Which presses handle spent primers the best?

Sp00ks

Sp00ks

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I like to decap in a separate process before tumbling. I am currently using a cheap Lee breach lock and it drives me nutz! I typically leave it set up for decapping. I don't want all that grunge on my primary presses. I also have an RCBS Rock chucker and I don't like the way it handles spent primers either.

I'm kind of looking at the Lee Challenger. I don't need anything expensive just to decap.

How do you all decap?
 
My Hornady Single stage does a fairly good job at decapping making it perfect if you want to decapping when you resize or just because. Seems it catches a good 98% of spent primers rather than tossing them on the floor.
 
Sp00ks;n13022 said:
I like to decap in a separate process before tumbling. I am currently using a cheap Lee breach lock and it drives me nutz! I typically leave it set up for decapping. I don't want all that grunge on my primary presses. I also have an RCBS Rock chucker and I don't like the way it handles spent primers either.

I'm kind of looking at the Lee Challenger. I don't need anything expensive just to decap.

How do you all decap?
Click to expand...

Why does it drive you nuts? Is it because primers just go into the body?

after realizing my challenger wasn't good for much else. It is pure decap duty. I placed mine on a shelf a then drilled and chamfered a hole through the shelf, place brass bucket below. Never need to move that little sucker again.

almost made a little raised platform for it. Same set up as above but with a small (or whatever size) mason jar. Screw lid to bottom of mount. Make hole through mount/lid. Screw jar to lid. When full remove and empty. Viola! Or use a thick enough mount so you can clamp it to your bench edge when needed, remove when not:D hope this helps.
 
I use the breech lock with no issues - what's going on that drives you nvts?
 
Trevillian;n13050 said:
Why does it drive you nuts? Is it because primers just go into the body?

after realizing my challenger wasn't good for much else. It is pure decap duty. I placed mine on a shelf a then drilled and chamfered a hole through the shelf, place brass bucket below. Never need to move that little sucker again.

almost made a little raised platform for it. Same set up as above but with a small (or whatever size) mason jar. Screw lid to bottom of mount. Make hole through mount/lid. Screw jar to lid. When full remove and empty. Viola! Or use a thick enough mount so you can clamp it to your bench edge when needed, remove when not:D hope this helps.
Click to expand...

On the little press, the spent primers go through the ram, and out the back. Occasionally they get jammed up inside the ram and I have to pick at them with a dental tool or something to get the ram cleared. I have the press raised up on blocks to the primers will drop out the back and it just spews them everywhere. I can't find a good system with this press.

If they dropped out the bottom of the ram or similar, I could catch them but they go out a slot in the ram in the back.

I'm sure my wife loves vacuuming that room for me :)
 
Sp00ks;n13410 said:
It's not the Breach Lock Classic. It's the Breach lock Reloading Press $30 job.

http://leeprecision.com/reloader-press.html
Click to expand...

Mine is the breech lock challenger. It collects primers in a tube under the press that holds a few hundred before you need to dump it.
http://leeprecision.com/breech-lock-challenger-press.html

It will occasionally try to spit a primer out sideways so I just hold my hand next to the chute to prevent that.

I got it used from a member here for $50 - they pop up now and then.
 
My redding T-7 hasn't flung any on me yet. The problem is usually me forgetting to empty the tube and them getting all wedged in the darn thing.
 
It's a bit spendy for just decapping but... The Co-Ax has probably the best setup out there for handling spent primers. You'll end up wanting to use it as your primary press though because it's pretty much the best single stage press on the market. You could always sell the RC unless you wan to get into swaging later :)
 
The only issue I have with spent primers is when my two year old grabs the spent primer catch and dumps it on the floor

I use an RCBS single stage with no issues
 
Catfish;n13734 said:
Mine is the breech lock challenger. It collects primers in a tube under the press that holds a few hundred before you need to dump it.
http://leeprecision.com/breech-lock-challenger-press.html

It will occasionally try to spit a primer out sideways so I just hold my hand next to the chute to prevent that.

I got it used from a member here for $50 - they pop up now and then.
Click to expand...

That is the one I'm looking at to replace the $30 Lee I have now. Thanks for the feedback on it.
 
I have the Lee chalanger......it shot primers all over.....I fixed that with a ziptie!
 
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My Lee Classic Turret drops 'em into a clear plastic tube, which in turn dumps them into a fiberglass stackable shelf unit/tub thingie under the bench.
 
The Forster seems to do everything a little better, including handling the recapping op. Maybe a bit better on some things.
 
Sp00ks;n13401 said:
On the little press, the spent primers go through the ram, and out the back. Occasionally they get jammed up inside the ram and I have to pick at them with a dental tool or something to get the ram cleared. I have the press raised up on blocks to the primers will drop out the back and it just spews them everywhere. I can't find a good system with this press.

If they dropped out the bottom of the ram or similar, I could catch them but they go out a slot in the ram in the back.

I'm sure my wife loves vacuuming that room for me :)
Click to expand...


Huh, I've never had that happen? Of course I do blow a lil compressed air down the ram from time to time as I figured crud would build up as I decap brass before any cleaning. By "up on blocks" do you mean kinda like washers as spacers to raise it above the platform? If so try mounting it flat, then either the mason jar underneath or dropping into a bucket. Mine drops about 6" into a 5 gallon bucket. I hogged out the hole and chamfered the edges under where I mount mine to almost be as large as the body. No misses from body to bucket.

Now i I do occasionally get a miss as the primer drops from the ram to the hole in the body. I enlarged it a little and keep it all debris free, so I get maybe 1 in 100 that miss. I get that on my Lee classic turrent, which sends primers straight through the ram to a clear plastic tube. But randomly it flings one out somehow.

care to post a pic of your setup?
 
Wahoo95;n13043 said:
My Hornady Single stage does a fairly good job at decapping making it perfect if you want to decapping when you resize or just because. Seems it catches a good 98% of spent primers rather than tossing them on the floor.
Click to expand...

Agree with you 100%. Have a Hornady as well and catches the spent primers all the time.
 
My loadmaster drops them in the body of the main shaft of the press. From time to time you just pull a clip out at the bottom and empty them out.
 
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