[skip]

If you had to pick a Reloader Manufacturer and rate it 1 through 10 for Primer Delivery Reliability which would you select and how would you rate it 10 being the best.


Ignore space age materials, color, price, how much powder or lead it holds, what the finished crimp looks like, how fast it is or isn’t, focus only on the reliability of getting a primer from the primer tray or tube into a shell ready to accept a new primer.


My Ponsness Warren 900 never misses a successful primer delivery to the shell. It does require a tap to the primer tray every now and then but never fails to deliver a primer once it’s in the primer rail.

I give it a nine for reliable primer delivery no matter what manufacture primer is used.

 

[grntitan]

Hornady/Pacfic 366 hands down a perfect 10. No tapping on anything or vibrators needed. Feeds everytime as long as there are primers in the system.

Matt

 

[cunninmp]

My Spolar never misses a beat, and my PW 2000 is right behind it.

Mike C.

 

[Unknown1]

P-Ws quit feeding primers at about the last 15-20 (unless you've bent the heck out the the delivery chute) because the last couple inches of the chute is almost horizontal. I made a sliding weight that allows feed to the last primer.

MK

 

[ntgr8]

366 has to be a 10. Just loaded 2400 without a glitch.

 

[birdogs]

The 366 is an excellent stsyem. I wish it had a larger capacity.

If the Pacific/Hornady 366 primer drop gets flaky, you need to replace the plastic foot which meters out the primers one at a time. When you do that, make certain that the bottom of the tube is square and that there are no burrs on the inside along the bottom edge, If either of these conditions are found, they can be easily cleaned up with a small file.

 

[Didreckson]

I personally had poor results with P/W 800+. Whiz got me rolling much better, but it still would skip one every so often.

My Spolar of course has the vibrator, and I keep the primer tray squeaky clean and polished with spray on cleaner/wax, blow it super dry about every 1000 loads. If I keep the primer tray full, it never skips. I believe the vibrator not only keeps the primers moving, but my powder drops are dead nuts consistent every single time. I have become lazy, and only check at the beginning, middle and end of a reload session. After months of doing that, it is the same old boring number every single time on the digital scale. I would vary slightly with Mec and P/W, and the only difference is the small vibrator. My shot drops are within 1 #8 pellet of being right on.

I hesitate to say this (as you know it will screw up now!), but my Spolar has not missed a primer in over 5000 loads. I have short stroked the hydraulic, I have seen one slightly tipped, which I fix before bringing it back down fully. That is the one reason I would be tempted to try P/W electric, being a full circle it cannot short stroke when I get rolling too fast. There is no reason to go fast, as this loader can put more out than I can reasonably shoot, but you get going and the mind starts to wander a bit.

 

[JerryP]

skip , The requirement to tap the tray is a failure of the system to deliver a primer. I think it is inherent and the only way around it is a vibrator. I have never loaded on a Spolar but it will probably have the same problems with the vibrator turned off.

 

[Frank C]

my 9000G.....2, maybe 3

 

[Didreckson]

JerryP,

Spolar does act just like the P/W with the vibrator turned off. Even with a slick and polished primer tray. Possibly worse, as the angle seems less on the Spolar. With the vibrator operating normally, the track stays full until you run it out of primers. I have the low primer LED, but it does require paying attention. I think the low primer LED should trigger a cut in power to the hydraulic pump......that would be slick. Still, after 300 or so loads I am ready for a new glass of ice tea and a short breather.

The other fact I discovered, powder drops became relatively inconsistent compared to operation with the vibrator. It must have some settling effect? It was only off maybe .2 grains, but with the Spolar running normally, well it is just dead on every single shell I check. I checked a ton starting out, check early, middle and late shells now in say a 1000 round loading session. Never varies.

 

[fssberson]

Hornady 366 [a 10] is near perfect. After years of service never replaced the end piece. Spolar is next [a 9], but the alignment must be good from the tray to the slide down. Worst for me was my last P/W P2000, the hooked arm was made a 1/4" too short and Whiz had to remake [customize] the part. The worst design was the MEC with the chain adjustment... just awful and caused me to get rid of my MEC and never go back. Fred

 

[skeeljc]

Hornady 366 is a 10

P/W 800 Plus is a 9.5

Jim Skeel

 

[psfive]

I really feel out of place with all this talk of Spolars, PW's and such but. Since I threw out the old chain drive primer tray and added the new large capacity tray on my old MEC 650 it has not missed a primer placement on every down stroke. No adjusting or messing around it just puts them where they need to be. Paul in Nebraska.

 

[shadow]

Never have loaded on a Spolar so I cant judge them, but my 366 hasnt missed a primer in almost 20 years and this one is WELL used !

 

[Leo]

After some careful work with a dremel tool and care in adjusting, my MEC did great. I also spaced the lid up .050 higher than the factory design height to eliminate drag when using Winchester Primers. I have never owned another brand so I cannot say what is good, better, or best, but with a little tuning, I had no problems with my MEC grabber.

 

[peteodie]

does anyone have comments on the RCBS Grand?

 

[Hap MecTweaks]

I built my own MEC primer feed system and modified a tray for my 9000H. It's done the job for several years without a failure to drop the primer in the hole!

Hap

 

[Blueraven81]

Crap, so having to occasionally tap the shell to get it to rotate is normal for a MEC 9000? I thought there was something specifically wrong with my MEC.

Blueraven

 

[Unknown1]

Use a Lee Load-All and YOU get to be the primer feeder...one by one!

That way you'll never have doubts or questions about the reliability of the primer feed!

MK

 

[Jim101]

I have three MEC 9000Hs with the old primer trays and after some careful tweaking they feed primers with boring reliability.






Jim