Primer problems

[BillS]

Hi,

I'm not new to handloading , but I am new to a progresive loader. I purchased a 6 pack pro loader in 44 cal. I'm loading 44mag. Starline brass, winchester primers. I've got things going pretty well, with the exception of the primer feed. It's what I think is the new style feeder. It folds in half.
The primers keep catching in the chute. The shaker pin is hitting the post, and I can't see any rough spots in the chute, but intermittently the primers jam. I keep the tray full. Anyone have any hints?

Thanks BillS

[Bill Moore]

I'm having the same problems, BillS, I saw a you tube where the fellow cut a piece of ball point pen refill, and slipped it over the rod that contacts the bar. He said new rods are made larger on that side, I cut a piece of wire insulation and slipped it over mine, it helps, but I still keep a close eye on the primer trough! I plan to order some spares for the machine, and intend to ask Lee about the trough rod.
I've loaded about 1000 rds now, and only flipped one primer sideways!

[BillS]

I saw that one too. I have the later model with a larger shaker wire. So It's already the size with the pen tube. I loaded 100 rounds this morning. What is happening is the primers get stuck in the upper chamber. If I keep an eye on it so the chute stays full, every thing works good. I'm developing my own cadence . When you feel the primer seat, I place a bullet, repeat . Kind of semi automatic. It takes watching , but it works. I don't know if a more costly press would work better, or just cost more. I feel like the "better" press would need less baby sitting. Anyway, it's mine now.

[Fyodor]

I have had similar problems with my pro1000. On youtube I found a tip to use a piece of folded, standard copier paper, and polish the inside of the chute with that. Just go up and donw the chute a few times with medium pressure. This will slicken the surface, and it did work for me.

The chute also has to be spotlessly clean, and I recommend to have it at least halfway full to ensure the gravity feed will work. For the last few primers I have a piece of bent wire next to my press to push them down onto the seating stem. Also a can of dustfree compressed air is always next to my press, to blow away errand powder particles and dust, when I see primers not flowing smoothly.

Primers are very light, and can catch even on fingerprints on a smooth surface. Surface roughness that you can't see also increases friction, and can stop the primers from flowing down the chute. Polishing the chute with paper removes dust and other dirt, and slickens up the surface. I repeat that process every time I do a complete stripdown to clean and grease the cshellplate arrier.

[BillS]

I'll have to give that a try. My problem seems to happen most often when the primers jam in the upper tray. If they make it down into the chute all works good until the last couple .I also keep a "tool" on hand to push the last few down the chute. I use a little jewelers screwdriver.
I have an app that I use to de cap my brass prior to cleaning. I was hoping the 6000 would work like that. Its not even close. But I'll keep trying.
Thanks

[horseman]

If the jam is at the top it's probably the primer tray that is your issue. I've had a couple of the new style ones that would do that. Work the tray "button" from lock, stop and open a few times and make sure it's working as designed and the "mouth" is clear. Also make sure the tray is entering the chute all the way in. Not a big fan of the new style trays. Cleaning the chute as mentioned may help as well, certainly won't hurt.

Edit: you may also find that the mouth of the primer chute where the tray sits is to loose of a fit on the tray. Try pinching that area with your fingers when you open the tray for primers to feed and see if that helps any. Seems I read where someone had an issue like that and wrapped a rubber band around the chute top a few times to eliminate that problem. Could also just be my old age memory thing coming back to haunt me too.

[BillS]

Thanks Horseman,
I agree. I have an original Lee auto primer. Never had a problem. The primer feed on this thing is very tweeky. But if you read the Lee loading manual, you get the feeling I should have blown my fingers off by now. They don't want you to load more than 20 primers in the tray at a time, if you use winchester large pistol primers.The lawyers have gotten into this hobby. They make us "safe"
Hope I'm not offending any lawyers.

[horseman]

Thanks Horseman,
I agree. I have an original Lee auto primer. Never had a problem. The primer feed on this thing is very tweeky. But if you read the Lee loading manual, you get the feeling I should have blown my fingers off by now. They don't want you to load more than 20 primers in the tray at a time, if you use winchester large pistol primers.The lawyers have gotten into this hobby. They make us "safe"
Hope I'm not offending any lawyers.

I think it would be pretty hard to "offend" a lawyer, just my opinion of course. And I do know, and am friends with a couple very accomplished ones. Pretty darn good guys as long as you aren't doin "lawyering" stuff....

[Fyodor]

Luckily I have a few of the old round trays. Never became warm with the white triangular ones. Always had jams.

When the round trays are very full (large primers, chute still full, and restocking another 100 in the tray), sometimes the primers jammed at the exit, when two tried to go into the chute at the same time.

I cut a camfer of about 2 mm (1/16") on ONE side of the exit and polished that. It does not prevent that from happening all of the time, but it greatly reduced it.

then I put one small cable tie around one of the grooves on the pillar where the wire from the feed chute rides on. These grooves should shake the chute and tray via the wire, but it was barely noticeable. The cable tie makes it rattle much more indensely. That did the rest of the trick, and now I never had primer jams since.

[Bill Moore]

Fyodor, are you using the "round" trays with the newer red/black primer chutes?