Im in need of a hand primer tool. I was going to go with the rcbs, is there any advantage to the one that has universal she'll holder vs individual shell holders? Any other I should consider? I don't want to individually put primers in so I want one with a tray.
Rcbs hand primer
- Thread starter bgblue1978
- Start date
Mine has thousands of rounds on it and is fine. I got it years ago. It has two pins and two plastic attachments that hold the tray. Black for large primer (with the bigger pin) and white for small primer. every time I look at it, or use it I say to myself "round is down."
gambleone
Silver $$ Contributor
Like Prose has stated, wearing out. I have the universal and switched back to the original rcbs that needs a shell holder. The universal seems to bottom out when the handle is all the way closed. Doesn't seat the primers all the way down. I bought it used so it may have worked well for awhile, but now it seems there is too much play in the system. With the original rcbs, you can at least control the amount of pressure applied.
I use the Sinclair hand priming tool which is indestructible but also expensive.
I had several RCBS hand primers that keep breaking, i.e. fatigue cracks in the handle. This was over 15 years ago so maybe they improved them.
Anyway I "bit the bullet" and brought a Sinclair priming tool. I've loaded thousands of rifle and pistol rounds with it for over 15 years and it's as good as the day I purchased it. It was the perfect tool for me.
I had several RCBS hand primers that keep breaking, i.e. fatigue cracks in the handle. This was over 15 years ago so maybe they improved them.
Anyway I "bit the bullet" and brought a Sinclair priming tool. I've loaded thousands of rifle and pistol rounds with it for over 15 years and it's as good as the day I purchased it. It was the perfect tool for me.
jepp2
Gold $$ Contributor
My history has been mostly with Lee hand priming tools (going all the way back to the original one with the screw on shell holders). But using the Ergo, the breakage just became excessive.
On the route, I tried the RCBS hand priming tool, the RCBS automatic bench priming tool but none were the end pick.
I just started using the Sinclair had priming tool, and it was obvious from the start this tool will last a lifetime. Yes, you do have to handle every primer by hand. But what really impressed me is the tight fit between the primer and the guide sleeve. It will start the primer straight and keep it straight until fully seated.
There are some items of equipment that I don’t want to live without even for a day.
So after several years of owning my RCBS tool, I bought a second one as a back-up.
When I got the second one, I realized I could set up one for large primers, the other for small.
I use the individual shell holders.
All this works well for me: if one does go belly-up, I can get by with the second one.
So after several years of owning my RCBS tool, I bought a second one as a back-up.
When I got the second one, I realized I could set up one for large primers, the other for small.
I use the individual shell holders.
All this works well for me: if one does go belly-up, I can get by with the second one.
Prose
Silver $$ Contributor
I guess I'm the minority here using the RCBS primer attachment on the press without any issues.
J
Liven The Dream
Gold $$ Contributor
Well my 2 cents. I have had good luck with many.
I load 3000 + Service Rifle load years back.
I won a 21st Century Hand primer Tool at a Match . It is the Best I have to date....
Sold my Lee .RCBS bench unit and strip loader. don't miss them.
I load 3000 + Service Rifle load years back.
I won a 21st Century Hand primer Tool at a Match . It is the Best I have to date....
Sold my Lee .RCBS bench unit and strip loader. don't miss them.
I do the same thing on my Rock Chucker press. It works really well!
I also use a K&M priming tool for the adjustability and feel on competition rounds.
I have been using the RCBS hand unit with individual holders for over 10 years now. After ten years and tens of thousands of primers the tray top needed masking tape to hold it to the bottom and 2 of the aluminum parts began to wear and gall at the pressure points. I called RCBS on Tuesday and by Friday all worn items were in my mailbox, it did not even cost me shipping. Since then I have bought the RCBS bench unit to give my thumb joint a break. Both work well and primers are consistently seated below the case head and never crushed. Bottom line is I would buy both again. The only thing I would like to see changed from my present unit is that switching between small and large on the hand unit could be easier, it takes a minute or two to disassemble and reassemble. I have never used the RCBS universal or the Franklin.
MikeMcCasland
Team Texas F-T/R
I've used an RCBS handprimer for the past ~12 years. It's the kind with the white and black plastic inserts, and two different sized rods for large/small primers; it requires the use of a shell holder as well.
I've primed several thousand cases on it, and my only complaints are the pin that retains the "primer tray cutoff" piece sometimes backs out. Secondly, the housing is big enough for a small rifle primer to flip on it's side, so maybe once every 200 rounds I'll smash a primer into a case sideways. Otherwise it works just fine. I don't have any arthritis related issues, and as a result find it vastly superior to on-press priming.
That said, when I first started reloading I had a borrowed lee hand primer that worked exceedingly well; much better than this RCBS unit I use now. I've looked for one over the years and can't seem to find it (probably discontinued), but I'd buy another in a heartbeat; probably the only piece of Lee equipment I want on my bench.
I've primed several thousand cases on it, and my only complaints are the pin that retains the "primer tray cutoff" piece sometimes backs out. Secondly, the housing is big enough for a small rifle primer to flip on it's side, so maybe once every 200 rounds I'll smash a primer into a case sideways. Otherwise it works just fine. I don't have any arthritis related issues, and as a result find it vastly superior to on-press priming.
That said, when I first started reloading I had a borrowed lee hand primer that worked exceedingly well; much better than this RCBS unit I use now. I've looked for one over the years and can't seem to find it (probably discontinued), but I'd buy another in a heartbeat; probably the only piece of Lee equipment I want on my bench.
I have used the Rcbs bench tool for over 40 yrs no problems. I also have a Lee, it's a p.o.s. also have a Hornady it works good.
dcali
Bullet Maker
I know you said that you didn't want an individual unit, but it's really not as bad as you might think. It hardly slows you down at all, and it keeps you from crunching a primer and igniting a whole tray on your hand. This doesn't happen often, but it has happened. Priming a couple hundred cases is no problem at all one at a time.
The main reason I don't want to handle individual primers is that I sometimes sit in front if the TV with my wife in the dark and prime cases.
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