worn hand priming tool.

[tkthorn]

I have an RCBS hand priming tool that has worn from years of use. The wear is in the area where the shell holder goes. What is happening is when I seat a primer the shell holder is lifting up so that the seating rod is not fully seating the primers. Unfortunately I did not catch on to what was happening before totally loading 100 of .45 acp cartridges. I put a shim around the shell holder so it could not lift up and finished priming 400 more cases below flush. I really don't want to pull 100 230 grain bullets. What would you do, take a chance of a slam fire or play Russian roulette and re seat the primers to depth ? 25 years of trouble free reloading and never popped a primer yet. Would you chance it ? I am talking about .002" to .003" above flush.

 

[Float Pilot]

The little spring loaded plunger rod on my old RCBS hand-primer,,, Which I bought new in 1970,,, can be partially unscrewed so it can make the primers go deeper,

 

[Otto]

Do not re-seat primers in loaded rounds. Shoot the rounds as usual, it may take two strikes to ignite the primer. Send the tool back for warranty repair.

 

[icanthitabarn]

I have had a lot of problems with this also. Mine is only three years old thou. They sent a new rod and a new grip and it didn't help that much. They need longer rods and fitting I dremeled the grip so there is a bit more travel.

 

[tkthorn]

Float pilot, unfortunately my model is not adjustable. I wish it was !

 

[tkthorn]

Otto, I agree. I value my fingers and other body parts I am shooting these rounds in an Auto Ordnance Thompson which has a very heavy recoil spring and my worries were the heavy bolt slamming home would set off the primers before in battery.

 

[Walkalong]

Mine got to where it wasn't seating the primers deep enough as well. I made new primer rods, or whatever they are called. I still use the old small one for pistol, but my new one for rifle as the old one won't seat them deep enough. I use my new large one for pistol and rifle. The old one won't seat the primers deep enough in either one.

If I called RCBS, they would repair or replace it. Call them.

 

[PCCUSNRET]

I was having the same problem and RCBS sent me a new rod and the two parts that rotate inside the tool. Since replacing these parts mine is pretty much like new. As mentioned, give RCBS a call.

 

[homatok]

Personaly, I would pull the bullets, dump the powder and finish seating the primers! The risk of injury or colleral damage IF one fires, is just not worth it!

 

[tkthorn]

Yeah, I agree. Normaly I made it a habit to run my finger across each primer after seating. This was just negligence on my part for not thinking of that untill I already had them loaded. I did test fire the Thompson with five of The worst ones with gun held at arms length and ejection port down, I experienced no slam fires. For my own piece of mind I think I will go ahead and pull the rest of The bullets and powder and re seat.

 

[Ken70]

OP, are you sure the wear is in the shell holder slot? No reason for that to wear, it's just slide in and out. I noticed on my Lee hand primer that the linkage parts a just long enough to seat the primer and no more. I think that is done on purpose to stop the clowns that think the handle has to bottom out. Lee mentioned this in his first book.

 

[tkthorn]

Yeah, I looked it over pretty good and everything else looks fine. The upper portion of The slot that holds the shell holder looks worn and when you slide any shell holder in place you can lift it up and down about a 32nd of an inch. By placing a shim in there prevented it from moving up and I was easily able to seat a primer below flush.