Primer Drop Tube

You can attach a length of pvc pipe to the drop tube, running to a container to hold used primers.

Primer Feeding Tubes

From the top :

• Primer tube housing

• Primer tube support [ this is the only plastic part ]

• Primer tube

• Primer pickup tube

• Home made primer level indicator

• Primers

• RCBS primer tray

The last two don't come with the press.

Loading the primer pickup tube- 1

The picture says it all.

Loading the primer pickup tube- 2

Primers have to be collected into the drop tube. By pressing the plastic end down over a primer, it enters the tube.

Primer Tube Assembly - 1

Screw down the primer tube housing.

Primer Tube Assembly - 2

Insert the correct diameter tube, small for small pistol, large for large pistol. There is a shoulder on one end o the tube. The end with the shoulder on it goes down and fits into the primer assembly base.

If the tube is inserted upside down, it won't engage the primer assembly base and the primers won't be able to be picked up by the primer slider.

Primer Tube Assembly - 3

Place the primer tube support.

On the entire press, including the powder measure, this is the only plastic part. Great overall from a quality and durability point of view.

Filling up the Primer Tube

Empty the primer pickup tube into the primer tube. Pulling the pin releases the primers, gravity takes them down.

The primer tube easily holds 100 primers, both large and small.

Buy extra primer pickup tubes if you want to have an uninterrupted supply of primers for the longer reloading sessions.

Home-Made Primer Level Indicator - 1

This is a thin dowel, with tape at the top. It goes into the primer tube, and rides on top of the primer stack.

As the primer level goes down, the flag sinks, and this length of dowel is cut so that the flag just touches the top of the primer tube support when there are no more primers in the tube.

This is the only aspect of the press that Hornady doesn't manage yet - keeping track of how many primers are left in the primer tube. They just need to ship a length of thin dowel with a flag on it and call it a primer indicator.

Home-Made Primer Level Indicator -2

Inserted into the primer feeding tube, it rides on top of the primer stack.

That completes the press setup for a reloading session. Assuming the dies are setup correctly, and the powder measure is dispensing the right amount of powder, it's ready to go.

This is an excellent, reliable, robust press that doesn't need tinkering to keep working. Once it's setup, it just needs to be kept clean. There are no flimsy parts that wear out over time.