Lee Priming tool

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
A year or so ago, I bought the newest Lee Priming tool.
Ended up being a nightmare for me !!
Jams, Jams, Jams, Jams.
Mine would even push the clear plastic lid off and spill primers in the floor.
I came close to throwing the whole thing in the trash can.

I read everything that I could read about the tool, thinking that there was some small thing that I was doing wrong.
I was never able to get mine to work properly ( BTW, I don't think I'm the only person to have jaming problems with the tool ).

I decided to take corrective measures.
It is slower after my modicication, but it is 101% flawless in operation now.

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Here is the tool after " clean - up "
If you don't mind picking up primers and placing them in the tool, this system works flawlessly :

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Works flawlessly now !

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Intheshop

Banned
What I don't understand is;the original auto primes,got one each...large and small primers,have worked flawlessly for 30+ years.Had to order new clear tops.....but that's it.Apparently others feel the same because,a cpl years ago I got one of the originals off epay for a son.Looking at the bay as real-time data....the original is or does bring good money.I was patient and got it "cheaper".

So,if you have an accepted product,you're already tooled up for....why change it,and in this case make them almost unusable?

Did someone swallow or blow themselves up with the original,necessitating a design change or sumthin?
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I miss the old round style. Other than suffering from a priming lever that was prone to breakage they just worked.
I have a newer style and the lid is a joke.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Those that know me, know I am a "tool nerd" as well as Antique Reloading Tool Collectors member. I have tried every priming tool that I have seen and I still like the little die-cast Lee's the best. You have to look for the right shellholders, and it isn't the strongest, but works as designed.
 

Maven

Well-Known Member
Ben's fix is probably the most useful in the long run. I have two of those tools and find that one is virtually flawless and as reliable as the round tray Lee devices. The other? Not so much. OTOH. the best priming tool I owned was a well used Lachmiller (interchangeable shell holders), which I gave to a new reloader/shooter.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I own a 15 year old Hornady and it is miserable to use. The newer Lee with square tray is better than the Hornady.
Lee made a great tool in the round tray priming tool, they just made it from cheap material. One identical to the round tray Lee made from steel would be great.
 

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
One identical to the round tray Lee made from steel would be great.

I think the problem with the old style , which Lee has announced it will not even make parts for, is that the primer that was about to be seated was in the same plane with all the other primers in the feed tray.

Obviously their lawyers didn't like that design.

Ben
 

Ian

Notorious member
Obviously their lawyers didn't like that design.

Yup. I bet not one of the staff attorneys has ever used one of their own products. I don't believe anyone ever actually tried to use one of the STUPID new perforated, triangular foldy-thingy excuse for a primer tray that Lee is foisting upon us now before they put them into production, or if they did,,they didn't use it for handling primers. Maybe picking their nose or scratching their bu....errr.. back or something, but not to feed a priming mechanism because it absolutely is 100% incapable of functioning in that regard.
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
I bought the priming tool for the 4 hole lee press. What a piece of crapola it is. Thought
maybe it was just me, so asked Free bullet to take a look, as he is mechanically inclined
and I am not period. His conclusion was the same as mine after an hour of screwing with
the thing. It is Rube Goldberg construction out of flexable plastic tri fold primer holders,
that are rinky dink of the first water. The part holding the primers to go into the primer
holder on the press, works maybe 30% of the time, and the rest of the time primers go
every which way, mostly on the floor. Were I Lee, I would admit defeat on this piece of
garbage and start over by engineering a solid functioning product made of quality material.

Paul
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
978504.jpg

they tried copying a 100% successful design.
I hear of no one using it [it's on sale for like 29$]
versus the 85$ rcbs unit.
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Ian

Notorious member
Paul, I actually like the safety-prime system and mine works very well.......HOWEVER mine is the old style with the round trays and it actually does work. It looks dumb and feels cheesy but it works pretty well. That goofy fold in half tray pictured above is pure junk, plain and simple, and renders any of Lee's priming systems absolutely useless. I can't believe they actually quit making all the other trays and replaced them with this one. The Pro-1000 presses and extra priming systems all come with those now, as does the safety-prime kit (bought an extra one of those just like yours and got the rude surprise) I've tried them and they are simply a joke.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
IMHO, this is Lee's primary error, they don't use ".... made of quality material" like KHornet says. I have a hard time believing that the ONLY way they can keep their prices the cheapest is to use only the cheapest materials.
 

uncle jimbo

Well-Known Member
Looked at what you done with your hand primer to make it work. It is sad because the first lee hand held primer tool I bought is the same thing. One primer at a time. 100% reliable. I still have it and it works just fine although I don't use it any more, I bought a auto prime back when they first came out, the one with the the round tray, and it works just great. I do remember when they came out and said that it was not safe to use because some primers would detonate with it and you needed to send it back and they would credit some money against the new one they would sent you. I ask my self why it was not safe now when it is the same thing I had been using for so many years that I don't remember how long age I got. it. So I never sent it in and still use it to this day. I am with you Brad, it had something to do with lawyers. Some fool was doing something it was not designed to do and detonated a primer. And now they are not safe.20170921_143545.jpg I bet you could still found one of these old ones if you looked.
 

Kevin Stenberg

Well-Known Member
I am with Ian, the Safety prime works very good. I use it whenever I load on the 4 hole press. When I use my Loadmaster I always prime off press with my 20+ year old RCBS hand primer.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
they are saying it works, but more importantly it works right out of the box.
that is actually a good thing IMO.