LEE Auto Prime Priming Tool

[edchef]

Hello

Has anyone been using the 'New" Lee Auto Prime Tool?

I need something more user friendly as I don't have the strength in my hands any more

It looks the business but does it perform?

I notice in the write up that some makes of primers won't work in it  - Seems a bit strange 

Any comments would be appreciated 

Many Thanks

Ed

[phaedra1106uk]

Best hand primers are RCBS Universal, Sinclair and K&M, all are expensive for a reason, cry once, buy once!

If you're having problems with grip or strength then look at a bench mounted priming tool, again most of the big reloading companies make them, all are pretty decent, the Lee is cheap for a reason but it does work, can't say the "new" folding primer trays are in any way an improvement over the older round ones.

 

And I'm not knocking Lee, quite a lot of their stuff is perfectly good, I have several sets of their dies and 3 of their presses!.

[GT3_richy]

The Lee Auto Bench Prime https://www.henrykrank.com/reloading/lee-reloading/priming-tools/lee-auto-bench-prime.html is cheap and does the job about as quickly and (literally) painlessly as poss. Most others require filling tubes with primers which is a bit more of a faff. I also have a $$$Primal Rights$$$ bench primer but tbh I use the Lee the majority of the time. My fingers/hands cant cope with hand priming more than a few cases these days 😞

[FB66]

I always found hand priming quite cathartic part of reloading process but tired hands meant move to bench primer

FWIW

Had the RCBS Bench primer for a year both small and large priming. Surprise Xmas present from SWMBO. I never chose it. Apparently I had lots of green tools on the bench and she thought it would match.

Bit a a faff at first loading the tubes with primers but worked fine once use to it. The only reason to change was space on my bench limited. I added other gadgets & arbor press to bench which caused hassle with the location of bolted down primer

Currently using the Lee auto Bench. Once had a primer stick which was pain in backside to sort. It was me rushing. Just need to make sure the primers fill the bottom of feed tray to primer.  Pay attention to the open / close/ lock mechanism too. I know a member of my club managed to put 50+ primers over his bench again user error no the product 

Not heard issue of some primers not working. Had Federal and CCG primers / Small/ large / magnum/ though both no problem

For me good consistent seating of primers with both. takes a couple of rounds to get use to the reduced force needed. Lee has least errors for me.

Have a look at https://youtu.be/d0MlK9x2v2k

 I am not looking for speed, just consistent and kinder to my old broken rugby fingers - both do that. 

[Catch-22]

I have both the cheap as chips Lee Auto Prime and the Rolls Royce of hand primers, the 21st Century Handprimer tool. I favour a hand primer as sadly I don’t have the space for a permanent reloading bench 😭

The 21st Century is stunning. It is so easy to use and I can use the thing all day long, even for priming large 338 cases. It is silky smooth, induces no fatigue and the tight tolerances prevents any hiccups. 

The Lee on the other hand is just a pile of crap. I got it for batch priming pistol cases and thought i’d give it a go, as it was the same cost (but more obtainable) as the .44mag 21st Century shell holder. Crazy thought that! Anyway, the Lee is just so ergonomically awkward. It’s painful to use, impossible to grip properly, is not smooth, constantly induces miss feeds and chokes priming.

Just last night I primed around 300x .44mag cases and had to call it quits as my hand basically looked and definitely felt bruised. Whereas priming 300x 6.5x47 cases in one sitting with the 21st Century hand primer was a doddle. 

[dashed]

Had the old Lee auto prime - basic, but it just worked. But the plastic got brittle and the lid snapped off primer tray so I bought the newer style.

Heap of crap. I’d never before had primers seated sideways but after 4 of these over about 50 cases (and subsequently having to dismantle the thing to try and get the case with protruding, sideways primer out of the case holder...) I chucked it in the bin in disgust

[Re-Pete]

I've been using the bench mounted autoprime,(triangular holders) for quite a while now and apart from the odd one going in upside down (mea culpa?), it's brilliant.........

Pete

[terryh]

Have a couple of the C-21 hand priming tools for 'accurate' rifle application along with their adjustable primer pocket reamer, need both tools to do it right IMHO.

Also have the older Lee hand tools for gallery 38spl (where I end up doing s slew in volume) and rifle cartridges that use BP as not so critical.

Not tried any bench mounted units but could see there would (should?) be less effort.

[GT3_richy]

6 hours ago, terryh said:

Not tried any bench mounted units but could see there would (should?) be less effort.

Massively less, my fingers went from having had it after a couple of dozen cases to being able to do a couple of hundred without issue. I imagine the higher quality hand primers like XXI etc are a bit more pleasant to use than others, but the cheapo bench Autoprime works for me for 90% of my reloading. Had a couple of primers seated sideways when I first got it, but don't recall having had any side on or upside down for a couple of years, dunno if I changed anything?!

[Re-Pete]

I think they were upside down because I hadn't checked properly after shaking 'em around and closing the lid....🤪

Pete