Ecle
cticism, that is...
Like most reloaders that have been hobyists for more than just a few years, my collection of reloading tools varies widely in operations and manufacturers. I have presses from RCBS, Lee, Mec and Herters.
Priming tools from Lee, RCBS, Lachmiller and Lyman. Case trimmers from Lyman, RCBS and Lee. Case prep tools from RCBS, Lyman and Lee. Dies from RCBS, Pacific, Lee, Redding and Lyman. And on, and on....
For a long time, I used a Lachmiller priming press. It worked great and gave wonderful feel for getting the primers fully seated. It was mounted on a block of oak and lifted the priming ram when the lever was lowered with an eccentric cam. Problem was, you had to handle each primer individually and place it in the little hole for the ram. Tedious beyond description after the first 50 cases or so.
Then I discovered the Lee Auto Prime hand priming tools and began using them almost exclusively just because I didn't like the RCBS press mounted priming tool, either. They were inexpensive enough that I had one each for large primers and small primers. The levers had a habit of breaking and I replaced them at least three times over the 25 years or so that I used them.
Then I bought a RCBS hand priming tool because Arthur Rightuss was making the Lee tools so painful to use. I loved it dearly, too, except for the hassle of changing from large to small priming configuration.
Then along came the RCBS Universal Hand Priming Tool. Yay!! Had to have one! It works great with one minor issue: The coil spring that retains the jaws in the frame has a habit of popping off and flying across the shop about every other time I use it. It's not a big deal, just a damn nuisance. Again, there is also the hassle to change out between large and small primers. It is too expensive to warrant having one for each primer type.
Now Lee has married my beloved Lachmiller with the Lee Auto Prime and calls it the Lee Auto Bench Prime. I cautiously bought one for, IIRC, $23 and mounted it on a small block of oak. I used it the first time, after having to loosen the screws holding the two halves of the cast pewter tool housing together, and declared to my beloved 'the manual priming tool has finally been perfected!' (She gave me a look that convinced me she was certain I had lost my mind and needed to be restrained.) It has the multiple primer reservoir and auto feed of the RCBS and Lee hand priming tools and the leverage and feel of the Lachmiller. I really
like this little tool!
The Lee Auto Bench Prime is cheap enough that I am going to buy a second one just so I don't have to swap out between large and small priming tasks. Which is far easier than any of the hand priming tools I have used.
You can say what you want about Lee's stuff, but the tools that I have used of theirs have been very functional. They might leave a little bit to be desired for fit and finish, but they do work! I definitely recommend this tool to anyone that reloads metallic cartridges!
Jut my two cents....
