New Lee Hand Primer

[Arub01]

Old "generation 2" primer's plastic lid on primer tray just broke. No known replacement. Ratings (Amazon, Cabela's) on the new Lee hand primers seem to indicate that they sort of suck. Lee also warns to not use the triangular tray with Winchester large primers (sucks a lot) and to load them singly into the priming mechanism.

1. Anyone with actual experience with this new priming tool have input either positive or negative?

2. Anyone with actual experience with using Winchester large primers with this tool? Feedback?

3. Looking for low cost (ha, ha) alternatives to replace my current crippled Lee primer tool.

Thanks

 

[Bob L]

I used my Lee hand primer up until about 6 months ago. Always liked the Lee but I ran into an issue with Primers flipping over in the tray and being installed upside down. Talking to Lee, they had no parts for it and no solution so I turned to RCBS. I had handled the RCBS Universal Primer tool at the NRA show last year and it felt vey smooth and easy to use. After talking to Lee, I picked up the RCBS. So far it is a lot smoother and easier to use in that I can flip an entire tray of primers over compared to the Lee with the round primer tray where I had to flip half a tray at a time. Bonus point with the RCBS is no additional shell plates to buy for different calibers. Good Luck!

 

[38SPL HV]

I now use RCBS’s version...I still have my Lee and I just may have to take it out to use (it’s an older one with a round tray).

 

[SMSgt]

I had the Lee version 1.0, and it worked fine until I wore it out. Looking to upgrade to a newer version, I grew disenchanted with Lee changing the shell holders with every new model. That's okay if you reload a couple of calibers, but when you reload a bunch of different calibers, it becomes an investment just with the shell holders. I bought the RCBS model that uses regular shell holders and never looked back. No complaints about it.

 

[DWalt]

I have one of the new Lee bench auto-prime tools, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Primer feed always jams up, especially with LP/LR primers. I gave up on it in frustration and just use it with one primer at a time. I have two of the old Lee hand priming tools with the circular primer trays, they are far better. I have been using them for many years. I don't know about the newer ones, or where you could get a new lid for one. I suppose you could tape something over the tray with masking tape.

 

[Arub01]

Playing around with the "gen 2" tool, I found that the small primer lid fit the large primer tray (the one that broke}. I can use it like this while I investigate the RCBS priming tool. Thanks for all the input.

 

[rockquarry]

This is a regular thread, always with the same comments and complaints.

I tried the "dangerous" Lee hand primers, the ones with the round trays. They worked fine and lasted a long time unless you primed a lot of cases; all of mine still lasted probably fifteen years, maybe a little longer. The later square tray model was junk. I threw away two of those. I tried the RCBS Universal, in fact, I bought two. Both required more effort than necessary to seat a primer. Neither were capable of fully seating primers with 100% reliability. I returned them and bought a 21st Century. Yes, they are comparatively expensive but have machined parts and no plastic and are well made. They work and work well, even if they lack a primer magazine.

Handling one primer at a time is not nearly as slow as some imagine. Besides, you can only seat one at a time even with tools that have primer magazines. If you do a lot of priming, the cost of a good tool is minimal when amortized over the useful life of the tool.

I've also used a Sinclair. It's a good priming tool as well.

 

[mtgianni]

I had two lee round tray models that went about 12 years each. I tried the replacements and I don't think I went 500 rounds before tossing it. I have a Hornaday that works great other than you need their shell holders. It is a minor one time inconvenience.

 

[DWalt]

Handling one primer at a time is not nearly as slow as some imagine. Besides, you can only seat one at a time even with tools that have primer magazines. If you do a lot of priming, the cost of a good tool is minimal when amortized over the useful life of the tool.

That's exactly what I ended up doing with the Lee bench tool I bought about a year ago. The tool itself is OK, but it is much quicker to just load primers singly than stopping every other case to unjam that miserable #$@@&!% primer feed. One would think Lee would have caught the unreliability of their primer feed design before they started to manufacture it. I have not had anything like that problem with the old Lee hand tool with the round trays. And I never had a primer of any brand pop with the Lee tools.

 

[Green Frog]

I have a tendency to collect reloading tools, always looking for the "bigger and better deal" that does one or more of the steps of reloading better. I have, by conservative count at least a dozen different hand priming tools, and or course multiple examples of several because they are caliber dedicated or I just happen to like them. The old Pope-type tool that was redeveloped and produced for the Schuetzen community by the late Jerry Simmons was probably the best all around, but its proprietary shell holders limit its versatility. The Lyman 310 tool uses a proprietary priming chamber, but is excellent and positive in operation. Lyman also made a great priming tool to go with their wax bullet loading sets, but it uses the J-type shell holders which are also discontinued and a bit tough to find. This list goes on...

One of my most used priming tools is the original, 1st Generation Lee tool... I have accumulated at least a half dozen and as many of their screw-in shell holders as I could find. In spite of all the strengths and shortcomings of the priming tools in my collection, these get my vote as the best all around and I've made the commitment to get enough of them (and their shell holders) to use them for the bulk of my priming activities outside of progressive presses for the foreseeable future.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Froggie

 

[schutzen-jager]

been using the old LEE tool with the round tray since they first came out - one failure years ago when white metal body broke , but LEE was still selling parts back then - past few years I found 4 spares at estate sales , garage sales , + flea markets for cheap so I am set for life -

 

[squidsix]

I use their new hand primer, but without the (non functioning) tray.
I load them one at a time. The only way I could get it to work without constant sideways or upside down primers.
I am not a large volume reloader.

 

[rkittine]

For pistol priming I use the RCBS hand tool. Never liked the Lee or the Hornady. I do like the Sinclair, but it is very expensive. For rifle I use a Sinclair Micrometer seater to be able to tell exact "Crush" when loading for 1,000 yard benchrest.

 

[GypsmJim]

I used the original Lee hand primer for many years and then switched to the new model when it came out. The original wore out and had parts replaced, but both still worked OK.

When they came out with the press mounted Auto-Prime II I bought one and was delighted. Been using it for more than 20 years now and it still works perfect.

There are some plastic parts in it, so a few years ago (they still offered parts for it) I bought all new sets. Haven't used them yet.

Last time i looked you could still find new ones on ebay.

Awesome tool and I'm now set for life.

 

[tlawler]

When my Lee round tray primer handle broke, I bought one of the Lee square tray tools. Glad I got it through amazon, because the return was easy peasy. I then bought an RCBS universal hand primer and have been very happy with it.

 

[colt_saa]

I have been using the round tray Lee Auto-Prime for 35+ years now.

I have purchased a total of three of them

Originally to leave one with the small primer rod and tray installed and the pther with the large primer rod and tray

I must have all of the shell holders by now with some doubles

I wish thew would do back to this design before my next part breaks

However, I will keep these working for another few decades between eBay, GB, flea markets and estate sales there are plenty of parts sources out there if we look hard enough

I am not ready to buy new shell holders

 

[gwpercle]

A surprisingly inexpensive , well made , simple and fool proof priming tool is a little gizmo that came with a Lee Hand Press Kit called Lee Ram Prime (cat.#90106) , installed in the Hand Press it uses the regular shell holder on your press , nothing Mickey Mouse , no safety features ...
this simple little tool will seat primers as slick as anything .
If you're looking for simple and fool proof primer seating ...with no pesky mickey mouse plastic safety parts ...check it out ,
Lee Ram Prime #9016 , $11.98 from Titan Reloading !

I bought one of the new triangle tray units and after inspecting and use ...put it back in the box...I hope a new tray gets developed ...the triangle tray doesn't inspire confidence at all .
Gary

 

[ggibson511960]

Forster

Every time this thread re-surfaces, and it is often, I put in my 2 cents for the Forster Tool. It may not be quite as fast to load primers into its automatic feed tube, but once loaded, and with the shell holder adjusted, it blows through priming chores as fast as you need. It's all metal. No plastic. No shell holders required, just adjust the included jaw sets. The best feel in the business with no hand fatigue because you're pressing down on a big paddle handle instead of squeezing. The only downside is cost. Like all Forster products, it's more expensive. My bulging bag of old Lee and RCBS priming tools continues to gather dust.