Five Best Hand Priming Tool Reviews [Buyer's Guide: 2018]

A primer is essential to help fits in primers into cleaned brass. And depending on your preferences, there are different primer tools out there with pros and cons that many other experts will tell you about. Here, we will be reviewing hand priming tools that are basically portable and can be done anywhere.

They are easy to use and supposedly don’t take too much time from your hand. So don’t make the mistake of buying a hand primer that is not ergonomic and takes too much power in using. You also want a hand primer that lasts more than thousands of rounds.

Take your time to read through our five structured reviews of the best hand priming tools you can find on Amazon. So, compare the pros & cons and make the decision of purchasing a hand primer that you won’t need to change anytime soon!

Top Five Best Hand Priming Tool

#1 RCBS 90201 Universal Hand Priming Tool

The RCBS 90201 Universal hand priming tool is one of our favorite due to its versatility. When you buy the product, it comes with the handle/body, the tray and two prime holders in black and white. The black prime holder is for black primes and the white prime holder is for small primes.

They really live up to the word ‘Universal’ in this hand priming tool. It also has a slightly different way of switching between big and small primers and much simpler way of using in the long run.

Pros:

No shell holders needed! We just love the jaw that simply locks whatever brass you’re pushing onto the holder that comes with the handle. This completely eliminates the need for buying different shell holders. It holds .32 ACP to .45-70 Government.
Patented safety gate will isolate primers in the tray from the one in the seat, preventing tray detonation from happening.
Durable material: The plastic lid of the tray is made of high-quality material and the handle is made of heavy-duty steel.
A quick and safe process as you are not worried about multiple primers sliding into the seat or any detonation happening so long as you do it gently. It also easily takes the primer off if you suddenly need to snug in some primers that were not seated properly.

Con: Complicated setup process of the hand priming tool. When you need to switch with a black or white primer, you need to unscrew a bunch of things and reattach them again. Using the wrong primer holder can cause misfit primers and in worst case scenario, tray detonation.

#2 RCBS 90200 Hand Priming Tool

The RCBS 90200 hand priming model is the predecessor of the 90201 universal hand priming tool. Everything about the tool is the same, except that it still requires shell holders and they have to be RCBS shell holders. Apart from that, it’s still the same design, same black and white prime holders at a cheaper price.

Pros:

Patented safety gate will isolate primers in the tray from the one in the seat, preventing tray detonation from happening.
Durable material: The plastic lid of the tray is made of high-quality material and the handle is made of heavy-duty steel.
A quick and safe process as you are not worried about multiple primers sliding into the seat or any detonation happening so long as you do it gently. It also easily takes the primer off if you suddenly need to snug in some primers that were not seated properly.

Con: Requires shell holders, as opposed to the Universal model and the shell holders, are brand specific to RCBS only. Also, the same complicated setup process just to switch the primer size.

#3 Frankford Arsenal Perfect Seat Hand Primer Seating Tool

The best hand priming tool that is durable would be the Frankford Arsenal Perfect Hand Primer Seating Tool. It looks like the hand primer of the future with the extra features as well as how convenient it is to use this one tool. It comes with many shell holders to hold every popular brass and cartridge you can think of.

When you buy the hand primer, you will get 12 shell holders, 3 slots for extra shell holders that you have, the hand primer tool, one tray, an insert and plunger for a different size primer.

Pros:

12 shell holders for every kind of bullet that you need to prime, they all come with the priming tool, so you don’t have to buy them separately anymore.
Ease of use: no need to fuss with small parts and simply change two parts of the priming tool if you need to switch the size of the primers. Changing the shell holders are also as simple as pressing the button that uses the thumb release mechanism.
Durable: Solid construction made out of heavy-duty die-cast zinc and small parts are made of steel. The entire system stores in a robust injection molded case

Con: This is the most expensive hand priming tool among his brethren here. At almost twice the price, you get one hand priming tool of the same function, although you do get 12 shell holders with the tool.

#4 Lee PRECISION 90230 New Auto Prime Hand Priming Tool

If you want something simple, not complicated, and works the way it should, the best hand primer tool for you would be Lee Precision 90230 New Auto Prime. It’s small, it does the job, and safe to use. When you purchase the primer, you will get a triangular tray, the hand primer, and an additional insert for a different primer size between bigger and smaller.

Pros:

The ergonomic design of the handle makes it easy to prime and uses less energy to push every primer in. This means you won’t get tired as quick.
Affordable as shell holders are not included.
Ease of use: Switch between priming bigger and smaller primers by only changing the insert which has been preassembled to prevent you from fumbling with small parts. Priming is also made simple and effective as the insert separates primers from seating.

Con: You need to buy shell holders from Lee to get it to work. And to top it off, they are specialized shell holders for the priming tool. Affordable in a glance, but not so much when you don’t have the shell holders.

#5 Lyman Products E-ZEE Universal Priming Tool

The Lyman hand priming tool comes with the handle and two trays for different sizes of primers. All you need to do is assemble the handle with the tray and a shell holder. You begin with filling the tray with the primers that you will be seated with, close the lid and remember to shut the gate to prevent primers from flowing out. You can also stop halfway and leave the primers there to be worked with later.

Next, you assemble that to the handle, place a shell holder on top and lock it with another piece that works as a cap. You’re off to go!

Pros:

Reliable: The design with sleek, matte black color has quite a big size but is not too overbearing. It easily snugs into your hand.
Ergonomic design makes it easy for you to press the primer without exerting too much energy and comfortably.
Durable material: The plastic lid of the tray is made of high-quality material and the handle is made of heavy-duty steel.
Universal shell holder: It is one of the best hand priming tools that work with universal shell holder and not brand specific!
No fussing with small parts that happen with many other hand priming tools.

Con: It may not be much of a drawback of the product, but to prevent primers from overloading the seat, you need to tip it back and forth while working with it. It’s quite the work, but once you’re used to it, it’s not much of a problem and is a safe method instead.

How To Use A Hand Primer

Make sure to use the right tray for small or big primers. A mistake in choosing a tray can lead to primers seated sideways or upside down. Remember to switch the button if you are switching primer size.
Shell holder: Use the right shell holder for the brass you are priming. Some hand primers only work on brand specific shell holders.
Press gently: The reason that primers explode is that of the sudden impact that causes small explosion or sparks of fire that causes it to launches the bullet upward. But imagine that to happen with over 100 primes in the tray! You will be carrying a small bomb in your hand. Pressing gently will prevent a sudden impact that causes sparks of fire.
Feel and measure the depth of the primers that have been seated. They should be bulging nor should they be pushed too deep. They won’t explode in your hand, but they will mess with the bullet’s propelling and accuracy.
Check for sideways or upside: Down primers in brass that you’ve seated. One quick way to do this is to pay attention to the primers as they go down the shell holder or after the cartridges are primed. Shake the primers on the tray to ensure they face the right direction before you close the lid and seat them.
Tip: If you don’t want any accident then make a distance from this tool when you are seating because suddenly it may blow up your face or injure your eyes.
Wear google and gloves for extra safety because tray explosion can happen when there is a mistake in manufacturing, using, primer positioning, etc.

Importance Of Having A Priming Tool

A priming tool is necessary to get a new primer back into the bottom of a brass. For rounds of cartridges that have been used before, you will be able to see dents at the bottom of the primers. Those dents are the marks of them being worn out and you need a new primer to ensure that it ignites appropriately.

Is installing a primer without a tool possible? As much as it’s possible, it takes way too much time and nobody in their right mind who wants to save time will do that. A priming tool with the right shell holder will the job done within seconds, allowing you to load thousands of rounds in within hours. If you are used to it, you can always race with yourself to prime more with less time.

It also allows you to reuse used brass or cartridges. Without a priming tool, that brass will remain empty and cannot be launched. After depriming them, you tumble them to clean out the residue and then get them prepared by priming and then insert the gunpowder.

A reliable priming tool will fit in primers in the right position, at the right depth. Whenever you want to use your hand primers from the first time, make sure that you check the depts of the primer every couple of rounds to maintain quality. .0x inches of difference will create a massive difference in the propel of the bullets.

Things To Consider Before Buying A Hand Priming Tool

PreferencesMaterialBudgetShell holderAdditional featuresSafety

There are two ways of priming and one of them is mentioned here, which is using a hand priming tool. The other method is by using a bench primer, which needs to be installed on the bench. Before you purchase any priming tool, ensure to know not just the pros, but also the cons of each product. For example, you are stuck to the press if you use a bench primer.

Heavy duty steel is required because you are not just priming 100 or 200 primes, but up to tens of thousands in some cases. You need a tool that is reliable and will maintain the same quality even after thousands of runs.

When comparing, we’re sure that the budget is something that you keep on top of your mind. When you compare prices, always remember that high prices are not always equivalent to high-quality products and vice versa.

What kind of shell holder works with the primer and how many shell holders come with it? What brass works with the shell holder that is provided if any is provided? Make sure to check these things before purchasing.

In such a simple tool, there might not be much to add, but one feature that we think is worth considering is Frankford’s small adjustment that allows you to decide how deep you want the primer in. Another would be a simple switch between big and small primers.

Because you are pushing primers into brass, a mechanism that kinds of mimic a gun. It’s not that dangerous with an empty brass, but in the case that you still have 100 primes in the tray, you want your hand primer tool to have a separator.

Conclusion

When choosing the right-hand priming tool, you’d love reading through our article as we ensure only to include suitable products for various needs. The pros are important, but the cons are even more so because they will affect your priming process and the time needed to do them. Hope this helps the lots who are especially new to the reloading world!

Five Best Hand Priming Tool Reviews [Buyer’s Guide: 2018]

Top Five Best Hand Priming Tool