Frankford Arsenal priming tool ???

[rsbhunter]

Have a Frankford priming tool coming to replace one of the original Lee priming tools. I went to prime some 300 RUM cases (once fired and loaded by me) and every primer was proud. Enough that the case wobbled when set on the bench. I double checked the shell holder, retried seating a couple times....no difference...tried 2 different Lee shell holders..no good. Just tried seating some 6.5 Creedmoor cases, worked fine...just curious if anyone maybe has a "why"...also, reviews on the Frankford Arsenal, Thanks, rsbhunter

 

[338 dude]

Have a Frankford priming tool coming to replace one of the original Lee priming tools. I went to prime some 300 RUM cases (once fired and loaded by me) and every primer was proud. Enough that the case wobbled when set on the bench. I double checked the shell holder, retried seating a couple times....no difference...tried 2 different Lee shell holders..no good. Just tried seating some 6.5 Creedmoor cases, worked fine...just curious if anyone maybe has a "why"...also, reviews on the Frankford Arsenal, Thanks, rsbhunter

I love my Frankford arsenal priming tool you can set the depth it works great very reasonably priced and comes with all the shell holders

 

[rsbhunter]

338 dude, thanks....it had the best reviews and ratings...hope it fixes the 300 RUM primer situation...rsbhunter

 

[Prose]

There is a little dial to set the depth. Check out YouTube for a vid.

I went back to seating by feel though. I really like the quality of the FA tool but nothing beats feel IMO

 

[rsbhunter]

I thought on the F A you could feel the seating? I seated by feel all the time with the Lee, sometimes kept me out of trouble....But I will make sure the primers are .003-.004 below rim....rsbhunter

 

[flyingbrass]

I'm still using my original Autoprime, but it's wearing out. I'm debating what to buy as a replacement. The Frankford Arsenal is one of the contenders. That or go single feed.

I think depth stops are not only completely useless, but counterproductive. I recently had a batch of brass where some primers weren't seating completely flush. The issue wasn't my priming tool. I measured the pocket depths, some of which were too shallow.

Primers also vary considerably. I measured 12 CCI 450 primers:

2 .119"
1 .1195"
1 .120"
3 .1205"
3 .121"
1 .1215"
1 .122"

Then 10 Remington 7 1/2 primers:

1 .1185"
4 .1195"
2 .120"
1 .1205
1 .121"
1 .122"

Anvils extend slightly below the cups and compress when seating. I wondered if the measured height variation was at least partly due to different amounts of anvil protrusion. I adjusted my uniformer to make primer pockets about .120" deep and uniformed 2 cases.

Case #1
pocket depth: .120"
primer height: .121" (CCI 450)
after seating: ~.0005" below flush

Case #2
pocket depth: .120" - .1205"
primer height: .119" (CCI 450)
after seating: .003" to .0035" below flush

I seated as usual until I felt the cups bottom out. I rotated the cases and pressed the lever several more times. The stem in my Autoprime is no longer square with the shellholder, which leaves one side of the primer slightly higher if I don't rotate and press again.

So, in both of these tests the primer lost approximately .0015" to .002" in height after seating. There is surely some measurement error. I used the zeroed tail end of a cheap caliper, not a precision depth gauge. That said, the measurements were repeatable. I can't vouch for the absolute figures, but I can that there was a significant difference.

I'm surprised that primers vary in height as much as .003". Even if you could make pocket depths all exactly the same, priming tools that use depth stops can't provide consistent loading of the anvils because of the differing primer heights. We need to seat by feel. That or K&M makes a fancy primer seater that measures pocket depth and primer height, and then allows setting the amount of "crush."

 

[flyingbrass]

I thought on the F A you could feel the seating? I seated by feel all the time with the Lee, sometimes kept me out of trouble....But I will make sure the primers are .003-.004 below rim....rsbhunter

You can feel the primers seat with the FA and other seaters that have depth stops if you back off the stop. Just don't use it. And don't pay more for a priming tool thinking that a depth stop "feature" is valuable.

 

[1shot]

I used a RCBS for ages and last year caved to @Dusty Stevens urgings to try a 21st century. All I can say is WOW!! Ohh yeah, thanks Dusty. LOL
I would like to compare the FA against the 21st C. to see the difference.
I hope this helps,

Lloyd

 

[338 dude]

I thought on the F A you could feel the seating? I seated by feel all the time with the Lee, sometimes kept me out of trouble....But I will make sure the primers are .003-.004 below rim....rsbhunter

That’s exactly the depth I prefer and I forgot to say it is all metal

 

[rsbhunter]

Flyingbrass, now that you said that (not seating evenly) I went back and checked my 300 brass again....it is doing exactly as you said, not seating evenly...tried turning the brass (always do) 1-2 times during seating....still didn't fix it...so I am convinced the Lee Load All is fading fast...although, I did prime maybe 20 Creedmoor and they did ok.....New FA will be here this week, so all is good....the Lee has to be, probably 20 years old...it deserves a peaceful passing....as a note, I will probably not use the stop on the face, as I like having the control......rsbhunter

 

[garandman]

My FA is g-t-g. 6.5 CM, 338 Norma, 223, 300 BLK and 224 Valkyrie.

Have you checked to make sure you have the right shell holder in it ?

 

[rsbhunter]

Yes, #5, and I have 2 of em, bought one before I bought the complete set. It did, at one time work on the 300 RUM brass, as I haven't bought factory brass honestly in 30 year's!!!! (Cept Rimfire) Primed the 200 rounds of brass I have originally....Worked great then.....gettin old like me.....rsbhunter

 

[JimSC]

USAMU recommends .003 to .005 primer recession with a tolerance of plus or minus .001. Maybe I am not as picky as some of you but I consider the Army's method acceptable. I uniform my primer pockets and can feel the primer bottoming using a non adjustable priming tool. I check afterwards using a Starrett 25-141 dial indicator whose stem just happens to be .155 in diameter. A small primer pocket is .173 in diameter or .018 smaller. Using the Starrett makes for quick checking of seating depth. When I get to the point I am trying to shrink my groups from the .1's to the zeros I will sweat .002 difference in seating depth but that may not be for a while until then I will just use a strong firing pin spring , the Army's recommended tolerances, my old Starrett, and consistent primer pockets to ensure a good ignition

Primer Seating Depth Uniformity and Accuracy

 

[dgeesaman]

Have a Frankford priming tool coming to replace one of the original Lee priming tools. I went to prime some 300 RUM cases (once fired and loaded by me) and every primer was proud. Enough that the case wobbled when set on the bench. I double checked the shell holder, retried seating a couple times....no difference...tried 2 different Lee shell holders..no good. Just tried seating some 6.5 Creedmoor cases, worked fine...just curious if anyone maybe has a "why"...also, reviews on the Frankford Arsenal, Thanks, rsbhunter

I bought the same FA priming kit this summer and had the same problem with 6BR Lapua and SR primers. I called and they sent another kit of shell holders because they seemed to have a generous fit to the rim but still did not fully seat. All this with the adjustment set to max depth.

Debating whether to contact them again and see what replacement part they’ll send this time. Their tech support was supportive, I’ll grant them that.

 

[rsbhunter]

My Frankford Arsenal prim i g tool came in today.....I am impressed ! Seems to be a serious tool. Seated my 300 RUM primers and could feel them seat completely....The quality in this tool makes me sure it will last for a long time...I appreciate all the help and info you all have given me...rsbhunter

 

[GrandGrendel58]

I used a RCBS for ages and last year caved to @Dusty Stevens urgings to try a 21st century. All I can say is WOW!! Ohh yeah, thanks Dusty. LOL
I would like to compare the FA against the 21st C. to see the difference.
I hope this helps,

Lloyd

The 21st Century looks great, I just cant get over the proprietary shell holders ☹ I am eyeing the K&M gauge model or the Hollands Perfect Primer Seater as a future purchase to mess around with (I like trying different things). The hole on the back of my Lee Auto Prime cuts into my hand when priming, I ordered one of the FA ones and at first I did not like that the feed tray is in line (and on the opposite side of) with the handle on the new models, but I tried flipping it around and gripping the main body of the tool in my hand, and squeezing the lever with my fingers instead and it works well that way.

 

[Mikemci]

The 21st Century looks great, I just cant get over the proprietary shell holders ☹ I am eyeing the K&M gauge model or the Hollands Perfect Primer Seater as a future purchase to mess around with (I like trying different things). The hole on the back of my Lee Auto Prime cuts into my hand when priming, I ordered one of the FA ones and at first I did not like that the feed tray is in line (and on the opposite side of) with the handle on the new models, but I tried flipping it around and gripping the main body of the tool in my hand, and squeezing the lever with my fingers instead and it works well that way.

You owe it to yourself, to use the 21st Century. It makes the others feel second rate.

 

[GrandGrendel58]

You owe it to yourself, to use the 21st Century. It makes the others feel second rate.

Maybe eventually I'll pick one up, I'm not a benchrest shooter, and don't know the difference (yet).

Edit: Awww crap, they accept paypal.... maybe I will pick one up and see how I like it, I am still in the return window for the FA one, and have some extra funds in paypal. Wish they still sold a model with a tray ☹ In the product photos the edges look sharp on the lever, thoughts?

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I thought my Lee auto prime was wearing out,until I started checking primer pockets. Different brass and primer brands may not be compatible without uniforming the pockets.

 

[Mikemci]

Maybe eventually I'll pick one up, I'm not a benchrest shooter, and don't know the difference (yet).

Edit: Awww crap, they accept paypal.... maybe I will pick one up and see how I like it, I am still in the return window for the FA one, and have some extra funds in paypal. Wish they still sold a model with a tray ☹ In the product photos the edges look sharp on the lever, thoughts?

You won't regret it, promise!
I cup the body in my fingers and press the lever with my thumbs. Never touching the edges of the lever.
The beauty of the propritary shell holders, is that you can rotate the opening 360*. Put it wherever you want, in relation to the lever.