What's the best hand primer?

[292]

I recently bought a Lyman because the Lee I have doesn't work well with small primers. The Lyman did a little better on 38 cases. Yesterday I tried to prime some 9 millimeter brass and every primer was high and had to be seated the rest of the way using my press or the old Lee. According to Amazon I can still send back the Lyman. Question is, which one to replace it with?

 

[muddocktor]

Instead of a hand primer, I would recommend the RCBS bench mounted primer. The one that has primer tubes, not the one that uses the APS strips. I've had one since the early 80's and love it and do most of my priming with it instead of on press. It has good feel, is easy on the hands and I never end up with high primers.

 

[Bayou52]

For me, the best hand primer is the RCBS Posi-Prime. Unfortunately, it has been out of production for many years. Specimens come up quite frequently on eBay.

It has an excellent feel to primer insertion.

Pic:



Bayou52

 

[stansdds]

Several years ago I wanted to get away from the priming system in my old RCBS AmmoMaster press and go to hand priming, mostly for better consistency in seating depth. I wanted to try the RCBS bench mounted priming tool, but they were not available, so I found an RCBS Universal hand priming tool at my local sporting goods shop. It does a nice job and uses a tray, not the strips.

 

[rockquarry]

You mentioned a hand priming tool, so I'll stay on track. I've tried several since I began using one decades ago. The best I've found and the only one I use now is the 21st Century. It's a one-at-a-time tool without a primer magazine. This is not nearly as slow as some think. It costs much more than other such tools, but has no plastic parts, is machined, parts are well fitted without slop, and it works as a priming tool should, i.e., without problems.

I load for many rifles cartridges, but only about four or five handgun cartridges. Still, I prime several thousand cases a year. Amortized over just a few years, the cost of a truly good tool is most insignificant.

Another good priming tool is the Sinclair. I've used that one as well and it's on the same quality level as the 21st Century tool. The K&M tool may be worth looking at, though I've had no experience with that one.

 

[Skeet 028]

I've tried about every one including the Sinclair Lyman Hornady RCBS etc etc. I now just use the RCBS Bench style. Have 2 one for large and one for small...mounted on a board. I even use it while watching the boob tube. A hundred takes a short time and sometimes I'll do 200 at a sitting (mostly handgun loads). No frustration with the bench tool. If I had to use a hand tool...The Sinclair

 

[Hasbeen1945]

I have both RCBS priming tools. One has the universal jaws. The other one uses your standard shell holders. Both work just ok. But I would like something better. I'm looking at the Forster bench mounted tool. A friend has one and it's great.

 

[Kurusu]

Got an RCBS. Had a Lee. It broke out on me (after 20 year of use).

 

[arjay]

I'm on my 2nd RCBS posi prime.This one is about 15 yrs old or more and has plenty of life left.The first was too,but it didn't wear out.I dropped it on concrete and broke the handle.
Primer tray to the left,brass in front,box on the right to toss them in to

 

[gwpercle]

Take a look at Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Perfect Seat Tool Midway $60.00) or the K&M Deluxe Primer Seating Tool (K&M Products $63.00) .
They cost a little more than the Lee Auto-Prime but you get what you pay for. These are 5 star units .
Gary

 

[nachogrande]

NO HAND JOBBERS FOR ME.

I've used app 3 different ones & even before the shakes/neuropathy/ feeling loss, they were NEVER as consistent as the press or bench mounted ones. Human hands get tired & some are squeezed harder or softer than others. Machines don't tire, they give more leverage & seating power than I can squeeze, & in my experience the aluminum hand lever develops metal fatigue & breaks EVENTUALLY . YMMV

 

[LAA]

RCBS with the universal head, and other times it's use of the primer on my Redding single press. I won't say many thousands of loads, on those two, because there is the Dillon with it's own primer in the mix too. Never the less, many thousands of loads, and "one" primer failure. Still haven't bothered to break the round down, to see the cause. Since it was a 45/70, it would have been on the single press, and can't blame the RCBS.

 

[TripleLock]

I'm just an old school dinosaur, but my preferred hand primer seating tool is Lyman's 310 tool. But then I'm still burning powders from canisters with Hercules and DuPont on the labels.

 

[fredj338]

Best is subjective but i like the hornady unit. I have the lee, rcbs & hornady. The lee is ok. But the separate shell holders is kinda pointless. The rcbs was more diff to change size. The hornady for me is better ergonomics & uses std ss press shell holders.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I don't shoot that much, plus I'm retired with lots of time on my hands.

The old Lee 1 at a time works for me.
Good flush primers, unless I get lazy and don't full stroke.

A little oil now and then and it is good for another year of pistol to rifle.

 

[joeintexas]

I used the RCBS hand primers for years and they worked fine, but a few years ago they got to be more difficult on the old hands. Switched to the RCBS bench primer with the tubes like Muddocktor uses and haven't looked back.

 

[VAPA]

I have a Lee and a RCBS, I prefer the RCBS with the square tray as it's easier to fill vs. The round Lee.

 

[Green Frog]

I've been in the Schuetzen game where we often use one case all day, depriming, repriming, recharging and reshooting over and over... I've tried a bunch of priming tools. At the bench I prefer the specialty type made for the game because they decap then recap with the same tool. For my pistol and revolver rounds (other than on progressive loaders) my favorite tool of all times is the old aluminum bodied Lee tool with screw in shell holders. If they made that one in bronze or steel it would last forever, but I have bought up a bunch in case one is broken, lost or stolen.

Froggie

 

[Harrison]

K&M hand primer. You can adjust the primer ram stroke so as to make sure primers are seated all the way. It uses lee shell holders.

 

[Univibe]

Absolutely the RCBS Bench Priming Tool.