Priming on the press...?

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Bill M.

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I have a Lee single stage. I use a RCBS ram prime. I hate picking the primers up and placing them on the ram. So much so that I am thinking about getting a Redding Big Boss 2 and the automatic primer feed. The reason I use the ram prime on the lee instead of the built in primer is that the Lee press primer seater does not seem to seat the primers as deep or as well. I have a RCBS hand primer and do not much like hand priming. Old, weak hands. And I still manage to drop primers.

So my question is, how well does the on the press Redding system actually work. I expect many of you have it on the Turret press. Am I going to like the system or am I going to end up using my ram prime on the new press too after flushing a bit of money and a good bit of remounting to change presses. And I am not much interested in the Turret press. I use the LNL bushings and like that system.

I have watched some videos of the Redding. A question is, with handgun cases, can I deprime and then reprime on the same stroke without removing the case from the press.
 
I used to exclusively use an RCBS hand primer to prime cases. I started using the Lee Clssic Cast single stage press and the primer (large and small) arms that go on the ram. Now I can prime on the downstroke and flare on the upstroke. I could also powder drop if I wanted to set the Lee powder drop up on the flare die.
 
Bill M. said:
I have a Lee single stage. I use a RCBS ram prime. I hate picking the primers up and placing them on the ram. So much so that I am thinking about getting a Redding Big Boss 2 and the automatic primer feed. The reason I use the ram prime on the lee instead of the built in primer is that the Lee press primer seater does not seem to seat the primers as deep or as well. I have a RCBS hand primer and do not much like hand priming. Old, weak hands. And I still manage to drop primers.

So my question is, how well does the on the press Redding system actually work. I expect many of you have it on the Turret press. Am I going to like the system or am I going to end up using my ram prime on the new press too after flushing a bit of money and a good bit of remounting to change presses. And I am not much interested in the Turret press. I use the LNL bushings and like that system.

I have watched some videos of the Redding. A question is, with handgun cases, can I deprime and then reprime on the same stroke without removing the case from the press.
Click to expand...

I use the auto primer feed system on my Redding Boss II. I works very well, no problems at all. Setting the height of the seating anvil is critical. Redding gives you a range to set it in. As long as your in that range it feeds flawlessly. But if you get to tall or short you will have feeding problems and/or flipped primers.
 
I never liked any hand primer. About 30+ years ago I discovered ram priming and I still do a lot of it today (I had two Lee turrets that had a ram prime installed on an extra hole). I've never been in a hurry and I had no screw ups in all the time I've used one (high primer, crooked primer or crushed primer). One hint; put a paper towel on your bench and dump the primers on it. Much, much easier to pick up, even small primers...

I had a Redding Boss, pre divorce, and it was an excellent press, but I had an old Pacific C press set up for priming, and I don't care for "automatic" priming tools...
 
I've been priming on my Lee press since I've started reloading. I like the fact I can prime and expand in one step. I'm not big on the powder through expanding die though. The Lee safety prime setup works good once you get used to it. I didn't care for it at all in the beginning but now I've got it figured out and got used to feel I really like it.
 
Going to add that I bought my Lee classic when they first came out and for some reason the Lee primer handling system will not work on my age press. Before 1996 I think is the date.
 
Hand priming was the first change I made after I got my Rockchucker press. Press priming was slow and clumsy. The Lee Auto Prime (round tray), for me, was heaven by comparison. I could feel the seating quality of each primer in each case, and is much faster. My next addition was the little metal pocket cleaner, and a case mouth chamfer tool. It was some years before I added a Forster case trimmer. FWIW I only have single stage presses.
 
I use my RCBS Jr 3 on press priming system for single stage, and my LNL Hornady on press progressive no issues with either..

Thewelshm
 
I used the RCBS tools on my RCBS single stage press for the first year or so. Then, I bought the Lee handheld Auto Prime tool and a slew of shell holders for it. I like the feel you get with the handheld tool. I even bought a second one so I wouldn't have to change parts when priming with small and large primers.

Later, as I bought more presses, I picked up a Lee Classic Turret Press and have the automatic primer feed for it. It works well for me, too.

I guess I don't mind priming on the press or with a hand-held tool.
 
01KLR650 said:
I used an older RCBS hand priming tool until I found a good deal on an RCBS Automatic Priming Tool. I can load the tubes without touching the primers and it provides good feel when seating. I have the RCBS bench plate so it's easy to swap it out with other tools.
Click to expand...

I use the RCBS Automatic Priming Tool and it works great. Can’t over press the primer and gives great feel or feedback. Works great on large primers but gets a little fussy with small primers. Spits one out once in a while. Don’t know how to fix that.
 
I use a FA hand primer but my father in-law uses an old Lee turret and primes on the press. He’s been doing it that way since before I met his daughter, still does, no issues I know of. Sorry can’t help more.
 
I use the Redding on my big boss ll and love it. I had trouble with it at first but like blue said once its adjusted it runs flawlessly. Imo it is money well spent to prime on the press
 
I must be stupid or crazy because I use 4 different Lee presses and I prime on the press with all of them with the original priming systems. Presses are a 3 hole turret, new upgraded 4 hole Value turret press, Pro4000 and a Pro1000. The only one I use with the feed tray is the Pro1000 all others I hand place primers one at a time and I find it just about as fast as the Safety Prime system, with no dropped primers.
 
kmw1954 said:
I hand place primers one at a time and I find it just about as fast as the Safety Prime system, with no dropped primers.
Click to expand...
This was my great discovery when I started out on a Lee Turret. Placing primers in the cup one by one was way faster than loading the primers into the tray, clearing jams, tapping to get the primers moving and clearing sideways primers which jammed the press and stopped the flow of work.
I have a Hornady AP now, and again I find myself making sure everything is tight and just so to avoid high primers - which means stopping to remove the shellplate. I'm waiting on my RCBS Automatic Priming Tool right now. A big tub of primed cases pretty much guarantees a smooth reloading session.
 
I broke the retaining/swivel screw on my rock chucker. Now I use ram primer only. When adjusted, I have no problem.
 
Lee has a bench primer as well:
https://leeprecision.com/lee-auto-bench-prime.html
You’ll need the shell holders specifically built for it but they are inexpensive.
I used to use the priming system on my Rock Chucker but decided it was easier to use a bench primer. I ended up with the Lee because it was the only one available at the time I purchased one, so I can’t compare to others but I have no complaints. Good luck.
 
Pros/cons to everything, just have to decide what works best for you. I've been using the Lee safety prime for a number of reasons. The two "cons" I have are,

1) sometimes the last couple primers can be buggers to get feed because there is no gravity to push them into position. That's just the nature of it.

2) Don't know if it's just me but the primer feeder has the consistency of linguini and gets caught on the primer arm in the ram causing all sorts of mayhem when you have a rhythm going.

The two halves that make it up are not really bonded together, so they don't form a rigid structure. That allows a twisting motion when pushing it into place. To alleviate that I attached thin strips of brass (because that's what I had) on each side of the feeder with #2-56 machine screws and nuts. It really should of been made of glass filled nylon instead of whatever that wet noodle stuff is.

20211109_074447.jpg
 
bcook4321 said:
I’ve gathered that federal was a problem in Dillon primer tubes the past but that might not still be the case these days. What is the latest consensus on that?
Click to expand...

If I recall right the root cause was a plastic piece wearing which caused the bind. Then forcing it set the primer off. The main reason when something does not feel right stop and investigate. Bad things can happen when you forcing things that have small explosive charges.
 
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