Forster Co-Ax Bench Priming Tool?
- Thread starter Kayle
- Start date
I have a Forster coax press, just love it. I also have an RCBS ammomaster, RCBS Rock chucker, and a Dillon 550 as well as a Lee turret press it is so nice the quickness too. Precision for seeding depth and even for sizing is wonderful once you get used to it and it took me awhile to get used to it. I use it all the time now.
I have one that came with my co ax press when I bought it 35 years ago and I never used it and I got it out a while back and I could not get it figured out! I am going to call forster and see if the updated it because I can't get it adjusted so it is aligned correctly with the primer hole. If any one knows how to adjust it I would sure appreciate the tip. I posted the question a while back and didn't get any response. Thanks and good luck ranger 3, RW
I don't have one . I have two of their press They have a alignment stub . Larry
I bought one as part of a package to get an RCBS A2 press.
Like some other things designed by Bonanza it was more marketing hype and product differentiation than technically superior.
The primer feed tubes are slow to load and and don't have a very large capacity. It worked ok but I would not go out of my way for one much less buy one new.
It just does not have anything to offer other than that Coaxial name and there is nothing coaxial about it.
I sold mine and I do not miss it at all.
Like some other things designed by Bonanza it was more marketing hype and product differentiation than technically superior.
The primer feed tubes are slow to load and and don't have a very large capacity. It worked ok but I would not go out of my way for one much less buy one new.
It just does not have anything to offer other than that Coaxial name and there is nothing coaxial about it.
I sold mine and I do not miss it at all.
Lol, I had mine for 2 hours and took a 28% hit on it getting it out of my garage.
Mine has adjustable jaws but it is the old style that are round and do not look any thing like the new ones and it seems to be a real challenge I have a call into Forster to see if they can help me to be able to use it, Thanks, RW
The set up procedure I use is:
1 make sure the shell holder tabs are all the same height ( you can turn them around for thicker/thinner rims).
2 without primers in the tool, place an unprimed case in shell holder tabs with tabs loose and press the seating lever down so that the priming punch enters the case's primer pocket and holds the case in place.
3 slide shell holder tabs against the case head and tighten the tab screws. Let the seating lever up and try to remove and replace the case.
4 repeat steps if case is hard to place or remove.
It will take a bit of fiddling to get it set just right.
1 make sure the shell holder tabs are all the same height ( you can turn them around for thicker/thinner rims).
2 without primers in the tool, place an unprimed case in shell holder tabs with tabs loose and press the seating lever down so that the priming punch enters the case's primer pocket and holds the case in place.
3 slide shell holder tabs against the case head and tighten the tab screws. Let the seating lever up and try to remove and replace the case.
4 repeat steps if case is hard to place or remove.
It will take a bit of fiddling to get it set just right.
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I have one and got it after my Lee priming tool wore out. It is slow to load the primers into the little tube. I haven't found a good way to hold the case while priming to prevent getting whacked if a primer does fire inadvertently. You have to make sure you don't cover the case mouth with part of a hand or finger.
I bought it believing that maybe it would have a good, positive "you can stop pushing the primer is as far as it will go" feel to it. Unfortunately it really kinda doesn't. Because of the way you load the tubes with primers I haven't mounted it solid to my bench...I have to move it around too much. If you get a jam or miss feed and it is screwed down you cant just pick it up to clear it so it stops gravity feeding primers.
I think I maybe would have been happier if I had waited for the guy to call me back that makes the stainless steel version of the Lee...
My main concern was positive, absolute, dead end seating of the primer with no mush or wondering if they are all the same depth. Lee makes a little one-at-a-time priming tool that goes on a press called the "Ram Prime"...other than the one at a time slowness it accomplishes everything else I needed and has a good feel.
I bought it believing that maybe it would have a good, positive "you can stop pushing the primer is as far as it will go" feel to it. Unfortunately it really kinda doesn't. Because of the way you load the tubes with primers I haven't mounted it solid to my bench...I have to move it around too much. If you get a jam or miss feed and it is screwed down you cant just pick it up to clear it so it stops gravity feeding primers.
I think I maybe would have been happier if I had waited for the guy to call me back that makes the stainless steel version of the Lee...
My main concern was positive, absolute, dead end seating of the primer with no mush or wondering if they are all the same depth. Lee makes a little one-at-a-time priming tool that goes on a press called the "Ram Prime"...other than the one at a time slowness it accomplishes everything else I needed and has a good feel.
+1 on RCBS priming tool.
I have this tool, and there are some aspects of your post that indicate that at least part of your problems are due to operator error or lack of information.
1) The primers aren't slow to load at all, as long as you use the companion primer flipper tray, also made by Forster.
In fact, it has to be about the quickest, easiest system to load a priming tool of any sort that I have seen.
2) I have no problem at all keeping my hand away from the front of the case mouth out of concern for the (highly unlikely, as long as you don't slam the seating lever down) possibility of a primer detonation.
I simply grasp the case on each side just forward of either the base or on either side of the case mouth.
This also brings up that, once the case is properly secured by the shell holder jaws, you need to take your hand away altogether to allow the case to slightly self-align for the primer to seat properly.
3) As long as the shell holders are properly set and snugged down, and as long as the case is properly positioned, there most definitely is a positive stop when seating.
In fact, it's impossible to mess it up, and it's the major selling point of this particular tool.
4) The only time that it should be necessary to move the tool around is when making the adjustments to get the shell holders set just right for your case, explained perfectly above by poster ericbc7.
Also, you don't have to move the tool around to insert the primer tubes, as you first fill the tube, then use a paperclip in the hole at the end that goes into the priming tool to keep the primers from sliding, insert the tube properly, then carefully take out the paperclip to allow gravity to get the primers to drop into the feeding position.
As for having to move it for the adjustment, I take care of that issue by using the excellent Inline Fabrication quick change base/plate system to make it as simple as unscrewing the two securing wingnuts and taking it off of the mounting base, making the adjustments, then putting it back onto the quick change base.
In fact never ever hard mounted it , 10’s of thousands of rounds later from 223 to 375 Cheytac, never once had a oopsie with a primer - y’all overthinking it, only tool I use for primers
Retired shooter
Gold $$ Contributor
Old pink & dtheliman
Well said , and Thank you , saved a tremendous amount of typing. The bench primer definitely faster than the press version, and no working with primers one at a time on the reloading press.. Plus if and when needed, awesome customer service and support from Forster.
Well said , and Thank you , saved a tremendous amount of typing. The bench primer definitely faster than the press version, and no working with primers one at a time on the reloading press.. Plus if and when needed, awesome customer service and support from Forster.
I like mine as well and have used it a fair bit. I find the change from small to large primers pretty straight forward, undo retaining screw slide out large primer ram ?plunger and replace with small plunger, align / orientate to flush with jaws and in horizontal plane, do up retaining screw.
Before they marketed the flip tray,I used to use an RCBS square flip tray, just like in the video on the first page! I cut out one corner and removed the grooves in that area. Slipped in a tube and fed primers into it with the bent paper clip used for retaining the primers .
I am working on using something like a lee primer tray to modify and insert where the tubes mount into the body, so I can run a 100 primers at a time, the Forster 40 count LRP tube is a PITA.
Just need to talk with a buddy that has the CAD software and a 3D printer once I have it worked out.
Before they marketed the flip tray,I used to use an RCBS square flip tray, just like in the video on the first page! I cut out one corner and removed the grooves in that area. Slipped in a tube and fed primers into it with the bent paper clip used for retaining the primers .
I am working on using something like a lee primer tray to modify and insert where the tubes mount into the body, so I can run a 100 primers at a time, the Forster 40 count LRP tube is a PITA.
Just need to talk with a buddy that has the CAD software and a 3D printer once I have it worked out.
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