hand primer vs. turrent press primer

[Sliebl]

I have the Lee Classic Cast Turret press and use the Safety Prime system for my turret. I couldn't be happier with it and wonder why you would even consider a hand primer. I have now used it to prime large/small pistol and large/small rifle without issue. The ONLY problems that I have ever had are when I don't notice that a primer is in the tray upside down or enters the primer cup sideways. Those are user error.

Imo, forget hand priming and use the turret position to deprime/size/reprime, just as it is designed to be used.

I was going to write the same thing until I saw Grumpa beat me to it!
I have a Lee Classic Cast Turret press and I use it with the Safety Prime system. I have loaded about 4000 rounds of 9mm in the last 6-7 months, without any problems at all. I also recently purchased a set of dies for loading .223 and have had good results with that too; again, using the Safety Prime system. I can not imagine depriming, and repriming in separate steps, especially with 9mm. Punch out the old primer, and press in the new one without ever touching the brass a second time.

For the .223, I've been depriming in batches in the turret, then case sizing, primer pocket cleaning, then back to the turret for the rest of the steps. Seems tedious, but I'm not a volume 223 reloader (yet!).

[Flash]

People have been reloading for a century or so repriming in the press, with a marked degree of success.

For the last fifty years, the primer tube filled with sixty or so primers dispensed one-at-a-time into the little primer-post and you thumb it in to the ram and seat the primer in the same operation as belling the (pistol) case-mouth has been the only way to fly. Over the last decade or so, the hand-primers have ben growing into fashion and utility, and they work too. Just a different leverage required. That LEE Ram prime system looks good. but.

It really depends on what fits you and your system. Just as long as the job gets done properly. Mostly, it meant (for me, anyway) one or two more handlings of the same case, which seemed to rob me of speed and efficiency, that, until I bought the LEE Loadmaster progressive press. For me now, it has become a moot point.

Flash

[IronButt]

I had a lee hand primer. Worked good and I liked it

But I got one of these from lee and like it even better

I do all my priming with it. Its also adjustable

I like that!

[WVBob]

I started using the primer on my RCBS Chucker but sometime in 1983 I started using a Lee hand primer and have not gone back. I like to be able to feel the primer going in.

[mjporreca]

I use the primer on the Lee turret press. And I load the primers by hand into the primer. I've been doing it that way for as long as I've been reloading and learned from my father who did that way.

works for me

[PennsyPlinker]

I must be doing something wrong with the Lee turret primer. I cannot get those things to work to save my life. Anyone have any advice for me? I bought an RCBS hand primer, but it does get tiring after a while. On the other hand, it does strengthen my girlie like grip.

[GRIZ]

I have always used a hand priming tool (Lee or RCBS) as you cannot get the same amount of feel in seating the primer using the primer arm on the press.

[mjporreca]

I must be doing something wrong with the Lee turret primer. I cannot get those things to work to save my life. Anyone have any advice for me? I bought an RCBS hand primer, but it does get tiring after a while. On the other hand, it does strengthen my girlie like grip.

PennsyPlinker what's the issue you're having? Getting them in the primer seater or getting them to seat right?

I do put my thumb on the case and hold it in the base until it contacts the primer.

[PennsyPlinker]

PennsyPlinker what's the issue you're having? Getting them in the primer seater or getting them to seat right?

I do put my thumb on the case and hold it in the base until it contacts the primer.

They never want to feed. I push that stupid button every way I know how, only to have the primers end up on the floor. I've got them loaded into the container properly, and everything is set up as described in the manual, but those clicker buttons just don't ever seem to work for me.

[mjporreca]

you need to find the right angle. tap a little this way, flex a little that way, but once it's working it's pretty solid.

personally I think the old tube primer holders where more consistent.