in bulk meant for an AR style rifle is becoming difficult.

 

[ray15]

I use a Lee Classic turret press but hate their primer feeder - the 'Safety Prime'. It uses the same folding plastic tray as the bench tool but expects you to dispense into the cup on the seating lever via a tube with the structural integrity of a wet noodle with a pez dispenser on the end. I find it cruelly effective - at putting primers on the floor. The flex in the tube, or 'trough' as they call it, frustrates my attempts to get it feeding reliably. The best I can get it to do is be decent for the first 50 primers at which point the lessening weight of the column of primers in the system takes what was barely good enough alignment into barely not good enough and they land on the floor.

I've gone to using a RCBS primer tray and placing each one by hand in the primer seating arm of the press. I like seating them on the press - you have good leverage and feel - but hate the Lee feeder. I find it just as quick to stick another primer in the cup after resizing as when all goes well with the pez dispenser, and a lot quicker when it dispenses on the floor. I'd rather not handle the primers, but you pretty much have to handle them when they hit the floor, and ensuring you find every last one is drag.

 

[shooter1]

I've owned several progressive presses. The priming system on them could be charitably called "fiddly". I can see where frustration could lead to hand priming using those.
I graduated to a Dillon 650 some years ago to support my shooting addiction. The feel when seating primers on the 650 is phenomenal! I can feel what's going on at least as well as any hand priming system I've ever used. If a case with a crimped primer reaches the priming station, I can immediately feel the difference. I pull the case out and continue loading without damaging the primer. I can tell when the case has a loose primer pocket, should I want to cull those out. Best priming system ever!
str1

 

[wiiawiwb]

Priming on the CO-Ax is prohibitively slow. I had a lee, but sold it for an RCBS. It doesn't need shell holders. Its about $10 more expensive than the Lee. The Lee is nice. This one is a hair better.

https://www.amazon.com/RCBS-Univers...=1502296372&sr=1-2&keywords=RCBS+Priming+Tool

I'm always open to new suggestions but I actually enjoy priming with the CoAx. I can feel each one seat and feel they are consistently seated. Will all priming tools do that? Probably. The CoAx gets the job done and speed isn't an objective.

I've never tried a hand primer but would give it a whirl if I could try it before buying.

 

[Zendude]

Zendude,Please tell me why you like the RCBS better, I may need to buy one

The RCBS has a better method of feeding the primers. I get far fewer flipped primers or jams with the RCBS. The RCBS has a nice round primer tray too. The Lee shell holders will not fit the RCBS, so that's an extra cost. Also the numbering system for the shell holders is different than the Lee system (I found out the hard way)

 

[goldpelican]

I use a Lee Classic turret press but hate their primer feeder - the 'Safety Prime'. It uses the same folding plastic tray as the bench tool but expects you to dispense into the cup on the seating lever via a tube with the structural integrity of a wet noodle with a pez dispenser on the end. I find it cruelly effective - at putting primers on the floor. The flex in the tube, or 'trough' as they call it, frustrates my attempts to get it feeding reliably. The best I can get it to do is be decent for the first 50 primers at which point the lessening weight of the column of primers in the system takes what was barely good enough alignment into barely not good enough and they land on the floor.

That too was my experience - the last few primers won't feed as there's not enough weight on them from others. Got sick of live primers bouncing off the tile floor (I load inside). Chintzy.

 

[Kaldor]

Prime on press always, both progressive and single stage. I dont believe in all the supposed voodoo about primer seating effecting accuracy. Seat the primer below flush and to the bottom of the primer pocket and its good. Seating a primer a thou more or less doesnt effect measurable accuracy.

 

[dh1633pm]

Yes, the CO-Ax does have a positive feel. But I have to place the primer into the cup and then move the lever. I drop primers on the floor with this method. The positive movement is good, but loading the cup and working the lever take time. If I am loading a hundred, it takes a while. With the RCBS Primer tool (which doesn't need shell holders making it a hair better than the Lee) I still get positive feel and a much speedier platform.

 

[Dudedog]

I get far fewer flipped primers

you mean the primers won't work upside down? The priming tool put them in that way
Unless I watch closely I always seem to have a couple that get flipped over and a few that think they are going to try to get to go in sideways. PITA

Will Lee press shell holders work on the RCBS hand primer or are they special priming shell holders like Lee's?

 

[cfullgraf]

Also the numbering system for the shell holders is different than the Lee system (I found out the hard way)

Between Lee, RCBS, Hornady, Redding, and Lyman, none have a standardized numbering system that completely matches the other manufacturers.

I keep lists from the manufacturers that I use with their shell holder numbers and assigned cartridges. Also, I have a conversion chart. Here is one. A search of the net will reveal others that may be a more convenient format.

http://www.handloads.com/misc/shellholders.asp

 

[Doublehelix]

Will Lee press shell holders work on the RCBS hand primer or are they special priming shell holders like Lee's?

I have the RCBS APS Bench Priming System, but I think it is pretty similar to the hand design, and it does use either RCBS or Lee shell holders. I assume the handheld primer is the same...

 

[goldpelican]

The RCBS APS hand primer has a universal shell holder, but two different rams for small and large primers.

 

[Zendude]

you mean the [roimers won't work upside down? The priming tool put them in that way
Unless I watch closely I always seem to have a couple that get flipped over and a few that think they are going to try to get to go in sideways. PITA

Will Lee press shell holders work on the RCBS hand primer or are they special priming shell holders like Lee's?

The RCBS hand priming tool (not the universal type) will not take Lee shell holders. The mounting hole on the bottom of the RCBS shell holders is larger than the Lee.

 

[Walkalong]

The lee will if you grind them to fit. That said, I just started getting all RCBS shell holders when I needed a new one.

 

[USSR]

...all RCBS shell holders when I needed a new one.

Yep!

Don

 

[BiknSwans]

I prime on my RCBS turret AND using the RCBS universal hand primer.

I prime all my brass using the turret. When I remove the completed round, I check for a high primer by placing it on a very smooth surface and try to rock it back and forth. I use a small mirror for this purpose and can detect primers that are sticking out past the base a tiny distance. For me, this works much better than using my finger to feel a high primer.

If I detect a primer that isn’t fully seated, I use the hand primer to complete the seating. With the hand tool I find that I have much more leverage, and it’s almost always possible to fully seat the primer in the rest of them way. I have to do this to about 1 out of 15 primers, but it’s fast as I already have the round in my hand.

I had an unacceptable number of light strikes until I started using this procedure, but now the light strikes are virtually eliminated.

Some crimped primer pockets are so small that I can’t even start seating the primer. I save those casings for a friend with a 1050.

 

[Reeferman]

I have an RCBS hand primer but found it to be a pain compared to priming on my LNL.

 

[Dudedog]

Oppps I meant primers, looks like I was typing upside down and sideways

 

[hot chili powder]

I used a RCBS hand priming unit for a long time (maybe 10 yrs) but decided to try the RCBS ram priming system......would NEVER go back to hand priming....you can develop the same "feel" of seating primers in short order, just sayin'.