What Tool Do You Use for Priming?

Priming Tool Used

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I now use the LNL progressive press which feeds and seats the primers on the down stroke.
 
I use whichever progressive I'm using for pistol. I use an old RCBS hand primer (the one that's a bit annoying to change calibers/ shellholder) for anything I'm loading single stage
 
I was happy with the results I got using the priming arm on my press. But, the last 30 years of my career were so demanding that I started using a hand priming tool so that I could prime while watching TV or spending time in the family room. I started with the original pot metal Lee tool and wore out a few of them. Since then I have a Sinclair tool. I like it enough that I bought another so that I have one for both small and large primers. Expensive yes, but its made of steel and is very smooth.
 
I've used a hand priming tool of some flavor since I started reloading in 1980.

I continue to hand prime even after getting into progressive presses in 2009. I prefer to clean cases after sizing and hand priming affords me another opportunity to inspect the cases as I load them.

Recently, when I have a large run of reloading to do, I prime on an RCBS APS bench priming tool. It is easier on the hands but not as quick or reliable as the hand primer.
 
I usually prime on-press with my Hornady LNL AP, when loading 9mm, .40, or .45ACP. Once tuned correctly, it is rock solid in delivering primers and seating them correctly...it runs especially well with CCI 500 primers

For my .38Spl match ammo, I'm priming my cases with a Lee Auto Bench Prime tool. It is amazingly fast, using both hands to place and remove cases, and very consistent in seating primers fully.

When priming a case that I don't have a shellplate for (on the LNL) or a priming shell holder (Lee), I use a Forster Co-Ax Bench Priming Tool which doesn't require shell holders
 
I started using a hand priming tool so that I could prime while watching TV
Click to expand...

My plan as well.
I have primed on my LNL progressive but I just prefer having primed brass when I go to load.
I like to wet tumble the deprimed cases so when they dry I just watch the tube and prime them.
Currently using a Lee Hand prime tool.
I liked the old round tray one best the new ones are just ok.
Been meaning to try the Frankfort but the Lee works so I haven't got around to it yet.
Maybe a Christmas present for myself.....(If I'm good:evil::D Santa might get me one)
 
I have a Lee Loadmaster. Biggest problem was primers. You have to watch videos on youtube and read the interwebs to find tips and tricks to get it set "just right" after I put some time, thinking and energy into it. I loaded thousands of rounds with no incident. but you have to have it clean and lubed just right. its meticulous but worth it for the money you save vs other brands. It does work! you just have to work at it!

For rifles I use my lee turret press. I dump 5 or 10 primers in my hand and place them one by one in the primer hole. never had any problem with it. fast and easy.
 
Still using the Lee hand primers I purchased 30 years ago, One set up for Small Pistol and the other for Large pistol. Never had a problem in that time and I load a minimum of 500 rounds a month. I really like the hand primers as you can really feel it seat, Hardly ever have to do a visual check unless something feels different.. Rifle calibers I load on the Rock Chucker which is also 30 years old. .
 
I have been using the RCBS bench priming tool exclusively. I tried the lee bench priming tool and it sucked. I just put my LNL AP back together and I am going to give it another shot at priming pistol cases and see how it does. Historically it has not been very good.
 
I used the ram prime on my Lee presses for years, but now mostly use a K&M hand priming tool. Still use the Lee on press units occasionally for handgun cartridges.
 
I hand prime using any of the below pictured priming tools:
Priming%201.png

The pictured old Lee unit has countless rounds primed on it and I also like the old RCBS bench unit in the upper left. I seldom use the swagging die setup but on occasion I have used it. I just prefer the feel of hand priming.

Ron
 
I use the Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Perfect Seat Hand Priming Tool. It's well built, I can set the seating depth and I can feel how the primer is going in. Plus it's on sale at Midway now.
 
Dewey 68 said:
My biggest complaint with using the Lee Pro 1000 was the priming. Get a tipped primer or stuck primer in the chute from the shell plate going out of time and now I've got powder leaking out of cartridges, have to adjust the timing, clean the primer chute, the shell plate, and now I've got cartridges I've got to pull bullets on, etc. Now I use a Frankford Arsenal platinum hand primer. My current routine is to run all my spent cases through the press with a Lee universal decapping die, then clean them in my FART, and then prime them with the hand tool while I watch TV. With this approach it gives me another chance to inspect for defects in the cases, crimped primer pockets on 9 mm cases, and deal with small vs. large 45 ACP primers. Plus my primer pockets are now getting cleaned since I'm decapping before tumbling.

I am running the cases through the press more than I was, but with the biggest headache removed I can now focus on other things and have probably gained time by not having to stop and clean things up and pull bullets after a reloading session.

The Frankford seems to be really well built and the depth adjustment is a nice feature. The only downside is it's heavy. For people with arthritis or hand strength issues it's probably not a good fit.
Click to expand...
The priming system on the Lee 1000 is the main reason mine has been occupying space in the back of a cabinet for decades.
It just is not reliable. It jams constantly, flips primers, misses primers, etc...just doesn't work very well.
When you couple that with the poorly designed and unreliable powder measure system, it just isn't a useful tool.

Wasted money when I bought mine way back when. The only thing I got for that money was experience...in that, don't buy Lee progressive presses.
I learned from that experience...I run two Hornady LnLs and have a Dillon 550 that will soon be mounted on a new bench that my son just bought.
 
375supermag said:
The priming system on the Lee 1000 is the main reason mine has been occupying space in the back of a cabinet for decades.
It just is not reliable. It jams constantly, flips primers, misses primers, etc...just doesn't work very well.
When you couple that with the poorly designed and unreliable powder measure system, it just isn't a useful tool..
Click to expand...

I just finished loading almost 3k S&B small pistol primers in my Pro1000 w/o a single miscue so I guess I would have to disagree with your assertion.
Did you know that Dillon pays Lee a royalty on the patent for their Powder measure?
 
I've owned and used a bunch a different priming tools and gadgets. Most of them have worked well or at least reasonably well. What I've discovered is that some of the very best tools have been discontinued or replaced by an inferior model. A prime example being the really excellent hand priming tool once made by Hornady. It was replaced by a piece of junk. Which is why the old model, if you can find one, currently will fetch more than twice price of the current model on the used tool market. As to bench mounted priming tools, the best of the best is/was the Gun Clinic tool. But no longer available and now considered a collector item. Here is the one I use, gunclinic8.JPG
 
kmw1954 said:
I just finished loading almost 3k S&B small pistol primers in my Pro1000 w/o a single miscue so I guess I would have to disagree with your assertion.
Did you know that Dillon pays Lee a royalty on the patent for their Powder measure?
Click to expand...

Nice to hear that you are having good success with your Lee 1000.
One of these days when I feel like torturing myself for no good reason, I may drag mine out and try to make it work.
 
No need for torture, just keep on doing what you're doing. It works for you right! A 650 really is much more press then I'd ever need.
 
375supermag said:
The priming system on the Lee 1000 is the main reason mine has been occupying space in the back of a cabinet for decades.
It just is not reliable. It jams constantly, flips primers, misses primers, etc...just doesn't work very well.
When you couple that with the poorly designed and unreliable powder measure system, it just isn't a useful tool.
Click to expand...

Adding the Lee Auto Drum measure and priming off the press it's working well for me.
 
kmw1954 said:
No need for torture, just keep on doing what you're doing. It works for you right! A 650 really is much more press then I'd ever need.
Click to expand...

Just as you can never have too much truck or too much boat, you can never have too much press. I've got a pair or 650s. If money grew on trees I'd have a Mk 7.
 
I prime with my Lee Classic Turret. Most of the time as a separate step. I tried several different tools for priming but the LCT has the best feel and, for me, is most consistent.
 
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