Ram primer
- Thread starter ORjeff
- Start date
My Pop has the RCBS and I have the Lyman. I got my Pop the RCBS model because he has having rifle primer seating issues with a hand priming unit as he got older.
I have/use the LEE ram prime, works well, easy to set up/use, especially if a hand primer tool is too painful to use anymore. You do have to handle each/every primer and place in the cup, and seat the primer. I don't shoot CF competition, but eveything I've loaded has gone bang, good target results when I do my part, etc.
LEE also has the Auto Bench Prime tool which is not bad to use, but the folding plastic primer tray has a tendency to jam up, but a flick or tap of the tray will usually clear the jam. The plastic insert that actually holds the primer ram has a tendency to break or crack, etc. I only use it when I am loading 100 rds or more for a varmint shoot and want a bit more speed. The ram prime is all metal and chugs along at whatever speed you want to do once you get a rhythm figured out.
LEE also has the Auto Bench Prime tool which is not bad to use, but the folding plastic primer tray has a tendency to jam up, but a flick or tap of the tray will usually clear the jam. The plastic insert that actually holds the primer ram has a tendency to break or crack, etc. I only use it when I am loading 100 rds or more for a varmint shoot and want a bit more speed. The ram prime is all metal and chugs along at whatever speed you want to do once you get a rhythm figured out.
Get you a rcbs automatic bench primer tool ..
It won't break after 500 primers like the lee.
No hands hurting.
Still sensitive to feel slight crush.
If your determined to seat to a determined depth there's an add on Holland attachment for that but definitely not necessary and reason I don't use a ram prime
It won't break after 500 primers like the lee.
No hands hurting.
Still sensitive to feel slight crush.
If your determined to seat to a determined depth there's an add on Holland attachment for that but definitely not necessary and reason I don't use a ram prime
I have the Derraco PCPS now, best unit I've used, and I've used a few. Happened to look at a Lyman bench unit vid yesterday ( Ultimate Reloader?), it actually looks like a good unit too. Fairly easily adjustable, simple setup, interesting design, won't take a pile of room on the bench. Haven't looked at the price, but none of them are "cheap" anymore. Seems like it should be an improvement over the RCBS or Forster bench unit, expect it's comparable.
I have RCBS and the Lee and I much prefer the Lee. Now if precision is you game, then the Derraco precision ram prime sold by Ugly reloading is excellent and can use the Lee priming shell holders. Never any trouble with any of these units when seating the very tight barand of primers I use
PCPS Precision Case Priming System – Ugly Reloading USA
www.uglyreloadingusa.com
FDCaptain
Gold $$ Contributor
You must have gotten a lemon, I've put more that 1k primers thru mine still working, don't like the tray though but I have spares just in case.
BoydAllen
Gold $$ Contributor
I have had one of the RCBS ram primes for a very long time. It can be adjusted so that the user has excellent feel. It is all about the height of the "die" in the press. Here is another angle that I have not tried, because I seat by feel rather than to a particular depth. One could raise the die to the point where the stopping point of the presses linkage stop was reached, and make fine adjustment for a particular seating depth, aided by one of the Calibrated Forster lock rings. As I said, I have not done this, but it would seem to be possible.
I bought one of the RCBS just to have it for a spare primer in case the bench primer went down for some reason.
I shoot mostly (almost exclusively) rimfire these days and reload infrequently, now. I have used a Lee Auto Prime hand tool for a long time. This weekend, I wanted to load some 6.5X55 and, dang, I don't have the unique Lee Auto Prime shell holder for the Swede. I tried the old school "up stroke" primer arm on my Rockchucker and it was giving me fits seating the primers in the Lapua brass, even though I'd cleaned and leveled the primer pockets. I remembered that I had a Lee Ram Prime on the shelf which I had bought on the recommendation of a friend several years ago but never used. I pulled it out and, well, WOW! What a great tool! I don't mind feeding the primers one at a time. I'm really old and old school, so slow is o.k. (I use a Belding & Mull powder measure and weigh every charge). Long story short and FWIW, I'm sold on upstroke priming (much better feel of the primer seating) and I recommend the Lee Ram Prime.
I have the RCBS bench tool but it will frequently not seat small primers deep enough. RCBS sent me a new part but it didn't really help all that much. I am now using the Derraco PCPS press mounted tool. That thing is SWEET! It is machined like a Swiss watch. Adjustable. If your Dad is having issues with his hands as I am, I cannot recommend the PCPS enough.
Exactly why I had to change. The tight primers were giving me a fit in my hand tool. The PCPS is amazing
Thanks all. The reason I asked is because my Lyman hand tool isn't seating the primers deep enough ( they stick out just a bit) and since it's not adjustable I need a better solution. I ordered the Lyman ram tool just because it's cheaper than the RCBS. It looks like the Lee ram comes out the bottom but the Lyman and RCBS ram stays in the tool which I think I will prefer. I will continue to seat primers with my Lyman hand tool since that will be faster and then run the cases through the ram tool to fully seat them.
ELR LVR
Silver $$ Contributor
I much prefer this to the Lee
I like the Lee set of shellholders and the ease of swapping them out
but they are cheap cast metal and I've broken a few handles before
The Lee doesn't provide enough leverage
---------------------------
The RCBS has MUCH MORE leverage making seating even difficult primers rather easy
The ram in the Rcbs can easily be swapped out for a longer home made one from drill rod or something
if you arent seating primers deep enough
Just tip it upside down and the ram will fall out
insert a custom length ram
It's amazing how innovative lee reloading products are.there reloading components make great ammo dirt cheap.considering how cheap cost wise
But the big but all the primer tool arms are the most porosity filled cast aluminum crap anyone has ever seen .even the levers on there cheaper presses.they all break at some point.
Especially when using there collet dies that require extra force.even some of the linkages on the Challenger presses was pot metal at one point.i know cause I had to buy the upgrade or actually the part for the newer version presses.
Many moons ago
But we all live and learn and don't always have money to buy once cry once.
There dies,cast press, and lock rings are great and bullet proof.even the cheap beam scale is very accurate and the cheap powder dump.
But it's all long gone to the never ending rabbit hole.woohooo nothing but money.
Also from your other post like your doing I would definitely make sure primers are seated deep enough to sensitize.
Had seen a few people swear they had powder in case when having squibs.i just assumed they didn't seat deep enough to seat anvil but who knows.(Probably no powder)its tough to say what folks actually do.
One I know pistol was covered in unburnt powder but who knows what actually happened
Had seen a few people swear they had powder in case when having squibs.i just assumed they didn't seat deep enough to seat anvil but who knows.(Probably no powder)its tough to say what folks actually do.
One I know pistol was covered in unburnt powder but who knows what actually happened
I also liked the Lee bench prime and I never broke it. It had a good feel to it. For rifles now I use the primer arm on the Rockchucker. Isn't the greatest for leverage but it works and is convenient. For pistol or plinking I use the one on the progressive press.
I've used most of the hand tools. The Hornady one had the best leverage, but, is almost too big and is heavy. FWIW, it has enough leverage to easily set off a primer if there is an obstruction (DAMHIK
). Lee's work but I liked their older version better. The tray types all require a jiggle every now and then to make them feed properly. Never got used to the 'tube' feed. Kind of a pain to load. I'd rather just set the primer by hand in the tool. If I wanted a hand prime now I'd probably go for something like the Sinclair.
I never tried a ram prime simply because I was leery of so much leverage being applied. I'd spend a lot of time adjusting it and then not be sure I was fully seating each primer.
I've used most of the hand tools. The Hornady one had the best leverage, but, is almost too big and is heavy. FWIW, it has enough leverage to easily set off a primer if there is an obstruction (DAMHIK
). Lee's work but I liked their older version better. The tray types all require a jiggle every now and then to make them feed properly. Never got used to the 'tube' feed. Kind of a pain to load. I'd rather just set the primer by hand in the tool. If I wanted a hand prime now I'd probably go for something like the Sinclair.I never tried a ram prime simply because I was leery of so much leverage being applied. I'd spend a lot of time adjusting it and then not be sure I was fully seating each primer.
NF1E
Gold $$ Contributor
For decades I have used hand priming tools and finally got to the point where the hands no longer manage it very well. Solution, as I see it, is to go to bench priming mechanisms. The three in the photos have been in the shop for awhile and all work pretty well, but there is something about each that could be better. Currently have 3 more on the way and hopefully one will fill the bill. This morning I set all three on the bench and primed 10 cases with each. For my situation, the Forster in the front came out on top for all phases of it's operation. I do prime 10-20K per year so I would like one that will hold up.
1. RCBS in the rear is nice but I do not like the 2 operations each time to get a case primed.
2. The LEE , on the right, is better than the RCBS but feels cheap and may not hold up for the amount of priming I do.
3. The Forster is the smoothest, most rugged and easiest to work with and no special shell holders required. Primer feed tubes are simple to fill so this one gets my vote of the three.
Enroute are a couple from Lyman, their Auto prime and the Auto prime self loader and another from Derraco PCPS that has come highly rated, we will see after comparing all 6. Whatta Hobby!
1. RCBS in the rear is nice but I do not like the 2 operations each time to get a case primed.
2. The LEE , on the right, is better than the RCBS but feels cheap and may not hold up for the amount of priming I do.
3. The Forster is the smoothest, most rugged and easiest to work with and no special shell holders required. Primer feed tubes are simple to fill so this one gets my vote of the three.
Enroute are a couple from Lyman, their Auto prime and the Auto prime self loader and another from Derraco PCPS that has come highly rated, we will see after comparing all 6. Whatta Hobby!
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