What’s the biggest hassle when loading bulk ammunition? Loading primers. Not only do I not like to load primers, I also don’t like how much time it takes when reloading. The solution? An automated primer loading machine. These machines have been on the market for a long time, but have had some shortcomings: unreliability and high cost being being the most common. The Double Alpha Academy has just released a new primer loading machine called the “PRIMER-PRO”- and this machine is aimed at addressing both shortcomings. The PRIMER-PRO has been designed to be both affordable and reliable. Does the PRIMER-PRO live up to its promise? Read on.

What’s In The Box

The PRIMER-PRO comes setup to load small rifle or small pistol primers, and includes the following:

• Primer Pro machine assembly with magnetic primer tube collar
• Power adapter for 120VAC or 240VAC
• Instruction booklet (includes quick start guide)

PRIMER-PRO Setup

Setting up the PRIMER-PRO is easy, there’s just a couple things to do:

1. Snap the correct plug adapter into place on the AC adapter (mine was pre-installed for USA)
2. Plug power cord into socket inside enclosure, snap strain relief in place
3. Slide magnetic collar into place on primer pickup tube. You’ll want the tube to seat all the way into socket on machine, but not have a gap between magnetic collar and machine housing.  Tighten the set screw (being very careful not to over-torque) with a 2.5mm allen key

It should not take more than 5 minutes to setup the machine, especially after watching the video on this post.

How the PRIMER-PRO Works

In the above composite image, you can see the main components of the PRIMER-PRO machine. Here’s how things work:

1. The bowl holds 200-400 primers and is the reservoir for primers being collated
2. A disk rotates which causes primers to fall into channels inside the disk. The ratchets on the disk actuate a “hammer” (See #5 below)
3. At the top of the disk, primers fall down an enclosed ramp
4. An optical sensor counts the primers as they slide by
5. A “hammer” pushes the primer over, suspends it over the tube opening, then drops it
6. The primers fall down into the tube filling it up

Here’s what’s ingenious about the PRIMER-PRO- tube “pile ups” are avoided because the PRIMER-PRO counts the primers as they drop down the slide. After 99 primers, the primers are no longer loaded. Since there’s a +/- primer variance in loaded primers, the “101 primer scenario” (can cause pile-ups) is avoided and the machine stops.

Another important note: due to the design of the machine, primers that are inverted can not pass through the disk. Double Alpha loaded 10,000 primers continuously with this machine without a single inverted primer!

Loading Primers with PRIMER-PRO

Using the PRIMER-PRO to load primers while you’re reloading ammunition is so easy, there’s only three things to do:

Here’s the sequence while loading: (after you dump primers into the machine)

1. Dump 100 primers into collator
2. Snap tube into place
3. Press multi-function button to “Go” – load ammo while machine runs

The PRIMER-PRO will load 99 primers into a tube in about 30 seconds. Good luck loading 99 rounds of ammo in that time on your press, that would be 1100 rounds per hour! Given that you have to load cases and powder, only a commercial loading machine could load that fast. Because the PRIMER-PRO is fast, you only need one primer tube for day-in day-out use.

My PRIMER-PRO is working great, and I can’t wait to start loading ammo with the PRIMER-PRO by my press!

Get Your Own PRIMER-PRO

As of the writing of this article, the PRIMER-PRO is available for $199.00 US, that’s a GREAT price for what this machine can do! Orders are open with fulfillment starting late December 2019 to early January 2020.

Here’s a link to the product page: DAA Primer Collator (USA)

For other regions, please browse https://www.doublealpha.biz/

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Thanks,
Gavin