I have an older Lee hand primer I've used for years, but have the occasional flipped or sideways primer, so I've recently purchased their newer model. Do not like it. Small pistol primers just love to go sideways in it, this with being careful to hold it at the appropriate angle. Also the tray does a poor job at turning the primers over. I'm back to my older Lee. Anyone have the Hornady or RCBS and have good experience with them? thanks.

Only hand primer tool I've ever owned/used is the original Lee Auto Prime II. I've never encountered any of the issues you described above.

I use the RCBS hand primer. Works fine.

I really like my RCBS hand primer with the universal shell holder works great

I've used the Lee AutoPrime almost since my day 1 of reloading. Always been a steady, excellent performer. In my opinion, they absolutely ruined it with the Lee Ergo-Prime. Only problem with the old Autoprimes is they wear out and primers won't seat fully. Going to try the RCBS next as you tend to hear fewer complaints. Good luck!

I wore out my old Lee, the one with no primer tray. Rather than try to get parts, I bought an RCBS hand primer. The tray flips primers fine but I do have to watch for flipped SPPs coming up on the ram. I just raise the ram enough to see the primer and then slide the case in--no problem.

I chose the RCBS because it uses standard shell holders rather than the special ones Lee uses. It's also got a stronger lever on it. I've heard too many reports of bent arms on the Lee version.

All of my hand priming tools (and I have about 10 or more of various types) except for an old, early Auto Prime™ are manually fed. I find I am just about as quick with them as with the auto feed and never get an upside down or sideways primer. I like to batch load my pistol ammo, so I size and decap a bunch of cases and put them into a container, then take the priming tool, and package (or 2 or 3) of primers and the prepped cases to a comfortable seat and table and do as many cases as I need for the project at hand. If I had to pick just one hand priming tool, it would be the old type Lee with the screw-in shell holders... I have several and some spare parts in case one breaks. JMHO, YMMV!

Froggie

I have used the rcbs hand priming tool, it gets the job done, but I did get the occasional sideways primer. I have noticed when using the hand priming tool, it deforms all of the primers seated, creating a small crater on the center of the primer. This does not have an affect on the performance of the ammunition. I have stopped using the hand priming tool a long time ago and I now seat all primers using the rcbs press. The quality is night and day, no deformed primers, and I tend to waste less primers on the press as well. The speed of the process is about the same wth both.

Have you considered 21st Century Shooting Tool's hand primer? They make high end tools for reloading...
Priming Tool
I have one- I haven't started using it yet- waiting until I relocate in a month or two, have just acquired everything I need except for a press.
This hand priming tool is beautifully built, and should last a lifetime. Today- you gets what you pay fer'.
Wes

When your AP "wears out" and won't seat primers fully you can make a shim out of a primer box sleeve(cardboard) and put it between the roller arm(aluminum) and the primimg rod(steel) and you're good to go. Steel and aluminum don't wear well together. I keep mine well greased.

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S&W Accumulator

I've tried a few. This is my Favorite ... from RCBS: Amazon.com : RCBS Hand Priming Tool : Gunsmithing Tools And Accessories : Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31GTsh90%2BeL.@@AMEPARAM@@31GTsh90%2BeL

I've had my old Lee since sometime around 1980 and it is still going strong. There may be better ones out there, but until mine breaks I'll stick with it.

I have the Lyman and works great for spp. Primed about 1k last weekend.

The Lyman Tool looks just like a Lee....when / if my old Lee tool wears out ( going on 30 years old ) I might have to try out the Lyman. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! And the older Lee design works well for me.
Gary

TRY THIS . SINCLAIR INTERNATIONAL IS THE MECA OF LONG DISTANCE , HIGHPOWER SHOOTERS. ALL MACHINED, NOT CAST. JP

SINCLAIR PRIMING TOOL | Sinclair Intl

In my experience, Lee makes the best trays (for turning primers over), Hornady has the best ergonomics (for my hand, and even stands by itself), but they both flip primers and jam (small) primers at the ram.

The RCBS Universal Hand Primer single feeds and doesn't jam primers. Neither small nor large primers flip even when slid back and forth from ram to tray. The Universal chuck works great and you need no shell holders . . . they can stay with your dies so you know where they are Finally, a metal bar separates the primer being set from the rest in the tray . . . a safety plus especially if you are a banger

The standard RCBS Hand Primer looks the same (except uses shell holders) but I can't vouch for it.

The lee autoprime works just fine for me. It could look and feel better but at the price......hey. I hope it lasts, It has some strong points, like that linkage that I dare anybody to break. But parts of it look and feel like they aren't going to last.

I use 2 of the old (1988 vintage) Lees, one for big primers, one for little.

They have been repaired a number of times, but I love them. The old pot metal handle and other parts have all been upgraded to steel. Nothing's broken in the last 10 years or so.

Have an RCBS but never use it.

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USAF, 69-92
Vietnam, 72-73

I was using the older Lee hand primer for a very long time but because my hands always hurt and the lever is small on that primer I gave it to a young reloader I'm mentoring. I replaced it with the Lee Auto-Prime XP but that one is not much easier on my old fingers. I have not used the Lee Ergo-Prime so I can't comment on that one.

I did a favor for someone and to say thanks he bought me a used RCBS hand primer. I really like that primer because the lever is bigger than the Lee and it's designed for good leverage. It's easy to use and that's the one I now use. I kept the Lee as a backup. The Lyman hand primer looks similar to the Lee but for the longer lever and the Hornady primers looks even better because of the reversed lever which looks like the leverage is better but I have not used either.

The "designer" hand primers like the Sinclair are very good tools but are they really worth all that money? The answer for me is no but you may think so.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

Im on my second RCBS hand primer.The first one only lasted 20 years

I have a RCBS universal and have no problems what so ever. I'm left handed so I'm seating my primers with my thumb. It can get tiresome, but it feels awkward in my right hand.
One of these days I'd like to try the slide bar primer system Redding has for my T-7.

Great idea Mike - thanks!

I use the RCBS auto priming tool. It mounts to the bench or a board, and I love it. I have RCBS and Lee hand tray primers and have used them, but the auto primer is more consistent for me and much easier on the hands. And no primers ever spill or flip. Costs about $90 but for me it was worth it.

Pequod.

Martay6, suggest you try that tool out to make sure it works okay. I'm sure he makes good products but I sent mine back twice, the second time requesting a refund. (which he did do, no problem) I was just out a lot of shipping. At first the slot to insert the Lee tray was not wide enough, would not fit. He fixed that and then where the handle pivoted, (I don't remember exactly) it was in the wrong place so it bound up. I had enough, and it still relied on the Lee tray where primers can get sideways. The theory was that it was better made and wouldn't have broken handles like the Lee.

The hand primer from 21st Century looks A LOT like the one from Sinclair.

__________________
Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

Pequod's post is exactly what I would have recommended. My father-in-law taught me to reload and I used his Lee hand primer on 100 cases--my arthritic wrists were not happy with it. So when I bought my equipment, I got the RCBS auto bench prime unit, huge difference. After my father-in-law tried it he sold his Lee hand primer and bought the same RCBS.