Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire I Wish I Had:

Invented the Lee Auto Prime. Seems as if every reloading bench I have ever seen has at least a couple of these.

They are ubiquitous.

I recently learned they have a bench mounted unit and I wanted to try it, but the reviews are highly unfavorable. RCBS has a bench mounted unit, but it's 3 times more money than the Lee. My lee works too well for me to spend that kind of money.

I like the Lee but broke something like 3 handles. They made good each time, but that particular product didn't work out for me. Love their dies and simple presses.

Try the Lyman hand priming tool..Similar to the Lee, but a LOT more durable and uses your regular shell holders. Priced about $48 IIRC..

I have user many hand tools over the years and they all have had their problems. I now an using the RCBS bench tool that used standard shell holders. I wish I had switched years ago. As the years have gone by arthritis has come calling. The RCBS has solved that problem for me as far as priming goes and I really like the feel of seating it gives me. Worth every penny and more.

There was a company that was making them out of billets that used the Lee tray, but they were crazy expensive.

I, too broke several handles until I discovered the secret;

The metal of the handle and the plunger lever tend to gall really badly and stick, requiring more force to seat a primer.

Lube the contact points between the handle and plunger lever with a grease. Once I did that, I haven't broken a handle in over 20 years.

Ed

This, I have several RCBS tools that are ok, hornady's wore out quickly and wont seat all the way. Have lee's setting there in several headsizes ready to go

I gave up on them as pot metal junk when we started shooting competition. It was so easy to bend the levers priming thousands of rounds of 223, they'd send multiple parts of them that would bend and break.

But I finally moved to RCBS and other hand priming tools and have not broken a thing on the others.

Sure isn't a bad deal for the guy that loads up a few boxes though, but even in that deal, I can prime 60 cases just fine with the press if need be.

The real cats azz was the RCBS hadn prime that used primers on strips... man you could really get after it with that setup.

I did that... still bent handles... if primer pockets are snug, you eventually bend em. First time I bent/broke I started looking and lubed.. it made a bit of difference but not enough in the end.

My experience is like Jeff's. The Lee's worked okay, but were just not durable enough. Maybe it's just me, but after having a couple of Lee Auto Primes go belly up I got an RCBS about twenty-some years ago and have had no issues since.

I broke one lever on the Lee. When I called for a replacement, I was told to lube the contact areas. Well, I ordered two levers just in case, but after 20 years the second is still in the spare parts bin.

One of Murphy's Laws "You don't break things you have spares for"

at least not near as often....

LOL

I only buy RCBS reloading equipment. The stuff is a little more expensive but I haven't had a problem with anything.

I wish I had:

Invented Zip Cable Ties.

I bought one of the Lee tools years ago, broke the handle off within about 20 minutes, threw it away.

I have used the Lee Auto Prime that is mounted on a press and would not trade it for any other.

This I agree on. Or Velcro

Me too - only exception is the Dillon 550 press, used for handgun cases only..

Everything else is RCBS. And the hand-priming tool from them has worked flawlessly for probably 2 decades or more..