Lee Auto Prime Hand Priming Tool

Most of the tools I own are made by RCBS, but Lee makes a handful of tools that for effectiveness, value and simplicity can't be beat. Among these are their hand-held case trimmers, primer pocket cleaner, collet neck-sizing dies, and this one, the Auto-Prime. I've primed thousands of cases with mine with no problems whatsoever. Lightly greased the link when I first got it years ago, and haven't needed to since. If/when this one croaks I'll spend the low cost of 10 bucks for another one, having no regrets.

Purchase 2....one for large primers and one for small primers. Use a little grease on the moving contact points for smooth operation. NOTE: The lever is for your Thumb. The reason you use the thumb instead of your fingers is so you will be pointing the case that you are priming away from your face just in case a primer ignites....never had one ignite before but it could happen.

Great Tool! Once the moving parts are greased it goes fast and easy!

I bought one of these over twenty years ago, and after I don't know how many tens of thousands of rounds I think I've finally managed to wear it out. Considering I bought it for $12, I'd say I got my money's worth. Until today I've never had to replace a single part. It's commendably smooth, provided you lubricate it according to the instructions, and the thumb lever really lets you feel when the primer gets to the bottom of the pocket. I replaced with a brand-new Auto-Prime--I can't see a reason to buy anything else.

Quick, easy, positive priming. Well made. With this tool, I can feel the primers seat and know if anything is amiss. Priming on my press is slower, more difficult and less sure. I have yet to have a misfire in a hand load and attribute much of that to good priming with this tool.

I have used the LEE Priming tools for many years. When I introduced my father to the tool, he was a hard sell. He had primed many thousands of shells with the old primer arm method and wasn't about to change. After working with the tool for a few days, he said it was handier than a pocket in a shirt. He never went back to the way he used to prime brass again. When I recently did some reloading for my boys .270 WSM, I found that there was not enough clearance for the case on the "U" part of the tool that holds the shell holder. I again ran into this problem when I tried to prime .243 WSSM shells. I corrected the problem with my Dremel tool and the rubber drum sander to make this the perfect priming tool.

I like these tools a lot and own 3 but the seating effort can be painfully high in some cases. Slightly shortening the ram will increase the leverage and lessen the effort. The closer the lever gets to the body the greater the leverage. If you get it too short the lever will hit the body before the primer is fully seated and the tool will be useless. If you cannot keep the primer seating surface square then do not modify the tool. What would be nice is an adjustable feature but it would double the price of the tool.

Greatest thing since sliced white bread ! Have used this tool for some time now and it is fantastic ! Does a really good job on both new brass and de-crimped military brass. If the cat stole it, I'd order another one in a NY second !!

I have been using this tool for 20 years and all I can say is it works great for me as long as I do my part with the grease and a spare lever. The primer can be easily felt through the tool so you don't crush or over pressure the primer into the case. I would be happy to pay 3 times the price if they would use a better alloy for the thumb lever and connector. The lid is a breeze and the primers feed as they should face up.

Very Simple, Lee has done it again. If you don't own one, you should. Very easy to use, very easy to do a ton of shells very fast. I will buy another because they are so cheap and because I want to be able to have it ready for large primers. Great product and compared to the other companies that sell the same one, very affordable. There is no excuse, order one with the shell holders, you will thank me.

For hand priming, this tool makes it as easy as can be. Just drop primers into the tray, shake them, replace the cover, slide in a case and squeeze. I can prime several hundred rounds while watching my favorite shows and use my 'press time' for other steps.

I have used this tool for years now and it does a great job of seating primers, truly an awesome priming tool. I bought another brand once, other than Lee. It was a mistake. I had a lot of headaches with it & it cost 3 times as much as the Lee

Great tool for the money. Simple to use. I bought two and have one set up for small primers and one for large. For the price I would recommend this set up.

I have a single stage and a progressive press. Neither gives the feel and constant superior primer seating as this simple tool. You can feel the primer being seated. No high primers and after thousands of loads, no explosion. This is one quality item.

As a new reloader, I find this tool extremely easy to use. So far, I've primed over 1000 cases in about 2 1/2 hours. It is much faster than I anticipated it being. I have had a few flipped primers and only one actually seated sideways. That was right after I started using it and may have been more operator error than tool error. For the money you can't go wrong.

I think this is the best, most used and valuable reloading tool I own! Look at the price folks, this thing is a bargain. The feel that this tool gives you in priming cases is excellent. Absolutely THE best value product made in the reloading world.

I love it. So easy and very consistent.

I have used a Lee hand priming tool since before they had this model. The old ones were "one primer at a time". I have used this tool for over twenty four years with minimal problems. I have never had one break. I have four. I just modified one with a Dremel tool so that I can prime Winchester WSM rifle cases. About fifteen minutes with the Dremel got the job done. I find that this tool allows the user to feel the primers seat better for more consistent priming and NO HIGH PRIMERS ! Well worth the MONEY !

Not quite sure why this has got some bad ratings. I have had nothing but excellent service with this tool.

I've been using this tool for more than 10 years for both rifle and pistol and it's a fabulous product! Smooth, simple - you can feel the primer seating, robust construction and extremely affordable. THe cost of the tool and holders is much less than competing products -- and the Lee tool is the beter product! Some of the comments here regarding breaking handles, and flimsy construction make me wonder... If seating a primer requires so much force a handle breaks - there's something wrong and it's not with the tool... Similarly, if somehow one manages to break the primer tray - there's misuse involved. Read the directions. Use as directed. You'll be real happy with it - especially after you've tried some of the other products.

By far the best priming tool I have used. You can feel the primers seat so you don't end up with primers that aren't totally seated or crushed primers. This is truly a reloading best buy.

This is one tool that can't be beat. I like to feel the primer seat and this tool does exactly that. It is portable, subsequently, you can prime cases anywhere and it is fast easy, and efficient. A couple of shakes and all the primers are turned upside down, I once used it for all my cases. Now, I just use it to prime my rifle cases. It does a great job.

If you have a single stage press or dont like priming on your progressive, get this tool - it works great. I have primed well over a thousand cases on it - 30-06, 45ACP, 38, 357 and it performs pretty well. The primer flip tray works acceptably, but sometimes I notice a bit of stickiness when loading mostly larger primers - almost like the thing is catching somewhere. This is not a complaint - the primers don't get damaged and end up flush. You certainly can't beat the value that Lee offers in this tool either. Lee does recommend using a stouter primer in this tool (i.e. CCI) and flat out says not to use others as they are too soft. They are trying to protect against a detonation.

I have been using a Lee Auto Prime for several years with no problems. Gives me a positive feel when the primer is seated. Safe, very easy to use and fast. Get the shell holder set and you can prime anything.

Excellent tool for the high volume reloader, much faster than a press mounted tool. I like it much better than the RCBS tool my cousin has. It is very inexpensive to boot.

Outstanding value: inexpensive, simple, and reliable. I loved my brothers, so I bought my own. Love that one so much I bought one for a Christmas present. I'd recommend that the buyer also get the empty shellholder box and only buy the few sizes he really loads for, (unless you reload a WIDE spectrum); this keeps the complications as low as they are going to get & it makes for easy storage.

I first had my doubts about this tool from some of the reviews I've read. At the start of using it I wasn't to thrilled by it either. It felt rough and the priming felt different between primer to primer. Then I put a dab of white grease on the contact points (keeping it well away from the primer arm assembly) wow the difference. Flew through 300 primers in a heart beat. Feel of the unit is unreal. I love this tool. All it took was a dab of grease.

Just got mine, primed 50 rounds large pistol primers in no time. Works as described, seems to be built sturdy enough to last. I don’t foresee the handle breaking ,it primes so easy as to not to need a lot of pressure. Wish I would of bought a long time ago.

The best priming tool I own. Does not crush primers like RCBS tool occasionally do. Very easy to feel primers seat. The cast metal handle may break over time. This problem is easily resolved by taking the handle to a local tech school and have one made out of stainless steel. I would definitely buy again.

When I received the priming tool the first thing I did was read the instructions - doing this eliminates almost all of the "problems" you read about this tool in the reviews...they tell you to lightly grease all contact surfaces before use. If you are familiar with inserting primers you will know that excessive force is not needed / I don't understand how anybody can break the handle on one of these - if you have never done it a few trys will quickly give you the feel you need...a few thoughts -- sometimes primers can flip over if the cover raises up and you can end up with a primer going in upside down / if the lid is too loose for you, you can slip a piece of scotch tape in over the edge and that will solve the problem - also, if you are not paying attention and double pump the handle while you are priming you can get two primers in the shoot at one time...keep the tool tilted at the same angle during the entire process and once you start a stroke make sure you don't stop until the primer is seated and you will not have any problems...as with all reloading tasks - be awake and pay attention to the task at hand!

I've tried nearly every hand primer on the market and found this to be the BEST. Not one of the best, THE BEST. While it may appear delicate to some, it is well made and durable. After all, how much force is needed to prime? Leverage is good (I can prime with finger and thumb only with non-dominant hand.) It's comfortable in my hand and that's important to me. If I'm not loading on my blue progressive, I prefer this to priming on the press; the feel is SO much better. Do I need another? Not now but if this one does wear out, break, gets 'borrowed' or whatever, I'll get 2 more. And at the price you can have one set for every caliber you load. Okay, thats excessive but it would be worth it.

I've loaded well over twenty thousand rounds with one of these tools and never broken anything or worn any of the parts out. Feel is superb. I suggest you read the instructions, because lubricating the mechanism contact points is a must, but if you do, you won't be sorry. Inexpensive and efficient tool.

Excellent and sturdy tool with good feel. I have used mine for 15+ years I will sometimes use the Ram Prime for large rifle cases, but I use this device for all pistol calibers. At this price I would buy one for small primers and a second for large primers. It's not that hard to convert, but, hey!

This is the simplest easy to use tool I have ever used! I have used one for many years and primed many thousands of rounds with it. The price is not the best part!

When I first saw it, I thought it was a joke, but if you use one of these you will know that it is the fastest and easiest way to prime your cases. By far one of the best high quality low cost tools in my reloading tool inventory.

This tool has made priming much easier for me due to the speed and ease of this tool. I have yet to break a handle like some of the other reviews said and I am very pleased with it!

This is a gotta have product. Works great and very consistent. Prime cases anywhere, not tied to the reloading bench. I have 3 myself.

Very good priming tool, very easy to use and fast and does a great job. Never had any problems with mine, have been using the same tool for about 17 years now. If it ever wears out, I will buy another one.

Without even asking, or any prodding from me, Midway called and emailed me offering to send a new unit at no charge; and I could return the used one for a full refund, including the cost of return postage. Or, I could keep the used one as a spare. I elected to do the latter. Received the new one via USPS Priority Mail the same week, and I'm an ecstatic camper. You've earned my business, MidwayUSA!

The ONLY way to prime. Used mine for 20++ years. 1 each for small and large primers.

Very easy to use, very simple to assemble. No problems at all. Can really feel when the primer is fully seated. Amazing product at such a reasonable price. Thanks Midway and Lee!

This tool is fast. It is the best priming tool!

Lee from the Company that patented many of today’s Reloading Tools. Using the hand priming tool gives my hand feedback feel.

Since I just did a bad product review I felt I had to do a good one. This is a great tool and a wish I had never bought the Hornady priming tool. I've used several Lee tools over the last 12 years and this is the best. It works and does it for a third the cost of other tools. I've replaced most of the Lee tools I started reloading with RCBS and Hornady Equipment, but the Auto Prime just keeps going, pretty good for pot metal and plastic. Also, just want to say Richard Lee is probably the best thing to ever happen to reloading! He gets people started reloading with his low cost tools and that is good for everyone involved in the shooting sports.

I have primed thousands of rounds with this priming tool. It is inexpensive and does a great job. Gives a sensitive feeling for the primer seating. The folks that complain about the tool breaking are likely being heavy handed with it. It doesn't take a great deal of force to seat a primer.

Started reloading 49 years ago using Lee loaders (45 Colt and 357 Mag) and Lee single priming tool. Obtained first auto prime some 20 years ago, obtained second one some 10 years ago. Have one set up for small primers, the other for large. Have primed thousands of rounds without a single problem. Recently priming 270 brass the connecting rod broke on one, not sure if it was the old or newer auto prime. Email to Lee with problem, received answer that they were sending me another rode at no charge. I already ordered 2 new rods so now I have spares. A few days ago while priming 7 Mag brass the body of the auto prime split at the top over the shell holder. Again not sure if it was the old or newer unit. Didn't bother to contact Lee, figured 10 to 20 years of service without a problem, it was time for a new unit. Ordered a new auto prime plus another body and spare tool lever from Midway. That was this past Monday, this Wednesday my order just arrived. Great job Midway. I now have 3 tools with spare parts. They will last for the rest of my days. This is a great product as all of Lee's products are. Also, I have read some negatives reviews about the shell holders not being common to ones used in presses. Well, the shell holders are very cheap. I have holders for loading over 20 calibers. The same holder is used for my 243, 270, 30-06, 22-250 and 45 ACP, plus many other calibers that I don't load. Also, if you have a hand held bullet bullet (mine is an old RCBS), the Lee holders work much easier than the collets that come with the pullers. Slide the cartridge into the holder, drop it into the puller body, screw down the cap and you are good to go. This is just a great tool, and Lee's customer service is great as is Midway's.

This priming tool came with my Lee Challenger reloading press kit, and at first I was disappointed because I had wanted the Safety Prime to prime on the press. After having used this tool, I'm no longer disappointed. It's fast, effective, and I especially like how you can feel how the primer is being seated. I quickly got the hang of using this tool and priming with it is a breeze. One thought though - it seems to feed primers better if you only do 50 at a time, even though the tray is capable of holding a full tray of 100 primers. No matter though - loading primers into the tray is a simple process. I no longer want to prime on the press - this tool is all I need.

I give it a 5 star but keep in mind the tool leaves a margin for error. I cannot say enough about how easy it is to use and how well it works, only you have to pay attention to what you are doing as the primer can flip over allowing you to try to seat a primer upside down or at least cockeyed. You must also know I have seated 1000 plus cases of various calibers with it and for the price I paid and the time saved I have been WELL repaid for the money spent.

Absolutely awesome, as is usual with LEE stuff. I am buying another to dedicate to small and large primers. Primer goes in smoothly, the feel of a properly inserted primer is almost intuitive. A few at worst and you will get the feel of it (if it stops before inserting primer, you will feel it, then you need to center your brass or ream your pocket). It will not hold hundreds (I only will put in 50 at a time, it would probably hold 150. But to me 50 is safe, just in case...I personally do not use CCI primers.....as I have seen recommendations against, using this Tool).

Great tool, I prefer to prime off the press, and this tool works great.

Works really well. I read a review that said to put some lithium grease to pivot points in the handle and I have. 2000 rounds later there is still no noticeable wear great product for the cash.

Excellent value. I have two so I don't have to switch back and forth. No reason to spend one more cent on anything else.

Another one of those "must have" 5-star items for the reloading bench. Although there were some dependability issues with the original models and I'd break one every 5,000 rds, the newer models are pretty durable. These tools orient the primers properly and allow you to "feel" the primer seat very well. Yes, there are better hand primers available, but at a whole lot more money that I could never quite justify. This is a great unit for the person that loads 100-5,000 rds per year as it produces consistent, reliable results at modest cost.

I used the Lee Auto Priming Tool to prime over 1200 rounds and it worked quite well! I've yet to find a flaw with this system and would recommend this to anyone.

I have used the Lee auto prime for over a thousand rounds on my 357 and I am buying another one to use to reload my 45acp. It works easily, smoothly and effortlessly. The only thing I wish Lee would do is make the round tray larger or square instead. The primers come in a square card and it would make it easier to put the primers in the tray but even with that against it is still a 5 star rating. Awesome device and cheap enough to have one for every caliber you own.

I got the autoprime as part of the anniversary kit. It's an excellent tool. I did have to grind down an RCBS press shell holder and I had to grind off the lips around the ram to get primers to flow freely. Not the tool's fault though, I'm just a little impatient.

This has to be one of the best bargains I have seen. Works as intended and an excellent value for the money. Highly Recommend.

I started using this tool, in the 70's or 80's and have loaded 1000's of .270,30-06 .44 mag, 30-30's, .40 ,9mm, 45, and can't understand how anyone can have a hard time using it. I sit and watch T.V. while priming 100's of cases.

It's easy to use and makes priming seem like the easiest step of reloading. It does what it's supposed to do. Why would you spend 3 or 4 times more for another make that does the same thing? What a bargain!

Only complaint I have is the primer tray is to small to dump the primers right out of the tray in this tools tray but a little piece of plexie glass is all it takes plus when you put the primers on the plexie glass and use the slide cover on the primers to slide them in to the feeding tray 95% or better are already pointing the right way. I have owned 2; I wore out 1 of them. No complaints about the tool it is simple in construction easy to use and you are not going to beat the price. I recommend buying the shell holder set and with the set it will prime almost anything. With the lee auto prime you get what you pay for and a lot more.

The Lee hand prime tool works fast and very well. I was able to prime over 100 shells in half the time as my regular press. Great product.

Works great, happy with the product! Just thought it was dirty to make my buy a shellholder specifically for the tool.

I love it except for the fast primers flip kind of easy if you aren't paying attention and I had to trim where the primers feed because there wasn't enough clearnace for the primers to feed. Prime on the sofa or the back porch, anywhere.

Good tool. Works well if you pay attention as primers can sometimes flip over and you can also get high primers if you short stroke the lever. If you buy one I strongly urge you to get a couple of connecting rods as that is the week link to the system. They break on a regular basis and can really be frustrating if it happens in the middle of priming a few hundred cases. All in all a good tool for the price. Hey Lee! I'd pay a few bucks more for a steel connecting rod. Think about it OK?

Really nice Priming Tool. Very efficient. So far, mine has primed 1,000 cases without a hitch. It's a "sit back and relax while you work" tool.

I wasn't sure what to think about this tool at first. I started priming using the Safety Prime system on my press but found it to be a bit time consuming. I decided to try the Auto Prime out on a batch of PMC .223 Rem. cases and was terribly disappointed. The primers were so difficult to push in to the case, I decided to revert back to the Safety Prime only to discover a similar problem. As it turns out, despite my use of a primer pocket uniformer on these cases, the primer pockets were off centered and very not uniform. I have since used the Auto Prime on quite a bit of Winchester as well as a couple of different headstamps I picked up at my favorite range. For the most part It works very smoothly, and other than being a bit uncomfortable on my index finger after about a hundred rounds I have no major complaints. The Auto Prime is now my priming tool of choice for rifle cartridges.

I use this to prime all my calibers, it is quick and reliable. It beats having to labor at the press doing it the slow way. I have tried all manufacturers priming tools and still return to this simple device. Leaving me with a box of unused paper weights. I've owned this product for 10 or more years, I actually have 3. One which goes to the bench to work up loads. Priced as a great value. Very consistent priming.

This is a great piece of equipment. I sold mine along with all of my anniversary kit. I don't miss the "perfect" powder measure that leaked like a seive or my creeky Lee press but the priming tool worked and worked well. Its only drawback was that it required proprietary shellholders from Lee. I bought the RCBS hand priming tool and it is much less confortable or convenient to use. If you buy this and the box of special shell holders you will be set for most common calibers but may have to purchase a few special items for any odd case sizes like 7.62X39. RCBS is usually better but in this case Lee gets my vote for a great hand priming tool that works.

This is a really good tool and for the price may be one of the best buys there is. I'm sure I've primed well over 50,000 cases with mine and it still works like new.

OVER ALL NICE TOOL BUT AFTER AWHILE THE LID BECOMES LOOSE SO I CUT SOME CABLE TIES ABOUT A INCH LONG AND STICK IT IN IN THE LOCK OPPOSITE THE SHELL HOLDER WORKS LIKE NEW TRY THIS TRICK AND MAY SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS BECAUSE YOU CANT BEAT THE PRICE

An excellent priming tool. I use mine mostly for pistol caliber priming. Works great for 9mm cases and 45 acp. For rifle cases, somewhat difficult to sue due to tight primer pockets. I use the Lee ram prime for rifle cases. Also the tray cover lock tends to loosen after several uses. I put a rubber band on the cover to keep it in place. Best hand primer for the money! I got an extra tray from Lee factory set up for large primers. The other is set up for small. Worth the money and sidewalk cheap!!

I’ve used mine to prime several thousand pieces of brass, including a couple thousand with the Federal primers that Lee strongly recommends not using with the tool. I could prime on the press, obviously, but I don’t like handling metal tubes full of impact-sensitive high-explosive. I’d rather size/deprime and flare, prime with the Lee tool while watching TV, and then load. I have not had any problems with breakage so far, knock on wood, though I could imagine that the pivot in the handle might break if there was a casting flaw near that area. I also have some doubts about the latch that holds the primer tray lid on. Probably my biggest complaint is that it’s not very comfortable to use. Rubber grips on the handle and lever would be greatly appreciated, although no other company makes hand primers without rubber grips for some reason, so it's a wash. That’s pretty much all there is to say, it’s a simple and affordable tool, and it works.

Not perfect but works better than other brands. Buy 2, one for large rifle, one for small rifle. Since the primer tray is only made in one height pistol primers can tumble on the way onto the seating stem. Works good to great with rifle primers, but 99% with pistol primmers.

I’ve owned this primer for the greater part of 10 years and have never had any problems with it.... until just recently. I ordered a custom pistol conversion from Gary Reeder for his .510GNR cartridge which is based on the .500 Linebaugh, and it is too large in diameter to fit in the throat of this primer. I needed to open the throat of this feeder with a file and sandpaper to allow it to fit. Other than this particular incident, I've loaded thousands upon thousands of rounds with this tool with no problems.

I've used Lee Reloading equipment for 20+ years and love the auto prime tool. I was disappointed that It wouldn't accommodate my 300 WSM casings. The channel where you place the brass is too narrow. I understand that all I have to do is use a Dremel tool to widen the channel but I don't have one. For everything else (pistol & rifle) it works great!

I've been using mine for a couple of years now and finally hit a small glitch. I started to load 300UM's and discovered that the channel needs to be larger. Luckily I checked this and found out that others have had the same problem with other Mag cases. No biggie if you have a Dremel tool, good product, great price. If you are first time buyer, just spend the money and get the 11 pc shell holder kit. Thanks Lee.

Works well. Primers get turned sometimes and thereby crushing the primer or seating it backward.

Seats in a shorter stroke than older versions, which is difficult to get used to. Still a much better tool for high volume priming. Does fatigue fingers though. Can't be beat for value. Catch them on sale and buy a couple in case one breaks. You won't be disappointed. Great for pistol loading.

A good priming tool for the price. Cheap, easy to set-up works great for pistol cases. However, for military rifle cases like .223 Rem, the tool may not have enough force to seat primers flush into the pocket even if you ream it. In this case use a press operated priming tool like the Lee Ram Prime.

I have loaded about 3000 rounds total for a .357 Sig and .357 Mag on this Lee Auto Primer. Small cases, small requirements. Very disappointed in the hand fatigue after 200 primers. Also, the Lee Shell Holders that were purchased for and with this tool are misleading. For example: The shell holders for a 300 WSM holds the shell as it should. Once the shell holder is placed into the handle however, the handle is too narrow to allow the shell into the shell holder. Same with 300 Ultra Mag. Shell holder for the auto prime is the right size... handle of the auto prime is to narrow. Who would make shell holders for shells that can't even be loaded on THEIR tool?? Oh, that is right.... Lee. Looking forward to breaking the handle. Been calling LEE for 3 days. No answer... lets hope they went bankrupt.

Works well in most cases however there are restrictions on certain primer types, metal handle broke after 500 or so reloads, and found out the hard way that my 300 wsm cartridges are too wide to fit into the mouth of the tool, will need to file down sides or buy another tool. If didn’t come with my kit I would buy different tool.

Good points: Very easy conversion between small/large primers. Even quicker to change shell plates. Bad points: Often flips primers as they enter the tool body. Occasionally stacks primers at the insertion point. Feed area from pan to tool body isn't smooth and primers stack up. Primer pan isn't very large and only half a box of Win primers can be used at a time. I acquired this tool in a kit and doubt I'd buy one as a single item. Even though primer size and shell plate conversion is less easy on the RCBS tool it facilitates a full box of primers and rarely double feeds or flips primers. I'd get the RCBS tool instead of this one.

Yes, it's a good tool and cheap, but they need to update it. Had to open up the U shapped notch at the top (it's what holds the shellholder in) with a Dremel tool because out of the box it was to narrow for 270WSM cases. Other than that it's cheap and a good tool.

This tool is poorly constructed, but it will do the job. I have loaded thousands of rounds on my first unit before the head cracked and eventually broke. The second one would not seat primers flush from the get-go. The rod was cut too short in both the large and small primer setups. Between the two, I now have one working tool. I know the product is inexpensive, but buying new ones over and over doesn't really save you money in the end. The tool is well designed but should be made of better materials and of better tolerances.

I like this tool, but with reservations. It's fast and easy to load and use, and may well be THE fastest system for getting 100 primers out of the box and into their pockets. HOWEVER... I found that it worked pretty well with small primers (especially in pistol cases) but large rifle cases could give your thumb a real workout if the primer pockets were tight. Primer movement from the tray into loading position was generally good, but they would sometimes jam or flip over. Despite my care I would still manage to jam the tool or seat the primers upside down or sideways on a few occasions. The die cast link and cam surfaces WILL wear out even with proper lubrication, although the tool will seat many thousands of primers before it becomes too worn to use. The bad part is, when those surfaces ARE worn, the tool can leave high primers with the attendant danger of slam fires. After one such incident I threw mine away and went to the Lee ram prime system, which (although not quite as fast in use) is more reliable, especially on large rifle primers. If you choose this tool, follow the directions and grease the wear points often. For safety's sake watch your seating depth, and be resigned to tossing the tool after some thousands of cycles have caused wear. At this price you can afford to replace it after several years. If you load lots of large rifle cases take a look at the Ram Prime system.

I'm a little disappointed that Lee doesn't use standard shell holders like everyone else, but given the cost of the unit, you can buy one of these and a few shell holders for the cost of the next most expensive priming tool. It didn't even occur to me that the tool wouldn't accept Lee's own "normal" shell holders, so I just the priming tool without the special shell holders, and now I can't use it. I'll have to buy 9x19 and 308Win shell holders .... again.

Slight problem with mine. I tried to prime .308 with CCI BR2 primers and they wouldn't fit because the priming piston was just a tiny bit too long (the primers wouldn't slide totally into place). I tried putting the primer in place (1 at a time) and then seating it -and that worked fine -good feel. I think mine had just a slight defect and it's cheap enough to just buy another one and see if it's better. The lever is a little short, but not too bad (don't know that I'd want to prime 400-500 cases in a row)...

Auto Prime worked great for about the first 100 rounds, then the handle snapped off.

I've gone through two of these tools. Although they work well initially, the Auto Prime is made of inferior white metals that wear out and break rapidly. I just bought the Lee Ram Prime II as a replacement; it seems a much better design. The Auto Prime needs to be made of solid metal and then it would be great!

No problems with 45 auto, but the small primer plunger is a different story. Lost 1 out of every 5 primers to poor pocket insertion. Would not recommend for a universal tool.

Easy to set up, use and correctly seat primers. Good thing it is inexpensive because it's life seems to be 2,000 - 2,500 primers. The handle broke down by the connecting rod. Investment cast aluminum is not the metal to use in this type tool. The only reason I am getting another is because of the cost and the fact that I have many shell holders. Otherwise I cannot give this a favorable rating due to it's flimsy construction. I am going to get an RCBS also and see how that holds up.

I had a problem with the primers feeding into the slot due to the plunger being too high under the shell holder. It would stop the primer before it went under the shell holder. I finally broke off the stop at the back of the thumb actuator. This allowed the plunger to go back down the hole far enough for the primers to feed. I used it but it was a hassle with feeding and so forth. I will purchase a RCBS Auto Primer. I wouldn't recommend this one.

My 25 WSSM cases will not fit. They fit the shell holder but not into the opening, also it does not flip primers the way it said. I have emailed lee but have not gotten a response. I have already ordered a RCBS

The handle connector(pot metal) broke on the first primer I attempted to seat. I just emailed Lee with a pic of the broke part. If they send me a new part fine I will give it another try and re review it, if not I just wasted the purchase price.

I have used and BROKEN many of these over the years. I finally spent the money on high quality equipment and can now reload reliably!

OK, this tool has some good and bad points. It will seat primers quickly and precisely. It is NOT rated as safe for Federal primers. Lee does not rate this tool for Federal primers. Actually, they also want the user to limit the number of primers in the tray for 1 or 2 other brands too. This is truly a design flaw. If the tray were cut off from the primer being seated, it would be safe for all primers. The tool also will not fit WSM cartridges out of the box. Lee's FAQ say you can modify with a rotary tool or they will do it for ~$4. That is a lot when I bought the tool for just about three times that. The shellholder's are auto prime exclusive. . . Well, actually some high dollar custom reloading tools use these shellholders also! So I'm keeping mine! Last, I have used my Dad's tool extensively. We loaded for years with it. We had many backwards and sideways primer installations. While it sounds simple to just look at the primer each time. . .I can tell you as a manufacturing engineer that people cannot do anything repeatedly 100%. Also, rare occurrences like primer flipping over or sideways, are impossible to control. Like in manufacturing, the product design must change to correct this problem. After I left my RCBS Hand Prime tool at my Dad's, he took it. So now I'm buying another RCBS Hand Prime Tool.

This thing is junk. The trash metal handle broke after 200 rounds.

I received this product a few hours ago. Greased the moving parts, assembled it, sending it back tomorrow! Would not seat primers consistently or fully causing brass to get stuck in the shell holder. Primers seating sideways....after an hour, only had 5 cases properly primed.

Piece of crap. It will seat primers, well till it breaks. I have broken the junk pot metal hand levers on two of these. Both units were new. One lasted about 2000 primers. The second only lasted 600 primers.

Followed the advice of some to purchase this product. I've loaded less than 60 test loads with it and the action is popping and acts as if it's bound up. Worst of all it's very difficult to get constant primer seating depth even with the utmost pressure concentration. Do not recommend and would never buy again.

This thing is junk. The pot metal thumb handle broke after a couple hundred rounds. Spend the extra money on a better one. You won't regret it.

Cheap junk, don't expect Lee to stand behind it either. I bought it on price and got a lot less quality than I expected. Plastic and pot metal, leading to a cut hand when the lever snapped off.

If you like to replace your priming tool often and want to buy special shell holders, this is for you! I broke the pot metal handle off of 2 of these before buying a RCBS & hornady, both of which take standard shellholders, have a much better handle, (longer& more ergonomic) and withstand a lot more use! I prefer the H brand of the ones I have used.

As a competitive shooter I load a lot of ammo. The arm broke on this tool in short order and the tool is uncomfortable to use.

I may have got the one that missed QC. First time to use it, it would catch the edge of the next primer causing the primer in the ram to roll or not go up at all. The result was that some of the primers went in sideways. No way to get the brass out without crushing the primer. Called Lee. They said they had never heard of this problem. Offered to sell me parts to fix it. No thanks. Heard great things in the past about Lee's customer support. Those guys must have been out to lunch. Ordered another RCBS.

I know many of you use Lee hand primer and like it very much. Out of necessity and wanting to load some rounds and not being able to find another RCBS Universal hand primer I went out and bought a Lee and all the bases. To say this was the worst experience I've ever had in reloading would almost be an understatement. Even if I had never owned the RCBS I would know something had to be better. Had one go in sideways and I think every time I forgot to check I would have one go in sideways or backward. Happened at least 5 times in 100 cases. This piece of junk cost just about the same as the Universal when you get the shell holders also. It put places on the shoulder of my cases and I had to polish edges of shell holder with my Dremel because cases were sticking in shell holder, which will spin around and not let cases out. I would just like to say, anyone thinking about a hand primer, give the little extra and get the RCBS Universal and don't worry about shell holders or anything else. Never had the first problem with it other than I had the misfortune of breaking the ram for the small rifle primer and wanted to get some loaded so went out and wasted 28.00 on 99 loads because I wasted a case trying to get one of the primers out. Most uncomfortable thing I've tried using also, RCBS is smooth and easy to squeeze. In the time it took to prime 99 cases I could have done at least 200+ with the RCBS.

Works ok for most applications if you have a strong thumb, works poorly or not at all on the occasion when primers are hard to seat. Mine is going on ebay. Hornady tool is much better.