I'm sure this subject has been thoroughly "beaten" over the years. My question is: "Why does a hand priming tool do a better job than a single stage press?(RCBS Rock Crusher). I can feel the primers "bottom out", and then check each one by placing it on a flat surface to see if it "rocks". Seems like the press should apply a lot more force.

P.S. Some "links" to other posts would be just as good as "re-answering" this age old question.

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I thought it was easier,faster and had more feel,using a hand tool as opposed to using my press.

This is what I use to prime my brass. Do over 50K a year without a problem.

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Minimize the variables

Dillon priming tools are the best.

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John

If your case prep for crimped brass isn't perfect . . .

If your press' priming system isn't always smooth and a little extra time hand priming is paid back in a totally smooth reloading run . . .

If priming on your press lacks feel affecting consistency . . .

If you like to do part of your reloading in front of the TV (away from the bench) . . .

If you are running a progressive and haven't figured out how to get the primers from your VibraPrime into the press' primer tube.

That's about all I can think of.

I believe the hand priming routine may be more of a superstition rather than a fact.

I compete using 2 different revolvers, which have been tuned to provide a nice light trigger pull. Tuned revolvers are especially sensitive to properly seated primers, yet I do all my priming via a Hornady Lock-N-Load AP without any real problems. Sure I get the occasional light strike, but I believe that is more a result of the gun itself rather than the priming process. A few years back, I did prime my revolver loads using an RCBS bench mounted priming tool which provides a better "feel" than the Hornady press, yet the number of light strikes has been pretty consistent no matter which priming method I use. So rather than add a separate hand priming step to the reloading process, I prime via the Hornady press exclusively, including loads for use with semi-auto pistols with factory trigger springs, using the Hornady press and never have any primer failures.

I've never felt a need to change from seating primers with anything other than my RCBS JR3, for decades now. Works good for me. You should be able to detect a high primer by running your index finger tip over the newly seated primer & feeling the top of the primer slightly recessed.

I resize/decap & prime on my JR3 mounted to the work bench in the garage. I use the Lyman Turret mounted to my homemade portable table for everything else. Usually set it up by my desk, in easy view of a race on the TV.

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Portable Reloading Table


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Waiting for the break of day

You don't need a lot of force to set primers. The press works fine, progressive users ave few issues. In a ss press though, just too slow.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I like to do my reloading at a leisurely pace and have no need for mass quantities of ammo that would justify a preogressive press. I might reload 100-150 rounds at a session.

A while back I bought a Lee hand press. Now I perform all my handgun case prep [sizing, flaring] with the Lee press while laid back in my recliner and watching TV. I also use a hand primer [RCBS now, wore out my old Lee] at the same time. I'll have boxes of prepped & primed cases on hand when I decide to stuff them with powder and bullets.

I don't have space for a dedicated reloading set up like I did in the past so my current method works well for me.

I prime at the same time I flare the case mouths, using the priming arm on my RC Supreme. Occasionally, if the primer does not start easy, you have to move the case around with your fingers while putting slight upward pressure on the ram to find the primer hole. I have had good success using this method, but it takes a few to get the "feel" for it. I put way to much pressure on the first few I did and flattened them a bit.

Mike

I have an old Lee hand primer with the screw-in shellholder, a current Lee hand primer, and an RCBS automatic bench primer.
None of them are as easy as priming on my Lee Classic Turret or my LnL AP.

After reading some of the above posts, I think I may be applying too much pressure and flattening the primers. I just can't believe there's any shortcoming in my firearms. Thanks for the posts so far.

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On some presses the stock priming system seems to be an afterthought and is often clumsy, harder to use than a hand primer, so many reloaders use a hand primer. I have been using a ram prime tool in my dedicated "priming press" for several years and in my turret press before that. I read in my Lyman's 48th about the ram priming being an excellent method but continued to try different methods, including 3 different hand primers. I have returned to ram priming every time as I get better results, and have done so for at least 10 years....

I've added a priming station that attaches to the top of my RCBS Rockchucker so that I'm priming on the down stroke. I have much better feel in seating primers, mostly on rifle rounds as my pistol ammo gets loaded on the Dillon 550 which has adequate feel in seating primers.

I've mentioned it several times in other threads: I use a Sinclair primer pocket uniformer on the pockets. Yes, it's an extra step but once you start seating primers in uniformed pockets, you'll never want to go back to the "old" way.

Why I choose to prime on the press can be summed up in one word arthritis.

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a cruce salus

I've used a Lee Auto Prime II for about 20 years. It's too bad it's been discontinued. If you don't use brass from mixed lots, its very easy to get consistent seating depth.

The old lee hand prime works great but began to cramp my hand. Changed over to the RCBS hand tool and it is so much better. I use the hand tools for rifle only

90% of my priming is done on the Dillon 550 and I prefer it that way.

I always wanted a bench mounted priming tool, just never made that move yet...too many other cool widgets out there.

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The American dream is alive

Using the Lee Hand Primer I still mess up a few per batch. Personally, I think that the tolerances too sloppy with the Lee tool, but the price is right.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I've been using the lee auto prime II. Once adjusted I just bang away with it. That is until the primers get too low and don't slide down the chute anymore. Just put in extras and good to go. Anyway, works for me for now.

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Jim

Here's my life-long primer seating quest.

I started out reloading 45 years ago with a simple Lee tool. Those who have never used one might not believe that you primed the case by beating it out of the sizing die with a hammer and punch against a primer seating die. I had more than one primer go off on me.

Next came an RCBS Junior press. Primer seating on the stock press is kind of an afterthought, but it works. I didn't like seating primers on the upstroke of the handle in the stroke cycle where mechanical advantage is low. A primer feeding tube made the chore a little easier, but the quest continued.

An RCBS primer seating die held promise. It was a simple gadget that threaded in the conventional die location. A punch was snapped into the ram, and shell holders snapped on top of the die. It gave good primer seating feel, but care was needed not to crush primers as you had full press mechanical advantage. It was O.K., but didn't have a feeder tube. I got re-sizing lubricant on one primer and had my first and only failure to fire a reloaded round.

Next came the RCBS hand tool, which worked reasonably well. It had just the right mechanical advantage to make seating easy, was well made, but lacked a feeding tube.

The solution was a Lee Auto-Prime, essentially the same tool as the RCBS, but with a primer storage magazine. The Auto-Prime was cheaply made of pot metal and quickly wore out its load bearing pivots, degrading seating feel. It also required keeping track of extra shell holders.

I quit using all these tools when I started loading on a Forester press. The primer seating mechanism on a Forester seats primers easily and with good feel every time, doesn't need special shell holders, but lacks a feeder, necessitating handling each primer. I did it with tweezers to avoid oil contamination, but a better solution awaited.

I studied all the remaining priming gadgets on the market, and there are many. I was tempted by the RCBS strip priming tool, but in the end opted for the Forester tool. This is the last priming tool I will ever own. A feeding tray to hold 100 or so primers and no dies to fool with. The hand lever is makes extended sessions a breeze with no fatigue or loss of feel. It seats perfectly every time. It's a little more expensive than some, and maybe not as fast, but the most satisfying.

A fully seated primer should be recessed a few thousandths of an inch to properly bottom out in the primer cup. I've educated my finger to feel the bottom of the case and often look at it as well. There should be an ever so slight rim of the cup showing.

I mentioned that the Lee Hand loader works but if you aren't careful you get primers seated sideways. When I said the tool had too sloppy tolerances this is part of the reason. The primer slides into the staging chamber ok, but normal movements can turn it sideways.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I use a Lee press and it just feels right to me. I tried the hand press but had more trouble using it that it was worth. I'll occasionally get a high primer but I'll notice right away when it drags on the shell holder when I'm removing it. I just push it back in, apply a little more pressure and it's done. I'm also not a high volume reloader and do small batches at a time. Of course, when you're retired, you have a lot od time to spend on hobbies.

I have been priming off of the top of the RCBS for many years you simply adjust it to where you have about .005 seating depth between primer and case bottom. Its all mechanical and only varies by variations in rim thickness. While this is not the fastest way of priming its very consistent and is not effected by hand or finger fatigue.

Years ago I used about every tool available but a good friend Ed Matunas who wrote a number of reloading books turned me on to this method. Also as an expert witness in firearms incidents he had seen enough of the primer tubes explode that he wanted no part of that type of feed system.

If I were progressive loading really large batches of ammo I would use a Dillon with its primer feed

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Len

I used a "straightedge" to check primers on 100 cases last night. About 1 in 6 was high enough to make the straightedge drag, thus indicating a "high" seated primer. I "reset" the high ones with my single stage RCBS II (green) press (it's all I have), but it seemed really difficult to get them to the correct level. So I'm going to start shopping for a tool that does a better job.............I was shocked so many of the primers were "high".............I was starting to suspect my 642 was getting weak springs. Thanks for the replies so far.

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Buy one of these for your press you will also need a tool to measure primer depth RCBS used to make a go no go gauge you may find one on ebay?

Amazon.com : RCBS Ram Priming Unit : Gunsmithing Tools And Accessories : Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31aqw2btL7L.@@AMEPARAM@@31aqw2btL7L

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Len

Just keep on priming cases. You'll develop a feel for it and fine tune your method with time.

I've been priming on a single stage press for probably 40 years. Sometimess I use the RCBS hand tool but I prefer the press. Once it's adjusted, it does the exact same thing, time after time. Get the first one right and the rest just follow suit. Myself, when I remove the case from the tool or press, I swipe a finger across the end as I go to drop it in a container. If it's slightly dished, it's good to go.

I generally don't do more than a couple hundred in a sitting.

I prime with my Lee Ram-prime and a single stage press.... no problem... Note to the gent priming and watching TV.... Don't load while watching TV. Not a good pratice.

My volume runs get primed on the AP press. The stuff for the CoAx gets run through my old Auto-Prime. The BMG brass gets primed with a modified Lee ram prime on the Classic Cast. I used to use the original Forster bench prime until a full magazine went off. I may have to look into the new version, as the original was persnickety to set up.

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The triple smoker

I've never understood the allure of hand priming tools. I expect the interest is due to manufacturers catering to bench rest shooters who will try anything in the hopes it will reduce group sizes. Once they started that, they realized there was another gadget that they could make money selling to the rest of us.

Being an old fart, I notice that this type of tooling wasn't around when a great deal of reloading involved crimped in primers and really primitive means of removing the crimp.

Hollands has a mechanical stop for the RCBS bench top primer the only thing that would make this a better set up would be the safer CCI primmer strips instead of a tube.

http://www.hollandguns.com/

Priming off the top of the press has the same mechanical stop advantage but no auto feed.

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Len