Help Seating Primers - Question

[Harry C.]

Hello All,

I have progressed to the point that I have a Lyman Turret Press mounted in the basement. I have newly purchased Starline brass. I have a Lee Hand Primer Tool but don't have the shell holder to go with it.

I set up the primer seater that comes with the Lyman Turret Press. I am not using the auto feed, instead intending to place the individual primer into the cup by had each time and seat on the down stroke.

I have seated two primers and neither is below the surface of the brass. One is 0.012 above the base of the brass. The other is 0.010 above the base of the brass.

This is new brass. I used a primer pocket uniformer/cutter to ensure all of the primer pockets are cut to the same depth.

I am using Winchester Large Pistol WLP primers. I am loading the .45 Colt.

I have tried pushing down firmly, but don't want to force anything. I don't see any sort of adjustment with this seating process.

Help!

Ideas!

Suggestions!

Thanks,
Harry C.

Edited to add primer used and caliber.

 

[WESHOOT2]

Spend the extra few dollars and buy the (damn them!) proprietary LEE shellholder and use the hand-priming unit to properly seat those primers.
While wearing safety glasses you can then fully seat those high-primed cases, too.


ps Folks, this is another reason I recommend the RCBS hand-prime unit.

 

[Harry C.]

You're probably right, but I'd think that the primer seating unit on the Lyman Turret Press should be able to get the job done.

I thought that the Lee shell holder that came with the dies would fit the Lee hand primer unit. It turns out that it doesn't. I hate to have to wait for it to get mailed out.

It's kind of frustrating.

Harry C.

 

[Iron Mike Golf]

I have the Lyman turret press, too. I find I have to apply a lot of pressure using Lyman ram priming attachment. Priming when the ram is lowering (and the hand lever is going back up) means you lose the mechanical advantage of the levers. It will seat, but you *really* have to push the lever hard.

I hand prime now using the RCBS unit. Before that I used the RCBS ram prime, which seats on the ram's upward movement (lever pulled down). Of the three, hand priming tools is the best for me.

 

[Harry C.]

Thank for sharing your experience. I went back downstairs and seated it as hard as I thought was reasonable. No improvement. I see the solution as getting the Lee shell holder for the hand primer unit.

 

[WESHOOT2]

You're probably right.

I, however, have never used the priming function of any of my single-stage presses (Co-Ax, Lyman Crusher II, LEE Reloader and Challenger).

I used to use a pair of LEE hand-priming units, broke both during a high-volume priming orgy, replaced them with the RCBS units, and still use that pair.
Or my XL650....

 

[GP100man]

It really takes pushin on the handle to seat the primers on any Lyman press !!

I use the hornady hand primer , it uses standard shell holders.

If ya wanna set a primer put on some ear muffs & safety glasses & go to it , what`s the worse thing could happen a popped primer !

Just make sure ya don`t got LRP instead of LPP!!


WESHOOT2

"broke both during a high-volume priming orgy"

Never heard it put that way , but I hope you were wearin safety at least !!!! LOL!

 

[Harry C.]

What is LPP and LRP?

 

[GP100man]

Large Pistol Primer /Large Rifle Primer

Large rifle primers are a bit taller , I forget the measurement ,but it`ll never go in the pistol pocket!!!

 

[Harry C.]

That makes perfect sense...thanks for explaining. I just double checked. They're LPP's.

 

[Hammerdown77]

In a lot of my .45 Auto brass, and some .44 mag brass, priming on the press of my Lee Turret often requires a lot of force on the handle as well. As someone already mentioned, you lose all mechanical advantage with the handle straight up and inline with the press, so basically your are pushing the whole bench up and into the wall.

For the most part, the primers go easily into the .45 Colt brass without an excessive amount of force, except for with brand new Starline brass.

The .45 Auto cases, usually Winchester, give me the most problems.

 

[J Miller]

The Bonanza / Forster Co-Ax presses prime on the up stroke of the ram, as you pull the handle down. LOTS of leverage, very easy to prime with.

To prime on a regular single stage press buy a ram prime kit and forget the built in primer seater.

Or quit worrying about it and buy the shell holder for the Lee tool. Those work great.

Joe

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

For the Lee hand primer, you'll probably save a buck to buy the "kit" that's got something like 11 popular shellholders rather than buying individual holders one or two at a time.

As for "on press" priming, I haven't seen any of the little flip flop arm thingy styles that work that well for me. Several mfrs (RCBS and Lee for sure) make a ram prime tool that installs in place of a die on top of the press. They allow priming like the Co-Ax press, at the top of the stroke. And they use your regular shellholder. I've never had any problems using one of them. In fact, one must use a very gentle hand w/ some combos of case/primer to avoid flattening the cup!

That being said, I still use the hand primer for almost all my sessions.

Rick C

 

[GP100man]

My hands & arms have almost 25yrs of turnin wrenches & not as strong as they once were & I use the lee auto prime II (press mounted ) for large primers , the hornady hand primer for bulk small primer loading .

I +1 for Ricks comment on the lee shell holders ,buy the kit with em all in there ,you`ll probably need em sooner or later!!

 

[Ale-8(1)]

+500% on the LEE tool!!

 

[TULLYMARS]

There is always a little variation in the depth of the primer pockets and rim thickness, and the only way that I've found to overcome this is to hand prime. It does seem to slow the reloading process, but I have more confidence in the finished product. I have an RCBS progressive that uses primer strips that I do use for high volume 45acp practice ammo, but for higher quality, or more powerful big bore rounds,I always hand prime so I know the primer is seated fully. The RCBS unit has an excellent and simple adjustment for seating depth, but even new brass will vary a few thousands.

 

[Harry C.]

Hello Folks,

Thanks for sharing your experience. Tomrrow I'll make the trek to the Bass Pro Shop and get that shell holder. I'm glad it wasn't just me.

Respectfully,
Harry C.