one handed reloading /priming tips needed

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bluejeans

bluejeans

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after a recent altercation with a vengeful Yamaha that resented being roused early from its winter hibernation, i find myself with a broken arm and collar bone... and grounded by my oh so caring wife to indoor convalescence.

i have aprox 1,500 38 spls sized and tumbled and ready plus more .40 and .45 if i can get to them. but i need to figure out how to work this with just my left (weak) hand.

i have two single stage presses plus a third i could mount if needed.

i s'pose i'll need to move my powder measure to mount into one press so i can run the shell up on the ram in its shellholder to receive a charge.

i'll widen the flare a little on the case mouth to cup the base of the bullet more so don't need to support it with finger when raising it into the seating die..

what i'm stuck on is priming; i usually use a hand primer but i'd have set it down every time to change out the shell and that, besides being painfully slow might give problems with uniformity as i wouldn't get the same "feel" for it having release my grip every time.
is there another process for priming that i should look into? hopefully not too expensive as the ER and clinic are fighting over my last $800 and who get to put liens on what.. (grr!)

any thoughts or other suggestions on how i can optimize my setup for one-handed operation are appreciated.
 
Short of a Dillon, Nope.
I would say I feel your pain. BUT NOT. It won't be much fun, but I am sure you will get er done.
I could run my Dillon SDB with one hand. Not fun but could be done.
 
I've always used a hand primer for the same reason: that positive feel. Not being a smart**s, but could your wife do the priming? Or at least insert the case and let you work the lever?

Jeff
 
I thought about saying that. But, seeing that his wife was not inclined to let him do much I figured he was sneaking to do some loading.
 
Glad you are OK and on the mend! Looks like you are going to buff up that left hand a bit.

Short of a progressive, that's going to be slow and a lot of exercise for your off hand!

The only other option is "quality time" with the wife helping!

GL!
 
Look at a RCBS bench prime tool. It would be a bit slower with one hand but I think it could be done. I have one and if I have time I can try it.
 
Sorry for your bad luck. If priming is trouble maybe you could teach someone to help and observe. Not sure where you are but I'dbet there is someone close who would be glad to prime the cases for you.
 
I just tried it and I can prime single handed on a press with a ram prime. Put in the ram prime parts, push the lever up through the shell holder, drop primer in then lower ram, put brass in shellholder then raise priming arm and prime. Slow and time consuming but it does work.
 
frogo, thanks for checking.. that sounds pretty slow though i i'll give it a try and see.

joem1945, thanks for putting me on the track of the bench mounted primers.. i'd never seen these before.. still looking into various brands/models.

i briefly considered asking my wife but there's the problems of #1-she'd realize how much time i spend at my gun bench (hehe) and #2 -and more importantly- she already has a lot to do taking care of me and our 2 yr old... now the 2 year old i'm still trying figgure out how i could usehim to help me... he's well acquainted with me reloading presses (he even has his own set of shells i gave him whick he liked to run through my shotgun press..) i actually have a hard time keeping him away when i'm loading (why i do most of it at bedtime,) but i'm not sure i could properly channel his enthusiasm or retain his attention long enough..

i also liked the idea of inviting help... i'll probably start asking family/friends who drop in to prime 100 for me before they leave...
 
I would go with the RCBS bench primer. I have BOTH the hand primers and they both have devolped problems to the point I went looking for something else. This thing is great, be it some kinks I felt the need to work out. One was a slight bevel of the cup bottoms, the other a slight reduction of the bottom of both screws, just dressed down a bit-- go easy here. Once I decided where I wanted to mount it it is great. Should of got one 40 years ago. :)
 
Glad you were not injured worse and hoping for a fast recovery. Priming may prove to be a challenge, but where theres a will there will be a way. I'm the type guy that would prime cases for you if I came to visit. Surely theres more than one of me! :)
 
Doesn't obamacare provide for a nurse to come by and check on you? If so, have her prime a few.
 
Wish the OP would fill in his location in the 'User Options'.

If I knew where he lived, and it was close enough, I would prime all his brass for him, free.

Rc
 
I loaded one handed for 2 years and still load at about 1.5 handed. Used a lee hand primer. Even sometimes now I'm in so much pain I load 1 handed if I don't won't to get drugged up first. And I usually don't. It's not really that hard, it just takes a bit longer.
 
What press are you using? The easiest and cheapest would be to just prime them on the press.
 
If you can't prime on your press you can still easily use the hand primer. Rig up a stand you can place your hand primer on. Put the case in the primer, pick it off the stand and prime the case. Then replace the hand primer on the stand and switch out the primed case with a fresh one. That should work well and not slow you up much.
 
[quote:rcmodel] Wish the OP would fill in his location in the 'User Options'. [/quote]

done. just in case there's a kind hearted member nearby though northern idaho i kind out-of-the-way.


rule3: i have an old herters and an rcbs rockchucker with incomplete priming assemblies for each. have to see if i can mix and match to get it to work. i do have a lee priming die which moves the shell holder to the top of the press and puts seating punch on the ram to seat a primer at top of the stroke rather than the bottom... never used it but that's my back up.

for the meantime i called over a neighbor kid and sent him home with a few hundred to prime for me (hopfully today) to get me started.
 
When I had my shoulder surgery I went back to single stage reloading (heck I had nothing else to do) It was very humbling to do everything with my left arm/hand. I could not do much of anything. You take stuff for granted, I am not coordinated at all with my left hand,:banghead:

Good luck on your rehab!
 
The RCBS bench primer tool is the way to go, either one handed or with two. The primer tube will hold 100 primers. I tried it one handed and for me it worked quite well. It does need a good solid bench.
 
Lee just started shipping a new bench primer, much cheaper than the other options. Don't know how well it will work as its a new product. But I ordered one and should be here in the next few days.
 
Don't own one but the Lee bench prime should be reasonable cost wise and make one handed priming easier.

It looks like it uses the same shell holders as the Lee hand primers. (Note these are different than normal shell holders, if you need a couple sizes sometimes it pays to but the assortment--I needed 9mm, .45, 357, 223, 7mm Mag)
11 sizes
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/566058/lee-auto-prime-hand-priming-tool-shellholder-pack-of-11
--$16
otherwise it looks liek they are $3 or $4 ea.
 
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