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Posted: 1/27/2013 8:27:57 AM EDT
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Guys it's hard to type this with tears in my eyes but Friday night I noticed the frame of my Auto Prime was cracked. It most likely happened when I was priming GI 7.62x51 brass about a week ago. I remember switching to the press but apparently it was too late. This is the 2nd one I broke, the first was with GI 06' brass but that was about 25 years ago.
Lee's warranty is not worth messing with. After shipping both ways and 1/2 of "retail price" you are better off just buying a new one. The problem is the new one is not getting very good feedback. I have some questions: 1) Can the old round type tray be used on the Auto Prime XR frame? 2) Is the Auto Prime XR really that bad or is it just not idiot proof? 3) Do any of you have a spare old model frame laying around? Thanks, Motor1 BTW: I do have a RCBS hand priming tool and it does a good job but the with the Lee I can change calibers in 2 seconds or change from large primer to small in about 10 seconds. Plus the Lee does not tie up a press shell holder. |
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I had the same thing happen...twice.
Then the plastic cover broke. I said screw it and bought the RCBS. That was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever used. I sold it and bought a new Lee. After playing around with it, I was able to make most of the internals from my old Auto Prime fit the new tray and now have two complete priming systems, one for each size primer. Time will tell if it will hold up or not, but at least they only get half the usage that a single primer got. |
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I refuse to buy another Lee. I have the older, recalled square tray. I have broken both covers. I called Lee, and they told me it would be covered, but I had to send the old one in first, leaving me without a priming tool. Screw that.
I may twist off, and just buy the Sinclair. |
| I have one of the older Auto Prime devices circa mid 70s. Smooth, fast, no hang-ups at all. I have two of the newer, circa 07 or so. PEACE OF CRAP. Bought the RCBS. Worse POS. Overly engineered and very clumsy but you can use the standard shell holders. Went back to the OLD Lee AP and used parts from the new AP. The market is ripe again for an automatic priming system THAT WORKS. Of course the design engineers and techs and staff have to care about what they are doing and be PAID for their work. |
| I bought one of the new Lee hand priming tools even though my thirty year old Auto Prime is still going strong. The new one sucks. Priming is harder and it has less 'feel' to it. I managed to score a NOS Auto Prime at the funshow last year, so I've got a backup for my main priming tool now. I'd give the new one away if I wanted to be mean to someone. |
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