What method do you like for Priming?

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ShortBBL

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I used to have an RCBS Rock Chucker and had the tube feeding setup, which worked "ok". I sold my reloading stuff years ago... yeah, dumb, I know! I'm buying new stuff and getting back into it. Right now, i will start with loading for the 44 Special.

Do you guys like the RCBS Bench type priming setup or do you like the RCBS Hand Primer setup or something else? I was thinking I'd try a differant setup this time around.

I'm all ears... let's hear it guys!

Thanks
 

41 mag fan

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omaha NE
I am a big fan of hand priming. It is a lot easier to drop a tray of primers into the hopper then it is to pull them out one atr a time and set them in the priming arm. STeve
 

45Colt_Man

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Well, I use hand primers but they are not RCBS. Gives me a chance to check the brass over before priming and I think it gives me more accurate seating. Have not had a high primer since I made this change.

Dana
 

captainkirk

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Abilene, TX
Lee Auto Prime. Bought mine 20+ years ago and I just replaced the connecting rod for the first time a couple of months ago. Low price and has always worked very well. I like the feel of hand seating, it will let you know quickly when the brass is getting tired or the pockets aren't just right.

I have not tried other products, so my experience is limited.

captainkirk
 

Pal Val

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I hand prime. It takes 10 minutes to do 100 rounds, and I've not had any problems with the RCBS priming tool. I used to have at least one high primer in every 100 rd batch with the priming rig in my Lyman press.
 

rkrcpa

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I've been using either the Lee (preferred) or RCBS hand priming tools for 30 years. Never a problem or thought to do it any other way.
 

Yosemite Sam

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I've used the Lee and own an RCBS as it came with the Rockchucker kit I bought. I think the Lee is slightly better, in that the RCBS binds up in the linkage pretty easily. You also have to store it upright or it drops the primer seating pin.

I also use the Lee Auto Prime mounted on my Turret press. I use that setup mostly, these days, and pretty much hand prime only for small batches, such as rifle rounds. I get plenty of feel/feedback from the press mounted unit.

Does anyone know if the new rectangular trays for the RCBS hand primer will work with the old tools, sold with the round tray? The square one sure looks like it would make it easier to load up a tray of primers.

-- Sam
 

J Miller

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Not in IL anymore ... :)
I use either the Lee Auto Prime or the ram primer built into the top of my Bonanza Co-Ax press.

Keep all the moving parts lubed on the Auto Prime tools and they'll last a lot longer.

joe
 

john guedry

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Lee hand priming tool. Get two of 'em and use one for small primers and one for large.
 

Old Judge Creek

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The hand priming tools are indeed wonderful... but the fact is I use the auto primer feeders that are part of Dillon SDB and 550 packages. They work perfectly almost 100% of the time.

That means: in 15 years of using them (and when I was really active shooting SASS I was loading ~2000 - 3000 rounds per month), I've had maybe 5 to 10 primer related problems.

About half of those were CCI primers being out of round and the rest were primers that came out of the feeder inverted.

Yes, the Lee is fail proof in both of those instances, but the Dillon system is MUCH faster.

Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer choice..... :wink:
 

Cholo

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I use a Lee hand held for all my rifle primers and an RCBS press mounted for all my handgun priming. I check every one for defects and the occasional high primer. I never get a high primer with the Lee. Both work well with a slight nod to the Lee because you get so much feel that I don't get with a press handle. It's just slower.

You just have to learn that "feel" that everything's ok with a press primer though they still need to be checked.
 

ShortBBL

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SBH4628":1iuik1ar said:
tomiswho":1iuik1ar said:
RCBS hand primer. Never wanted to try the one-at-a-time thingy on the Rockchucker.
Auto index makes it alot easier :D

Yeah the auto indexing tube fed deal worked just fine.... but I'm not even sure they make that setup for their new rock chucker supreme. Wish i had never sold my gear... replacing it is a pain in the butt. :shock:
 

gerryb158

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Nov 27, 2005
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New Hampshire, USA
I use the RCBS hand priming tool and it works just fine. If you are into mass production that's another story. hand priming allows you a good "feel" for seating each primer and takes very little time. Gerry
 

Sharp Shooter

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Nov 24, 2005
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MCCammon,Idaho,USA
I like my RCBS hand priming tool. I have a Lee hand priming tool also, but I prefer the RCBS - I guess mostly because that's what I'm used to.
At any rate, I like hand priming tools. Whenever I buys dies for a new cartridge I'm going to load, I buy 2 shell holders - one to go in the cabinet on my loading bench and one to go in the box that I keep my RCBS hand priming tool in. I usually prime 50 to 100 brass of a particular cartridge at one setting, and I do it while sitting in front of the TV and drinking coffee in the living room, not at my bench in the basement.
My method is slow, one primer at a time, but I don't care. I enjoy handloading and I'm not into going to a "range" and blasting off a couple of hundred rounds of ammo on a Saturday afternoon. If I was, I'd probably look at some kind of automated priming system on a multi-stage press.
 

wixedmords

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Always a hand primer guy for all my years loading.

I balance the more positive feel of the Lee Hand Press along with the Ram Prime versus the quickness of setting up the primer in the Lee and RCBS hand tools. Either way it is the way to go for me.

A Lee Hand Press (not to be confused with a Lee Hand Primer) is a very handy rig, imo.
 
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