Lee priming tool

[Caveman Jim]

I bought some new Lee priming tools last year, a small & large and have been using the small primer here and there but I have never use the large priming too, until yesterday. I installed the #11 shell holder, loaded a hundred REM 1 1/2 LPP's into the tray and shook it to get the primers to get them going in line just fine. The primers would not load into the slot that pushes the primer up into the next stage before pushing the primer into the pocket.

What I noticed was that the plunger sits an eighth of an inch proud of the tray.
How can that be possible? I traded the lever from the small unit to the large one and WALLAH!!! It worked so I compared the two and one lever measures longer and does not work in the small or large unit…
Me thinks I'm gonna have to contact Lee personally.
See pics.

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[nammac]

That's most assuredly a call to Lee, never seen that happen. That's the old style tool too, they don't look like that anymore.

 

[Caveman Jim]

That's most assuredly a call to Lee, never seen that happen. That's the old style tool too, they don't look like that anymore.

It's probably been more than a year ago, you know I'm old and can't even remember what I had for breakfast.
Now I seem to remember these came with a Classic Turret kit that I got a while ago.

 

[robertvarner]

Jim,
I had the same issue a while back, contacted Lee and they sent the replacement module that pushes the primer into place.

I've got it as a backup, but I have since switched over to a Franklin Hand Primer. What a difference!

 

[HighlandLofts]

That's what happens when you buy bottom or the barrel products.

 

[RVTECH]

That's the old style tool too

No, it is the new style, or the next step up from the old style which only has one plunger lever and is essentially 'flat' and not curved like this one and works great. I have one and been using it for years with no issues.

The 'new style' has been criticized for a variety of issues.

The #1 problem with the 'old style' was the flat finger lever sometimes breaking off due to a weak casting but the way to avoid breakage is to simply press the lever at about the midpoint and not stress the casting. Otherwise they work great.

Try to find an original one. They are unobtanium.

 

[Caveman Jim]

That's what happens when you buy bottom or the barrel products.

Just can't afford the Hoity-Toity products.

 

[Certaindeaf]

They look like a totally different style from one another.. old/new?

 

[RVTECH]

They look like a totally different style from one another.. old/new?

Original, 'old' style. Like mine.

I'm thinking of 'fabbing' a new finger lever out of solid alum to replace the original before it breaks.

 

[HighlandLofts]

I never had any luck with the Lee customer service so most of my stuff is either RCBS or Hornady.
Frankford Arsenal has great customer service too.

 

[RVTECH]

I never had any luck with the Lee customer service so most of my stuff is either RCBS or Hornady.
Frankford Arsenal has great customer service too.

This is too bad 'cause Lee has been around a while....

If I had to buy a new hand primer it would most likely be RCBS.

 

[robertvarner]

That's what happens when you buy bottom or the barrel products.

When I was starting out, I didn't want to drop several thousand dollars on technology I wasn't sure about and a potential hobby that I wasn't sure I could handle. Once I became familiar with whether I wanted to prime my ammo with a hand primer, a progressive press, or a turret press, I changed what I used and knew how to evaluate what fit my needs.

And, sometimes you use what you have the funds to buy.

In my mind, there's also nothing wrong with starting out on-the-cheap and making an "informed decision" later.

 

[nammac]

Original, 'old' style. Like mine.

I'm thinking of 'fabbing' a new finger lever out of solid alum to replace the original before it breaks.

View attachment 1463056

Killed two of those, but it took more than two decades to achieve. Those ran pretty flawless, at least for me…. Miss the "old" old style…

 

[Caveman Jim]

I have the RCBS APS (uses strips) setup for SRP & SPP's and since I don't normally load LR & LP I'd rather use what I got on hand.

 

[oremike]

I went with the Lee Bench primer for all the ammo I don't load on a progressive press and haven't looked back.

Lee Precision, Inc.. Auto Bench Prime

The easiest, most convenient bench mounted priming tool on the market. Symmetrical design allows effortless right or left hand operation. Comfortable lever with just the right amount of mechanical advantage effortlessly seats even the most difficult primers with just finger pressure. The perfect...

leeprecision.com

 

[whiskeybill]

I had the old Lee priming tool (Round tray) that lasted maybe 8 years, then the handle broke. By that time, that was no longer available, and the new square tray model ended up on my bench. That was a PITA. The primers constantly got sideways and stuck in the little feed channel. The handle was the same old cheap pot metal, and I figured it would break at some point as well. I bought the K&M priming tool to try. Yes, you have to put one primer at a time in. Is it slow? Yeah, but faster than constantly futtzing with a malfunctioning primer feed tray. Is it better built? Yes, it's machined steel and aluminum alloy. Nothing more aggravating than sitting down to prime several hundred cases and having a priming tool come apart in your hands. The K&M tool uses the Lee priming shell holders, so I had those already. RCBS had a similar hand priming tool to the K&M years ago, and I liked it, but it too was cheap pot metal casting. Why of course, it broke. I just wanted something of quality that would last.

K&M Primer Deluxe Hand Priming Tool

If you want the ultimate in hand priming tools - the K&M Primer Deluxe will fit the bill. Benchrest Shooters seat the primer until they...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[Mikej]

When ever I'm reading these stories of reloaders just starting, or having some kind of issues, I feel like I musta lucked out when I started loading. BiMart on a Black Friday sale in 2011, and got the RCBS kit for $249.00.

Not a problem with anything. Well, yes, there was an issue with frozen threads in the rifle metering drum on the powder measure. RCBS had the replacement drum to me in a couple of days.

 

[wombatz]

I loaded a *lot* of primers with the Lee old style (round) tool. They worked well over the years but I was very happy to have switched over to the
"Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Perfect Seat Hand Priming Tool". Currently $80 at MidwayUSA.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I went with the Lee Bench primer for all the ammo I don't load on a progressive press and haven't looked back.

Lee Precision, Inc.. Auto Bench Prime

The easiest, most convenient bench mounted priming tool on the market. Symmetrical design allows effortless right or left hand operation. Comfortable lever with just the right amount of mechanical advantage effortlessly seats even the most difficult primers with just finger pressure. The perfect...

leeprecision.com

I bought one but unfortunately it was defective and broke, I returned it and acquired the RCBS APS.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I had the old Lee priming tool (Round tray) that lasted maybe 8 years, then the handle broke. By that time, that was no longer available, and the new square tray model ended up on my bench. That was a PITA. The primers constantly got sideways and stuck in the little feed channel. The handle was the same old cheap pot metal, and I figured it would break at some point as well. I bought the K&M priming tool to try. Yes, you have to put one primer at a time in. Is it slow? Yeah, but faster than constantly futtzing with a malfunctioning primer feed tray. Is it better built? Yes, it's machined steel and aluminum alloy. Nothing more aggravating than sitting down to prime several hundred cases and having a priming tool come apart in your hands. The K&M tool uses the Lee priming shell holders, so I had those already. RCBS had a similar hand priming tool to the K&M years ago, and I liked it, but it too was cheap pot metal casting. Why of course, it broke. I just wanted something of quality that would last.

K&M Primer Deluxe Hand Priming Tool

If you want the ultimate in hand priming tools - the K&M Primer Deluxe will fit the bill. Benchrest Shooters seat the primer until they...

www.midwayusa.com

I also had one of those models, they are made more for precision shooting than plinking and yes they were too slow for the job I have.