Broken handle on Lee auto prime

[troyboy]

What a broken handle... That is the first I have heard of that!

[pistolman44]

I have had mine for every bit of 15 years. I had to replace the handle because I finally wore it out where it pivots. For a couple bucks bought a new handle replacement. The only primers I use are CCI, I don't know if thats what made it last that long.

[AZ-Stew]

I'll add that I'm still using Lee priming tools that date back to the screw in shell holders. I've got both cast aluminum and plastic bodies. These go back to the old Lee company before it was renamed Lee Precision.

I used to have some of those. I don't know whether I still have any in working condition, though. I had one that I bought as a stand-alone, as well as a bunch of shell holders for it. The others I got as parts of the old Lee Target Model Loader that was like the classic Lee Loader, but had a "micrometer" seating depth device and an inside neck reamer that certainly uniformed case neck diameters, but typically left the case necks so thin they would hardly hold a bullet. I had at least two of them - one for .22-250 and one for .25-06. Anyway, the bad thing about those priming tools is that there is no primer reservoir. You have to load each individual primer into the tool. I used to get a lot of misfires with them until I started handling the primers with tweezers, rather than with my fingers.

Regards,

Stew

[garym1a2]

I broke mine, since than I switched over to their leval prime system on the classic turrent press. So Lee stuff is great (classic turrent) and some is not.

[Shiloh]

It is a good unit, but the handle levers are pot metal. Fortunately they are cheap. I keep a few spares on hand.

Shiloh

[Bret4207]

I had a 2 set up like some of the guys with one for L R/P, the other for small. Broke them both over time. I went through 3 of them and eventually bought an RCBS. I was breaking the little cast "pusher" between the handle and seater in mine. In all fairness to Lee I loaded many thousands of primers with them and wasn't all that good about cleaning primer pockets. I can't blame Lee for that.

[RayinNH]

I've never broken a handle but did break the top off where the shell holder goes in. I did try to TIG weld it with aluminum rod, but no go with the mystery metal body. I just bought a replacement at a gun shop's bargain bin. Been using it for five or so years. I also do like others, one for small and one for large primers...Ray

[Moonie]

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that the levers aren't available any longer, just the ones for the new square ones, or are they interchangeable?

I also recently broke one and don't have a spare.

[C.F.Plinker]

According to the Lee website, they are not interchangeable. However, if you send the old one back with a note that the handle is broken and you want them to replace it with the new model, they will sell you the new model for half price, ($12.49) plus $5.00 for shipping.

[fatelk]

Darn, I was hoping they were interchangeable. I may still machine a steel one yet, one of these days, though it's probably not worth the time considering I just found another like-new RCBS unit for $10 at the gun show last weekend. I know it takes a little longer to change shellholders, but it's a much sturdier tool and more comfortable to use.

I really don't understand why Lee didn't reinforce the handle decades ago. I understand that many folks have used them without problem for years, but broken handles on these are extremely common. To avoid breakage you're supposed to keep it lubed, clean primer pockets, avoid some brands of brass, etc.. It just seems to me that a tool that can't take at least a tiny bit of abuse is not a very good tool.

has anyone else noticed that the levers aren't available any longer

It looks like Midway still has them for $2. Feedback is terrible. What gets me is the guys who leave bad feedback because they buy half a dozen levers at a time for spares. That $2 adds up and it seems to me that for the price of all the levers they go through they could buy a better tool.

I wonder about the performance of your swagger. ??

I don't have much of a swagger, really. Maybe if I took up drinking or piracy... Sorry, good typo, couldn't resist.

I remember a fellow caster and reloader who would talk about "swagging". It took me a few minutes to realize he was talking about swaging, but he was very insistent that his mispronunciation was correct.

[a.squibload]

...I was breaking the little cast "pusher" between the handle and seater in mine...

Like this?



Hey it works!
Probably not worth the effort 'cause now the handle is sure to break.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Ya know, ---- and I know this will not impress the Lee lovers, but had Lee put a bit more integrity into some of their products like the hand primer tool, and simply forgotten some of the other junk they sold, they might have enjoyed a much bigger customer base.

But, I was there and done that many years ago with the broken primer tool, as well as a number of other tools that were not well thought out or produced, and now although I own a few Lee products, I look at much of their line with doubt.

It could have been other wise, but it was their choice and seems to remain so.

Really great that we have products at many levels to please many different tastes

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[jcwit]

So if Parnelli Jones had used a better bearing in 1967 in his Indy car instead of the $6.00 bearing he would have been assured of a win.

All manufactures build their products to a price point and we have the opportunity to buy them or not. Maybe every product should be built to the quality level of a Rolls Royce so everything lasts for a lifetime with no repair.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

jcwit,

Like I said it is great we have such a big choice.

Personally, I come down on quality and integrity of design AND manufacture.

Just an Ol'Coot problem I guess.

CDOC

[MT Chambers]

Over the years I have had and tried alot of different tools to prime cases, including many diff. presses, the easiest/best to date is seating them on my Co-ax press, lotsa power but also lots of feel. Materials used are quality steel, that you would have to work hard to break.

[DLCTEX]

I do most of my priming on my Classic Cast Turret with the Safety Prime now. Plenty of power, feel, and works with regular shell holders.

[jcwit]

Two of the best engineered IMO are the Sinclair and K & M tools, but then I also have a few of the old, old style one at a time caliber specific Lee priming tools. These are not the ones that have the tray.

[Sonnypie]

Peas porridge cold, Peas porridge hot, Peas porridge in the pot 9 days old....

Round Tray?
Or Square Tray?

I have 4 of the old Lee Round Tray Types. One is broke.
A little moly grease goes a long way....
Mine are decades and decades old!

Post like this bring to mind glass hammers breaking anvils...

[Kevin Rohrer]

The handles are made from pot metal and break, which is one reason why many reloaders in including me have such a low opinion of their equipment. I have their auto prime and have broken handles, and bought several replacements knowing it is going to happen.

[Romeo 33 Delta]

I'm old and it's been a bunch of years, but I THINK I MIGHT have broken a handle on one of my old, Lee hand priming tools (round tray style). I say THINK and MIGHT because I honestly don't remember.

When the new square tray model came out, I bought one to try it out. I liked it and bought a second as I had done before to set up for large and small primers. I still have both my old ones on reserve, but really like the new one. I am able to run 50 primers at a crack in just under 5 minutes.

No problems, but I uniform and clean my primer pockets and if I use military brass, I ream the pocket to remove the crimp and get a nice chamfer on the edge.
And as has been mentioned time and time again ... LUBE THE PIVOT! (Hey, if it slides, pivots, or moves in any direction ... LUBE IT!!!)

I did try a RCBS unit one time and it went right back into it's box. I generally like Lee, though I don't use their scale or powder dispenser (PACT electronic setup). I've yet to have a problem with dies that were not of my doing and as for the use of metals other than iron or steel, I'm sure that steel would be less prone to failure than pot metal and aluminium, but it would also be more costly. So, given the minimal amount of failures I've suffered over something like 25 years of reloading (linkage set on a Challenger press and MAYBE a primer handle) and given that I generally shoot and reload something in excess of 7,500 rounds of mixed rifle calibers a year ... I've got no reason to complain.