loadmaster, primer feed systems??

[ansan12001]

I just bought a used loadmaster from a guy.....trying to understand the parts. Is there an updated small and large primer feed system. The press I bought came with a small primer feed, with the round primer tray....I have never understood why there is a round tray that isn't even big enough to easily flip over a tray of primers on it? It looks like the newer version of the primer feed system has square trays. Is this correct? Would like to try to figure out what I need before I make purchases. Should I update both small and large primer feed for this loadmaster? Thanks

Also, is there a part number to get both primer feed systems?

[Bobshouse]

Lee has updated the priming system for the loadmaster so many times I've lost track of which is most current myself. It would be nice if they figured it out once and for all. Interested to find out about this one myself!

[dwalker]

The round trays are the "old" style (and the one I am most used to) the folding square triangular trays are the "new" cool kid trays. the reason they changed is the folding square trays integrate a primer feed shutoff and the round trays did not. A lot of folks came up with nifty ways of not spilling primers when they were putting a loaded tray on the press but I never really had an issue. I think the new trays will work on the old system.

The ram itself for large or small primers is available from Titan reloading.

Honestly as long as I have kept it clean and used Federal primers I havent had any issues. Winchester primers give me fits if there is the least little bit of dirt in the track but Federals run smooth as silk. No idea why the difference.

[stilly]

I just bought a used loadmaster from a guy.....trying to understand the parts. Is there an updated small and large primer feed system. The press I bought came with a small primer feed, with the round primer tray....I have never understood why there is a round tray that isn't even big enough to easily flip over a tray of primers on it? It looks like the newer version of the primer feed system has square trays. Is this correct? Would like to try to figure out what I need before I make purchases. Should I update both small and large primer feed for this loadmaster? Thanks

Also, is there a part number to get both primer feed systems?

I always uncover half of the rows, dump the primers, then uncover the other half and dump the primers.

You can contact Lee and they should send you out the updated primer feed systems, but if it is just the primer flipper you are needing, Lee has new primer flippers/trays for the loadmaster and others that are square and fold in half and lock. They seem really cool, hold 100 primers each and cost $5.00 for 2 of them from Titan reloading. FSreloading also has most of Lee's inventory, but Titan has a few things that they make.

[ansan12001]

Stilly^^^^
Good tip to call lee, they are sending me the update primer trough free of charge, if I had both sm and lg primer feeder's they would have sent me both of them. Also, I did pay 5.oo for two updated primer trays, I did pay for shipping on the entire order. No biggie, considering the free item. If you have the older versions of the trough's, give them a call, they will send you new ones for free, save shipping costs.

[Whiterabbit]

two tips. Always have at least 10 more primers in there than rounds you plan to load, and keep it free of dirt, oil, and spilled powder.

You'll never have a mis-fed primer.

(other people complain that a shakey press will misfeed primers. Maybe so. my press never shook, I mounted it right the first time.)

[Bill Steele]

The round trays are the "old" style (and the one I am most used to) the folding square triangular trays are the "new" cool kid trays. the reason they changed is the folding square trays integrate a primer feed shutoff and the round trays did not. A lot of folks came up with nifty ways of not spilling primers when they were putting a loaded tray on the press but I never really had an issue. I think the new trays will work on the old system.

The ram itself for large or small primers is available from Titan reloading.

Honestly as long as I have kept it clean and used Federal primers I havent had any issues. Winchester primers give me fits if there is the least little bit of dirt in the track but Federals run smooth as silk. No idea why the difference.

Ironic, aren't Federal the brand specifically called out not to use on any Lee Primer Feed systems? Maybe that is out of date though.

I have had so many issues with Winchester I finally quit buying them. Burrs on the cup lip (hanging up in loading tubes), pin holes on the bend in the cup doing a job on my breech faces, I finally gave up.

[Divehobo]

I will need to start paying attention to which type of primers cause the most hangups. Never paid it much attention, brand specific. Anyone else notice one type of primer working better than others?

As for the newer primer system, I guess I missed the boat with that one. I did not realize they had updated the system again. Midway has the newer style for under $20

[Whiterabbit]

only got the new one, in large, and only use WLRM primers. No hiccups, unless I have less than 10 in the chute pushing the bottom one into "battery"

[stilly]

two tips. Always have at least 10 more primers in there than rounds you plan to load, and keep it free of dirt, oil, and spilled powder.

You'll never have a mis-fed primer.

(other people complain that a shakey press will misfeed primers. Maybe so. my press never shook, I mounted it right the first time.)

Yes. The primers slide down at around a 50 degree angle and not straight down into a waiting cup like other presses. The primers need those extra 10-15 or so to help put weight on them.

People rarely talk about presses being mounted though. Since the start, I had my LCT mounted and everything was FINE, but the primer was also supported- OMG! I just realized something.

WHAT IF you were able to take the primer cup from the LCT and attach it to the loadmaster so that your press can shake all over the place, but the primer would be supported by that little cup? That can't be THAT hard to do! Then the priming would be rock solid and bulletproof and that would end the primers being flipped and falling off and everything else they do.

Sorry, back to the previous statement...

My LCT was FINE and the priming was great, because the primer gets moved around and all but it rests within a cup. The Loadmaster has no primer cup, but only a pin and any shaking makes it fall off or move a little one way or another and get flipped or whatever... My Press shares the same mounting place as my LCT did because I mounted my LCT onto the quick detachable mounting plate system that Lee has. I thought it was a good idea and I DO enjoy how it has enabled me to swap out my pressed somewhat quickly. One thing that I have noticed though is that with the LCT, press shaking never bothered anything, but the LM is another story. I have a home made workbench that we had put together and it included pieces of wood as supports coming out of the wall/floor at an angle and holding up the bench itself, doing so gave me more ground clearance and took up much less floor space. I ended up getting a shake brake for the LM from Mike's Reloading Bench but I have not yet installed it because, well, the LCT is mounted right now so I can make .45/.44/.357/.38 and whatever else and when I switch back to 9mm I will go back to the LM. But The MA generated from the LM makes it somewhat difficult to have that press mounted there. So what do I do now?

I think Inline FAB had a strong mount but whether or not it used the Lee quick detachable plate or not I do not know. I do know that if they had a strong mount, I could move my entire press back some and that might stiffen it up a bit. That or get a piece of iron rail to mount it on.

But I do not see many threads on how to make your press rock solid. Maybe I should look into this. And maybe I should look into making a new primer cup system for my LM...

[dwalker]

I will need to start paying attention to which type of primers cause the most hangups. Never paid it much attention, brand specific. Anyone else notice one type of primer working better than others?

So for whatever reason Lee says specifically to not use Federals but I have not had any issues with them at all. My guess is they are "softer" than CCI and Remington and you have a higher risk of setting one off if it gets wonky in the press. In the past 25 years of loading on various presses I have had ONE primer go off, and it was not on a Lee press.

other people complain that a shakey press will misfeed primers. Maybe so. my press never shook, I mounted it right the first time.

My friend has his press mounted to a workbench but since the top flexed a bit he put a piece of steel square tubing under the press the ran down to the concrete floor and bolted down with simple anchors. Very simple and easy and super rigid.

Ironic, aren't Federal the brand specifically called out not to use on any Lee Primer Feed systems? Maybe that is out of date though.

I have had so many issues with Winchester I finally quit buying them. Burrs on the cup lip (hanging up in loading tubes), pin holes on the bend in the cup doing a job on my breech faces, I finally gave up.

I have no issues with Winchester primers in the hand primers and use them by the 1000's but the auto prime just doesnt like them.

I believe Federal are still specifically called out as not recommended. Again I think that is due to them having a higher potential to kaboom in the press than CCI or Remington primers.

I have had zero issues using them, but I am somewhat sensitive to what the press is doing and so avoid a lot of "risky" situations.