So I've been using the Lee manual priming tool for years and years. I have one for small primers and one for large primers. It's been working okay and without a lot of drama. However, today while priming some 17 Hornet brass, I really struggled in keeping the primers in the correct orientation and overall ease of priming, which is something I'd not experienced before. It was enough that it made me a bit twitchy and concerned about a primer detonation. I don't like that.

So, those of you who manually prime your brass, what brand of primer tool do you use or what would you recommend?

I've used several hand priming tools and I've primed on presses in the last fifty-five years. All I've used for several years now is the 21st Century hand priming tool. Good quality and works better than anything I've used in the past.

Lyman. Works well and is reasonably priced. Plus it uses your usual shell holders.

I have used the Sinclair for years. Not cheap but it is a quality piece of equipment.

25 years and still works. Parts for repair available if needed.

Swifty, Santa brought me one of those this past Christmas. The best thing since sliced bread. Where in Hell have I been for all these years?

Have used the lee and rcbs handheld.

I prefer using my rockchucker.

How do you feed it?

I also prefer using my rockchucker. It came with the press and supreme kit, why not use it huh? It always baffles me when I see guys waste their hard earned money on extra gizmo's they don't need... This reloading chit can be easy and kept to a minimum, or it can be made more complicated.

KISS

I been using the Rcbs hand priming tool that came with my rock chucker 12 yrs ago.. works great, never cared for the priming tool on the press..

The RCBS Automatic Bench Priming Tool is a great tool for the reloader looking for fast, accurate and highly sensitive feel when seating primers. One of the attributes that seasoned reloaders look for in a priming tool is the "feel" so they can tell how deep a primer has been seated, and if the primer they just seated felt like the primer they seated 10 rounds ago. By having a tool that provides sensitive feel reloaders can tell how consistent their priming operation is which helps to create more accurate ammunition. One other great attribute of this priming tool is that it helps to virtually eliminate primer contamination. Primers are fed through auto primer feed tubes one-by-one helping to maintain the integrity of primers by preventing potential contamination from oily fingers. All reloaders have to do to fill up the primer tubes is dump their primers into a primer flipping tray then use the primer pick-up tubes to pick up primers, so there should not be a chance for contamination.

Notes: Comes with large and small primer tubes, primer cups and priming rod assemblies

Made In United States of America

Thanks Swifty

Everybody has their own opinions but for me the K&M hand priming tool has the best feel of them all and is cheaper than the Sinclair and 21st Century.
A bit slow being a single feed. The priming tool I use the most is the RCBS 90200 (they make a couple models but this is the one I like best)
I have 2 of these one for large and one for small.

This is almost like going back to the era of the caveman..........OSU Sig, don't do this !!!!!!!!!!

Lyman ram prime..

RCBS Rock Chucker kit...their hand priming tool... plus two others I bought separate...

one for 223, one for .473 bolt face and one that was for Magnums, which I don't seem to shoot.. so I just changed the shell holder on it for priming Grendel brass....

boatanchor, you bring very little to the table in the way of advice. You should take up fishing or something.. Find something you are good at, because it sure as chidt isn't reloading and shooting or firearms related. Your post in the optics forum is funny as well. Pretty clueless...

Aps system has some very good merits

I've heard good things about the K&M tool. I hear guys talking highly about the 21st century tool at our matches. They are mostly the F Open guys. It all depends on what you are after. I do not think my bench mounted rcbs primer is holding me back for my purposes, but it could for other venues. I only use my press mounted priming arm for pistol ammo these days.

Currently using the Frankford Arsenal hand priming tool. Very nice!

I've used the Sinclair tool for several years.

I have one of these but prefer the RCBS hand held.

I was somewhere last week and saw a hand primer by Hornady that looked like the old round Lee tool.
Did the buy the rights to the design?
Anyone know?

Lee Ergo-Prime.

Nothing wrong with the old Lees. Ed k

I started using the press tool but went to the Lee hand prime tool.

Now i use the RCBS bench tool and find it faster and seems to have a good feel when seating primers.

RCBS bench top

fast & effective

Best $100 you'll spend on reloading tools

That's the way I'm leaning.

Count me as another vote for the RCBS bench tool. Mine's 25 or so years old too with no problems ever. Sometimes the last one or two primers in the tube dont end up in the cup right, but it's always when I'm hurrying.

I have found that when primers don’t seem to fit in the cup right, that the plunger has loosened a little. Every once in awhile I will pull the shroud down and tighten the plunger. I keep a large head decapping pin handy or a small Allen wrench which fits the hole in the plunger. Give it a little tweak and all is well.

Thanks Swifty, Just checked the plunger for looseness. It was still tight. I'm pretty sure it's the loose screw behind the lever. The offending primers stand on their sides or just fail to feed when I'm moving too fast. It's a hobby... a pastime. If I go slow but steady it works flawlessly.

I use an old Lee AutoPrime. It’s a great priming tool, but it’s a bit dangerous too! I will never change unless I run out of parts. They stopped making them long ago.

Does the automatic primer feed on a Dillon 650 qualify as a priming tool? I just it "just for priming" sometimes. Great feel and speed.