Problem with Lee Turret primer arm

[editingfx]

Problem with Lee Turret primer arm (FIXED - read if yours hangs up)

So I've got my turret running just about slick as a whistle EXCEPT for the darn primer arm. (Small primer, the one that has the small hook that hangs on the post inside the ram, and has a spring-loaded primer cup.) It has a VERY annoying tendency to "hang up", sort of stuck in the primer pocket, when I raise the ram. Then when the ram gets to the top of travel, the darn thing falls out of the ram, hits the floor, and the last time it did it, cracked the arm. I've tried lubricants, but then loose powder gums up inside the ram, around the arm. I tried sanding the last arm sides with 600 grit sandpaper. I'm about to take a Dremel tool to the new one & chamfer the edges, but thought I'd ask here first.

Anyone have a fix?

UPDATE - see post #23 for my fix

 

[JDGray]

That priming system stinks. I use my Lee hand primer, and batch prime my cases.

I use my turret to mass produce handgun ammo only, minus the sizing step, that is.

 

[Uncle Chan]

I love my Lee Classic Turret. But, I don't like the priming system. So, I bought an RCBS Automatic Bench Priming Tool. I can't imagine reloading without it.

 

[Walkalong]

I hand prime with a RCBS priming tool. I've been doing it that way for well over 20 years. Started with a Lee tool, but switched to the RCBS.

 

[angus6]

check inside the cutout in the ram and see if there is a tiny burr , once you get the hang up cured you'll find that it's a very smooth and easy to use system

 

[delta5]

Is the primer cup hanging up on the bottom of the shellholder, or the side of the arm hanging up in the slot? You might want to call Lee. I had some problems with a replacement primer arm that was out of spec.

 

[Noveldoc]

I find it very hard to gauge when a primer is seated right. I got some slam fires when rifle primers for my M1 were seated too shallow.

And the things will bend under pressure. I use my Lee hand primer.

Son sizes the case and then hands off to me for a quick hand prime. Then back for the next 2 stations. We get good output.

Tom

 

[GRIZ22]

Never liked priming arms on presses. I've used Lee Hand Priming tool, RCBS priming press, and RCBS Priming tool.

 

[editingfx]

Is the primer cup hanging up on the bottom of the shellholder, or the side of the arm hanging up in the slot?

Near as I can tell, it appears to be hanging in the shellholder. Maybe I'll run the Dremel around the hole of the shellholder.

 

[jfh]

The problem is probably related to cleaning.

I have updated my older turret to the Classic 4-die configuration with the updated ram and primer arms. I find that mine accumulates crud buildup on the back of the priming arm, and sometimes on the sides. That crud buildup on the back pushes the arm forward, causing it to hang up on the forward edge of the shell holder. Sometimes, I also have a buildup on the sides of the arm as well.

The solution for me is to simply remove the primer arm and clean it completely with gun scrubber, and being sure to scrub off the back. Similarly, I clean out the slot with a gunsmith's swab. Then I apply a tiny drop of oil to the inside of of the arm's pivit notch, and away we go.

FWIW, I suspect a correlation with how dirty one's loads are--that is, I have cleaned my brass (standard vibration routine, at least two-three hours) before re-loading, but I suspect that does not remove detrius in the primer pocket very well.

Overall, the safety prime and primer arm work well for me. If you having trouble with the arm, make sure it is clean and that it is the right size.

Jim H.

 

[RandyP]

+1 on regular cleaning of the primer arm. Solves most problems. I've done thousands of reloads using mine and find the priming system to be pretty effective and easy to use. But it definitely does not like any crud on it -lol

 

[rondog]

I hate the primer feed thing that came with my Lee Press, but the arm you're talking about doesn't give me problems. In fact, that's how I batch prime. I use the press and just put primers in the little cup one at a time, then prime the case. I can prime a lot of cases (IMO) in a short time. I have the Lee hand primer thing, but it makes my carpal tunnel syndrome flare up. NO fun. Never tried the RCBS.

 

[editingfx]

The problem is probably related to cleaning.

I have encountered that, but learned to clean the ram cutout with a Q-tip, and the arm with a paper towel. This arm is hanging up even with a totally clean rig.

I got better performance with the old primer arm by using the 600 grit sandpaper to polish the sides of the arm, and used a tiny hand file to bevel the edges.

Still think I'll try that approach, but more aggressively with the Dremel. I see no reason why a tiny bit of "slop" would adversely affect priming performance. Sort of like a 1911 that's too tight.... won't run as reliably as a loose one.

 

[jfh]

I buy the idea of smoothing the sides and breaking the back edges, editingfx. I'm not so sure it takes a dremel, though. Keep in mind that the primary reference really is the centerline of the shellholder. Before you go to work on the arm, Id inspect the shellholder for size and good retention on the ram head.

Jim H.

 

[fourdollarbill]

I would suggest taking it apart and checking for burs or a smudge of dirt. I had to tune mine up by knocking off a bur the size of a hair with my finger nail. I have run 1000's of cases through it without problems. I like the Lee system and it works very well.

 

[nhlivefree]

I have the same problem with the large primer on my press it hit the floor and broke just like yours. I got a new one and it does the same thing I found sanding it down helps a little but it always sticks again I hold it now when I bring the ram up its a pain but better then it keep breaking. I am not real impressed with lee stuff

 

[jad0110]

jfh's experience matches my own. I clean mine out whenever it starts sticking, and things return to normal.

 

[jfh]

about editingfx's problem: Are you using a shell holder that fits your case, but is, in fact, the wrong size primer for the particular case / round you are loading? For example, isn't 10mm a Large Primer, but .40S&W a Small Primer? I know I have both 19L and 19s shell holders (I think that's the number....)

when I had this 'hangup' problem recently, I too found some detrius / hair, sliver, whatever, in the shell holder primer hole. Be sure to clean / degrease that as well.

Jim H.

 

[editingfx]

Thanks to all the replies.... Yes, is for sure the correct shellholder (I've put maybe 5000 rounds through it by now) and with the old primer arm, as long as it was clean it'd mostly stay in the ram (after I did the sanding thing).

Mostly I was looking to see if others encountered the same issue, and what their fixes were.

I wonder if the progressives have the same niggly problems?

 

[editingfx]

UPDATE for whoever reads this thread: used the Dremel with a fine grinder & LIGHTLY beveled the primer arm edges. Then used some 600 (? very fine at least) grit sandpaper, again on the Dremel, and ran over the bevels + all flat faces. It felt really smooth after that! ALSO, ran the grinder tool (a cone-shaped green grinder) around the inside of the shellholder, where the top & bottom mate. Before grinding, there was a very fine offset line where the two come together - after the grind, no line.

Put it in the ram, ran a handful, and the primer arm dropped back down into start position instantly. Worked great! Problem solved.

Of course, I'll still need to clean every few hundred with a quick Q-tip around the inside of the ram. But that only takes a few seconds, and not having to attend to the &$#^@ primer arm while loading is a big time-saver.

 

[jfh]

Good details on the shell holder cleanup, editingfx. My sets of shellholders, purchased fifteen-twenty years ago, were finished just fine.

I know that when I broke out my reloading gear again after a hiatus of some years and a move, I mounted my (standard / old) turret press and then "looked around"--and ordered the 4-die update kit. The new primer arms were obviously "less finished" than the original ones. Obviously, Lee treads a very fine line in keeping their equipment low-priced while still ensuring adequate QC for problem-free operation.

Jim H.

 

[John Wayne]

Mine hangs up too, even when squeaky-clean!

My friend has an older Lee press, and says that his primer arm is held in place by the shellholder.

I do not prime on the press, but the arm has to be in place to keep spent primers from bouncing everywhere when depriming/resizing. I ended up holding it in place with a rubber band. This works for me because I don't have to fully lower the ram anyway, but will not work if you are trying to prime on the press.

 

[editingfx]

FINAL UPDATE (from me).

OK, it started hanging up again (some gunk got on the arm again). Though I don't mind cleaning it at the start of a loading session, I don't want to do it every 15 minutes. SO....

Small zip-tie near the bottom of a support, that then hangs over the end of the primer arm. When the ram raises, it gently holds down the primer arm, until the bar inside the ram connects with the back of the primer arm, lifting it and as it does, the arm pushes the zip-tie out of the way. 100% success. Loaded 100 rounds and the arm never got close to coming out. It allowed my to speed up considerably, not having to worry about the arm.

 

[jfh]

OK, I think your modification has explained one item I was taking for granted--e.g., that you were priming on press, and that the cases had been cleaned but not deprimed.

But you are not, correct? That is, you are using the zip tie to held the primer arm in place in the ram, so you aren't depriming and priming at all...If you are not depriming-priming on press, why not just remove the primer arm?

Jim H.

 

[editingfx]

Guess my description wasn't clear: Yes, I'm depriming/priming on the press, along with the other operations.

The zip tie isn't holding it ** in ** the ram, exactly, it's holding the primer arm DOWN, preventing it from lifting (due to friction caused by grime or whatever), until the horizontal pin inside the ram makes contact with the "ledge" on the back of the primer arm, and lifts the arm up past the zip tie. There's enough resistance from the zip tie resting over the arm to keep anything but the mechanical action of the pin from lifting the arm prematurely. It's the premature lifting that causes the arm to rise up early, and when the press jiggles, the arm falls out of the ram, hits the floor, possibly breaks, but definitely breaks my stride.

After posting the "zip fix", I ran a full 100 rounds, without a single hiccup, at about a round every 15-20 seconds. THAT'S what I wanted - the turret running as smooth as it can. It was much more enjoyable, knowing I could concentrate on seeing the right throw of powder in the case, and a quick visual QC before tossing the cartridge in the "done" box, rather than making sure the &^#@ arm wasn't about to fall out.

For anyone trying my fix, just make sure you use a very small zip tie, and fasten it on the post nearest the primer arm DOWN LOW, almost at the bottom of the post. Leave just enough room to allow the primer arm to slip back under the zip tie when the ram is lowered all the way down. I found I can barely tell the zip tie is there during the press operation. It does make it necessary to lower the ram completely on each stroke, but I find that when the indexing is set correctly, that's just fine.