Have you contacted LEE Precision to discuss the primer feed/seating issue??
Load Master primer seating adjustment - Support Center
Load Master primer seating adjustment - Support Center
My high primers lowered
- Thread starter hswaters
- Start date
Thanks for your reply.
Actually no, I have not. A large percentage of the factory support centers try to solve your problems with form letter replies or never reply so I guess I just gave up contacting most factory support people. If it had been some site the could solve my problems with a software download I am sure I would have used the service. I will most certainly look into the link you have provided. Thanks for your reply.
If possible I would like to clear something up. I am not at all unhappy with my Lee Loadmaster. The only time I have problems with the large primers is when I first set up for loading 45 acp. I then turn out about a dozen with varying high primers due to be a little afraid to squeeze them in too far and I sort of cautiously increase the pressure a little at a time. From what I read in the link below if I set it against a spent primer I should have few or no problems. Right now it is set up right and I am not going to move it until I need some 9mm. With the small primers it appears the little primer pusher thing is just not set up straight with the primer pocket. That is a factory problem. As for my little tool it may be that it is not necessary but then I had the material and the time so nothing is lost. I watch people and listen to what they say and I think lots of people have a similar reloading problem. And it most likely is no more necessary for them to do it that way either.
I know some people really like and are well served by a single stage press. As for me if I had to put 200 or 300 cases in the thing perform one operation and then take them out and put in another for each of 4 or 5 reloading steps every week I would give up on reloading. I am not too good at math but if I reload 300 rounds, enough for a weekend, and their are 4 steps to take one at a time with each case that would be about 1200 steps. I am just too lazy for that.
I went to a bowling pin match on Sunday, I used the rounds I demonstrated in the video. Every single one worked just fine. I did not win, place or even show but that was not the fault of the ammo. Every month I have well over $200 in ammo expenses, even with casting 9mm and reloading 9 and 45. I welcome ideas to reload cheaper, faster, better. I would also love to find 3 or 4 cases of 22 LR at the Wal-Mart price. Yeah I am a cheap ***. Thanks for your time.
I know some people really like and are well served by a single stage press. As for me if I had to put 200 or 300 cases in the thing perform one operation and then take them out and put in another for each of 4 or 5 reloading steps every week I would give up on reloading. I am not too good at math but if I reload 300 rounds, enough for a weekend, and their are 4 steps to take one at a time with each case that would be about 1200 steps. I am just too lazy for that.
I went to a bowling pin match on Sunday, I used the rounds I demonstrated in the video. Every single one worked just fine. I did not win, place or even show but that was not the fault of the ammo. Every month I have well over $200 in ammo expenses, even with casting 9mm and reloading 9 and 45. I welcome ideas to reload cheaper, faster, better. I would also love to find 3 or 4 cases of 22 LR at the Wal-Mart price. Yeah I am a cheap ***. Thanks for your time.
One of the many sources I examined well before building my primer seating tool. This is from SAAMI and should be relatively reliable. Now I will go away and say no more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SlOXowwC4c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SlOXowwC4c
Calling LEE is not a good way to contact them. If you E mail them they will assign a "ticket" number to you request. If the general answer is not satisfactory to you then call and ask to speak to a technician (not the e mail person)
Ask for anyone but DAVE. He may be a good tech but is not a people person!!
I didn't see anything about what might be causing the seating depth issues, but the problem with seating primers sideways was pretty clear.
He started the video by talking about the excessive primer stem movement. The way the stem moved the case actually wasn't a problem itself, but it did show the potential for one. There is nothing to guide the stem in it's movement or to align it when seating the primer so that even though the primers do enter the case alright, there is nothing to make sure the stem will seat them below flush, where they belong. If the stem is able to shift enough to place it partially under the head, instead of directly under the primer pocket, it will only be able to seat flush.
Then he went to the amount of movement in the primer trough and this is a problem, especially when combined with the design of the machine. The press is designed to make the trough vibrate by making it slide along the bumps on the frame. I have a Lee Auto Prime 2 that works very similar to the system on the Loadmaster, and it had problems when running low on primers. They wouldn't feed out of the round primer tray and weren't able to move down the trough on their own because of the lack of weight. The bumps are their solution to this, but apparently adds more problems of their own. And this is made even worse by the design of the trough itself. In the videos every time the guy add primers there was one that went in sideways because the opening in the trough was way too wide and let them stand up. And I'm sure that with the amount of vibration from the bumps to make sure it feeds, there are a lot more standing up while in operation. And the faster it's operated, the worse the condition would get.
The next time you load, keep an eye on the trough when you begin, and with every stroke you make, and if you see any primers on their side, or upside down, stop and lay them down right. If this is what's happening, you might want to try to put a clear strip of plastic over the trough to act as a lid.
Hope this helps and let us know.
I used to do a lot of shooting at a dump and there was usually about 6-10 unfired shotshells laying around when I got there. I would lay them on a board and use the primers for targets for my model 17.
Fixing High Primers
In my opinion, high primers are not the fault of the reloading equipment, be they Dillon, Redding, RCBS, etc. Instead, there are minute differences in primer and primer pocket tolerances. Also, many hand loaders seem averse to primer pocket cleaning and preparation.
I decap my primers, wash, dry and tumble the brass, then use a Sinclair primer pocket uniformer on the pockets. You have not experienced easy, smooth and uniform primer seating until you have uniformed the pockets. I've mentioned this in several threads as appropriate.
In my opinion, high primers are not the fault of the reloading equipment, be they Dillon, Redding, RCBS, etc. Instead, there are minute differences in primer and primer pocket tolerances. Also, many hand loaders seem averse to primer pocket cleaning and preparation.
I decap my primers, wash, dry and tumble the brass, then use a Sinclair primer pocket uniformer on the pockets. You have not experienced easy, smooth and uniform primer seating until you have uniformed the pockets. I've mentioned this in several threads as appropriate.
hangnoose
Member
YOU AND YOUR LITTLE TOOL CAN TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE IF YOU WANT!
I was merely trying to help, since YOU ASKED, how to avoid high primers. By uniforming the primer pocket (1 time) & keeping the primer pockets clean. "FEAR" ON MY PART has nothing to do with it as you are the one playing with primers in live ammo. You could push them in further with a hammer also, since you like to live dangerously. Re-setting your progressive press, when changing calibers is done by YOU, the factory is not to blame if the primer "THING" is not aligned correctly. I'm sure chamfering case mouths is not of interest to you either, since fast is more important than quality to you. That's OK there's room for all types of reloaders. If it takes me a few minutes more to load x # of rounds, I KNOW I have done EVERYTHING possible to make them the best rounds I can. I can certainly live with that.
I was merely trying to help, since YOU ASKED, how to avoid high primers. By uniforming the primer pocket (1 time) & keeping the primer pockets clean. "FEAR" ON MY PART has nothing to do with it as you are the one playing with primers in live ammo. You could push them in further with a hammer also, since you like to live dangerously. Re-setting your progressive press, when changing calibers is done by YOU, the factory is not to blame if the primer "THING" is not aligned correctly. I'm sure chamfering case mouths is not of interest to you either, since fast is more important than quality to you. That's OK there's room for all types of reloaders. If it takes me a few minutes more to load x # of rounds, I KNOW I have done EVERYTHING possible to make them the best rounds I can. I can certainly live with that.
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Lighten up, Francis. 
Evenwith the Lee primer
Even with the Lee primer I get primers that are sideways. They come from the reservoir where they can't turn over, onto the piston where they are very likely to turn over. It's a great tool but I wish it were built with closer tolerances.
Even with the Lee primer I get primers that are sideways. They come from the reservoir where they can't turn over, onto the piston where they are very likely to turn over. It's a great tool but I wish it were built with closer tolerances.
