Lee Precision 90230 New Auto Prime Hand Priming Tool
$27.39
Price: $27.39
(as of Sep 19, 2025 03:14:25 UTC – Details)
The Lee New Auto Prime Hand Priming Tool is the updated version of a time tested classic. The Auto Prime has been designed to work with every brand of primer and features the patent pending “elevator pin” which safely separates a single primer from the tray reducing the likelihood of tray detonation. The Auto Prime uses the same body and shell holders as the original but the rest of the components have been improved or replaced. Some of the upgrades include an unbreakable comfort curve lever and large triangular trays that accept all brands of primer boxes with slide on covers for large or small primers. Specifications: – Style: Hand-Held – Shell Holder Included: No – Shell holder Type: Lee Auto Prime
Style: Hand-Held
Shell holder Type: Lee Auto Prime
The Auto Prime has been designed to work with every brand of primer
Customers say
Customers find the priming tool works well, with one noting it handles both large and small primers effectively. The tool is simple to use and saves money on reloading, though opinions on value are mixed. Durability is a concern as customers report it breaking and being less durable than metal alternatives, while the flipper mechanism causes primers to turn sideways frequently. Customers disagree on the ease of priming, with some finding it fast and others saying it’s as time-consuming as using a press.
Bill –
An essential
My first hand priming tool was loaded one by one, which was tedious. I loved it when I found one that had a circular holder, and some texture inside that would flip the primers anvil up with a little jiggling. But now Lee offers a square holder, which one can put over a whole tray of primers, hold the two together, and turn over to dump all of the primers at once, neatly into the holder. Any that remain on the slight shelf can be brushed into the deeper area with the other primers, and again, the texture on the bottom of the holder allows gentle jiggling to turn all of the primers anvil up, with a little finger action to turn over any that resist. Carefully slide the lid over the primers, which holds them flat in place, and the rest of the work is fast and easy. Grab a shell, slide it into the holder, and smoothly press the primer into the shell pocket. This priming tool has a two-stage feed, which moves the primer being loaded away from the other primers, adding a level of safety in the unusual case the primer in process were to fire.Always take a quick look to be sure that the primer being loaded is not somehow turned sideways or completely backwards, although this is rather rare. Also, press smoothly, and stop if the primer does not seat itself with the usual ease. Resistance to seating may be due to the primer being turned sideways, or it may be due to a shell that has a military crimp or an otherwise obstructed pocket. So simple an action as cutting a slight bevel at the pocket rim with a small knife can provide the funneling action that seats the primer easily and firmly.In any case, these priming tools have been getting easier/faster to use and more strongly built, and I like the controlled feel of priming by hand, so this is a tool that I would not be without! If one wears out, I don’t even shop around; this is the one.
cj –
was working fine for a while
i like this little priming tool… worked fine until it started seating primers caddiwappus… discovered a crack on the right side of the shell holder… i’ve loaded hundreds primers and it’s always worked perfectly… maybe it a bit colder than usual this morning… but still… the cast might need to be made a little stronger than it is at present… i’ve ordered another… hope to have just a little better luck with this new one…
lazerbeam –
An excellent reloading tool
I have 3 different brands of hand loaders; The Lee Precision, Smart Reloader, and a Lyman E-Zee, The Lee band was the first one I owned and it works very well. My problem with it is I have fingers that are between short and medium length. The grip/squeeze length coupled with my mild case of arthritis makes it somewhat problematic to use. That’s not to say it is a bad hand primer, it is very good and does an adequate job. I decided to try the Smart Reloader. All I will say is that it has not performed to my expectations. I should have never purchased it. The Lyman E-Zee loader is similar to the Lee Precision except that the Lyman has a much simpler method of installing the shell holders. Both of these primers use Lee and Lyman shell holders and have a fairly smooth mechanical action. The Lyman has a little shorter grip length but still slightly problematic for my finger/grip length. Lee has come out with a new hand primer called the Auto Bench Primer that looks like it is a much better tool for me. I mounts directly to you bench or to some kind of mounting plate that is used with Lee presses. It’s MSRP is about $36 on the Lee website. The problem is, everyone is currently out of stock… If you receive the NRA’s American Rifleman there is an advertisement for it on page 32 of the March 2016 edition.OK, this review is really about the Lee hand primer. It is an excellent reloading tool and I would highly recommend it to anyone that has medium to long grip/finger length.
S. Kovarik –
Subtle features make this a fantastic tool
I’ve heard from a number of sources that they prefer the old round-tray Auto-Prime to the new Auto-Prime XR, and I can’t possibly figure out why. I finally added enough equipment to setup a second reloading station at my house, and this was one of the last components. Compatibility with my existing auto-prime shell holders was a huge plus and the new features on this primer are a win all-around. The new tray shape will accomodate an entire tray of primers – unlike the round-top version. The primer tray/spring assembly is contained now and doesn’t come apart every time you want to switch over – a big improvement that saves time and frustration. The gate and lift system for feeding primers is much better than the old system (and arguably safer) that was prone to binding up when multiple primers would feed. The tray lids do not come off the way the old round version was wont to do since they now clamp onto the tray rather than twisting on.If you don’t have the older Auto-Prime you aren’t missing much. This is a big improvement, and for the price, you won’t find a better hand primer by RCBS or anyone else. The shell-holders are cheap to buy the entire kit, but if you shoot most center-fire rifle cartridges (.223 and variants, .308 and variants) #2 and #4 will do the job for you. This tool took my single stage loading to a just slightly better level and I couldn’t be more pleased with it. Kudos to Lee for logically improving/evolving their products and still keeping the prices out of reach of the competition.
83cj7jeeper –
Great hand primer!
This is a great budget hand primer! These really speed things along. Very easy to use. This is my second one. My last one primed well over 10k cases and broke to user error. I tried to force a primer in a case that wasnt swaged enough. My fault. Otherwise these are great and last a long time. Just add a little lube once in a while and its smooth as butter.
william boutwell –
Frustration
Most of the time it works perfectly. But one primer that gets un-aligned and you have a frustrating next couple minutes. I just used it for the first time priming 300BLK cases. I primed 99 cases because 1 went in the shuttle sideways so it got crushed on the way into the primer pocket. Not sure if I will keep it. After all, I had to buy the set of shellholders for it also. Does it work? Yes it does with frustration. I really like using Lee reloading dies but this…not so much.
Jeroen ippel –
Good quality, fast delivery!
Cliente Amazon –
En cuanto le coges el punto, vas como un avión
Neil Wenzel –
easy to use and works great
Rüdiger Seegert –
sehr stabil. Zuerst ein weing schwergängig . Funtioniert aber tadellos.
m f j mingay –
hard to use