Author Topic: Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime Automatic Primer Tube Filler  (Read 1797 times)

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Offline Cheyenne Ranger

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Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime Automatic Primer Tube Filler
« on: August 03, 2003, 09:23:29 AM »
Looking at this in the Midway catalog--anyboy have any experience with it?  Several of the pards say it does a right nice job and I notice they are on sale:  $40 down from $60+.  Probably still too high but it would be a new toy :grin:
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Offline Cheyenne Ranger

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Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime Automatic Pri
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2003, 12:42:02 PM »
It came in today and I got to play with it.  Did need a little work to remove some flashing so the primers would drop through the hole; also had to put it together and take it apart a few times to "wear" all the plastic parts in--vrey tight at first.  Noisy, too.  Does what it is supposed to.  Takes about 30 seconds to fill a tube.  
You can remove their tube and substitute a Dillon one.  Dillon's is a bit loose compaired to theirs so I hold Dillon's in as the machine works.  Then remove it and cap with the Dillon tip.  
Have several 100 rounds to reload by this week-end so will be giving it a work-out in the next few days.
Time wil tell if this is actually an asset to my reloading.

Cheyenne
SASS 48747L
RO II
Thunder River Renegades
SBSS #1170--OGB

Offline Cheyenne Ranger

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Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime Automatic Pri
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2003, 06:58:37 AM »
Just reloaded 500 rounds and used it today.  The Dillon tubes will fit loosely into the fitting.  I have to hold it up tight but that's no problem.  You dump 100 primers into the tray (made like a primer tray with the small ridges on it.  The Winchester trays will fit inside it with room to spare.  Shake the tray if needed to have all the primers face up (the trick here is to cover the two openings on opposite sides of the tray (one for large and one for small primers) with your thumbs as you shake).  Then put on the top, slide it into the handle, push the tube in from the bottom and then pull the trigger.  It vibrates the primers down into the tube.  I would say it takes about a minute to do all of the above.  
In loading the 500 primers into tubes I did have one hang up.  I turned the whole thing over and vibrated some of them back out and then they did OK.
They also sell extra tubes with their fittings on top but I just remove the plastic end of the Dillons, fill the tubes and replace the plastic ends.

Is it worth it?  Does it save time?  Hard to tell right now.  It does what it says it does and it is a new toy for the reloading bench.  I'll keep using it and see how it works out in the long run.
Cheyenne
SASS 48747L
RO II
Thunder River Renegades
SBSS #1170--OGB

Offline DB Leath

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Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime Automatic Pri
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2003, 08:57:32 AM »
Keep us posted  I had thought about gettin one  but the cost was going to keep me from it
Db
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Offline dickwholliday

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Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime Automatic Pri
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2003, 03:33:19 PM »
i got one and sent it back the next day.......darn a machine that you've got to work on to get it to work right out of the box......i expect that i could have gotten it to work however my primer tubes are 30 years worth of RCBS and Dillon models and most have some type press through fitting on the top and were not compatible with this thing....i expect that if you've got the dillon machines that this thing will drop the primers right in the feed tube so it should work ok....DICK

Offline Cheyenne Ranger

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Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime Automatic Pri
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2003, 04:23:45 AM »
This is one of those "fun" things to have.  Probably only saving a couple of minutes per tube to load them but it's something else to play with.  Man's gotta have his toys
CR
SASS 48747L
RO II
Thunder River Renegades
SBSS #1170--OGB