Hand-held primer loading tool

Abstract

A hand-held tool for loading a primer into a primer socket of an ammunition cartridge case includes an elongate body with a holder for holding a cartridge case with its primer socket in a target position in a priming station. An elongate track on the tool longitudinally guides a rectilinear primer holding strip through the priming station. A reciprocating advancing member moves in advancing and retracting directions, and in its advancing direction engages the primer strip to sequentially align successive primers in the strip with the target position. A detent holds the primer strip against retraction when the advancing member moves in its retracting direction. A plunger is mounted for shifting longitudinally of the body into and away from the priming station to push a primer out of the primer strip into the primer socket of the cartridge. An elongate operator handle is connected to the body for movement relative thereto. Movement of the handle in one direction produces advancement of the primer strip to align a primer with the primer socket and shifting of the plunger out of the priming station. Movement of the handle in the opposite direction moves the plunger into the priming station followed by retraction of the advancing member. The cartridge case holder includes a pair of opposed, laterally spaced shiftable gripper members having arcuate gripping faces which are spring biased toward each other to hold the base of a cartridge case.