Author Topic: Lee Auto Prime- Fed Primers (Read 969 times)

GameHauler · « **on:** June 24, 2008, 02:49:08 PM »

Whats the deal with not using Federal primers
with the Lee Auto Primer?
I have read it a couple of times on forums
but can not find the threads now.
Thanks,
Mike

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 24, 2008, 03:38:51 PM »

GH

If you ask 10 diffrent loaders you may get 10 diffrent answers , personally I feel that its a CYA thing for Lee , as the Fed primers tend to use a slightly thinner cup Lee may be afraid that if you pop a primer in their Auto Prime and get hurt , with out the warning they may take the heat for it .

Others will say its because Richard Lee had a falling out with Fed many years ago , I have used 10s of 1000s of Fed primers in my Auto Primes and never had one pop .

stimpy

ihuntbucks · « **Reply #2 on:** June 24, 2008, 10:46:54 PM »

stimpy is correct on this.I heard the same thing about the falling out.I also have ran many,many Fed primers thru my auto prime without a hitch or should I say without a "pop".This on Mr. Lee may also have something alone the same lines as "Lyman"loads not to use the Lee factory crimp.Don't know,but it sounds like PR or the lack there of......Rick

GameHauler · « **Reply #3 on:** June 25, 2008, 02:43:25 AM »

Thanks Guys.
I forgot about the warning and
primed my very first 50 rounds with Feds
and then though OH CRAP, you dumb rookie $:-\$
Will use with caution.
Mike

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #4 on:** June 25, 2008, 04:01:28 AM »

I would just like to echo that Stimpy is Correct.
As far as popping primers in the tool goes...Just make sure never to (double-clutch) the thing. To do so makes it very easy to pick up two primers instead of one which may result in one going off.

GameHauler · « **Reply #5 on:** June 25, 2008, 04:38:09 AM »

Learned that lesson but felt it right away.
Thanks

GregP42 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 25, 2008, 08:06:43 AM »

Well,

There was an article about it a few years back in Precision Shooting magazine on just this subject. It seems that with that brand of primers if one should go off there is a higher likely hood of sympathetic detonation of the other primers. There was some pictures of the result, and they were not even pretty. I would say if you had it in your hand you would be missing part of said hand. I bet if you call Lee and ask them they would send out the report to you.

Greg

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 25, 2008, 09:34:35 AM »

Greg

Thanks for the info , may have to call Lee , I know that there was a few problems with the tube type primer feed systems were one poping was causing the others to go off .

You would think that this would be more of a problem with the hotter MAG primers than any other , just due to the higher temps that the mags produce .

stimpy

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #8 on:** June 25, 2008, 10:33:29 AM »

dont know how many fed primers ive seated with a lee hand primer but its go to be well into the 6 figures and ive yet to have a problem with doing it.

GregP42 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 25, 2008, 10:41:23 AM »

Lloyd,

I know what you mean. I do it all the time too, I was just reporting what the reason was that they say that. I would hate to even guess at how many 215 and 215M primers I have ran through one when prepping cases for BPCR loads, but I always make sure the powder cans are no where near me when I do just in case.

Greg

jhalcott · « **Reply #10 on:** June 25, 2008, 01:38:05 PM »

A friend of mine was priming .308's with Winchester primers using a Lee Auto Prime tool. He had a primer go off in the tool and set the others off in the tray. He was lucky that all the debris that hit him, hit under his chin and on his chest. He did get a burned thumb and hand. All his injuries healed in a few weeks. Lee and others TRIED with out success to duplicate the accident. This was not long after the Auto prime was brought out. The MOST logical cause was determined to be either a double primer or aone that got flipped on its side as it was seated. I have and use 2 of the Auto Prime tools and haven't "popped" a primer in them yet!

chutesnreloads · « **Reply #11 on:** June 25, 2008, 01:52:17 PM »

I read something about the sympathetic detonation too.Still use federal primers though I just don't load more than 20 at a time.Never had one pop but have had some flip over and try to load doubles.This with any brand primers.Kind of make it a practice to visually check the next primer in line now.Those that turned over or picked up two got buggered up sometimes.

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 25, 2008, 03:07:53 PM »

A year ago I did manage to seat a primer upside down , didn't realize that had happened till I got 1800 miles away on a shoot , when I got home I pulled the bullet & powder , now the case sits on the shelf , primer were I can see it , just to remind me to pay attention to what I'm doing .

stimpy

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #13 on:** June 26, 2008, 01:18:19 AM »

I get upside down primers all the time using progressive presses. I load my primer tubes with an automatic primer feeder and it puts an ocasiional primer upside down in the tube. No big deal if your plinking but i had one in competion once that cost me a match. Taught me a lesson that day and now when i load clips or speedloaders for competion or hunting i closely examine each round. Ive also had high primers goof me up in matches but since i started slowing down and looking at my ammo i havent had a problem. Ive got a differnt personality and in competition if i have a jam or bad ammo it will ruin my shooting for the whole match and even a reshoot usually is pour becasuse im all worked up over the incident. Im so anal about my competion shooting that i have myself convinced that in a revolver using speedloaders it seems to me that nickle brass drops in the gun eaiser and its another reason i use in in competition and i would have to guess that even in a 1911 the smoother cases feed a tad better.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #14 on:** June 26, 2008, 05:28:42 AM »

It has nothing to do with any particular brand but with small rifle primers in the Lee auto primer, you have to be kinda gentle or the primers will try to flip over or on their sides. Which can be a PIA. I've had that happen with 3 different brands of small rifle primers, none of which were Feds.

I've never had any problems with large rifle primers and the Lee auto prime.

nicholst55 · « **Reply #15 on:** June 28, 2008, 05:51:02 PM »

Quote from: beemanbeme on June 26, 2008, 05:28:42 AM

It has nothing to do with any particular brand but with small rifle primers in the Lee auto primer, you have to be kinda gentle or the primers will try to flip over or on their sides. Which can be a PIA. I've had that happen with 3 different brands of small rifle primers, none of which were Feds.

I've never had any problems with large rifle primers and the Lee auto prime.

I've had this happen several times - it seems to be most common with Winchester primers. I quit using the LAP for several years because of it. I recently inherited a bunch of reloading gear that contained two LAPs, and resumed using them. I haven't had a problem with Fed, Rem, or CCI primers, yet, anyway. I still have a love/hate relationship with the LAP.

Sweet 6.5 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 29, 2008, 07:41:39 PM »

You guys just changed a routine job into a really stress-full one!!

Cheers

Savage · « **Reply #17 on:** June 30, 2008, 02:21:20 AM »

Like Lloyd, I get an occasional flipped primer with the progressive loader. No big deal, I invert all my loaded rounds as I run them thru the chamber gauge. At that time I pay praticular attention to the primers. If I find one that's questonable, I pull the bullet and reload the round. Haven't had a primer to detonate since I quit using the Classic Lee Loader back in the late 60s!
Savage

mountainview · « **Reply #18 on:** June 30, 2008, 07:18:43 AM »

Forgot what page it is on but there is a blurb in Lee's reloading manual that covers why he does not recommend certain primers in the LAP.

Graybeard · « **Reply #19 on:** June 30, 2008, 11:24:49 AM »

In my entire reloading career spanning untold hundreds of thousands of rounds I've had a grand total of ONE (1) primer detonate in the loading process. That was a shotshell primer that went bang during seating. I found a single #9 magnum shot pellet in the primer seater of my MEC press. I really was quite surprised both by the bang and that it actually detonated.

It truly was no big deal and other than the noise it made I'd otherwise have not known it happened.

I use ONLY the Lee Auto Prime to prime all my centerfire rifle and handgun rounds no matter the brand of primer. I've rammed them in correctly and incorrectly in every way you can I guess and never yet has one gone off not even those that were turned sideways and got mashed flat in spite of it. If you can make a primer detonate using the Lee AP I dunno but I honestly doubt it.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #20 on:** June 30, 2008, 05:15:53 PM »

Quote from: Graybeard on June 30, 2008, 11:24:49 AM

I've rammed them in correctly and incorrectly in every way you can I guess and never yet has one gone off not even those that were turned sideways and got mashed flat in spite of it. If you can make a primer detonate using the Lee AP I dunno but I honestly doubt it.

+1

copdills · « **Reply #21 on:** July 10, 2008, 02:15:05 PM »

I have used federal in mine and never had a problem , but I like CCI better