K&M Primer Tool

[dlong]

I just got the K&M Primer tool and it wont "crush " the primers. I followed the very poor instructions that it came with and tried priming some 243 shells. The primers wont go below the brass so when I set a primed shell on a flat surface it rocks. I'm pushing the handle all the way with my thumb. My Lee Auto Prime allows me to crush the primer into place by feel. The directions say a large rifle primer should be .003 crushed past the zero setting. When I close the handle, the needle doesn't even go all the way back to zero. Its about half way between teh zero and 10, say 4 or 5. Is it broke?? Am I doing something wrong?? So far I'm kinda dissappointed.

 

[savet06]

Dlong,
I have that same unit.
When I am setting up for a "crush" fit I will turn the threaded part that is holding the shellholder down to an arbitrary point.
I will slide a case into the shellholder just enough to allow the sleeve that surrounds the actual primer rod (for lack of a better word) to contact the shell, push the handle down, and allow the rod to advance up. I will keep turning the top down until the rod protrudes beyond the sleeve when the handle is depressed, and then work on your crush fit. I don't know if I described it well, but that's how I do it.
If you have already tried this and you aren't able to get it to work, it may be something wrong with the unit. I would contact the maker, and I will just about guarantee they will help you out or make it right.

Good luck,
Mike

 

[Silverfox]

How much crush fit is desired???? I have a Sinclair primer seating tool and have been seating the primers approximately .010" below the surface of the casing base. I imagine that uniforming the primer pocket will make seating depth requirements to change?

 

[Preacher]

Unless your K&M tool is different than mine, all you need to do is screw the holder out of the tool a little at a time until you have it set where you want it...

 

[dlong]

I called K&M and spoke to Roger and told him my problem. He seemed surprised. Told me to send it back. Meanwhile, I have been messing around with it. In trying to prime some 243, using a Lee #2 shellholder, I screwed the top piece all the way down and it seems to work. The only problem is that now the opening to slide the shell in is in the rear, 2 O'clock position if you look down from above. If I back the top around to the 6 O'clock position looking down from the top, which would be the desirable position since this would allow me to load the shell from the front, right over the dial gage, it will not crush the shell all the way into the primer pocket. Its a real nice unit, well made and the dial gizmo works well. Only if I cant load the shell from the convenient front of the unit, I am kind of disappointed. It seems that it needs to be able to scew down a bit more, say 2 more turns, then you can back around so the opening slot is in the front.

Unless this is just the way it works.