hand priming tool and primer depth

[palmetto99]

I've been using an RCBS hand priming tool since I started reloading since last year.

I've been reloading 9mm and .38 spl. only.

So now I've started with .45acp.

Well, I started testing the hand priming tool with large pistol primers tonight to see how well it worked. The primers are sitting high. I can finish seating them with the single stage press. When using the press, the primers are seated very well.

I've gone through the instruction sheet and don't see any way to adjust the tool for depth.

I've liked using the tool with 9mm and .38 cases. I can crank through a few hundred rounds in an hour with the primers all seated properly.

Input please?

 

[Biginge]

The only "adjustment" is there is a primer rod for both small and large primers. Have you changed to the larger one? You would use the small one for the .38 and 9mm. If that doesn't do it, you may have to clean the (deburr) the primer pockets before you prime.

Imho that is the only two things that can go wrong with the RCBS hand primer. What kind of primers are you using?

Hope this helps.

regards

Bill

 

[Bailey Boat]

Assuming that you are using the correct punch call RCBS and ask what the OAL of the LP punch should be, it could be possible that you have one that was made "undersized" in length.

 

[Rule3]

Is this the Universal RCBS tool??

I bought one of those and to be honest, as much as I like RCBS I like the cheap Lee tool better.

The RCBS is a PITA to change from large to small and has less "feel" than the good old Lee.

I even painted my Lee tool Blue and it works so much better.

 

[novalty]

I have arthritis and have used the Lee hand primer and it worked okay, but too much repeated stress on my wrists. Which is why, when I started getting my own equipment I broke down and got the RCBS automatic bench primer. It was worth it, quick and easy to use. I purchased mine directly through RCBS as a factory second for much less than I could get it retail, and it doesn't have a blemish on it--and still covered by their great warranty.

 

[Rule3]

I have arthritis and have used the Lee hand primer and it worked okay, but too much repeated stress on my wrists. Which is why, when I started getting my own equipment I broke down and got the RCBS automatic bench primer. It was worth it, quick and easy to use. I purchased mine directly through RCBS as a factory second for much less than I could get it retail, and it doesn't have a blemish on it--and still covered by their great warranty.

Did not know such a tool even existed. Looks pretty slick!

 

[tomuchiron]

Rcbs

I use the Rcbs and Lee both , just did .45 with the rcbs and the squeeze handle does not go all the way in, to set the primers flush. Leaving more distance to over seat the primer deeper.
That auto prime tool looks cool, but over built. Bet the lee tool would do a good job loading the RCBS primer feed tubes, faster than you could by hand.
mike

 

[novalty]

The RCBS automatic bench primer is designed to seat the primers to the exact depth each time. Forster makes a similar one, but doesn't seem to get as favorable of a review. I don't know how you could make the priming process faster without going to a progressive press. Check it out in action on Youtube.

 

[palmetto99]

As usual, thanks for the input. I think I'll be calling RCBS next week to see if they have something to say too.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

The RCBS automatic bench primer is designed to seat the primers to the exact depth each time. Forster makes a similar one, but doesn't seem to get as favorable of a review. I don't know how you could make the priming process faster without going to a progressive press. Check it out in action on Youtube.

Thanks for the post (you and others). I have arthritis in my fingers and use the RCBS Universal. Works great but after a hundred or so I can feel the discomfort. I didn't even know they made such a priming system, but from the reviews it works as you described.

 

[Moonman]

Thanks for the post, only thought I have is concerning the ALUMINUM primer tube. They maybe should have a steel sleeve around it, just in case a whole tube of primers were to ignite, God forbid.

It's ON SALE NOW, Midway USA $85.

 

[novalty]

Steve, I feel your pain--literally. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 7, had both hips replaced when I was 24. About to turn 31 next month, so I've been dealing with Arthritis for a long time now. You must be stronger in the wrists than me, cause after trying my father-in-laws Lee hand primer on 45acp my hands were quickly loosing their strength and along with that the ability to feel the seating depth of the primer as I worked to squeeze the mechanism. The Automatic bench primer has been wonderful, as it doesn't cause any additional stress on my wrists. I would say the only thing I would like different is the handle to be slightly wider/thicker. As I mentioned before, I purchased mine through RCBS directly as a factory second--and I couldn't find a single blemish on it. Was advised that some of their "seconds" are used at shows for demo's then sold as seconds. Which is what I am sure mine was as it had a #3 shellholder in the box when I received it. I got mine for about $65 shipped, which was about $25 cheaper then I could find anywhere else, and about $25 more than the hand primer--and still covered under their excellent warranty.

 

[AllAces]

RCBS Hand Primer

I just measured the LP rod for my RCBS hand primer and it measures 1.8725" and with .45 ACP mixed brass, that has been tumbled and the carbon in the primer pocket removed, using CCI or Federal LP primers, the tool seats the primers consistently at .003-.004". I checked 200 recently loaded .45 ACP rounds and found none to have primers seated too high.

High primers will reportly result in inaccurate rounds. One line of thinking is the hammer is seating the primer the remaining fraction of an inch and somehow this results in inaccurate rounds. Here's the link to the post:

Tony's Bullseye Blog

If I assume the primers are correctly manufactored, and if the RCBS hand primer is correctly setup, and the reloader is using the correct technique, that only leaves the primer pocket as a cause. I've had a few problems with the RCBS hand primer that were the result of 1) my own technique; 2) the need for a small amount of lube on the safety gate and the primer rod plunger (the spring-loaded plunger below the primer rod).

 

[Rule3]

Thanks for the post, only thought I have is concerning the ALUMINUM primer tube. They maybe should have a steel sleeve around it, just in case a whole tube of primers were to ignite, God forbid.

It's ON SALE NOW, Midway USA $85.

Perhaps buy a short section of copper tubing (not steel it can spark) that will just fit over it.??

 

[fredj338]

There really is no adjustment, just push harder. As long as the primer bottoms, it's the correct depth, it can't go further.

 

[H Richard]

I've used Lee Autoprime for over 30 years and never had a problem. I keep two handy, one set for large primer and one for small. Just have to change shell holder for round I'm loading. As long as you seat to the bottom of the primer pocket it should be flush or beneath flush. I find my 9mm seem to seat just a tad more below flush than the .45 or .44 spec. do, and my rifle loads all seat just barely below flush. My rifle loads I "uniform" the primer pockets before the first loading, as well as deburring the inside of the flash hole. It pays off in accuracy.

 

[340six]

Is this the Universal RCBS tool??

I bought one of those and to be honest, as much as I like RCBS I like the cheap Lee tool better.

The RCBS is a PITA to change from large to small and has less "feel" than the good old Lee.

I even painted my Lee tool Blue and it works so much better.

To be honest I have both the RCBS hand tool that takes shell holders but broke it after years of use so I sent it back.
I ended up needing one in the meen time so got the RCBS Universal one that takes no holders.
At first it was screwy changeling large to small and vise versa.
Now it is easy as pie. I use both and both are great. I really like the universal and is easy to change primer size now that I did it some and know how well.
I have not had any problems with seating primers with either one that was not the brass. Some brass S&B and a few others are just tight almost like crimped primers would feal. And wonder if it was the Op's brass?
I like using those tools
In reality I had 3 RCBS ones the older first ones that did not take a tray but it is happy at a new home at another reloaders place

 

[TheTinMan]

Forster Bench Primer

FWIW I got the Forster Co-Ax bench priming tool and prefer it over a hand primer. There are some quirks with the Forster unit - like the primer tubes holding less than 50 primers - but it provides a lot more leverage than a hand-held unit while keeping the "feel" you need.

Also, a bench primer lets me re-size/de-prime and then prime a case and set it in the loading tray all in one "step". I figure every time we pick up and put down a case is lost time.

One thing I like about the Forster is that the case mouth is not pointing up at your face like the RCBS unit. Not that I'm expecting a primer to go off during the priming operation but...

If I had to do it over again, I might very well choose the RCBS unit despite the slightly higher cost.

 

[running iron]

Thanks NOVALTY for the heads up. I ordered one after looking a little deeper into the RCBS Auto prime bench tool. Lately it has been more troublesome to prime no matter what hand-held tool I use. This thing looks like the answer for me.

 

[novalty]

Thanks NOVALTY for the heads up. I ordered one after looking a little deeper into the RCBS Auto prime bench tool. Lately it has been more troublesome to prime no matter what hand-held tool I use. This thing looks like the answer for me.

Well I was glad I was able to add something to the forum that was useful. You will really like it, I haven't found anything to really complain about--except maybe the price. I wish they had the YouTube video when I got mine as I found their instruction booklet a little lacking.