I have been using the old style Lee Auto Prime for 30 + years. It is my favorite means to prime. I want to fully feel the primer seat. You can feel if your primer pockets have expanded. For extra safety - I prefer holding it in my left hand. Tip it up, a primer slides in place. Set my case in the shell holder with my right hand & just start the primer slightly into the pocket. Now tip the auto prime away from you & the primers fall away from the one being pressed in place. Do the final squeeze to home the primer. In the highly unlikely event the primer would detonate, the others in the tray are far less likely to also go off if they are away from the one igniting. Plus the case mouth is pointed away from you as there will be blast coming from the case mouth. Also, I do not recommend watching tv or doing anything else that could distract you while doing any step of reloading. Reloading is a dedicated task, in which all else should go out of your mind & you should be 100% focused & uninterrupted with what you are doing. It’s very relaxing & therapeutic, enjoy the quiet time of reloading.
I'm glad I came to this video and read the comments section, I was about the pull the trigger on buying this thing, thank you to everyone who left their honest opinion!
The Lee Hand Primer. Easy to use, fast, it does sometime overseats a primer, misaligns the primer, or really screws a primer up. It happens. If you use one go slow. Make sure the case is centered. Make sure the primer is properly aligned before pressing it in.
I have the much older version that after 20 years of lots of use is finally wearing out. Glad to know the new version is still a good tool. Looks like I will be picking up the new one.
I love my old original Lee Auto Prime but I sense after 25 years and millions of primers that it's getting a little old. I've bought a Lyman E-zee Prime as Lee's replacement just looks too fragile.
I'm glad yours works, mine is a piece of junk. the chamber the primers drop in for seating are way too big, primers drop in sideways, backward, or jam up in the chute, it's the only piece of Lee equipment I've ever had an issue with, and I've used nothing else since the 80's.t
Unfortunately this tool came with the kit I bought. I'm having the same issue. About 1 in 8 primers fall in sideways and are damaged unless I inspect before each insertion. I suspect it will break the cheap plastic pieces after a while.
Same is true for the Lee Benchtop primer. It is frustrating to use. Still use my ORIGINAL Lee Auto prime units I bought back in the 90's, but getting harder to find replacement parts.
Great video. Lee's new hand priming tool looks like an improvement over some of their older tools (which I own a couple of and am a fan of for the most part since 2009). After watching this and your Lee Auto Bench Prime video, I am going to try to order one of Lee's retrofit kits for my Lee Ergo Hand Priming tool (it has broken tray lid and this looks like a more durable design). Again, learning a lot from these videos so your work is appreciated.
The retrofit kit does work better in the ergo unit. I have done it. The round primer trays that used to come with the loadmaster fits it also so I don't have to use those awkward to me folding primer trays.
I just finished using my new lee hand primer for the first time it worked great I primed 91 cases in 44 mag in just under 20 minutes. using #11 shell holder and large Winchester primers. It is easier to use than the older style. I recommend this Lee hand primer.
Maybe I have to try holding it at a similar angle to you but mine did not work near as nicely as yours. About 1/5 the time no primer falls down, maybe 1/10 a primer falls sideways and when I finished priming 25 cases I noticed 2 of them actually managed to 180 flip and were in backwards, and yes, I made sure all were facing the correct direction initially. Yeah, after thinking about it I bet that is why it worked well for you. I held it more perpendicular to the ground, if I angle it more the primers in theory should fall less violently and be less likely to change orientation. **** EDIT **** If you hold this contraption such that the feed tube makes a ~45 degree angle with the ground it works fairly well. I only did 25 cases but all primers seated perfectly. I'll update if it seems this data set was too small and things don't work well after all.
I've got hand primers from Hornady, RCBS and several LEE models. Can't say any one is the best as all have little quirks that bug me. Have to say LEE does a pretty good job, especially for the money.
Thanks for the very informative video. CZcams was made for stuff like this. It's the quality of a cable TV show (or a bit better!), on a topic that's probably too specific for a cable show to tackle, that I can easily find and watch any time I want to learn about this topic. I have the previous two Lee Auto Prime tools (original Auto Prime and the Auto Prime XR), as well as the Lee Safety Prime that works with my Classic Cast Press. They all work well enough. I didn't buy the red handled Lee Ergo Prime. To me, the ergonomic issue is the curved steel ram activation lever which seems to be the same on all of the hand priming tools, so the various ergonomic enhancements to the handle (finger grooves, etc.) don't help much with the ergonomics. I noticed in your video as you were experimenting to determine the best method, you switched from activating the lever with your thumb to using the web of your hand between the thumb and forefinger. I prefer the ergonomics of using my thumb, but those muscles aren't designed to work that way and my thumb becomes tired after 100 cases or less. An ergonomic hand priming tool would work more like a forearm exerciser, where the entire hand squeezed the tool, with a curved ram body that fit the back side of the palm, and a pivoting lever that was activated by all four fingers. I don't have any of the newer Lee priming tools that use the folding primer tray. Lee has been slammed over this "improved design" online for a few reasons. Not durable. The little slider switch is difficult to operate. Primers can flip upside down. Etc. In your video, it seemed to work very well. It's definitely an inexpensive part to make, but that's Lee's strength. Inexpensive tools that work well. Now that Lee's latest LoadMaster priming system works so well, I'm doing a lot less hand priming. Get ready for a lot of CZcams comments about how dangerous it is to store bulk primers in plastic boxes not intended for that purpose. I don't get upset over 100-200 primers rattling around in a recycled bullet box, but I would balk at storing a quart of bulk primers in a Mason jar. I've seen that and it is a bit too scary, even for me. :-) Pro Tip: Wash your hands after handling primers. That yellow dust is a lead compound and it's toxic.
Thanks for the feedback Liberty4Ever! Good points. If you want really easy priming action, check out the Auto Bench Prime. Extremely good mechanical advantage translates to really low force on the priming lever!
The Auto Bench Prime does look like a good option. I have a wall mounted vertical reloading bench which is great, but there's not much horizontal surface. For easier priming with more mechanical advantage, I'll stick to the Lee Safety Prime on my Lee Classic Cast Press, but for others with a more conventional bench setup, the Auto Bench Prime looks like a good choice. Choice is good!
Thinking out loud here- do you have a bench vice? You could create a "T-cross-section" plywood mount for the Auto Bench Prime and just "chuck it up" in the vice when you need to use it... I may have to experiment with that! :)
I have a milling machine in the basement shop with a machining vise. I do some of the more hardcore reloading there, like using a 2HP milling machine to trim 50 BMG brass or convert .223 to 300 BLK brass, or trimming thousands of pieces of .308 brass on the lathe using a Trim-It II. :-)
The primer tray looks like a good improvement over the original. Nice to see a good review showing it in action. Much better than a few words in a written review.
I got a lee challenger breechlock kit for christmas. My lee autoprime doesnt feed primers through correctly. They cannot make it past the cut off gate right, they get stuck and so i just have to load one at a time
I think using a proprietary shell holder is a down to this. If it used the shell holders you already have, that would be a plus. It takes like 2 seconds to get them off the press if that's where they were. Also not a fan of the folding primer tray. I've used them.
One issue you'll find with mixed brand shellholder usage is variance in the diameter of the hole in the middle which these tools "index off of" for primer alignment. The biggest reason for these special hand-priming shellholders however: without the conventional lug, primer ram distance can be cut in half (these special shellholders are 1/2 the thickness)! This makes for quick strokes and short lever movement with max mechanical advantage.
OH I know that. I have shell holders that I shouldn't have had to buy because of the Lee Ergo Prime. They could easily have been designed to use standard shell holders. And the leverage would have been just fine.
How is the Sharps project going and do you prefer one brand of reloader over another I am new to the AR world and I know that eventually I will have to start reloading to keep ammo cost down plus I really want to build a 25-45 sharps rifle I really enjoy your videos thanks for all the free education
Sharps will be picking up here shortly! Regarding press, depends on your budget, goals, and personality! Why don't you elaborate on that and I'll do my best to make some suggestions! (also, how many cartridges do you plan to load for?)
First night using mine. Don't like it, primers going in upside down, sideways, or not even in at all even though there's primers in the tray. Trying to keep the angle as consistent as possible, doesn't seem to matter. All I got is Lee stuff, gonna look elsewhere.
I have one of these. It does not work this good. Waste one primmer in ten or more, dedicated shell holder does not line up centered over the primmer. Had to put tape behind the holder just to make it operate. 1 in 15 turn sideways and crush in and are wasted. I do not like to use it .
Same! I'm going to try one more time to hold it at the exact angle he does. After that maybe it is the primers or he just cherry picked the best footage :/.
I've always been fairly anal about the depth that which the primers were set and simply because I was taught that way and I tend to be OCD. Watching TV while loading bullets is a major no no for me. I would be concerned about that one high primer. One thing I noticed is a complete lack of adjustability and at no point did you show where they were being set. Is there an adjustment you didn't cover? Did you at some point check the depth and not show us where it was?
This is an old video so you may not even ever see this comment, but I did want to say something. I myself am newer to the reloading world and reloading content on youtube is HARD to find. Watching you prime that brass with the hand primer and just tossing it in the bin without even doing a simple finger rub and visual of each piece just doesn't seem to set a very good example of responsible reloading for beginners to follow.
Absolutely. I'm partnered (including sponsorship) with most of the major reloading equipment companies, only way to do what I do. Full details linked to from here czcams.com/users/gavintoobeabout
The product is a shit because you CAN'T use it right after you buy it. You have to buy special shell holders! You CAN'T use the ones from the press as those don't fit. So you buy a product that you can't use, but you have 2 adapters. So are them idiots or what!?????
There's a very good reason for the special shellholders- if you want the best "quick feel" and mechanical advantage when priming, a short stroke is required. Traditional shellholders are twice as thick, so require twice as much travel, equating to 1/2 the mechanical advantage. Have you seen the price for the shellholder set? It is super-affordable.
I have been using the old style Lee Auto Prime for 30 + years. It is my favorite means to prime.
I want to fully feel the primer seat. You can feel if your primer pockets have expanded.
For extra safety -
I prefer holding it in my left hand. Tip it up, a primer slides in place. Set my case in the shell holder with my right hand & just start the primer slightly into the pocket.
Now tip the auto prime away from you & the primers fall away from the one being pressed in place.
Do the final squeeze to home the primer.
In the highly unlikely event the primer would detonate, the others in the tray are far less likely to also go off if they are away from the one igniting.
Plus the case mouth is pointed away from you as there will be blast coming from the case mouth.
Also, I do not recommend watching tv or doing anything else that could distract you while doing any step of reloading.
Reloading is a dedicated task, in which all else should go out of your mind & you should be 100% focused & uninterrupted with what you are doing.
It’s very relaxing & therapeutic, enjoy the quiet time of reloading.
I'm glad I came to this video and read the comments section, I was about the pull the trigger on buying this thing, thank you to everyone who left their honest opinion!
The Lee Hand Primer. Easy to use, fast, it does sometime overseats a primer, misaligns the primer, or really screws a primer up. It happens. If you use one go slow. Make sure the case is centered. Make sure the primer is properly aligned before pressing it in.
I have the much older version that after 20 years of lots of use is finally wearing out. Glad to know the new version is still a good tool. Looks like I will be picking up the new one.
I love my old original Lee Auto Prime but I sense after 25 years and millions of primers that it's getting a little old. I've bought a Lyman E-zee Prime as Lee's replacement just looks too fragile.
I love my Lee Auto Prime. Its fast, easy and I can feel the primers seating in the pockets.
Agree!
great demo.. thanks. Helped me out a lot. I'm normally pretty good at directions and figuring out stuff but got this today and it stumped me!
I'm glad yours works, mine is a piece of junk. the chamber
the primers drop in for seating are way too big, primers drop in sideways, backward, or jam up in the chute, it's the only piece of Lee equipment I've ever had an issue with, and I've used nothing else since the 80's.t
Unfortunately this tool came with the kit I bought. I'm having the same issue. About 1 in 8 primers fall in sideways and are damaged unless I inspect before each insertion. I suspect it will break the cheap plastic pieces after a while.
Same is true for the Lee Benchtop primer. It is frustrating to use. Still use my ORIGINAL Lee Auto prime units I bought back in the 90's, but getting harder to find replacement parts.
@@ssyoumans is
Same problems with mine. A piece of junk. My old one worked with no problems. Sorry I no longer have it.
Great video, thanks for doing a few primes at-speed. I hate when videos talk and stop in the middle of their process!
I just bought this one. I hope it is better than their second gen one. The original is still the best in my opinion.
Great video. Lee's new hand priming tool looks like an improvement over some of their older tools (which I own a couple of and am a fan of for the most part since 2009). After watching this and your Lee Auto Bench Prime video, I am going to try to order one of Lee's retrofit kits for my Lee Ergo Hand Priming tool (it has broken tray lid and this looks like a more durable design). Again, learning a lot from these videos so your work is appreciated.
Thanks, glad the videos are helpful!
The retrofit kit does work better in the ergo unit. I have done it. The round primer trays that used to come with the loadmaster fits it also so I don't have to use those awkward to me folding primer trays.
I have the ergo kit that was given to me, what’s the upgrade kit?
I used to use that.. switched to RCBS. I like their universal version. No more she'll holders!
Thanks for the video, seems like a handy tool to have! I have one criticism... Please make more videos :)
Great feedback :)
MSUbulldog21
Ordering mine right now - all my present reloading gear is LEE.
I just finished using my new lee hand primer for the first time it worked great I primed 91 cases in 44 mag in just under 20 minutes. using #11 shell holder and large Winchester primers. It is easier to use than the older style. I recommend this Lee hand primer.
Maybe I have to try holding it at a similar angle to you but mine did not work near as nicely as yours. About 1/5 the time no primer falls down, maybe 1/10 a primer falls sideways and when I finished priming 25 cases I noticed 2 of them actually managed to 180 flip and were in backwards, and yes, I made sure all were facing the correct direction initially.
Yeah, after thinking about it I bet that is why it worked well for you. I held it more perpendicular to the ground, if I angle it more the primers in theory should fall less violently and be less likely to change orientation.
**** EDIT **** If you hold this contraption such that the feed tube makes a ~45 degree angle with the ground it works fairly well. I only did 25 cases but all primers seated perfectly. I'll update if it seems this data set was too small and things don't work well after all.
I've got hand primers from Hornady, RCBS and several LEE models. Can't say any one is the best as all have little quirks that bug me. Have to say LEE does a pretty good job, especially for the money.
i have a problem with this tool. For me the primers dont fall all the way down they get stuck half way ;(
same thing here
Thanks for the very informative video. CZcams was made for stuff like this. It's the quality of a cable TV show (or a bit better!), on a topic that's probably too specific for a cable show to tackle, that I can easily find and watch any time I want to learn about this topic.
I have the previous two Lee Auto Prime tools (original Auto Prime and the Auto Prime XR), as well as the Lee Safety Prime that works with my Classic Cast Press. They all work well enough. I didn't buy the red handled Lee Ergo Prime. To me, the ergonomic issue is the curved steel ram activation lever which seems to be the same on all of the hand priming tools, so the various ergonomic enhancements to the handle (finger grooves, etc.) don't help much with the ergonomics. I noticed in your video as you were experimenting to determine the best method, you switched from activating the lever with your thumb to using the web of your hand between the thumb and forefinger. I prefer the ergonomics of using my thumb, but those muscles aren't designed to work that way and my thumb becomes tired after 100 cases or less. An ergonomic hand priming tool would work more like a forearm exerciser, where the entire hand squeezed the tool, with a curved ram body that fit the back side of the palm, and a pivoting lever that was activated by all four fingers.
I don't have any of the newer Lee priming tools that use the folding primer tray. Lee has been slammed over this "improved design" online for a few reasons. Not durable. The little slider switch is difficult to operate. Primers can flip upside down. Etc. In your video, it seemed to work very well. It's definitely an inexpensive part to make, but that's Lee's strength. Inexpensive tools that work well.
Now that Lee's latest LoadMaster priming system works so well, I'm doing a lot less hand priming.
Get ready for a lot of CZcams comments about how dangerous it is to store bulk primers in plastic boxes not intended for that purpose. I don't get upset over 100-200 primers rattling around in a recycled bullet box, but I would balk at storing a quart of bulk primers in a Mason jar. I've seen that and it is a bit too scary, even for me. :-)
Pro Tip: Wash your hands after handling primers. That yellow dust is a lead compound and it's toxic.
Thanks for the feedback Liberty4Ever! Good points. If you want really easy priming action, check out the Auto Bench Prime. Extremely good mechanical advantage translates to really low force on the priming lever!
The Auto Bench Prime does look like a good option. I have a wall mounted vertical reloading bench which is great, but there's not much horizontal surface. For easier priming with more mechanical advantage, I'll stick to the Lee Safety Prime on my Lee Classic Cast Press, but for others with a more conventional bench setup, the Auto Bench Prime looks like a good choice. Choice is good!
Thinking out loud here- do you have a bench vice? You could create a "T-cross-section" plywood mount for the Auto Bench Prime and just "chuck it up" in the vice when you need to use it... I may have to experiment with that! :)
I have a milling machine in the basement shop with a machining vise. I do some of the more hardcore reloading there, like using a 2HP milling machine to trim 50 BMG brass or convert .223 to 300 BLK brass, or trimming thousands of pieces of .308 brass on the lathe using a Trim-It II. :-)
This is what I do with my RCBS Bench Priming Tool. It works really well and gets it out of the way when its not needed.
Thank you helped me out a bunch!
You are welcome!
The primer tray looks like a good improvement over the original. Nice to see a good review showing it in action. Much better than a few words in a written review.
The shell holder set lacked the holder I needed the most-.44-40
Have you considered reviewing the latest Lee automatic priming technology, the Lee ACP?
I got a lee challenger breechlock kit for christmas. My lee autoprime doesnt feed primers through correctly. They cannot make it past the cut off gate right, they get stuck and so i just have to load one at a time
I wish I could find my old lee primer squeezer. All metal and less complicated.
Don't you have press handle in to insert primmer or they just ALL JUST START GOING IN???
Yes, primers do not fall and get stuck, fault straight out the box, too bad the store was 45 mins away otherwise I would have returned it.
Your intro music sounds like _Doom_ E1M1.
Carl Siemens Knee-Deep in the Brass
The Shores of Hornady
Thy Primers Consumed
Great video.
Thanks!
Not new and improved!! Doesn’t work as well as the old
This priming tool wouldn't happen to work with the shell holders from standard Lee Pacesetter die sets, would they?
I think using a proprietary shell holder is a down to this. If it used the shell holders you already have, that would be a plus. It takes like 2 seconds to get them off the press if that's where they were. Also not a fan of the folding primer tray. I've used them.
One issue you'll find with mixed brand shellholder usage is variance in the diameter of the hole in the middle which these tools "index off of" for primer alignment. The biggest reason for these special hand-priming shellholders however: without the conventional lug, primer ram distance can be cut in half (these special shellholders are 1/2 the thickness)! This makes for quick strokes and short lever movement with max mechanical advantage.
OH I know that. I have shell holders that I shouldn't have had to buy because of the Lee Ergo Prime. They could easily have been designed to use standard shell holders. And the leverage would have been just fine.
Don’t buy this tool it works good but the main part is made of cheap plastic it broke on me after 5 sessions spend a little more get another tool
what primers were you using? some one in another vid said that cci says not to use their primers in the Lee hand primer...
How is the Sharps project going and do you prefer one brand of reloader over another I am new to the AR world and I know that eventually I will have to start reloading to keep ammo cost down plus I really want to build a 25-45 sharps rifle I really enjoy your videos thanks for all the free education
Sharps will be picking up here shortly! Regarding press, depends on your budget, goals, and personality! Why don't you elaborate on that and I'll do my best to make some suggestions! (also, how many cartridges do you plan to load for?)
So far the one i like the most is the rock chucker and ai will probably be reloading like the 223 5.56 25-45 300 Blackout and maybe 308 and 25-06
Did you Anneal these cases?
Here after mine blew apart lol
Bought One ITS GARBAGE after 500 9mm it broke glade I bought it some where that I could return it. Also had to return the shell holders.
R.V lee .243 .308 good
First night using mine. Don't like it, primers going in upside down, sideways, or not even in at all even though there's primers in the tray. Trying to keep the angle as consistent as possible, doesn't seem to matter. All I got is Lee stuff, gonna look elsewhere.
I have one of these. It does not work this good. Waste one primmer in ten or more, dedicated shell holder does not line up centered over the primmer. Had to put tape behind the holder just to make it operate. 1 in 15 turn sideways and crush in and are wasted. I do not like to use it .
Not happy. Primers don't feed very well. Some flip sideways, others flip upside down some won't feed at all.
Same! I'm going to try one more time to hold it at the exact angle he does. After that maybe it is the primers or he just cherry picked the best footage :/.
I've always been fairly anal about the depth that which the primers were set and simply because I was taught that way and I tend to be OCD. Watching TV while loading bullets is a major no no for me. I would be concerned about that one high primer. One thing I noticed is a complete lack of adjustability and at no point did you show where they were being set. Is there an adjustment you didn't cover? Did you at some point check the depth and not show us where it was?
I notice the number 4 shell holder there is different from the one that comes in the kit now. No wonder this POS keeps wrecking my cases.
it doesn't use standard press shell holders!
I can see painful hands that refuse to let me sleep at night. Guess I'll have to stick to on the press priming with the Lee Safety Prime.
The Auto Bench Prime is very "low effort" on the lever... That could be another option...
Thought about that and may go that direction if the Safety Prime stops working.
This is an old video so you may not even ever see this comment, but I did want to say something. I myself am newer to the reloading world and reloading content on youtube is HARD to find. Watching you prime that brass with the hand primer and just tossing it in the bin without even doing a simple finger rub and visual of each piece just doesn't seem to set a very good example of responsible reloading for beginners to follow.
Rob Hill He does check primer depth with his finger when he starts priming the 308 cases.
Are you sponsored in any way
Absolutely. I'm partnered (including sponsorship) with most of the major reloading equipment companies, only way to do what I do. Full details linked to from here czcams.com/users/gavintoobeabout
The product is a shit because you CAN'T use it right after you buy it. You have to buy special shell holders! You CAN'T use the ones from the press as those don't fit. So you buy a product that you can't use, but you have 2 adapters. So are them idiots or what!?????
There's a very good reason for the special shellholders- if you want the best "quick feel" and mechanical advantage when priming, a short stroke is required. Traditional shellholders are twice as thick, so require twice as much travel, equating to 1/2 the mechanical advantage. Have you seen the price for the shellholder set? It is super-affordable.
$25 for the entire set.