RDM416
Well-Known Member
I use a Sinclar, and have a RCBS and used it for years before I got the Sinclair. I have been very pleased with the Sinclair and like it better than the RCBS. I have no experience with the K&M or Lee.
Who makes the best hand priming tool?
- Thread starter CRNA
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Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
I use a K&M most of the time, but also prime alot with the device on my Co-Ax press. Both are very accurate
gary
gary
Reloader222
Well-Known Member
I am using the Horndy Auto Hand Priming Tool and it works excellent. Give you enough feel on primer seeting.
boomtube
Well-Known Member
Steve, are you using Lyman's press priming arm or their one of their "ram prime" devices? Anyway, both are capable of putting much more pressure on a primer than anyone's hand primer. If the Lyman press isn't putting them all the way in something is wrong with your setup.
Sinclair's hand primer is one of the very 'best' but Lee's is much less costly while fully as capabile of doing good work. I have two that I got in '87, everyone said the handles break easily so I wanted a back-up. Both are still doing great but then I have enough mechanical aptitude to know when something is wrong and don't try to bulldoze my tools when there's a problem.
Sinclair's hand primer is one of the very 'best' but Lee's is much less costly while fully as capabile of doing good work. I have two that I got in '87, everyone said the handles break easily so I wanted a back-up. Both are still doing great but then I have enough mechanical aptitude to know when something is wrong and don't try to bulldoze my tools when there's a problem.
CRNA
Well-Known Member
Hey Boomtube,
Hope all is going well your way. I have the Orange Crusher press, and that is what I was using to prime my cases. I have no idea as to how some are slightly unseated. I put a pretty decent amount of pressure on the arm when priming. Not sure what my problem is. I can't say I would have caught the problem this soon had I not just been measuring some primed cases that I had with the headspace guage. I have no other reason to measure the case at that point in my process. I usually measure the case length after sizing. Then after I trim the cases I usually put em back in the tumbler to get all the lube off and then prime. The best I can measure, they are bulging out about .001".
boomtube
Well-Known Member
"The best I can measure, they are bulging out about .001". "
Okay, that's not much but it shouldn't be. So, let's try to figger out why; it's possible the pockets are too shallow OR your current batch of primers may be too tall. (IF so, you should let the maker know, an email should do it.)
First, try another brand of case (of any caliber) to see if a different pocket will work right with the same box of primers. IF so, it's the pockets.
If not, decap and try another primer (of any brand) to see if they will work in the same pockets. If so, it's the primers.
If they still won't go, decap one of the live primers that has been seated as deeply as you normally would, and look inside. IF it went all the way down, the anvil legs should be flush with the mouth of the primer cup. Measure it's height vs. the depth of the pockets to see if there is a meaningful difference. I actually have the normal depth specifications of primer pockets somewhere ... but I can't find it so I may as well NOT have it... but it's around .122-.125 inch, IF I remember correctly.
Okay, that's not much but it shouldn't be. So, let's try to figger out why; it's possible the pockets are too shallow OR your current batch of primers may be too tall. (IF so, you should let the maker know, an email should do it.)
First, try another brand of case (of any caliber) to see if a different pocket will work right with the same box of primers. IF so, it's the pockets.
If not, decap and try another primer (of any brand) to see if they will work in the same pockets. If so, it's the primers.
If they still won't go, decap one of the live primers that has been seated as deeply as you normally would, and look inside. IF it went all the way down, the anvil legs should be flush with the mouth of the primer cup. Measure it's height vs. the depth of the pockets to see if there is a meaningful difference. I actually have the normal depth specifications of primer pockets somewhere ... but I can't find it so I may as well NOT have it... but it's around .122-.125 inch, IF I remember correctly.
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CRNA
Well-Known Member
Jim,
Thanks for your input. I will definitely give it a try. I'm sending you a PM.
Steve
If your primer does not go into the primer pocket to flush or lower, the problem is the case, not the primer!!! Primers are made to much greater tolerances than are cases.
Benchrest shooters and other shooters who are inteested in maximum accuracy always ream the primer pockets with a primer pocket reamer (uniformer). This tool will ream the pocket to the correct depth and remove the rounded bottom edge in the pocket which can cause the primer to not completely set to the correct depth. These tools cost about $10 or so.
During the original case forming, the flash hole is punched and sometimes leaves a burr inside the case. You can buy a deburring tool or just use a drill bit of the correct caliber to remove the burr.
Note: The uniforming and deburring only needs to be done once.
Joel
Benchrest shooters and other shooters who are inteested in maximum accuracy always ream the primer pockets with a primer pocket reamer (uniformer). This tool will ream the pocket to the correct depth and remove the rounded bottom edge in the pocket which can cause the primer to not completely set to the correct depth. These tools cost about $10 or so.
During the original case forming, the flash hole is punched and sometimes leaves a burr inside the case. You can buy a deburring tool or just use a drill bit of the correct caliber to remove the burr.
Note: The uniforming and deburring only needs to be done once.
Joel
I really like the Forster Coaxial Primer tool. Excellent feel, very fast, no sore thumb. The Coaxial shell holder and easily be set to hold any case. Most importantly, if this seater won't seat a primer in a case it will most likely will not be seated by any other primer seater. It will easily seat a primer in the very tight pocketed Norma cases. IMHO.
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
The press mounted feature is identical to the bench mounted unit. My press uses the older style shell holders, rather the currently offered jaws. Works well, and is very consistent. No matter how hard or how slowly you seat the primers they always are about .005" below the face of the case.
gary
I like the fact that the primer rod does not have restricted travel distance like many other designs. This insures the the primer is seated fully do you fell the primer hitting the base of the cases pocket, not the end of the rods travel distance.
MNbogboy
Well-Known Member
Have to agree with JMAY2174....The primer pocket uniformer will clean up the edges and give you a uniform pocket depth with clean edges...After that you shouldn't see any more protrusions...Todays massed produced components are far from perfect....Thing of it is that your brass may have had shallow pockets with overly large bottom radius and the primer cups were long....The uniformer (I like the Redding) will get you deep enough to clear those long cupped primers...
Just measured a half a dozen Fed 210s...That day's manufacturing practices put the cups at anywhere from .123 to .127!......Setting primers with some tools will help you put them equal distance from the case head...But if you want the same "crush" each time your primer strike will obviously change....
I have used mostly a press for seating for nearing 48 years now...and the "feel" you develop with all that leverage will tell you all about loose pockets, tight pockets, tight & loose brands of primers.....With a press you have to be careful about overseating...The uniformed primer pockets should let you feel the bottom easily and any "crush" you add after that is with the same "feel" you develop with any primer tool....When in doubt measure the primer depth when your done....Keep track of the depths (below the case head) and try to come up with a logical synopsis of what those depth changes cause...You most likely won't be able to correlate anything with a little inconsistency....Proof will be on both the Chrony and the target...
Good Shooting,
Randy
Just measured a half a dozen Fed 210s...That day's manufacturing practices put the cups at anywhere from .123 to .127!......Setting primers with some tools will help you put them equal distance from the case head...But if you want the same "crush" each time your primer strike will obviously change....
I have used mostly a press for seating for nearing 48 years now...and the "feel" you develop with all that leverage will tell you all about loose pockets, tight pockets, tight & loose brands of primers.....With a press you have to be careful about overseating...The uniformed primer pockets should let you feel the bottom easily and any "crush" you add after that is with the same "feel" you develop with any primer tool....When in doubt measure the primer depth when your done....Keep track of the depths (below the case head) and try to come up with a logical synopsis of what those depth changes cause...You most likely won't be able to correlate anything with a little inconsistency....Proof will be on both the Chrony and the target...
Good Shooting,
Randy
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
Randy, this is where the indicated K&M set's itself apart from all other priming tools. With it, I set exact crush on every single primer seated.
You have a good point about potential striking distance variance with this, but it can be accounted for with another measure.
To begin, uniform every pocket(get em all the same depth).
Measure out & match needed primers by unseated height. Throw departed away.
Zero the K&M indicator on each primer to each individual pocket(which should be about nothing of an adjustment by that point).
Seat that primer in it's pocket to .002" crush as indicated.
They are the same height from the casehead, AND preloading the pellet as recommended.
Now mind your headspace.
This is impossible to achieve through feel, I don't care how much you spend or how shiny or red communist any other tool is. It must be measured or it isn't happening(not even close).
Only the K&M(Creighton Audette design) is capable right now & it's actually a **** good tool regardless.
I am purely impressed with the intelligence behind it's design. And you might notice that while other priming tools are perpetually copied, every market is shared these days, the indicated K&M still stands alone.
You have a good point about potential striking distance variance with this, but it can be accounted for with another measure.
To begin, uniform every pocket(get em all the same depth).
Measure out & match needed primers by unseated height. Throw departed away.
Zero the K&M indicator on each primer to each individual pocket(which should be about nothing of an adjustment by that point).
Seat that primer in it's pocket to .002" crush as indicated.
They are the same height from the casehead, AND preloading the pellet as recommended.
Now mind your headspace.
This is impossible to achieve through feel, I don't care how much you spend or how shiny or red communist any other tool is. It must be measured or it isn't happening(not even close).
Only the K&M(Creighton Audette design) is capable right now & it's actually a **** good tool regardless.
I am purely impressed with the intelligence behind it's design. And you might notice that while other priming tools are perpetually copied, every market is shared these days, the indicated K&M still stands alone.
