Priming Question

[bowzette]

I have the Lee Classic Turret and reloading for .38/.357 maybe 9mm. But I can buy 9mm for .15 cents a round delivered and may never reload for 9mm. I read so many negative comments about the Lee on the press primer that I've used a Frankfort Arsenal hand press for priming. My Lee, on the press primer, is the older "black" one. The new "white" one is suppose to be better but I've read mixed results. I was looking at the Lee Bench Prime to supplement "tired hand". An on the press prime system obviously saves time but I'm not producing high volume. Thoughts about the new and improved on the press White Lee prime system and Lee Bench Prime, or other systems to consider. If I were to begin loading higher volume of 9mm I would get a progressive system but I don't anticipate this happening.

 

[andy52]

I use the Lee bench top model and it's defiantly faster although it has a few drawbacks mainly the feeding try has to be thumped occasionally to keep the primer feeding.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I load large the quantities of ammo on a Dillon 550b and that priming system is fine. Small batches are loaded on a Redding T-7 or a RCBS Rock Chucker and I prime those by hand. I used the original Lee priming tool. Then Lee got a lawyer's complaint (law suite) and they quit making it! They came out with a square replacement. It is/was twice the cost half the speed. It also jammed and dumped primers everywhere! I found a way to clamp the top on, but it still jams! So I scour gunshops and flea markets for the old Lee primer tools. I have 7 and hope they last until someone comes out with a reasonable replacement.

Ivan

 

[tlawler]

I have a Lee Classic as well and deprimed/primed with it for several months when I first started. Mine used the older round trays. I always ended up with several primers scattered on the floor around me for every couple hundred I primed. Might just be my clumsiness. I now use an RCBS universal hand prime and alternate left hand/right hand every hundred rounds or so. Added benefit is that it's like one of those spring hand exercisers and is good arthritis therapy. I've recently gotten away from the disk powder dispenser and through die charging and now using a Lee Perfect Powder measure. I like the control and ability to more easily visually check the charges that it affords.

 

[BC38]

I have a Lee Classic as well and deprimed/primed with it for several months when I first started. Mine used the older round trays. I always ended up with several primers scattered on the floor around me for every couple hundred I primed. Might just be my clumsiness. I now use an RCBS universal hand prime and alternate left hand/right hand every hundred rounds or so. Added benefit is that it's like one of those spring hand exercisers and is good arthritis therapy. I've recently gotten away from the disk powder dispenser and through die charging and now using a Lee Perfect Powder measure. I like the control and ability to more easily visually check the charges that it affords.

I have the old round tray system too and have the exact same experience. For whatever reason, every so often, the primer gets "raked" out of the primer arm cup as the dispenser is swung back out of the way after dispensing a primer.

I just put a 5 gallon bucket, elevated on top of an overturned milk crate, under the primer catch tube and when a primer falls out of the primer arm cup, it just lands in the bucket. Makes them a lot easier to pick up without having to search or sweep the floor to try and find them. Not a very elegant solution, but it works.

I would like to try the new and improved system, but the old one works pretty well 99% of the time, so I'm not sure if it's worth switching.

 

[tlawler]

I would like to try the new and improved system, but the old one works pretty well 99% of the time, so I'm not sure if it's worth switching.

Once you go to hand priming, you won't go back. I had bought a bunch of old stuff from a guy who retired to Florida and quit reloading. There was an old Lee Auto Prime in with it and I used it for a few months before the handle broke, as they are prone to. I tried using the press mounted primer again, but my heart just wasn't in it after hand priming. I first bought the new Lee version, but it sucked. Sent it back and ordered the RCBS universal and have been very happy with it. It's very portable and I sit with the family and watch TV while I'm priming.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I read so many negative comments about the Lee on the press primer that I've used a Frankfort Arsenal hand press for priming.

I have been using a Lee Safety-Prime on a Lee Classic Turret Press for all my handgun brass priming for a very long time without a problem. I like the system. Granted, I'm using the original from 15 years ago with the round trays, not the new one with the triangular trays. I have not tried the newer Safety-Prime yet.

 

[Forrest r]

I load large the quantities of ammo on a Dillon 550b and that priming system is fine. Small batches are loaded on a Redding T-7 or a RCBS Rock Chucker and I prime those by hand. I used the original Lee priming tool. Then Lee got a lawyer's complaint (law suite) and they quit making it! They came out with a square replacement. It is/was twice the cost half the speed. It also jammed and dumped primers everywhere! I found a way to clamp the top on, but it still jams! So I scour gunshops and flea markets for the old Lee primer tools. I have 7 and hope they last until someone comes out with a reasonable replacement.

Ivan

I'll call your 7 and raise you 5

 

[cds43016]

I load 9mm on my Hornady LNL AP press including priming. It was a major challenge to get it working but it's now doing well.

I load 357 on my Lee Turret press. It's a great press except for the priming. Too many primers end up on the floor using the safety prime on the press.

I use a RCBS Bench Priming tool. It's fast, has great feel in seating the primers, and it's easy on the hands

 

[the_buckshot_kid]

I've got the Lee Safety Prime on my Lee single stage and I'll never go back to hand priming again.

 

[BC38]

Once you go to hand priming, you won't go back. I had bought a bunch of old stuff from a guy who retired to Florida and quit reloading. There was an old Lee Auto Prime in with it and I used it for a few months before the handle broke, as they are prone to. I tried using the press mounted primer again, but my heart just wasn't in it after hand priming. I first bought the new Lee version, but it sucked. Sent it back and ordered the RCBS universal and have been very happy with it. It's very portable and I sit with the family and watch TV while I'm priming.

I've got the Lee Safety Prime on my Lee single stage and I'll never go back to hand priming again.

Isn't it funny how two people can have such an opposite opinion of the same tool and process?

And then there are those like me - I'm in the middle between these two extremes. I neither love it nor hate it - I just use it and accept it's quirks.

Weird huh?

 

[AManWearingAHat]

I used to hand prime exclusively thinking I was getting better quality control or more consistent primer seating. Then I got my 550B and hand priming now seems like a huge chore.

Reloading is all about economy of motion, even producing small quantities. I personally advise people to spend the money they can to make upgrades to make their loading easier and faster. If you're going to be loading handgun ammo more than 200 rounds at a time, spend the money and get the 550 and ditch the classic turret. You wont regret it.

 

[rwsmith]

Lee Auto Prime...

You have to take it apart and fiddle and spill some primers, but I like that fact that it works and doesn't have 'safety baffles' that makes it more unreliable. If you use the proper technique of sliding the primers away from the anvil, you are less likely to set off a chain reaction.

 

[tlawler]

Isn't it funny how two people can have such an opposite opinion of the same tool and process?

And then there are those like me - I'm in the middle between these two extremes. I neither love it nor hate it - I just use it and accept it's quirks.

Weird huh?

Well for me it's about comfort. If I prime at the press, I'm standing on a concrete floor in a hot garage sweating my butt off most of the time. Hand priming I can do inside while I'm spending time with the family. I can't confirm it because I've never set off a primer either way, but a lot of long time loaders I talk to claim the extra force you can exert with the press is more likely to set off a primer.

I've only been reloading about two and a half years, so I don't have a lot of experience in it. I'm completely self taught between books, a lot of advice from here on the forum, and a few trusted yootoob channels suggested by forum members. My reloading journey has gone through a few iterations and I'm always looking to improve, so what works for me may not particularly work for others.

 

[PapaWheelie]

I'm just returning to reloading pistol after a 25 year break so bought the Lee kit with the white safety primer on the single stage press. While I can't compare it to any other method I really think it's great. First impression of the systems construction was it looked cheap and I had little faith in it working well. Surprised me though, it does work very well with the small pistol primers and really simple to get the hang of. Using the presses lever helped to seat in tight pockets and you get the "feel" pretty quickly. Only problem I noticed is the last couple primers tend to stick in the chute and need a tap to get them to move along.

 

[boatbum101]

Still have one of those old Lee hand primers . It just gathers dust . What I don't load on a Dillon , I use a 40yr old RCBS bench primer . Gives great feel , has never leaked or dropped primers nor had them flip upside down . Lee stuff is cheaper & OK for someone starting out on a budget . That & some of their stuff works all right & some is just a royal PITA . Hand priming get the RCBS , bench priming works great especially if you load a bunch of rifle stuff .

 

[Turn4811]

Priming occurs on the first station of my Dillon 550B after de-prime and sizing. I got tired of constant tweaking the Lee press to keep it making consistent ammo 30 years ago.

On the Dillon 550B it take 104 pulls on the press to make 100 rounds in 14 to 21 minutes. It was an hour operation on Dad's Lee press at there were 10-15 oops along the way. Oops is not good in reloading.

 

[tlawler]

Priming occurs on the first station of my Dillon 550B after de-prime and sizing. I got tired of constant tweaking the Lee press to keep it making consistent ammo 30 years ago.

One thing I do notice on my Lee Classic turret is because of the "play" in the turret, it's tough to get consistent O.A.L. unless I really pay attention to it. When seating a bullet, the turret will pop up ever so slightly. I don't know if it's excessive wear on the bearing surface, or just typical of the turret movement. I can do them on my single stage Lee and be a lot more consistent. I don't think it's a big deal, only talking .005"-.009" difference and so far everything has shot ok.

 

[GypsmJim]

I started out 50 years ago using an original Lee Hand Priming tool. When they upgraded to the "Improved" model, I bought one of them. Finally, when they came out with the Auto-Prime II, I got one and have been using it ever since.

I found a Lee Reloader press for $20, so I bought 2. One is set up for priming, and the other is dedicated to the Lee auto Disc Powder Measure with adjustable charge bar. Those 2 setups are the cat's meow.

When I heard that the Auto Prime was being discontinued I bought 2 extra sets of all the plastic parts just in case, because i'll never hand prime again. As it turned out after 20 years none of the parts ever broke.