Replacing the Lee Primer tray for hand priming

gonoles_1980

gonoles_1980

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A while back I bought the new Lee XR/ERGO Replacement tray. To be blunt, it's a piece of junk, you always drop primers trying to fold out the tray hold it flat and put the new primers in. It's just cumbersome at best to use. I've gone back to the old tray, which lost a corner, using a couple of rubber bands to hold it together. I would like a decent flat tray like the old Lee tray. I don't want to have to buy a whole new set of case holders, I have all the ones I need, or could want later. Is there a 3rd party tray I could use, that uses the Lee case holders?
 
I don't know of any compatible trays.

When using the folding tray, I open the tray, then invert it over a full tray of primers. Flip it over, so the Lee tray is on bottom, and all the primers are in it. No spillage.

I even do that with partial primer trays; I use the sleeve of the primer container to regulate the number of primers coming out.
 
Hooda Thunkit said:
I don't know of any compatible trays.

When using the folding tray, I open the tray, then invert it over a full tray of primers. Flip it over, so the Lee tray is on bottom, and all the primers are in it. No spillage.

I even do that with partial primer trays; I use the sleeve of the primer container to regulate the number of primers coming out.
Click to expand...
Me too and with any multiple of ten (whole row of primers)
I just don’t rush it & have no problems.
 
I started with Hornady round flipper trays and progressed to the Vibra-prime square trays before encountering the Lee folding trays. I don't think there are any tricks to making them work, there is just a different process.

The only "trick" is to open the tray and hold it flat over the sleeve of primers before inverting them. As you fold the tray, it is easier if you shift all the primers toward the hinge edge so that they are already close to the bottom half. Only agitate the primers to orient them on the lower half before closing and locking the halves together.

I seldom drop primers. I usually fill the five that I have on hand before I start priming

Is your process of transferring primers very different?
 
kidneyboy said:
try this -
Click to expand...
It never occurred ti me that a video was needed, but I've since learned that very little is beyond imagination.

I once had to deal with someone who couldn't figure out how to get all the anvils facing up in the tray without dropping several...it took a couple of questions before we figured out that his understanding of "shake" was an up-n-down motion
 
9mmepiphany said:
It never occurred ti me that a video was needed, but I've since learned that very little is beyond imagination.

I once had to deal with someone who couldn't figure out how to get all the anvils facing up in the tray without dropping several...it took a couple of questions before we figured out that his understanding of "shake" was an up-n-down motion
Click to expand...
Learning is an interesting process.
 
So what are you looking for, the square tray that has that channel that lines the primers up? I think I have used those in the Ergo unit.
 
The folding primer trays are absolutely Horrible and Lee should re-design them and give us all an updated tray . Mine sucks rocks so badly I put it back in the box and got out my Lee Hand Press and Lee Ram-Prime and use them as my hand held priming tool ...
...it's the best set up ever for hand priming !
Gary
 
gwpercle said:
The folding primer trays are absolutely Horrible and Lee should re-design them and give us all an updated tray . Mine sucks rocks so badly I put it back in the box
Click to expand...
Can you expand on that a bit more specifically.

The five trays I have seem to work fine and I'm having a hard time understanding how they aren't working for other folks.
Is it the transfer from the sleeves?
Is it the shaking to orient the anvils?
Is it closing the lid?
 
9mmepiphany said:
Can you expand on that a bit more specifically.

The five trays I have seem to work fine and I'm having a hard time understanding how they aren't working for other folks.
Is it the transfer from the sleeves?
Is it the shaking to orient the anvils?
Is it closing the lid?
Click to expand...
I look forward to seeing the answers too. My one complaint is when opened the “lid” doesn’t lie flat, but it wouldn’t then close as easily if it did. Trade offs.
 
Folding the new style tray does take some getting used to, compared to the old style. I had some primers hit the floor when transitioning to the new one. The on/off switch on the new tray does make it easier to insert the tray onto the primer chute on a press. But for the hand primer, it’s not really needed.
 
CQB45ACP said:
I love to watch OTHERS taking risks.
Click to expand...

It's only $10.00 bucks.
Not like the $380.00 I paid for the new Pro 6000 I had to send back due to the whole carrier falling off the ram when I tried to use it.
Then Lee said they had to tighten it themselves in a jig to insure alignment, then I found out the primer system on mine was also way off from working right so it went back for a refund.
That one I should have waited on, but I wanted a new toy.

Even a year ago I wouldn't have gone near the 6000 press for at least a year, but I wanted one so I took the chance.
 
The Lee folding tray is OK for CCI packaging, but using it with other primers often leads to dropped primers if loading a full 100 pack. The tray is way too small for Federals, a bit to small for Winchesters, and the edge packaged Remingtons roll around and fall off the edge or through the open slot for the tray lock.

I regularly use the newest Lee handprimer with the folding tray, and I've made compromises to offset it's shortcomings. Mostly I just load 50 or less at a time.

A better question might be: Why did Lee adopt a design with such obvious shortcomings? A bit bigger tray would have been an improvement.
 
Last edited:
BBarn said:
The Lee folding tray is OK for CCI packaging, but using it with other primers often leads to dropped primers if loading a full 100 pack. The tray is way too small for Federals, a bit to small for Winchesters, and the edge packaged Remingtons roll around and fall off the edge or through the open slot for the tray lock.

I regularly use the newest Lee handprimer with the folding tray, and I've made compromises to offset its shortcomings. Mostly I just load 50 or less at a time.

A better question might be: Why did Lee adopt a design with such obvious shortcomings? A bit bigger tray would have been an improvement.
Click to expand...
I use it for all brands without undue troubles but like you say for totals less than 100. Far, far less actually, I don’t prime as many as 50 cases very often—like most else I do, just enough to maintain my “standing by” inventory. Dumping 100 of any brand is inviting trouble.
 
kidneyboy said:
Pretty sure you mean you have issues with it.
try this -
Click to expand...


There are plenty of youtube video's discussing the issues with it. I could probably make a video where I was successful one time without spilling any primers. So it's not just me.



I never had an issue with the old Lee square tray, from the first time I used it. I didn't have to sit their and continue shaking to get all the primers correct. I might have to turn over a few at the maximum. My real questions is basically is there a replacement that works like the old Lee Square tray.
 
9mmepiphany said:
Can you expand on that a bit more specifically.

The five trays I have seem to work fine and I'm having a hard time understanding how they aren't working for other folks.
Is it the transfer from the sleeves?
Is it the shaking to orient the anvils?
Is it closing the lid?
Click to expand...

When I flip the tray over, it wants to fold back, usually a few primers fall out when that happens, I did put a towel down to catch the primers that fall out. More an issue transferring from the sleeve. But why when I never have issues with the old tray and a rubberband fixes the issue with the one corner being broken off.
 
gonoles_1980 said:
A while back I bought the new Lee XR/ERGO Replacement tray. To be blunt, it's a piece of junk, you always drop primers trying to fold out the tray hold it flat and put the new primers in. It's just cumbersome at best to use. I've gone back to the old tray, which lost a corner, using a couple of rubber bands to hold it together. I would like a decent flat tray like the old Lee tray. I don't want to have to buy a whole new set of case holders, I have all the ones I need, or could want later. Is there a 3rd party tray I could use, that uses the Lee case holders?
Click to expand...

Here's a bunch of vids on Lee primer tray techniques:
using Lee primer trays - YouTube
You might see something that will work better for you.
jmo,
.
Edit: here is the mod to the RCBS tray to work in Lee stuff:
LEE priming system fix! - YouTube
 
Last edited:
9mmepiphany said:
I started with Hornady round flipper trays and progressed to the Vibra-prime square trays before encountering the Lee folding trays. I don't think there are any tricks to making them work, there is just a different process.

The only "trick" is to open the tray and hold it flat over the sleeve of primers before inverting them. As you fold the tray, it is easier if you shift all the primers toward the hinge edge so that they are already close to the bottom half. Only agitate the primers to orient them on the lower half before closing and locking the halves together.

I seldom drop primers. I usually fill the five that I have on hand before I start priming

Is your process of transferring primers very different?
Click to expand...

That's how I do it, but I still have a few primers fall out. I never dropped a primer with the old tray. I guess with enough practice I could get to the point I seldom drop a primer in the new one. But why when a rubber band on the square tray works. I was just hoping there was a compatible square try.
 
gonoles_1980 said:
That's how I do it, but I still have a few primers fall out. I never dropped a primer with the old tray. I guess with enough practice I could get to the point I seldom drop a primer in the new one. But why when a rubber band on the square tray works. I was just hoping there was a compatible square try.
Click to expand...
Here you go.
RCBS tray #90202:
LEE priming system fix! - YouTube
:thumbup:
.
 
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