Problem with Lee Hand primer tool

[mstraus]

I recently purchased a Classic reloader setup. It came with the lee hand primer tool for both small and large primers. I attempted to use it last night but found it very difficult to use. It kept jamming and tossing pimers out the top when i squeeze the handle or flips the primer upside down. I would say I only got about 25% of the primers seated. I ended up using the primer attachment on the press.

Has anyone else had that issue. I ordered the safety primer tool that mounts to the press to speed things up.

Seuss

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Never had those issues and have primed thousands of pieces of brass with my Lee tool over the years.

 

[LiveLife]

It comes with 2 trays, one for small primer and another for large primer with corresponding primer seating rod (trays are marked "L" or "S" on the bottom).

Were you using the right size primer tray with right size primer seating rod?

 

[cfullgraf]

I assume you are talking about the Lee Auto Prime. I have used one, actually several, for 30 years and the only problem I have had was i wore them out.

Are you using the correct tray for the primers? There should be one for large and one for small. There used to be an "L" or "S" molded on the back side. The primer channel and seater should be different sizes.

Is the cover seated correctly? The last couple that I have purchased, the lid took a little more care to make sure it was properly seated.

Hope this helps with the minimal information provided.

 

[mstraus]

All,
Yup i am using the correct tray. To help i used my label maker and added a bright yellow label with the correct size. LOL Old eyes.
I am using CCI primers. The lid is on correct. It seems that when i squeeze the handle once the pin on the trayside goes up catching a primer. Then when i squeeze the second time it drops a primer into the handle under the shell holder. when i squeeze again it raises a primer up to the casing but the lower pin catches on something.

 

[BCRider]

Are you using the hand primer shell holders or are you using reloading machine shell holders? Although since the hand primer shell holders are shorter it should not be possible to fit the press shell holders into the hand primer.

Also be sure that the tray's foot that fits around the press pin snaps up into the shell holder correctly. If it doesn't then that may explain where the missing primer is going and why it jams. If the pin is sticking in the guide and pulling the tray down as the pin retracts or if you're holding the hand primer in a manner that pushes the tray down against the spring that may be causing the tray to follow the pin down and that's where your primer is falling down into the works and jamming things up. At the same time if you're holding it in such a manner as to cause the tray to follow the pin down it may also be causing the lid to pry up from contact with the shell holder or something else so that primers jump over.

 

[swiftak]

My Lee priming tool works better than my RCBS priming tool. I threw the RCBS in the garbage.

 

[mbruce]

I recently purchased a Classic reloader setup. It came with the lee hand primer tool for both small and large primers. I attempted to use it last night but found it very difficult to use. It kept jamming and tossing pimers out the top when i squeeze the handle or flips the primer upside down. I would say I only got about 25% of the primers seated. I ended up using the primer attachment on the press.

Has anyone else had that issue. I ordered the safety primer tool that mounts to the press to speed things up.

Seuss

if you feel it's not user error then call them up and send it back -- people may crack on Lee as being inferior but they will stand behind their products and they will get it right.

off subject but along the lines of "higher end" vs "lower end"...

Another example.... I have a keltec pf9 and a Kahr pm9 ..... keltec has a no questions asked warranty -- if something isnt right then send it back and they will do the testing and fix it. My kahr had an issue where the bullet of the cartridge would lodge under the feed ramp. I talked with Kahr support for 2 weeks via email and telephone and I had to shoot an additional 200 rounds to their specifications (100 rounds of winchester white box and 100 rounds of federal rn nose), at my expense, after already putting 500 rounds through the gun. All of this was on my dime of course.... It's now at the Kahr factory getting some alterations -- but its a shame knowing I paid many more $$ for a gun where the warranty isn't "just send it back and we'll fix it"

 

[murf]

you may be letting a second primer fall underneath the case when squeezing the handle a second time. best to tilt the handle back to prevent this.

murf

 

[MEHavey]

Like others here, my Lee AutoPrime is absolutely error-free.... so much so that it's now the only way I reload.

Again, did you get the the specific AutoPrime shell-holder for your casing with the flat bottom?

 

[Ranger J]

I have had nearly zero problems with my Lee primer. I liked it so much that I bought a second one so that I did not have to be constantly changing the S and L trays. There is an occasional 'lemon' in almost everything, if you feel you have one contact Lee and they will replace.

RJ

 

[mstraus]

switched to press mounted safety primer

Wow what a difference. Tried the hand primer tool and found it very hard to use. Received the safety primer yesterday and was able to blow through 100 rounds in not time. Thanks to all for your help and advise.

 

[jplapp]

Lee Hand primer tool

Lee just recently changed the hand primer tool to one that has a few problems not found with the old one. The primer moves up to a shelf and then falls into the slot under the shellholder. I have found that the primer will flip either upside down or on its side under the shell holder. This can be fixed by either of two small changes in how you proceed. First jog the handle slightly after the primer has dropped in the slot. If the primer is not sitting right it will be flipped to the correct position.
The second method is to have two primers on the shelf. The lower primer moves under the shell holder while the third primer moves to the shelf.
I had to modify shellholder 1 to work properly also but that is only a problem with 38 cal.

jplapp