Lee Auto Prime and Federal Primers?

[Mckie Hollow]

I read in Dick Lees Manuel that He strongly suggests not to use Federal primers in His Auto Prime. He says that it is dangerous. This is all that I have ever used. Does anyone have a better explaination of this?

[stimpylu32]

I have run 20,000 + Fed primers through my Auto Primes without the first problem  , that being said , Fed does seem to have a softer cup on their primers which may explain some of that statement .

stimpy

[AtlLaw]

I've heard many stories about the reasoning behind that statement.  As far as I know no one really knows why and Lee ain't sayin'!     To me this gives credit to the "personal vendeta" story.

Hi-ebber, and day is always a hi-ebber, I really don't care as, like Stimpy, I have run thousands of Federals through mine.   

[Dand]

Seems like a few years ago in Handloader or Rifle magazines there was an article about primers and the author fired off a primer while seating it with an autoprime. I can't remember the details and I've lost, given away or sold many of those old magazines.  What I recall was the author realized he was seating one of the non-recommended brands of primers. I think part of it is the priming composition itself - darn I wish I could recall the details.

What I took away from it was that I'd be real careful with other brands. I mostly use CCI and Win anyway but I still use some Federal and Rem primers too.

[Graybeard]

Personally I don't think you can set off a primer using the auto prime tool I've tried hard and never done it yet. 

I've crushed them about every way possible and so far have never had one go off accidentally. In fact the ONLY primer I've ever had go off unintentionally was a shotshell primer that fired when seated with a magnum lead shot below it that had fallen into the primer station on a MEC  loader.

I've deprimed hundreds of live primers without an incident also. I think the concern over them is over blown personally but still don't recommend others try all the stuff I've done.

[LaOtto222]

I am with Bill - I also have unseated many primers and seated many primers with out incident. I think it is a matter how sharply they are hit or crushed enough -not even sure about the last one. I also do not recommend any such action to any one. I would feel real bad if there was an exception to the rule - they can always happen. If I do it to myself, then shame on me. I do not like Federal primers because of their packaging - but in these desperate times, I would get them if they are available.

[Lloyd Smale]

many thousands of them without problems.

[johnjohn]

I've done a few thousand through mine and never had a problem.