Priming tool recommendations

[long40shot]

I really like the RCBS bench mounted priming tool.

RCBS Automatic Bench Priming Tool

The RCBS Automatic Bench Priming Tool is a great tool for the reloader looking for fast, accurate and highly sensitive feel when seating primers. One of...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[charlie b]

I used to like my old Lee hand tool. The primer tray worked well as the jiggling of seating a primer kept the tray from jamming. Rarely flipped a primer. Only drawback was the specialty case holders.

I gave it away when I got a progressive (my pistol only days). Bad move.

The newer Lee is ok but not as easy for me. Tried the Hornady thinking the leverage might be better. It was but the tool weighed twice as much and flipped primers every now and then.

Tried a bench prime but that was just another tool that got in the way on the bench.

Now days my hand strength is much less and had a hand injury that makes the hand tools not an option. For a while I used the priming tool on the Rockchucker, but, that has a bad leverage (not even as much force as a hand unit). So, got a ram prime and it just makes me happy. Hand strength is no issue and I can feel the primer seat so much easier than the other tools I've used.

 

[Hoekight]

I use a Lee Auto prime bench primer. It works for me. I load all of my f class match ammo and all of my hunting ammo on it too. Literally takes 10 seconds to go from small to large primers and the handle is very easy on the hands and has a consistent “feel” for me. I wouldn’t trade it for anything especially if I had to load primer tubes. I’m not sure I could shoot the difference in an expensive primer tool. It’s $40 and I like it enough to have some spares on the shelf just in case.

 

[john 800]

Nope.

Ill keep it simple then

 

[Oldbloke]

I really like the RCBS bench mounted priming tool.

RCBS Automatic Bench Priming Tool

The RCBS Automatic Bench Priming Tool is a great tool for the reloader looking for fast, accurate and highly sensitive feel when seating primers. One of...

www.midwayusa.com

Same principle, but fancier than the Lee Ram Prime.

 

[Oldbloke]

I used to like my old Lee hand tool. The primer tray worked well as the jiggling of seating a primer kept the tray from jamming. Rarely flipped a primer. Only drawback was the specialty case holders.

I gave it away when I got a progressive (my pistol only days). Bad move.

The newer Lee is ok but not as easy for me. Tried the Hornady thinking the leverage might be better. It was but the tool weighed twice as much and flipped primers every now and then.

Tried a bench prime but that was just another tool that got in the way on the bench.

Now days my hand strength is much less and had a hand injury that makes the hand tools not an option. For a while I used the priming tool on the Rockchucker, but, that has a bad leverage (not even as much force as a hand unit). So, got a ram prime and it just makes me happy. Hand strength is no issue and I can feel the primer seat so much easier than the other tools I've used.

The problem with most press priming systems is that you pull up on the press handle, against gravity. (At least thats how mine works) Not great ergonomic wise.

But with the Lee Ram Prime you push down and is therefore gravity assisted, if that makes sense. Include a press with a short stroke and it's even better.

 

[boltfluter]

K & M hand priming tool for the win! And, to top it off, it is built like a tank and believe it or not, it is actually made of real steel. Mine is still going strong at the 20 year mark and may see me out. Lol. Easily adjusted and it has a very good feel for bottoming out primers with just a little crush. Best of all it won't break the bank at $50 or so. Go forth and seat primers young man.
Paul

 

[Scalloper]

I had my Lee ware out a year ago. I had a new Rem hand tool that has been ok but yesterday I noticed it is denting the primers. I never saw any negative affects at the range but it has me aggravated.
This morning I ordered the new Lyman auto primer. I watched a couple of videos and it seemed to be what I am looking for.

 

[Timon]

I used a Lee hand primer for many years, but it was not able to seat primers exactly where I wanted then. I then went to a PMA hand priming tool and have never looked back. It is a single primer, loaded one at a time, but once you get into a rhythm with it, priming goes very fast. I don’t think I’m much slower loading single primers, than I was with the Lee and a tray, if at all. The PMA is a really well built, solid and simple tool, that allows you total control over your seating depth of the primers.

 

[Fire Dog]

K & M hand priming tool for the win! And, to top it off, it is built like a tank and believe it or not, it is actually made of real steel. Mine is still going strong at the 20 year mark and may see me out. Lol. Easily adjusted and it has a very good feel for bottoming out primers with just a little crush. Best of all it won't break the bank at $50 or so. Go forth and seat primers young man.
Paul

This has been my “Go To” and it too is “built like a tank and made of SS steel”
Quick too as mentioned by Timon, get a rhythm going and it is fast as any of the “bench or tray type especially as they often have a hang up that needs to be cleared and/or tubes or trays to be carefully loaded.

-Gen III Super Precision Click Head Bench Rest Priming Tool

Primer seating is an often overlooked yet important aspect of reloading. How a primer is seated affects the safety, reliability and accuracy of a load. Primers consist of three main components: the primer cap, the impact sensitive priming mixture, and the anvil. The anvil is three pronged and...

21stcenturyinnovation.com

 

[misser]

you could spend more,even twice as much, only to get the same results . its fast, adjustable seating depth ,very hard to drop. that being said I am keeping the RCBS

Universal Hand Priming Tool​

 

[Fire Dog]

you could spend more,even twice as much, only to get the same results . its fast, adjustable seating depth ,very hard to drop

And of course this fine device is made in OZstralia…. their trimmers are also quite good as they reference off the shoulder rather than the overall length of the case..
Makes neck to shoulder length always the same.

 

[misser]

did a check on some different shell holders .they are different

 

[RegionRat]

@misser , the usual dimension on a shell holder is the height from the base to the top of the tool and typical ones run at more or less 0.125" What are those number values in your photo?

 

[600-60x]

I have a lee priming tool set that I seems to work well with large primers, but when set for small primers doesn’t work nearly as well plus I would like to avoid swapping from large to small and keep one setup for each. What priming tools work well i genearal but especially with small primers?

Sinclair hand primer

 

[David Conder]

Sinclair they work really well for small or large with the changing of the primer head an it comes with both my two cents worth

 

[misser]

@misser , the usual dimension on a shell holder is the height from the base to the top of the tool and typical ones run at more or less 0.125" What are those number values in your photo?

I measured form where the brass would set to the place the shell holder would hit a die . its IMHO to reuse the same shell holder every time ,I never use a different one as the head space would be set differently

 

[NF1E]

Lots of choices out there. So far the top choice would appear to be the Lyman Accu-prime for reliability. Only downside is it is the only one that does not have a feed tube. Still the least expensive and works like a charm. Whatta Hobby!

 

[Minshooter]

RCBS Automatic Priming Tool. Changing from large to small primers is as quick and easy as changing dies on a Co-Ax press.

Same here. Have several of the others mentioned, sitting on the shelf.
Aside from not having to handle individual primers (sloooow...), the RCBS keeps the primer seating separate from the tube stack. For me, Lee and some others just seem too much like a claymore mine waiting to fire.
Plus, the long lever on the RCBS is a lot easier on my hand and fingers than a squeezer.
Others are welcome to the idea of one fixed setting for depth, and it may work fine for them, but try that, and then go over them again with a seating system that lets you feel the primer seating, see how much variation you can find, even with high quality brass, and decide from there.

 

[Salukiwildcat]

you could spend more,even twice as much, only to get the same results . its fast, adjustable seating depth ,very hard to drop. that being said I am keeping the RCBS

Universal Hand Priming Tool​

I would agree on many fronts with you. I've used the Derraco PCPS and the Primal Rights CPS, and they're both very good at what they do. Both are repeatable, adjustable, and very well built.

Where the Primal Rights exceeds the abilities of the Derraco, in my opinion, is in repeatability of primer crush. Over all, it's a more fully fleshed out unit so of course you're going to get more features and abilities. The Derraco is great at a lot of things, but is a bit more fiddly due to the design of the setup, and take smuch more time to switch between calibers and setups than the CPS does.

If ease of use, loading multiple calibers, ergonomics, and repeatable crush are important to you, then it's a no brainer to go with the Primal Rights over the Derraco.