Press vs hand priming

[panamint]

I second the idea of priming while sitting in the recliner watching TV.
Scott

 

[Panfisher]

I used to use a Lee Hand Prime, but it was hard on the fingers, and any more my fingers are arthritic and abused enough that it is painful, never could remember any sense of "feel" when seating them that way. Have switched over to priming them on my old Rock Chucker press, it is easier on my fingers, and I can feel them seat quite nicely, I also don't switch anything out between small and large primers, and they all seat just fine.

Any of those ways are better than the old LEE Hand Kits, with the punch and mallet!!

 

[Ashbane]

My Hornady press kit came with a hand primer and after reading how many people prefer it I tried a couple hundred with it but in the end went back to the press primer. With the hand primer like someone already said Sometimes a second primer tried to get in with the first one and jam up sideways and I'd have to take it all apart to straighten it out. I 'feel' the primer seat very well in my single stage and never worry about a second one trying to jam in on the first one.

 

[mikld]

As Bart said, conventional wisdom (at least everything I have read) says that for consistency, the primer compound needs to be slightly compressed the same amount for each round. The idea is that the only way to achieve this is by the "feel" of a hand tool & experience. A press' high leverage won't allow this finesse.

A ram prime die in a press will do this better than anything.

RCBS and Lyman make good ones. (Lee's, from what I recall, was somewhat suckier.)

I have a striker fired 9mm that needs the primers to be "preloaded" a bit for consistent ignition, and a Ram Prime is best for this. (I've been seating primers for at least 25 years and very rarely have a problem). I don't use any "below flush" measurements, just make sure each primer is all the way to the bottom of the pocket, and the Ram Prime gives me this "feel" better than most other methods...

 

[AllenJ]

What is the advantages using a hand primer vs doing it on the press?

You get better feel.
You don't ever have to touch the primers.
It is much quicker.
Convenience of not having to be at the reloading bench to prime.
And I took the priming arm off my Rock Chucker, giving it a much better look

I've been using a RCBS hand primer for 20 plus years. I can not imagine going back to using the primer arm on the press, even if I could find it!

 

[old roper]

This is picture of my hand priming tools

http://www.noslerreloading.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11623

I've got old Lachmiller bench mounted priming tool no feeder tube and has adjustment for primer depth and also have RCBS bench mounted priming tool.

I got started using hand primer shooting BR as we loaded at the range there was no real volume type shooting and I still load at the range all my hunting ammo I hand primer and some match type ammo.

When I was volume PD shooting no way could I keep up hand priming and I used the RCBS primer. On the primer pocket I'll use carbide Whitetail Uniformer that Dick Wright made.

 

[DannyB1954]

I use the Lee Classic Turret press with the Safety Prime. I like the idea of only one primer being in the area of actual compression.

 

[rclark]

I use the RCBS hand primer (not the universal). I really like it and have used it for years and years. You can feel the primer seat home and never have to touch a primer. Also I am still using a Single Stage press as I don't need the 'volume'. A 100 here, 200 there over a week or two. No biggie.

 

[lee n. field]

I wonder. What makes the Ram Prime slower than a hand primer? I have never used one, but just looking at it, it seems (once installed) that it would be exactly the same number of hand movements (though the operating lever does travel several times further with the ram prime than the two inches or so the hand primer requires). Other than that, it does not seem things would be slower.

I have used both. I started with a Lyman ram prime die, because that's what the store had when I started accumulating handloading tools.

What makes the ram prime die slower is having to handle each and every primer. With a hand priming tool, you fill the tray, and don't handle primers after that.

In my experience, you can get reasonably fast with a ram prime die, if you lay out the consumables well and get into the rhythm. But, a hand prime tool is still faster.

I use the Lee Classic Turret press with the Safety Prime. I like the idea of only one primer being in the area of actual compression.

The Lee Ergo Prime works the same way. A primer gets picked out of the crowd, pushed up a little elevator thing before dropping into the recess in the shell holder.

 

[Slamfire]

What is the advantages using a hand primer vs doing it on the press?

I totally agree with Bart B.

For me, there is an additional reason to hand prime: if I use the press, I prime out in the cold garage. If I hand prime, I can sit on the couch and watch football games.

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

For 5 years I hand primed when I used a single stage press. The only round that I did not hand prime was 7.62x54R due to the fact that I do not have a shell holder for it. Since I upgraded to the Lee Classic Turret press I have the Safety Prime, and I use it to prime on the press.

If I were single stage loading I would use the hand prime tool as I could prime sitting down watching TV.

 

[bt380]

m&p45acp10+1: Where do you get your components for your MN if you don't mind me asking? I recently acquired a 1932 Tula hex and prepping it to test it out with some non-corrosive store box steel cased rounds at $10.45/20rnds. Haven't much info on the MN for ammo components. Plz list all the components, grain, oal if you don't mind.

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

bt380 most of my brass is from PPU ammo. I pick up a box of it every now and again. I have 20 pieces of Norma brass I bought off of midway when I could not find any of the loaded ammo that is cheaper than the Norma brass. The PPU brass works just the same as the Norma stuff.

Most of my loads I use light bullets with Trail Boss, or Red Dot. I load them for my wife to shoot out of her rifle. They sound, and feel like .22 LR and hit the steel swingers harder than a .38 Special. I chrono tested some that averaged 1200 FPS with a 110 grain .308 FMJ RN. The bullets I also load in my .30 Carbine. They shoot well enough to hit a 6 inch swinger plate at 25 yards.

I have also loaded with Sierra .311 JSP Hot Cor 150 Grain with IMR 4320. I did not chrono them. They gave great results for me at 50, and 75 yards on paper. I hit inside the middle close enough to claim minute of deer at 100 yards with open sights. The lack of grouping at 100 yards with open sights is not because of the rifle. It is due to my vision.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Press rammers are akward to use and slow and lack the 'feel' to set primers properly, IMHO.
I use the Lee almost exclusively. Just wish it were made of better plastic to it wouldn't wear out as quickly as they do. But the design is proven and it works great.

 

[mikld]

For the OP; Well you can see from all the different answers the choice of a priming tool is entirely personal preference. I think ram priming has better "feel" and consistency than a hand prime. I think the hand prime tools I have used (3) are not that much faster, if at all, than a ram prime. But as you can see, there are just as many who say the opposite. The only method I haven't tried is an RCBS bench mounted priming tool. I have used/primed many, many cases on the "stock" priming arms on a half dozen different presses, and all seated primers successfully. I don't think of case preparation and TV go together, but to each his own (I once saw a woman breast feeding, eating, and driving on a freeway in LA). To make a good choice you would have to try all methods and find the one that fits your reloading needs, or be less picky looking for "perfection"...

 

[Ozzieman]

I prefer hand primers because I have a better feel of the primer going into the case and I can feel it hit bottom.
I use an old Lee auto prime that has been working for over 30 years and had the chromed piece that holds the shell holder replaced. The top cracked where the shell holder goes.
One thing I would not do and would suggest you go somewhere else is the new Lee primer tools.
IMO They are junk, plain and simple junk. The tops covers are so easy to break its nuts. Instead of the primer just sliding into the slot where the ram is, it has a lift that brings the next primer up when the previous one is inserted. It catches on the lid and gets turned sideways. Then ones in the tray turn over. The tray has this unique method of aligning a 1 inch row of primers that works about 20% of the time then they hang up.
The shell trays have lines in them so that when primers are upside down you gently vibrate and the lines catch the primers and turn them over. The new Lee’s are so shallow they don’t work.
Just stay away from the new Lee primers tools. I have both of these. If I can ever find an old one for sale I will buy it because mine is wearing out and the parts I need Lee does not supply any more. The XR was so bad at breaking the small weak catches on the lids that for some time I couldn't order from Lee because they couldn’t keep up with demand. That is why I got stupid and purchased the ergo.
DUMB!
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/413473/lee-auto-prime-xr-hand-priming-tool
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/962031/lee-auto-prime-ergo-prime-hand-priming-tool

 

[lee n. field]

Press rammers are akward to use and slow and lack the 'feel' to set primers properly, IMHO.

I think ram priming has better "feel" and consistency than a hand prime.

Ram prime dies don't need seating by "feel". You adjust them by measuring with your caliper, and set the adjustment.

MO They are junk, plain and simple junk. The tops covers are so easy to break its nuts. Instead of the primer just sliding into the slot where the ram is, it has a lift that brings the next primer up when the previous one is inserted. It catches on the lid and gets turned sideways. Then ones in the tray turn over. The tray has this unique method of aligning a 1 inch row of primers that works about 20% of the time then they hang up.
The shell trays have lines in them so that when primers are upside down you gently vibrate and the lines catch the primers and turn them over. The new Lee’s are so shallow they don’t work.
Just stay away from the new Lee primers tools.

I have had no problems whatsoever with the Lee Ergo Prime.

I avoided the slightly cheaper XR because of bad reviews on MidwayUSA.

 

[Lost Sheep]

lee n. field

I wonder. What makes the Ram Prime slower than a hand primer? I have never used one, but just looking at it, it seems (once installed) that it would be exactly the same number of hand movements (though the operating lever does travel several times further with the ram prime than the two inches or so the hand primer requires). Other than that, it does not seem things would be slower.

I have used both. I started with a Lyman ram prime die, because that's what the store had when I started accumulating handloading tools.

What makes the ram prime die slower is having to handle each and every primer. With a hand priming tool, you fill the tray, and don't handle primers after that.

Thanks for the reply, Lee N. Field.

Yes, with handling individual primers, a Ram Prime would be significantly slower. The pictures of press-mounted Ram Primes I have seen show a tray of primers that seem to feed into the Ram Prime without handling. Hence my confusion.

Thanks again.

Lost Sheep

 

[mikld]

Just a thought; I disregard any "primer depth dimensions". Of course all primers must be below the case head, but a "dimension" is of little value if the anvil isn't seated. I seat all primers to the bottom of the pocket, regardless of depth of cup face; all the way down. I have not had any mis-fires because of mis-seated primers in over 25+ years.

 

[lee n. field]

Yes, with handling individual primers, a Ram Prime would be significantly slower. The pictures of press-mounted Ram Primes I have seen show a tray of primers that seem to feed into the Ram Prime without handling. Hence my confusion.

I guess I haven't ever seen one like that. Who makes it. What I'm seeing are Lee, Lyman and RCBS dies.