joepistol
Well-Known Fanatic
I've been loading for many years, and have developed my "systems" for how to load Handgun & rifle calibers.
I enjoy the speed & accuracy provided by my handgun rounds loaded of my Dillon 450 (older, pre-550) progressive loading press.
When I started loading rifle rounds, after learning that cases may (probably will) need to be trimmed after resizing, I decided a single stage press was a better tool.
I have used a variety of priming tools, most with less than satisfactory results. My issue ? ...Some primers would not seat properly.
I used a Lee hand priming tool that worked well, until it broke. Ordered another Lee Hand priming tool, a more "modern update" ( as it replaced the old model)
& discovered it didn't work as well as the old one. It worked..usually, on some ( ? ) most (?) cases, but it had difficulty seating Lg. rifle primers flush, or (better)
slightly deeper than flush. Some are probably thinking ..they were crimped primer pockets..not the case. I have a Dillon primer pocket swage for those.
Others may think it was that I wasn't cleaning primer pockets. I tried that, it wasn't the issue. Some brass has tighter primer pockets than others,
maybe some primer brands are slightly larger in diameter. I borrowed a friend's RCBS older version of their Automatic Priming Tool..https://www.rcbs.com/priming-%26-pow...l/16-9460.html
I had a hard time getting it set up, as pieces didn't fit together as they were designed. I had to remove the handle completely to put in a shell holder, ( maybe because I used a Lee shell holder / not RCBS , but they seemed to be the same thickness) and the primer holder. When I got it assembled, it worked great..except the primer tube-it didn't feed primers as it was supposed to, primers stuck inside tube instead of dropping down, as they should. As said, this may have been because it was old, worn ? whatever. IF I hand-fed it primers, it seated them perfectly. Good feel, as primer was seated in the primer pocket on the downstroke. Since the RCBS unit worked well, considered ordering a new one, until I saw the price...too expensive for how often I'd use it, IMO.
Looking online, I found Lee's (new ?) Ram Prime. Read about it, watched a video on how it works, for less then $20.00, I decided to try one.
Tried it this morning, on a batch of Remington 7mm mag cases. I'd tried a couple other methods priming these case, & found them a bit challenging to get primers seated the way I like them seated. Even tried seating them on my Dillon, with unsatisfactory results.
So, how's the Lee Ram prime work ? Very well, IMO.. with a couple caveats .
Screw the shell holder device in the top of a press. slide appropriate shell holder into it. Instructions say to use a Lee Universal shell holder. I don't have one, but I do have a set of Lee ( caliber specific) shell holders, so used the holder for rem 7mm Mag & it worked.
Next, attach appropriate sized primer holder piece into press ram ( kit comes w/ both lg. & sm. primer holders) Rem 7mm Mag uses Lg. primer.
Place primer in primer cup, as the press handle is lowered& the ram rises, it seats the primer in the pocket.
Works great, seats primers well below case rim. Perfect.
Now the downsides : 1) this is a slow process, having to handle each primer, putting it in the primer cup.
may be a health hazard: handling primers..If concerned, wear a latex or similar glove, when handling primers.
2) I primed 10 cases, and not sure how/why, but 2 primers flipped over in the primer cup & were seated upside down.
This happens rarely on my Dillon, but it does happen. May have happened by my trying to work too quickly. Slowly seating them had no other issues.
I'm satisfied I now have a way to easily seat primers that have tight primer pockets. I like this product & will be using it more in the future. As always, YMMV..
I enjoy the speed & accuracy provided by my handgun rounds loaded of my Dillon 450 (older, pre-550) progressive loading press.
When I started loading rifle rounds, after learning that cases may (probably will) need to be trimmed after resizing, I decided a single stage press was a better tool.
I have used a variety of priming tools, most with less than satisfactory results. My issue ? ...Some primers would not seat properly.
I used a Lee hand priming tool that worked well, until it broke. Ordered another Lee Hand priming tool, a more "modern update" ( as it replaced the old model)
& discovered it didn't work as well as the old one. It worked..usually, on some ( ? ) most (?) cases, but it had difficulty seating Lg. rifle primers flush, or (better)
slightly deeper than flush. Some are probably thinking ..they were crimped primer pockets..not the case. I have a Dillon primer pocket swage for those.
Others may think it was that I wasn't cleaning primer pockets. I tried that, it wasn't the issue. Some brass has tighter primer pockets than others,
maybe some primer brands are slightly larger in diameter. I borrowed a friend's RCBS older version of their Automatic Priming Tool..https://www.rcbs.com/priming-%26-pow...l/16-9460.html
I had a hard time getting it set up, as pieces didn't fit together as they were designed. I had to remove the handle completely to put in a shell holder, ( maybe because I used a Lee shell holder / not RCBS , but they seemed to be the same thickness) and the primer holder. When I got it assembled, it worked great..except the primer tube-it didn't feed primers as it was supposed to, primers stuck inside tube instead of dropping down, as they should. As said, this may have been because it was old, worn ? whatever. IF I hand-fed it primers, it seated them perfectly. Good feel, as primer was seated in the primer pocket on the downstroke. Since the RCBS unit worked well, considered ordering a new one, until I saw the price...too expensive for how often I'd use it, IMO.
Looking online, I found Lee's (new ?) Ram Prime. Read about it, watched a video on how it works, for less then $20.00, I decided to try one.
Tried it this morning, on a batch of Remington 7mm mag cases. I'd tried a couple other methods priming these case, & found them a bit challenging to get primers seated the way I like them seated. Even tried seating them on my Dillon, with unsatisfactory results.
So, how's the Lee Ram prime work ? Very well, IMO.. with a couple caveats .
Screw the shell holder device in the top of a press. slide appropriate shell holder into it. Instructions say to use a Lee Universal shell holder. I don't have one, but I do have a set of Lee ( caliber specific) shell holders, so used the holder for rem 7mm Mag & it worked.
Next, attach appropriate sized primer holder piece into press ram ( kit comes w/ both lg. & sm. primer holders) Rem 7mm Mag uses Lg. primer.
Place primer in primer cup, as the press handle is lowered& the ram rises, it seats the primer in the pocket.
Works great, seats primers well below case rim. Perfect.
Now the downsides : 1) this is a slow process, having to handle each primer, putting it in the primer cup.
may be a health hazard: handling primers..If concerned, wear a latex or similar glove, when handling primers.
2) I primed 10 cases, and not sure how/why, but 2 primers flipped over in the primer cup & were seated upside down.
This happens rarely on my Dillon, but it does happen. May have happened by my trying to work too quickly. Slowly seating them had no other issues.
I'm satisfied I now have a way to easily seat primers that have tight primer pockets. I like this product & will be using it more in the future. As always, YMMV..
