Lee Ergo Prime

The new Ergoprime is the third generation of handheld priming tools made by Lee Precision. Previous models - the original AutoPrime and later AutoPrime XR - have been improved upon in terms of both ergonomics and safety. The original Auto Prime must be one of the most popular tools of its type. In use devices of this nature allow a real feel when trying to consistently seat primers which cannot be duplicated when doing the job on-press.

IMPROVEMENTS
The major change is that previously the operating lever was pressed with the thumb, the latest version features a lever squeezed in towards the palm by the fingers. A definite improvement as if you are priming a lot of brass that digit does take a bit of a pounding

The XR version employed a secondary lifter to separate the insertion and feed of primers to increase safety but primers were easily spilled before they dropped into the feed channel, now a cap to the column prevents this. Small pimples are moulded into the tray which is square rather than round to easily accept most primer boxes.

A LITTLE JIGGLE
After a little jiggle to set all primers `anvil-up`, they are guided to a single width channel to be fed over and then lifted onto the final mechanism that pushes them into the primer pocket in the base of the case. Lee shell holders are used as before, easily inserted into the tool and available in many sizes to hold any case up to 0.532” diameter (win mag etc). It’s possible to buy a set of 11 shell holders, which - with the included list - pretty much covers every calibre available to the hand loader.

Two trays and seating punches are supplied to work with small or large primers and the operating lever has a little less mechanical leverage than before requiring a slightly firmer squeeze though fractionally less travel. A spot of grease smoothes out the mechanisms and whereas the XR seemed a stop-gap measure with minor imperfections to calm safety fears, the Ergoprime seems to be a cleanly evolved development to the original AutoPrime with no inherent failings.

FOR: Fewer spillages with new capped feed column
AGAINST: Primers slower to flip `anvil-up` with pimples rather than ridged tray
VERDICT: A definite improvement on the interim XR model