lee hand priming tool-live and learn

[tcr1146]

Shame on me I guess. After reading the thread about hand priming tools, I thought I would try the lee. I previously had gone through two rcbs tools but got tired of the pot metal handles breaking! Anyway, I never dreamed that my existing shell holders from both RCBS and Lyman would not work with the Lee. The further shock was that my primers from the 90s that were in their boxes on their sides would also not work unless you wanted to one by one put them into the lee rack! As stated, caveat emptor! Tom

 

[watercam]

Too bad about your experience with the RCBS tools. I have two that have loaded at least 10,000 rounds of match ammo alone with no issues. What made yours break?

 

[tcr1146]

both broke right through the middle of the handle! I am 69 years old and certainly no body builder! I have parts for both in a cigar box! Tom

 

[2506]

Yes the Lee takes their own shell holder but you just dump the primers into the tray and shake it a little and all the primers flip up like their supposed to be.

 

[nmkid]

I have an RCBS that has primed my cases for about 15 years. I even drilled a hole in the handle and tapped it for a small bolt. I then adjusted the bolt up and down until I was seating my primers just right. Anyway, even with the hole in the handle it's still solid.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Ive had 2 lees- one small and one large primer tool ive been using successfully for 25yrs. Still goin. Not the best, prettiest, or smoothest out there but ive never had a need to replace em for broken parts. I did notice the clear top is starting to turn yellow on the wore out one a guy gave me 25yrs ago. The other i bought new so itll turn in another 10 or so i guess

 

[rogn]

Ive had three of them over the last 30 orso years. The newest one failed due to Wolf primers and WSM cases. The others are just wearing out. They have worn enough to have some slack and will not seat orimers deeply enough. And now parts are not serviced, The new tool is a silly joke compared to the originals.

 

[savagedasher]

I never have used a hand priming tool that worked not only wolf primer but many of others that seated the primers the same I used a custom made hand priming tool that seated the primers the same depth. Expensive but Good. I love my Forster press it seat the primer the same every time. Their separate priming tool does the same . Larry

 

[Cakes]

I'm in the same set-up as Dusty. Have had an old Lee for maybe 25-30 years and it keeps on going even with the "yellow" plastic. Finally broke the lever on it so went to Ebay and got several old ones for parts. Now have a dedicated small and large and some extra parts. After all these years and probably ten's of thousands of rounds, have gotten to know the "feel" pretty good! Eric in DL

 

[260Ravage]

Just a dab of lube on the pivot points goes a long way towards longitivity.

 

[fguffey]

The further shock was that my primers from the 90s that were in their boxes on their sides would also not work unless you wanted to one by one put them into the lee rack! As stated, caveat emptor! Tom

Shame on me I guess. After reading the thread about hand priming tools, I thought I would try the lee.

The 'rack' is a flip tray, from the beginning it was designed to flip primers. No matter how the primers are packed/shipped the flip tray turns all of them in the correct direction. Most reloaders using the Lee primer complained about Federal and their large tray, that complicated the problem, not only was the tray too large, the primers were on their side ???

RCBS has changed the design of their shell holders at least 3 times, two of the earlier shell holders will not work on one of their auto primers without being modified. So you read the thread.

I have the Lee auto primer in sets, I have two RCBS auto hand primers, somehow I find some good in all of them.

F. Guffey