Lee press ram priming cutout - filler?

[corbanzo]

So I don't use the primer on my lee press rams, do that by hand - so I usually take the priming seater out to have one less thing rattling around my press while I'm working.  Problem is about 5-10% of the spend primers go bouncing out of the ram out of the little cutout when I'm sizing.


I have been brainstorming on something to shove down so it won't inhibit changing shellholders, and it won't get in the way of primers on the way down - but also not permanent just in case I want to use the primer deal or end up selling the press one day.


I was thinking maybe a piece of straw that would flex against the sides, but that might not hold very well.  Or whittle a piece of wood down to fit and slide it down in there tight?


Was wondering if any of you gentleman had done something as this and had any brilliant ideas?  Remember - it can't go around the outside as the ram goes all the way down into the press. 

[zero]

If you have a grinding wheel the piece of wood idea would be pretty simple and effective i would think. Take a piece of hardwood and model it after the smooth side of the seater, and drill a hole to fit on the pin. If you made it the right length it would fold up when you put the handle up

Come to think of it i might make one for me too, my primer seaters have fallen out and the catch broke 

Or perhaps a thin proper length strip of aluminum or a spring metal and some tape, or something

[Land_Owner]

I have a 3-gallon, clear sided, "Animal Cracker" bucket from Sam's Club, for catching spent primers from the Lee Press clear plastic tube.  Pretty sophisticated, huh!

I too have been thinking about the phenomenon of primers ejecting onto the reloading table and floor.  About 40% of primers eject this way.  When depriming thousands of primers, this is a big PITA.  I have yet to devise a way to prevent premature ejection of spent primers (sometimes unspent primers) from the press, and I have thought about it, but not experimented with it, a lot.

Perhaps a slightly tapered, slot-shaped and one-end cylindrically sanded, piece of wood that is hammer-fitted into that slot would be effective.  How many handle pulls would it take before the slant-slotted-slot-seated-slit-stuffer ejected itself is an unknown.  Seems worthy of a try though.

[STUMPJMPR]

Put the priming tool in place.  It directs the primers down the tube.  All of them will go down the tube if you do this.  My old classic press they came out the bottom.  You could cut the primer cup off of the priming tool if  you don't want it getting in the way.  I normally just short stroke it.

[Slufoot]

I had this same problem when I first got my Lee Clasic Cast press. I screwed the top off the ram, put it in my lathe and ran an end mill bit through it. I then cut a piece of aluminum arrow shaft and put it in the ram. The arrow shaft is held in by a set screw. I've deprimed thousands of cases since my modification and have not lost the first primer.
 
Hope this helps!
Slufoot

[Hairy Chest]

Put the priming tool in place.  It directs the primers down the tube.  All of them will go down the tube if you do this.  My old classic press they came out the bottom.  You could cut the primer cup off of the priming tool if  you don't want it getting in the way.  I normally just short stroke it.

Right.  It's nothing to use the press with the primer tool in place.      Forget it.  Get used to it. 

[Ranger99]

you might try a different technique.
i used to pop primers all over the
place despite the green plastic
doo-dad there to catch them. i changed
the way i move the lever, a bit more
finesse, and they all go in the tray
instead of all over the place. try using
just enough force to pop it out, not
speedy movement, but get a feel for it,
as if you were seating a primer instead
of popping one out.

[onegunred]

On my press I removed the top part of the ram and removed the drift pin in side of it. I bought a 1/4"x1/4"x1-1/4" key way stock, cleaned the ram and key stock with alcohol and made up some JB Quick. I buttered the sides of the key stock and fitted the 2 pieces together holding them in position till it set ( about 5 min. ). Do a dry run first so you can see how it all fits.