Reloading For Beginners - The Basics Of Priming 

Since im here pretty early, I gotta say thank you. It was you and a small handful of other channels that pushed me over the edge to finally get into reloading. So far, I'm only doing 9mm. But in only a few mmonths I've been able to mock up 4 different loads from two different powders and bullet styles with ease thanks to the instruction I found here. You're doing great work, my friend! Helped me into a hobby I simply cant get enough of, and won't get bored of!

I have handloaded for more than 50 years, and used a Lee Auto-Prime for most of them. Arthritis, however, made it too difficult to use, so I went with an RCBS bench tool.

I have used an RCBS hand priming tool for years. Love it! I'll say it again, you have complete control and "feel" when setting the primers. You know if something isn't correct in the process. Doesn't really take any more time in processing your cases. I'm buying primer pocket guages, now, thanks to this video!! Not complaining, 😆, its a good necessity "tool". Thanks!! OH, BY THE WAY....... I have a "piece" of 2" thick x 3" x 8" plate steel (scrap) I keep on the floor under the edge of my bench, next to the trash can. As I process my brass and I pull out the "dead" brass- splits, pulled, and loose pocket stuff, I toss it in a empty coffee can, next to the trash can. When I am done reloading, I pull the scrap steel "anvil " out and flatten the scrap brass with an old smallish Ballpeen hammer, also under the bench. Makes quick light work of the scrap brass going right into the trash. Just passing this on.

That Primal Rights CPS is hands down the greatest priming tool you can buy. I can't say enough good things about it.

I have since switches the Lee auto prime. Amazingly it works really well and it lets you still "feel" the seating process. Just a suggestion. It's under $40 and no more sore hands.

Thank you for keeping the series going.

A little bit about different brands and types of primers. Which ones to use, when and why. All CCI and Reminton primer, plus Winchester's small pistol are the safest to use in automatic priming tools. Federal burns hotter and cleaner, yet are according to the Richard Lee manual "one tough dragon to control in the automatic priming systems". Modern Reloading Second Edition Richard Lee Revised 2021, page 60: To find out why some brand primers explode violently, I talked to an expert, Dave Anderson, now retired from CCI. He told me primers are charged with one of two types of charging compound. One is called "basic" and the other is "normal." The primers that use "basic compound" must not be used in Lee Priming tools because an accidental discharge is very violent. The "normal compound" is less violent and causes little damage to the tool. The user is easily protected by safety glasses. Metallic Cartridge reloading, Robert S. L. Anderson, page 20: In the firearms industry there are two types of lead styphnate primer compounds - "normal" and "basic." There are presently four manufacturers of primers in the U.S., and all of them except one uses the normal lead styphnate primer compound. Federal is the only manufacturer that presently uses basic . The common ingredient to all small arms primers is lead styphnate of which there are several different varieties. Basically it is in crystalline form and is very explosive. Normal lead styphnate is composed of large irregular crystals, which are slightly acidic when wet, somewhat more brisant at lower temperatures (good for military use), and they burn with a cool flame at ambient temperatures. However, it is somewhat harder to get an even mix of components in normal lead styphnate primers because of the larger irregular crystals and the fact that the "mix" often requires some metallic fuels (such as powdered aluminum) to help make a magnum primer. Basic lead styphnate is composed of small regular crystals and unlike the normal mix is not as acidic and will not attack primer cups when wet. Basic lead styphnate is easier to mix than normal variety and there is no need to add metallic fuels. The basic primer flame is very hot and will easily ignite most powders and therefore Federal does not offer a magnum pistol primer. However this style primer is slightly less brisant at very low temperatures (- 20degrees F. to - 40 degrees F.) which would make normal primer more suitable for military purposes. Metallic Cartridge Reloading, All New Third Edition, M.L. McPherson, page 29: Certain brands of primers might be unsafe to use in some priming tools like Lee's AutoPrime because of the potential for mass detonation. With these tools, should an operator detonate one primer, as can happen when a handloader tries to seat one primer on top of another, the detonation subjects other primers in the tray to shock and an incandescent flash. If this shock and flash can detonate a second primer, there is the potential that most or all (perhaps 100 or more) primers in the tray might detonate en masse. Such a simultaneous detonation would be a disaster. Lee has tested all available primers and, excepting CCI and Winchester, all brands produce an unacceptable number of mass explosions when the primer being seated is forced to detonate (by heating in a remote explosion-proof box). By comparing Federal and CCI primers, we can gain some understanding why brands very in this regard. Federal primers do not have a foil covering over the primer pellet; an application of a type of paint replaces the foil. That sealant is easily ignited and highly flammable, possessing a very low kindling temperature. These are beneficial characteristics; among other things, they help reduce combustion residues. However, use of this pellet sealant makes these primers very easy to ignite. Exposure of the open front of the cup to the flash from an adjacent primer easily does the job! Conversely, CCI primers have a paper foil almost completely covering the front of the pellet. This foil deters pellet ignition because it is only moderately combustible and has a relatively high kindling temperature. A short duration flash from a primer is unlikely to ignite the foil or penetrate through it to ignite the pellet underneath.

I've been handloading for fifty years. Some of my presses have a priming feature, but I usually resort to the hand primer, because of the feedback it gives me. I *know* when the primer is seated perfectly. Thanks for the video!

Aside from people pointing the case towards their face when using a hand priming tool, I see people put their hand over the case mouth as well. I've found both the old and new hand held Lee priming tools work well. I've just recently started using the Lee bench priming set up and it works nicely too. I bulk prep 223 and 300 blackout cases every 3 or so years so I do thousands of primers in bulk. I store my primed cases and load them as needed. The hands can get mighty sore squeezing those hand held tools. The bench tool is so easy and at least twice as fast.

I hand primed for over 40 years and recently converted to a Lee ACP Priming Tool. Best investment I ever made for priming tools. The accuracy of the primer seating depth is far more accurate than relying on "feel" to seat primers. About the same cost as most of the hand primers I invested in before finding the Lee. Consistent seating depths is one of the vital few accuracy reloading steps you need to make.

After cleaning and preping you cases, you can sit and watch TV while priming with a hand tool. Hand feeling when right, or setting appart the ones that don't feel right for discard or plinking.

Love my RCBS hand primer

I watched sooo many of your videos before getting into handloading (2 months ago)..and I started with 6.5 x 55 Swedish and .223 Remington. I use RCBS products. My first attempt my SD and ES were roughly that (or a bit worse) than factory ammo...but after some practice I JUST got my first loading with 6.5 Swede with SD of 4 and ES of 10!! The .223 Rem is around 30 ES and SD 10...but I think I can improve on that. My bench is VERY solid but sits rather low. So bending down to view the scale beam was a pain and causing parallax issues...SO I used an old cell phone...mounted it...soomed the camera in on the beam scale pointer and can now easily get the pointer RIGHT in the center of the measuring line...this has been a great hack. Thanks for all you do!!

I always hand prime, even when using a progressive press. You can instantly feel when something is off. I use two RCBS universal hand primers; one each for large and small primers.

Love my FA Hand Primer and deprimer. Great for Nascar, indy car and imsa races

I’ll throw it in here since it hasn’t been mentioned. The LEE ACP is a great priming tool. Has case feed and primer feed so you can go pretty quickly. With 3d printed parts you can change calibers very fast. F-Class John uses it for F-Class ammo.

RCBS bench primer here. If I was going hand primer? The Frankfort. And yeah, LR primers are unobtanium.

Nice South Main Auto Hoodie!!!

nice vid

Any chance you’ll be continuing this series? I really like your methods.

There's still fuck loads of primers to be found and there was through the whole "drought". I found thousands of primers steadily within the past year and a half.... up here in alberta. Same as 410. I managed to still dig up 370 rounds of target and 500 slugs. You just can't go to the big box stores.

Hello, I was just wondering if you knew anything about Shannon from Johnny’s reloading bench he hasn’t uploaded anything in a while just wondering if he’s OK

Start Load development powder selection - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZYMqboshJYw.html

To crush or not to crush, is that the question?

Still can't find large rifle primers 😢

Oh come on everyone knows safety squints are the best safety device you have, go screaming goat hahaha! To be more serious now I still use a hand primer because I know the feel and travel it should have after using it for 20 years. Thankfully I don't load mass lots, if that was the situation that's way to slow. I have been looking at the Franklin as a replacement for my old rcbs.

Do you have an email address that I can ask you some questions please. Cheers

Incoming lack of large rifle primer joke!