The 8 Best Primer Tools (2023 reviews)

Best part: rcbs great priming tool costs reasonable and it is available to ship in 24 hours. This makes priming a dream. It features the universal shellholder which makes going from one caliber to another a breeze. It includes accessories to seat large and small rifle or pistol primers. It works well and is easy to use. The cover stays on, and the primers feed evenly and in the correct orientation.

You will like this priming tool because it is working with a minimum of aggravation. It has two settings for the different size of casing/primer. The primers feed reliably, and the tray fits in to the body very well. It is easy to insert brass correctly, surprisingly so given the "universal" spring shell holder.

Why We Like This:

Great choice for anyone who primes on a turret
Very convenient and practical means of priming brass
Good tool and the universal shell holder is a great
Works great, makes applying the primer very easy and in-expensive.great product

Best For Good Price: RCBS Primer Tool

Buy on Amazon

We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate tool. The rcbs primer tool is exactly that - it's a simple tool that hits all the right notes. If you need to create boxer pockets out of archaic and impossible to find brass that is only available in Berdan, this is the tool you need. This is an excellent tool for taking out military primer pocket crimps. It works on once fired military brass with large and small primers. It does the swage as designed and saves the hassle of reaming and removing material at the primer pocket.

This product is easy to set up and is a great value compared to a stand alone Dillon or RCBS bench swagger. It takes considerable force to operate, but it does it's job. This swager takes care of the crimps and allows you to load your primers with minimal effort.

Why We Like This:

Very easy setup and no problems with large primer pockets
Works very well with military brass
Makes very quick work of crimped primer pockets
Well made, well designed, effortless to use once set up to proper depth

Best For priming off Press: Lee Precision Primer Tool

Buy on Amazon

Best part: lee precision primer tool costs comparatively low and it is available to ship in 24 hours. This new Lee auto prime tool is better than earlier models in that the grip is much more ergonomic and allows you to seat the primers much more easily. It has been designed to work with every brand of primer. The cover will come loose with great frequency (every 4th round or so) which will miss feed the next primer on top of the priming rod and more often than not flip it upside down. This is a good tool if you can use a little imagination.

There are four main pieces to this product, the primer tray, the body, the lever, and a little piece of metal that pushes the mechanism to prime your shells. This tool is fast and easy to use. If you are doing a lot of loading (mass match of.223 for example for a big range day with friends) this is good to use along side of Lee's Safety Prime. It is made with a gift card.

Why We Like This:

Easy and inexpensive for loading and capping
Much faster than priming with a press
Made an enduring and simple design even better

Best For Pistol And Rifle primers: Lyman Lee priming Tool

Buy on Amazon

We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention lyman lee priming tool for regular usage. This Lyman model turns out to be the most comfortable, best primer cycling, solid construction model of them all. It includes two primer trays, each of which incorporate their own built-in large or small primer punch assembly. It can also be turned backwards and it works well. It is great for a primer tool for everyday use or as a back up. It is a heavy-duty built unit, and will probably last decades.

The Lyman tool DOES NOT include any shell holders. It is your priming tool put together properly. It is very simple to set up and very easy to use.

Why We Like This:

Sets the primers at a perfect depth and has smooth action
Very well designed, simple and robust, great feel as primers seat
Priming was quickly and easily completed
Easy to use, reliable, well built

Best For Reloading Bench: Frankford Arsenal Primer Tool

Buy on Amazon

The frankford arsenal primer tool is satisfactory and appropriate and fits well with your daily purpose. It's very easy to go slow and drop one granule of extruded powder at a time with this unit for precise powder charges. It is constructed of hardened high-speed steel. It allows very small amounts of powder to be dispensed to achieve precise load weights. It keeps things neat when not in use, and aids in cleaning any left over powder out of the trickler.

This one is heavy enough to remain firmly in place and is small enough to be unobtrusive. The machining is good, the paint is good and the rubber base doubles as a powder reservoir cover and there is also a rubber trickle tube cover. It makes it easy to dial in your powder charge.

Why We Like This:

Operates smoothly and does allow precise powder measurements
Very heavy duty and stays put on the bench
Great device for making totally accurate powder loads
Easy to get precise loads with this trickler

Best Quality Product: Hornady priming Tool

Buy on Amazon

Not everyone likes to purchase tool for their daily usage, but the hornady priming tool would be an anomoly. If you are only loading large primers this priming tool is great, if you are loading small primers, look elsewhere. It can sit watching TV and load hundreds and hundreds over the course of 3 or 4 of ours. It comes with an extra plate to have sp and lp primers ready in separate discs. It uses standard shell holders,just like the one you use in your press (assuming you're going to a single feed ram), which means you don't need a second, dedicated shell holder.

The anodized aluminum body is built like a truck,as are all the metal components that fit into it,these will NEVER wear out. It works great after you make it adjustable. It comes with 2 trays for different size primers.

Why We Like This:

Can sit watching tv and load
Good product, slightly thinner separate tray for small primers
Easy to change caliber and primer size
Comes with 2 trays which is great

Best comfort: Lyman Primer Tool

Buy on Amazon

Lyman line of tool come in a pretty wide variety of styles, so you can definitely find one that suits your individual preferences and needs. If you are reloading military or federal manufactured 5.56 brass, this is a must have item. It comes with a molded handle plus it is one of the most recognized names in reloading, producing innovative tools for serious shooters and reloaders. It certainly does unscrew from the handle as it is just a threaded bit.

The tool itself is covered in a non slip rubber and hard plastic. It is designed with the end user in mind. It is easy to use with a cordless drill. These cases are bench-primed with the feel of the operation consistent, yielding a nice firm primer fit.

Why We Like This:

Removes primer pocket crimps easily and cleanly
Helpful reloading tool designed with end user in mind
Great for removing primer pocket crimps

Best Easy To Use: Hornady Primer Tool

Buy on Amazon

The hornady primer tool's high-end materials makes sure that it ages well with use. This little rascal works very well for the purpose of opening up swaged (crimped) primer pockets, such as you’d see in Lake City military brass. It is easy to use, fast, smooth, adjustable, and small foot print in the process. It reforms the primer pocket, no cutting or punching involved. If you take a little time to adjust it properly, you’ll have a perfect swage every time with minimal effort.

This should work on any standard single stage or turret press. It does an excellent job on both commercial and surplus military brass. It makes a tediously slow job fast and easy. It fits the need, keeping the reloading bench clean.

Why We Like This:

Gives a perfect swage every time
Massive timesaver and very high quality
Much easier, cheaper, and less aggravating
Very easy set up and works perfect every time