Author Topic: Anyone use the LEE Auto Prime II for .25ACP brass? (Read 1217 times)

Busta · « **on:** July 15, 2005, 08:40:32 AM »

I ordered the .25ACP Breech Plug today from PR Bullet. Cecil and Marlene were a pleasure to do business with. I sure hope this reduces/eliminates the blowback in my Huntsman.

My question is how does the LEE Auto Prime II work for priming .25ACP Brass? I have been looking at getting this to use in my RCBS Press instead of using a hand priming tool. I can buy the brass for about what it cost for 100 of the Knight Full Plastic Jackets that are not even reusable. I would just buy some small ammo boxes and keep 100-200 of them primed up for range sessions.

Another question to the guys with the .25ACP conversion, do you ever have to resize the brass or can you just punch out the spent primer, clean and re-prime the brass? Does the brass actually expand or not?

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 15, 2005, 08:45:24 AM »

Busta, I have never had to resize the cases. I just clean them re-prime them. I have some I have shot around 10 times already and they go in the breach plug like a new one.

As far a the Lee auto prime, that is what I use, and it works great.
Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Busta · « **Reply #2 on:** July 15, 2005, 09:00:03 AM »

Thanks Redhawk1, I am going to order it this afternoon. That is exactly the information I was looking for. :grin: I bought the carbide .25acp dies at Cabelas last week for 19 bucks just in case, guess I could take them back and use a universal deprimer. I will have to order another shell holder though. Thanks again.

str8shooter48 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 15, 2005, 09:56:16 AM »

The Auto Prime II tool is all I use for all metallic cartridge repriming. Works great! Just make sure you order the #15 shell holder for the Auto Prime II and not the loading press, They are different.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2005, 10:53:51 AM »

Quote from: Busta

Thanks Redhawk1, I am going to order it this afternoon. That is exactly the information I was looking for. :grin: I bought the carbide .25acp dies at Cabelas last week for 19 bucks just in case, guess I could take them back and use a universal deprimer. I will have to order another shell holder though. Thanks again.

I also use the universal de-primer. The sizing die for the 25ACP will work just as well. $19.00 is not a bad price.

Busta · « **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2005, 11:49:04 AM »

Thanks guys! Got everything ordered. Gonna have to dust off the old Rock Chucker, it hasn't seen any action for about 15 years. I used to load for .44 Rem Mag, but don't shoot handguns much anymore. The last buck I shot eith the .44, my ears rang for 3 days. :? I kinda value my hearing and don't like wearing ear plugs while hunting. I don't own anything with a ported barrel either. I ordered the #15 shell holder, so now I will have two and can keep one in the Auto Prime II at all times. I take it the Auto Prime II is the Ram Prime with a primer feeder attached? I have deceided to keep the 3 die set even though I won't be using two of the dies unless I am getting some blowback around the cases, then a little expanding of the case might be in order. :wink: Thanks again for all your help guys.

Keith Lewis · « **Reply #6 on:** July 15, 2005, 07:08:35 PM »

You may find that the .25ACP brass is a little long when you first try to load one. Usually they take a set after the first loading and are easier to close the action after that. I actually length sized mine to get them to close in the Omega action. If you use the resizer in your loading dies you might stretch the brass and have to deal with it too long again. I used to reload .25ACP brass (I doubt there are many that ever do). By the way you are going to love the conversion. The brass is so much easier to handle than the 209 primers especially when in a hurry hunting. I carry some already primed in my shirt pocket and they are easy to get your hands on them.

str8shooter48 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 16, 2005, 05:07:18 AM »

Quote from: str8shooter48

The Auto Prime II tool is all I use for all metallic cartridge repriming. Works great! Just make sure you order the #15 shell holder for the Auto Prime II and not the loading press, They are different.

Let me stand corrected. I had my priming tools mixed up. I use the Lee Auto Prime hand priming tool for everything. Its great I don't really care for being tied to the bench for the tedious task of priming. It works just as good in front of the TV as it does at the loading bench. Its a must for priming at the range.

Busta, another thing you could do to make depriming mobile is to take one of your spare shell holders and a piece of wood or nylon bore it out so the base of the shell holder fits snug in the hole. Then buy a punch or buy a replacement decapper rod from Lee and a small tack hammer to tap the primer out.

Sorry for the misinformation.

Good Luck

rickyp · « **Reply #8 on:** July 16, 2005, 12:36:51 PM »

Quote

I used to load for .44 Rem Mag, but don't shoot handguns much anymore. The last buck I shot eith the .44, my ears rang for 3 days. I kinda value my hearing and don't like wearing ear plugs while hunting. I don't own anything with a ported barrel either.

even with my knight lk-93 I still get the ears ringing. last year I went out and bought a set of ampfied hearing protection from pro ears and I love them, I can now hear deer walking up on me most of the time and when a shot is fired it brings down to a safe level
best $250.00 I ever spent

BS · « **Reply #9 on:** July 16, 2005, 12:56:09 PM »

Quote from: rickyp

Quote
I used to load for .44 Rem Mag, but don't shoot handguns much anymore. The last buck I shot eith the .44, my ears rang for 3 days. I kinda value my hearing and don't like wearing ear plugs while hunting. I don't own anything with a ported barrel either.

even with my knight lk-93 I still get the ears ringing. last year I went out and bought a set of ampfied hearing protection from pro ears and I love them, I can now hear deer walking up on me most of the time and when a shot is fired it brings down to a safe level
best $250.00 I ever spent

I have been using Pro-Ears for about ten years now, great product. Only problem, Out of my tree stand, I tend to look too far away when I hear a deer. They are always closer than you expect. I had some cheaper models once, they wer junk, the Pro-Ears really work!

I have a oil filter muzzle brake on my 'hand gun' and I really need the protection!

S.B. · « **Reply #10 on:** July 21, 2005, 01:52:07 PM »

What brand of primers are you guys loading in the .25 ACP brass? Lee has a warning, or used to, on this tool. I've had some unfortunate problems with this very tool. I kept my vision but, it's not what it was?

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 21, 2005, 02:42:04 PM »

I use the CCI small rifle primers.

Keith Lewis · « **Reply #12 on:** July 21, 2005, 09:29:40 PM »

I have been using Winchester small rifle primers.

S.B. · « **Reply #13 on:** August 07, 2005, 05:38:31 PM »

Just wondering, has anyone tried the Hornet conversions? Are they easier to handle with cold hands? Any problems with this set up?

Keith Lewis · « **Reply #14 on:** August 07, 2005, 06:12:53 PM »

I think the hornet conversion was the first attempt and after finding out how much was required to make the brass they settled on the .25ACP since no brass rework was required. I find the .25 brass easier to handle than the 209 primers and would not consider a hornet conversion due to the brass rework required.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 08, 2005, 01:31:58 AM »

I had the 22 Hornet conversion, the brass was not any easer to handle than the 25ACP, about the same. But like Keith Lewis said, it is a more work to make new ones when needed.