Hand primer

I've been using my Dillon RL550b press for priming but it's a bit of a pain to set up just to prime. Thinking about the Lee hand held. It's supposed to be some redesign and improvements. Midway shows for $20.99, is that a fair price? Any thoughts on this or a better method?

I have gone to all hand priming and not on my progressive. Makes a huge difference for me. I have the RCBS Universal. Its about 60 bucks but I have had nothing but excellent results. Now I just process all brass to completion before I start cranking.

I'm only using my Dillon for 9mm, 45ACP and .223 practice ammo. All the rest, .223, 22-250, 22 Creedmoor, .243, 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 are done on my Forster Co-ax. I just saw a Lee Auto prime bench mount, it any good?

No experience with the Lee. I'm no help there. Someone here should know.

The Lee Auto Prime was suggested to me by one of the old timers I shot against. I bought the one with the square primer tray. Recently I found the new one that the tray folds in half on sale somewhere and bought it so I could have a small and large tray on and not be swapping them. I like the square one better than the fold. It's easier to load and the ergonomics are better for my hand.

Also, that is the only Lee piece of equipment I own, generally speaking their stuff is cheaper made and don't last...their customer service isn't as good as other either.

I feel the same way about Lee products with the exception of their collet neck sizers. I do not believe you can get a better neck sizing job from anything else on the market.

I prefer the RCBS hand priming tools to the Lee versions for several reasons: RCBS uses better materials and has a reputation for superior customer service, the Lee tool uses the thumb and the RCBS tool uses the entire hand so it won't fatigue you, and the RCBS tool has a device that separates the tray of live primers from the primer being seated in the primer pocket. So, it's a safer, easier to use, and better made tool. It costs more, but it's worth it IMO.

RCBS hand primer is what I use.

It's probably primed over 10,000 pieces of brass by now. It still runs like it did right out of the box. As Riverrider said, it uses the entire hand. I like that, especially with a Fed 210 in brand new Lapua or Nosler brass. It is tight, but the tool can get it done.

I use the Older Lee primers with the round trays..... the two square trays broke immediately so I gave up on them. I have collected about 6 of them with various extra parts and just keep fixing them.... one that still works I bought in 1979

That's what I use the most. You can find some of the old Lee round tray ones every once and a while. I've got a lifetime supply stashed away. The pivot will eventually break on the these if you don't grease them. I have Hornady hand primer and it works fairly well also.

if you like quality and smoothness, look at the Sinclair hand primer

I have 2 that I really enjoy using

Lube the pivot with petroleum jelly and it will last longer.

I have the Hornady and RCBS. They are both good. I use the Hornady the most but it is the one I have had the longest and developed the most "feel" with. Either one will do exactly what I want. The downside to the Hornady is to the best of my knowledge, it only works with Hornady shell holders.

I've been using the RCBS hand primer tools after using the Lee tool. No comparison at all. The RCBs wins. I have both the "universal" and standard hand primer (one requires a shell holder the "universal" doesn't)

I have both because the universal will not prime 5.7FN, 25ACP and can be finicky with 223 brass.

I figure mine have thousands of rounds primed. I like the tool well enough I found one in Cabela's bargain cave last week at 20% off and snapped it up. This way I also get a spare primer tray.

My only complaint with the RCBS tool is the plastic guide that holds the tray get s sloppy with age. However RCBS is tops in customer service and has sent me replacement guides just for asking.

It's a PITA to switch the RCBS tool from large to small primers, so I bought another one. That's about the only downside there is to the RCBS tool I can come up with.

That's why I also have two primer tools.

On the RCBS primer tool would shell holder #10 also work with the Creedmoor brass? I think it should but want to know from users.

The RCBS tool we've been talking about does not use shell holders.

So that would be the universal, I was thinking about the other. Got ya, thanks

I have one of those also. I like it. But, It will not do small cases like 32acp, 25acp and 5.7FN.

i LOVED the old lee hand primers before the redesign. problem was, i was breaking handles left and right using the slightly oversized wolf primers. i now use an rcbs bench mounted priming tool and like it much better than the rcbs hand priming tool. however, if i could get a life time supply of the old lee hand primers, thats all i would use!