Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Best hand priming tool

After 4 years of having a Hornady Lock and Load Relaoding kit, I decide to reload some .308 to start out with. I used the hand priming tool that came with the Hornady kit. I did the first twenty cases with no issues. I came back the next day and it started double feeding primers and the tool was jammed like a SOB. I finally got the jam fixed, but I broke the black Hornady plate, so I switched to the green plate and RCBS shell holders. After about 4 cases, it started double feeding and hanging up again. Needless to say, I am not happy with it, and I want a new hand priming tool. What does everyone suggest/recommend? Thanks.

I like the Sinclair and have had mine for a long time, it is a quality piece of equipment. Not everyone would drop the coin on one.


https://www.sinclairintl.com/reload...ols/sinclair-priming-tool-prod37732.aspx

Sinclair

Sinclair

I have used the old round Lee priming tool for many years, I have two, but they don’t make it anymore. I’ve bought several replacement parts as they broke over the years. I always bought extras, so they will probably last until I have loaded my Lastround. I don’t know what I would buy if they don’t.

Same here...I have two round ones and one new square one. I much prefer the round one. I’ve bought a couple more round tools via eBay for parts, which turned out to be a smart move. I must not be alone because they can get pricey on eBay at times.

I've had the Lee's, a Sinclair, RCBS, and the 21st Century- the only one I've used for the last few years. I think it's the best of the bunch but the Sinclair is a close second.

For single priming the K&M is better for me than the Sinclair, but for hi volume hand priming the RCBS 90200 is the best way to go, I have 2 one for small primers one for large and they last much longer than the Lee.

Lee tool and still using the original one purchased, but have two spares.

I liked the old Lee tool and have two. I switched to the RCBS universal primer as I did not have all the shell holders I needed. Not having to buy different shell holders makes the RCBS pretty economical. Have not felt the need to get anything else. I dislike the press mounted primer attachments as they don't have the same feel as the hand held primer tools. I have also seated some backwards with the tube type feeders, popped one and that is enough.

I've used the RCBS with the round tray for many years with complete satisfaction, tried the one with the universal shellholder that used primer strips did not like it at all.

I have the 21st century with the Lee primer holder. It doesn't look like it is made any more. I like it as well as the RCBS model with the square tray where the jaws are spring loaded.

Thanks for the picture, Roundoak, that is the exact one that I have. The only breakage I have had is the lever itself, of which I still have two spares. I’ve also found that a little grease on the pivot helps reduce wear and tear.

Have used a bunch over the years...Lee, RCBS (square primer tray), K&M, Lyman tong tool, Recent Lyman.

The Lee feels cheap and like it's going to break, but I have loaded thousands of rounds w/o any problems. RCBS is junk, replaced with a new Lyman which is even worse. The K&M is the cats azz. Good feel positive
seating. Just good quality.

Believe it or not the old lyman tong tool with the priming die is a great tool if you can find one. Easy to grip, positive seating and relatively fast.

The new Lyman is the most recent purchase and by far the worst. Jamming, double priming, side ways primers, etc.

For the money the Lee round tray is pretty good.

I have each tool set up for different shell holders and leave them set up so I am good to go w/o any dicking around.


Lefty C

My first hand priming tool was the Lee "original" and rebuilt it twice before going to the tool with primer tray. I agree, a little grease is good advice.

I have a couple RCBS, they are great

I like my RCBS with the round primer tray. But after 30+ years of use, the plastic inserts are starting to break. I need to call RCBS for some replacement parts.

I like my RCBS priming tool but Remington LR primers are too thick as in "tall" for reliable feeding. For those I use a Lee tool with the round tray.

They will send you them for free. They have sent me parts I’ve lost. Great people!

I've used both versions of the RCBS hand primer as well as the Hornady. I'm now using the Frankfurt Arsenal unit and like it better than anything I've used previously. You have to use their shell holders that come with the unit but they cover most cartridges. The only cartridge I load for that they don't have a shell holder for is the 450/400 NE, and maybe the 22 Hornet (can't remember).

They are sending me the pieces under warranty. I told them I'd used it for 30 years or so and asked what did I need to do to get replacements. Great company.

I have a Lee. I also have the two that RCBS makes. I recently bought a Forster bench mounted one. It works better than any of the others. Loading primers is a little slow. But then it’s easy and fast. Hasbeen

I've used an RCBS and a Lee and like JGray, I now use a Frankford Arsenal hand priming tool. Works great and provides good feel and feedback when seating primers. Best of all, it allows you to adjust seating depth.

I went from Lyman, to RCBs, to LEE.... then Sinclair,...

Of late I tried the newer square try RCBS hand primer tool... I like it a lot and seem to use it more than others.

+1, excellent tool, but Sinclair is never a bad choice either.

I also like the original Lee for low volume work, but can't find some shell holders that I need; the Frankford does all that the Lee ever did & more with move leverage too.

MM

I had a good RCBS tool but after some decade the handle broke and the replacement didn't work real well, left primers "proud". I switched to Sinclair. Last summer I picked up a new RCBS to do some cartridges I hadn't loaded for in a long time. This one is good, seats primers deep. I haven't picked up the Sinclair (I have 2) since.

Tom

If you're loading hunting/plinking ammo, then the LEE is really better than the press, and cheaper than anything else that works really well. If cost is no object and you are striving for best accuracy, then the K&M is top of the line. Recently bought one, and it is the only one on the market that does EXACTLY what I want it to do.

My favorite is one I not really sure of the maker. Hand held one primer at a time hand loaded. Mequeon? 30-06 size holder, so works for most of my rifle cartridges and 45 ACP pistol. Have a RCBS as well, but a bit of a pain to setup, and a Lee setup that works with the press. Neither are as easy as the hand held unless doing volume reloading.

I used the Lee hand primer tool for years, but now almost exclusively use their table top prime tool. Way easier to get tight primers in. I mounted on a small piece of plywood and clamp it to my workbench when it's time to prime. Love that darn thing.

Once upon a time, I remember reading that a lot of the benchrest competitors were using and praising the old round tray Lee hand primers. I'm sure the K&M is great but the Lee surely can't be THAT far behind it, in terms of producing accurate ammo ... How much difference do any of them really make, in terms of accuracy? So long as they get the primer seated...

I bet when used properly, most priming tools have little impact on accuracy.

I think the differences between priming tools lies in convenience, ease of use, and time savings.

Yup. Tolerances, leverage, ergonomics, seating depth adjustment, etc.

It's not about just seating the primer, it's about getting exactly the same crush/preload on each one for consistent ignition and best accuracy. The same thing can be said about seating dies, but most everyone can agree that the ones with a sliding sleeve produce the most concentric ammo.

I had read once that getting the same preload made a difference, and the only way I could get that was to sort cases by rim thickness, primers by height, and adjust the shims on my Sinclair tool to get the same amount of .003 with a set of depth mics. A real set of depth mics. Not that junk on the end of a calipers lol. I fired 2 10 shot groups alternating each shot on 2 targets and the uniformed group was almost half the size of the other seated with a LEE. It worked, but was tedious beyond anything I wanted to keep doing. Readjusting the shims in the tool for each different size primer wasn't a good solution.

The K&M tool compensates for all of the variables and allows you to make them all have the amount of pre load you wish, which is important to me.

At $147.00, it's not for everyone unless you really need it, or just want it. If someone isn't shooting over windflags, they would be wasting their time and money.

That's very true, but between Sinclair, Frankford Arsenal, RCBS, LEE, etc, I've never noticed a repeatable accuracy difference between ammo seated with any of them, as long as the seating depth of primers in a given lot of ammo was consistent. Of course I'm not a BR shooter, so groups between 0.3-0.5 MOA are plenty good enough for what I do.

But I have noticed a very substantial difference between those tools in tolerance, ergo's, leverage, etc, which all make a difference in actual usage of the tools.

Sinclair is what I’ve used for years.

I'm using a 21st Century for rifle cartridges, its very well made and very comfortable in use, hard to imagine there is a better hand priming tool!

Well, I found a decent deal on a Frankford Arsenal hand primer, so I ordered it last night. It should be here Thursday, and hopefully I am back to hand loading soon. I've got some .30-06 and .300 WM brass prepped and just need to prime them to get moving. I don't think anything could have been worst than the Hornady hand primer, which is sad as I have so far had good luck with all my other relaoding equipment made by Hornady, Of course I am just getting started.