Lee Hand Primer and Federal Primers -- Have you tried it?

[RonAKA]

Lee has just brought out a new hand primer, and claims it has been redesigned to safely handle Federal primers. I have the old hand primer, and just realized the last batch of primers I bought were Federal. I have not loaded any yet, but checked my instructions, and Lee says not to use them, as they may "chainfire", whatever that is. Further they say if you wear safety glasses you will be OK if other primers like CCI accidentally fire, but not Federal. Further they limit the number of primers you can put in the case to 20 with some brands.

Anybody know what this is about, and if it is a real concern? I don't think Federal are the hottest primer around, but they are slightly smaller than CCI. Here are the Lee Instructions for the older priming tool:

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/PT1023.pdf

 

[LHSmith]

The one incident I have heard of involved a Bench Rest shooter from Maine, I don't think he suffered permanent damage to his hand.....he still competes. I have loaded a couple thou Federals with the Autoprime with no mishaps. However I have since changed BR priming duties to a K & M due to it's greater sensitivity.

 

[2506]

It is called covering your 6. Federal primers can be a little more sensitive than others but I had used them for over 20 years in my Lee hand primer with out any trouble before they came out with the DO NOT USE stuff. Just to be safe I have never put more than 20 primers in mine of any make because Murphy could show up. Lee has a new square shaped hand primer that they say is safe to use with any primers.

 

[Shooter264]

I have loaded several thousand rounds with the Lee hand Primer and Fed primers, no issues here. Also know of several other people that are in the same boat I'm in. Their new hand primers are fantastic though, can't beat them for the price.

 

[bozo699]

Ron,
I am like the others, I have loaded 1000s of federal primers with my old style lee hand primer with out a single issue. As a matter of a fact I didn't know there was a issue until now ??? I have the new lee loader and it will hold 100 primers easily although I think it does hold 20 in the feed rail,the new system takes a little getting used to,it has to be held a certain way to insure the primers feed properly. I am not sure I like it I think I may check into the sinclair.
Wayne.

 

[k80skeet]

I am just like everybody else I have loaded thousands with no problem. It is the only priming tool I use to prime every single case I load.

 

[Kenny474]

I have a Lee and have used it with about every brand of primer, small and large you can think of without any issue. You just need to pay attention and you should be wearing eye protection whenever you handle primers anyway. However, the new Lee tool does look nice and I like the idea of the larger tray, it would eliminate my need to dump federal primers into a tupperware tray and the into the primer tray, as the federal tray is much larger than the old Lee tray.

I have a Sinclair that I use when I want precision. One complaint, it's suck to put eaach primer in the thing by hand as compared to the Lee tray. But it does feel very solid and seats nicely, but not 4 times nicer than the Lee, like the cost difference.

I also have a Forster Co-Ax primer seater, very nice tool and very quick to go through large amounts of brass. And like any Forster tool, it's high quality and does a very good job. It seats primers very precise as well.

Kenny

 

[jonbearman]

I have an older lee and have loaded at least 50,000 rounds with every type of primer available.Not a hiccup. I guess if you try to misuse any tool you could have a catastrophy to feed to the ambulance chasers assoc.Everybody wants to be reimbursed for every mistake they make themselves,it is never my fault generation.I once knew a guy who claimed that his dillon 550b's primer column blew up and sent primers into his uncles chest and had to have them surgically removed with a explosives expert(probably a bus driver or comp doctor) in the operating room .And of course sued mike dillon for over a million dollars.Sounds far fetched doesnt it.It is true in his mind anyway. Basically like I have said before,it is mechanical and it will fail under just the right circumstances. I got a great idea,lets all sue each other and make millions.LOL Didnt mean to hijack this thread but I think it is pertinent.

 

[Kenny474]

While it is true that primer feed tubes that stack large amounts of primers on top of each other are probably the most unsafe primer feed system going, it is your responsibility to make sure you use it in a safe manner and also in a manner that you will be safe should anything happen. It should be nobody's fault but their own should they be injured because they failed to take necessary safety precautions.

Kenny

 

[tenring]

I used the Lee Autoprime for more years than most of you guys are old, never had a problem. Five years ago, a shooting buddy came in my gun room, picked the Lee up and threw it in my trash can. At his insistence, I bought a K&M. Sure, loading one at a time is a PIA, but lemme tell ya, if one detonates, that will not cause much if any injury; if an entire tray of 25 or 50 explodes, you gonna be in serious distress.

Throw your Lee in the trash and get a K&M or Sinclair.

 

[dan06]

I have the old Lee tool and the new lee tool....I have loaded more than 10,000 federal primers with the old tool with out a problem. The new tool seperates the primer your going to seat from the rest of the tray....It takes a little getting use to but it is a good system, almost as fast, and you get the same feel as the old tool. I would say the new tool is about as safe as any...and it taked the same shelholders as the old tool....Mine only cost $15.00 with the large and small trays.

I once had a load of primers detonate in a dillion about 50 or so left....It was my fault as I was loading military brass without the primer pocket crimp removed because some once fired range pick up brass got mixed in with brass that had the crimps removed...Yep I horsed the handle...POW...Dillion's primer tube is a tube in a tube the outer tube is designed to keep you from getting hurt if this happens. It did put a little dent in the sheetrock of the ceiling.....and scared the crap out of me. I must have learned something because I have loaded over 100,000 rounds since all federal.... with the Dillion 650 without a problem.

 

[RonAKA]

I measured some Federal 205M and CCI BR-4 primers and could find no significant difference in size. I'm thinking as others have speculated that there was a lawsuit which involved Federal primers, and as a result there is the lawyer driven CYA disclaimers. So, I think I will continue to use the tool, but perhaps limit the number of primers at a time in the tray, and slip on an extra pair of plain safety glasses over my prescription ones. I can't see wearing a glove as I am going to lose the feel that is the main benefit in using a hand primer.

The design of the new tool as reported by dan06 seems to confirm the concern is a multiple primer detonation, and it is not a dimensional issue.

Thanks for the comments. It makes me more confident that the tool works if used with some care, and protection just in case.