best primeing tool

[hillbill]

somehow, over the years i have broken both my rcbs and lee primeing tools. never really liked either one. on the lee, the plastic cover would loosen and come off if you were not carefull and dump the primers. the rcbs seemed complicated and weak. what are yuall haveing the best luck with?im in the market to buy an new one and would like to make a educated decision and obtain one that will be effecient and durable.

[MnMike]

I guess I learned something. I just went, checked and discovered that there are plastic covers for my Lee priming tools. I never used them. Maybe they do come off.

I just put in the number of primers I am going to use and hold it upright until it is empty.

The only caution I got on the Lee is to lube the cam. Most don't bother to do this because it is cheap enough to replace the whole thing when it wears out.

I use it because I like the feel I get when I seat the primer.

jmho
mike

[Norwester]

Check out the new RCBS with the universal shellholder. No shellholders to change.  I'v been using the strip type priming tool with the universal holder and I'm thinking about buying one of these. Just getting tired of loading the strips! I'd probably go with the bench mount if I had room..
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=319794
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=457599
The Sinclair is the Cadillac of priming tools with a pricetag to match.
http://www.sinclairintl.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=REPTSI&item=PT-2000&type=store

[Questor]

Maybe RCBS has changed their design over the years. The one I have is built to last and is excellent. I prefer it to the Lee.

[hillbill]

i looked at those links and really liked the rcbs bench mounted tool. but im not clear on how you get the primers into those tubes. surely you dont have to load them one at a time with your greasy hands? the sinclair tool also looked like a very high quality tool but it is obviously a one at a time deal which is too slow.

[Hairtrigger]

I also vote for the Sinclair Int priming tool

[Norwester]

Heres another link with a tutoral at the bottom, that gives you an idea how to load the primer pickup tubes. You then invert the pickup tube over your primer tube on the primer tool,pull a small cotter pin and they drop into the primer tube. Just takes a few minutes. They make a bench mounted APS primer tool and you can either use the pre-loaded CCI primer strips or load your own strips(with the strip loading tray,(sold separate of course). After you get the hang of using the strip loader its really not that tough. I usually load up 200-300 on strips and store them in zip lock baggies.That was my thought on the Sinclair tool also,too slow.
http://www.exteriorballistics.com/reloadbasics/equiplube.cfm

[roper]

There is no question Sinclair makes the best hand priming tool with plenty of adjustments for seating depth that no other one has.  K&M makes a pretty nice hand priming tool and I think one model has a dial indicator. 
Now we go to the bench mounted models, I've got the RCBS Automatic Priming Tool and I much prefer it over the LEE or RCBS hand priming tool.  I've got an old Lachmiller bench model and you load it the same as a Sinclair one at a time, great priming tool.
I've got a Sinclair problem with it wanting to switch say from a 222 to a mag. I just got so I'd leave it set for my 6ppc then use a K&M, you can adjust that alot easier.  I load at the range same set up as the BR guys  so hand priming tool is a must for me. Well good luck.

[hillbill]

i just won a rcbs bench mounted tool on ebay so ill be trying it out when it arrives. it looks fairly sturdy and easy to use. also i ordered a new cam to fix my lee tool. 9 buks for 2 new cams with shipping and amazeingly after i ordered it off the net it came in about 2 days. very surprised at that since the website said expect 2 weeks or more for shipping.very happy tho, the tools works much better with the new cam than the homemade one id been useing for years. kudos to lee precision for the quick ship.

[Davemuzz]

Hillbill,

I'll go down a little less traveled path than these guys. I use two methods to prime my cases. The first is on the Hornady LNL when I'm using that "factory" to load.

The second, when I load my 45-70 and 308 rounds (I don't shoot those as much as the 44mag, 45acp, 223, 243) or when I'm just workin up a new load, I use a ram prime on my RCBS rockchucker.

I have the LNL bushings for all my dies on the rockC, so that makes life eaiser, and believe it or not, I get a very good feel for seating primers with a ram prime.

Now, I must confess that I have a disability that prevents me from using the Lee hand held tools. I have the Lee in my bench drawer....It's three years old and still brand new. Nice product (the Lee) for those who can use it, but again, the ram prime seats 'em nice...even when the pocket is a bit on the dirty side.

FWIW.

Dave.

[PGB]

What I've been doing to prime rifle cases is to take the die plate and powder measure out of one of my RCBS Pro2000's and prime them on the press, zip zip, a thousand cases primed in no time.

Amy