How many of you prefer a hand primer vs. press mounted priming? I have always used the RCBS press mounted system with primer tubes but am curious if there is some advantage to the hand priming method? If so which hand primer do you use, recommend, avoid at all cost? I'm always willing to change my process up if there is a true advantage to one method over another.
I use the RCBS hand primer for small batch loading, but doing more than a hundred or two can be a drag, especially if the primer pockets are tight. However, I dislike press-mounted priming systems. My compromise was finding a deal (~$75) on a RCBS benchtop priming system. No more "Popeye forearm", but still has enough "feel" to know whether the primer pocket is too tight or too loose. If it's too loose, I immediately de-prime with the Frankford Arsenal hand de-priming unit, and test the primer pocket with the Ballistic Tools Primer Pocket Gauge. If it's truly loose, it goes in the recycle bucket...if not, I re-prime knowing that the pocket is in spec.
When I started reloading I used the primer set up on my rockchucker. I soon changed to a lee handprimer, it broke. Bought another lee, it broke, so I bought a Sinclair hand priming tool, it was awesome. Ive still got the Sinclair, but currently use the frankford arsenal hand primer. I definitely like hand priming more that press priming. Is there any real world benefit to it? I don’t think so. The benefit to me is being mobile with it, I can prime in the living room and hang out with my wife, I can take it to work and prime brass on slow days.
I use the rcbs universal hand primer, works great for most applications. I like being able to prime away from the press. Don't get a lee! I've tried 3 different ones, they all suck. Cheap plastic parts. I like all the other lee products, just not the hand primers.
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I got tired of fiddling with the priming system on my pro1000, so I started hand priming with the lee hand primer.
I got tired of smashing sideways primers with the lee, so I switched over to the RCBS APS strip tool and loader.
The APS tool works so amazingly well, I didn’t even bother messing with the priming system when I got a loadmaster. But I might eventually look into getting a bench mounted APS primer.
Rcbs hand primer. I like that I can feel how loose the primer pockets are while priming. I prime a bunch of brass and store them in good ammo cans to be ready when I need them.
Thanks all. I got an RCBS APS when I got my current reloading set up some 30 years ago and it's still new in the box. Hell I've never even opened the box to see what it looks like or what was included. Loading the strips to me always seemed like it would be a PITA. I'm thinking I may try the FA hand primer, it got the nod in some of the previous threads on the subject while the Lee sounds like a real POS.
The APS strips aren't that bad to load, but it is an additional step. If you go on YouTube, Iraqveteran8888 has a really good video on using the RCBS strip loader and the press-mounted APS primer. Really quick and easy once you have the strips loaded up, which you can do in advance. However, as far as hand primers go, the FA hand primer would get my vote due to adjustable seating depth. I'm not a big fan of proprietary shell holders, but not a deal breaker. I'm sure you can sell your APS hand primer and recoup most of the cost of the FA.
Originally Posted by cynjon
The frankford arsenal hand primer uses lee auto prime shell holders. They are definitely not proprietary. It comes with its own set but interchange with the lee.
JTD
Gotcha...never used the Lee Auto Prime so might as well be proprietary compared to the RCBS/Hornady shell holders that I have for all my cartridges already.
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