RCBS bench top primer seater?

M3845708Bama

Active Member
Tired of squeezing to seat primers or breaking parts to seat primers. Anyone had any issues with the RCBS bench top primer. I seat primer off bench in batches and still like that procedure. Getting old with arthritis. But still Beatles alternatives just some days more than others.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I love mine.
I actually have 2 of them.
[I have this thing about liking something and them discontinuing it about 2 years before mine breaks]

anyway you will develop a feeling for it just like a hand primer.
I usually seat the primer then do a quarter turn and give another firm press.
probably not necessary but that's how I do it.
you can fly through 100 primers in nothing flat and still be able to do other case prep things afterwards no problem.
it just uses regular shell holders but I have had to polish or run a rat tail file through one from time to time.
no big deal.

I use it conjunction with my Dillon primer tube fillers and keep a good supply of tubes on hand so I can just re-fill the press tubes from them.
I hate to do the poke,poke,poke thing, but got so I could do it with both hands at the same time.
the big metal Dillon flip trays will hold 300 primers and work super sweet.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Someone needs to invent a press priming system that uses those APS strips, or rather a full belt that coils up in a drum and holds about half a brick of primers.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
and a way to just dump a box of primers in a container and push a button and have the roll go back the other way to be refilled again.
 
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Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Haven't used anything but the RCBS bench priming tool in at least 3 decades. Except mine isn't bolted to the bench, it's bolted to a rectangular 3/4" block of steel that's just wider than the priming tool and twice as long, the priming tool is bolted near the front edge. To use it I set it about 1/2 inch from the edge of the bench and place about 15 pounds of weight on the rear of the steel block. Pushing down on the handle to seat the primer it takes X amount force to lift the rear of the block up off the bench. This way every primer is seated to exactly the same slight crush at exactly the same depth with the same amount of force. I also uniform all primer pockets of both virgin brass and after every firing.

It's kind of picking the fly poop out of the pepper barrel but when loading match ammo the firing pin strike not being exactly uniform on every shot does effect velocity variations and Standard deviation. It takes no longer to do it this way and it's been so long since I've done it any other way it's how I do all of my ammo, even plinking ammo.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
And yes, the Dillon primer flipper tray is the only one I've ever seen that actually holds a box of primers.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
I have had both the old non-magazine tube one and the new model. They work just fine if you have the room on your bench for them. They are very repeatable. However, they are gone and I have the late model Lachmiller that uses modern snap in shellholders. It is the model RCBS bought to make their first design. Not any better, I just like old stuff. But I normal use the old model Lee for most of my priming. It is because my arthritis Doc told me to keep using my hands or they would be crippled. So, loading 4000 primers a year one at a time is my therapy.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
It is a plus for me not bolting it to the bench permanently taking up bench space, when finished I just pick it up and put it away. :)
 

dale2242

Well-Known Member
I have never used a hand priming tool.
I primed with the press back when I started loading in the early 60s.
I then used the bench mounted Lachmiller tool that you had to hand feed the primers one at a time.
I bought the RCBs as soon as it came out. I like not touching the primers with my hands at any time in the loading process.
The primer feed tubes and primer flipper trays sold me on it.
With the long handle, it would look like it has too much leverage to get a good feel when seating primers.
With a little experience, you get a great feel for the pressure it takes to seat a primer properly.
It1s a great tool in my opinion...dale
 

M3845708Bama

Active Member
Haven't used anything but the RCBS bench priming tool in at least 3 decades. Except mine isn't bolted to the bench, it's bolted to a rectangular 3/4" block of steel that's just wider than the priming tool and twice as long, the priming tool is bolted near the front edge. To use it I set it about 1/2 inch from the edge of the bench and place about 15 pounds of weight on the rear of the steel block. Pushing down on the handle to seat the primer it takes X amount force to lift the rear of the block up off the bench. This way every primer is seated to exactly the same slight crush at exactly the same depth with the same amount of force. I also uniform all primer pockets of both virgin brass and after every firing.

It's kind of picking the fly poop out of the pepper barrel but when loading match ammo the firing pin strike not being exactly uniform on every shot does effect velocity variations and Standard deviation. It takes no longer to do it this way and it's been so long since I've done it any other way it's how I do all of my ammo, even plinking ammo.[/QUOTE

Why do you not, use on plinking amo?
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
RCBS Bench top primer! Love mine!..... just got to keep tightening the bolts from time to time ...not a big deal
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
My bench primer is mounted to a scrap piece of 2 x 6, which I C-clamp to the bench, when in use. I like it for priming large batches of cases. When I only have a few to prime, I just grab one of the various hand primers, laying around. Since I have several, they are set up according to primer size.....no need to spend time re-configuring.
 

M3845708Bama

Active Member
My bench primer is mounted to a scrap piece of 2 x 6, which I C-clamp to the bench, when in use. I like it for priming large batches of cases. When I only have a few to prime, I just grab one of the various hand primers, laying around. Since I have several, they are set up according to primer size.....no need to spend time re-configuring.

Mine came in and I mounted it to a double layer of 3/4" plywood. It works great, would highly recommend it if you are looking for way to ease stress on hands or off machine prime large numbers of brass.
 

Intel6

Active Member
I got a "vintage" one in a trade of a bunch of reloading stuff. Never used one and actually didn't think I would use it as I am used to using a old version Lee hand primer and have been for many years. Well there is one instance were I cant use the Lee hand primer and have to break out the old Lee press mounted priming system that uses regular shell holders. It is when I need to prime up a batch of .460 Weatherby Magnum cases as they do not work with the hand prime. Well the Lee press mounted thing is crappy but it was my only option and then I remembered the RCBS one I had sitting on the shelf. It was mounted to a small piece of plywood so I can clamp it to my bench. I have never even seen one before and never used it but it worked great and was much easier than that Lee thing. Now I use it for large revolver cases and other things as it is so easy to use. I am just glad I kept it around and didn't get rid of it like I figured I would.

By the way Ian RCBS does make a bench mounted priming tool that uses the strips:

RCBS APS priming tool
 

M3845708Bama

Active Member
And yes, the Dillon primer flipper tray is the only one I've ever seen that actually holds a box of primers.

The. Round red Lees will also hold a full 100 of the CCIs. Not much extra. Room but it does work. The RCBS system is a pleasure to use.