New Lee hand Primer

[sdneil]

Broke handle on old Lee auto prime hand primer--great tool--used it for years--excellent... bought a new Lee auto prime XR-- what a disapointment--its not near as easy to use--nothing about it is as good as the old one--not user friendly--Sorry Lee--I think you missed on this one--am shure there is a Lawyer involved here with this tool...

 

[bozo699]

Neil,
I told you you wouldn't like it, I am glad to know your old one is back up and running! If they had not made it load the primers the way they did, it would be okay but the way it is it makes you hold it a certain way while holding your breath and if you don't hold your breath just right it is totally possible to and does from time to time get a primer in backwards, that never happened with your old one unless you weren't paying attention very disappointed myself!!
Wayne.

 

[lal357]

i have 3 of the old ones but figured i'd give the new one a try what a let down alot of times the 2nd primer will pop out on to my floor when i seat the 1st i like the primer tray why federal has to have such a big primer holder is beyond me .

 

[navyrad8r]

Neil,
talk to lee and have them send you a new handle. i did and it cost a buddy of mine $0.00. not premium tooling but they are certainly customer oriented!!!
cheers,
Doc

 

[260Ravage]

Some parts on the old style/new style are interchangable. It seems my brother used the handle from the new one to rebuild his older model. BTW: if one is not careful the new model canin deed flip a primer upside down in the process. Seen it with my own old eyes.

 

[sdneil]

Navy--I talked to Lee first--they are not able to supply the handles-- thus the reason for the new one-- Wayne you were correct, the new one is very, very dissapointing!!!! Thank you for the parts... The good news is St. Louis gun show this morning, I found a old style complete Lee in box and bought it for 10.00 Think I will try to take the new one back where I bought it... Neil

 

[bozo699]

Navy--I talked to Lee first--they are not able to supply the handles-- thus the reason for the new one-- Wayne you were correct, the new one is very, very dissapointing!!!! Thank you for the parts... The good news is St. Louis gun show this morning, I found a old style complete Lee in box and bought it for 10.00 Think I will try to take the new one back where I bought it... Neil

Neil,
Your welcome and I think taking it back is a good idea and congrats on the good find at the gun show
Wayne.

 

[tiny68]

I had (have) two of the older style Lee's and used my new one for the first time this week loading some 40 S&W. I will be otherside of the fence here. I actually like the new one better. Yes, you have a learning curve on the proper angle to hold it so that primers feed and don't drop out in the floor. After the first 25 primers as a learning curve, the next 175 went flawless. However, give me an RCBS any day of the week.

Just my 2 cents, Tim

 

[Tozguy]

Lee explains in his reloading book that Federal primers are more sensitive than yesteryear. That is why Federal has to have larger packaging to meet regulations. One primer must be able to blow without setting the whole box off at the same time. The new auto prime is designed with that in mind, so that a sensitive primer can blow on insertion without setting the whole tray off.

The new tray covers are a pain though.

 

[ttfreestyle]

well i use cci primers and love the old Lee, I have a new Lee and it doesnt have any feel to me. Guess i will try a 21 st century with the round Lee trays and hope it has the feel of the old one.

 

[ReedG]

Tim, how much for the old ones?

 

[bozo699]

I have only had one primer go off in a hand primer in all the years doing it and it was in a old Lee with Fed 210M primers and I didn't have a chain reaction (thank goodness) and the new Lee lid is the only thing I like about it at all!! it doesn't fall off when you lay it on the counter, that was always my biggest complaint with the old Lee's,...spilled primers all over the counter! The new one has the be held at a exact angle to work properly and you HAVE TO USE YOUR THUMB to operate it, many older shooters have arthritis or are just getting weaker from old age, absolutely having to use the thumb only was a real brain storm for sure ??? IMHO if your not going to use a top shelf hand primer like the 21st century, K&M, or the Sinclair, or similar ones then the Hornaday would be the way to go, you use your WHOLE hand to use it, the lid doesn't fall off and it doesn't take a week and a degree in mechanical engineering to remove the shell holder like the RCBS does, and it uses more then one style shell holders, I have two of them and they work fine.
Wayne.

 

[tiny68]

Tim, how much for the old ones?

Not interested in selling them. I leave them set up for calibers I don't load that frequency for. Thanks anyway, Tim