In that case, so do I... and so does every other volume shooter. If a guy simply isn't shooting and handloading often, then perhaps the hand tools can work. They are still not fun, but at least they can work. If you're putting lots of rounds down range... there is no person in the world with the hand strength to deal with the fatigue the hand tools generate.
Trying to prime 300-1000 rounds in a session with a hand tool is for masochists only. Our CPS can do 1000 in an hour... and you won't even be the slightest bit fatigued. We have ammo manufacturers using the CPS with employees running them 8 hours a day, every day. The CPS was chosen by the FBI Ballistic Research Division because after exhaustive evaluation, it was the most precise, fastest, and most reliable priming system available.
It's not a problem with your hands my friend. It's a problem with the design of the tools which somehow became commonly accepted to perform this task.
The issue is multifaceted.
1) Not many handloaders realize the true importance of having consistent ignition.
2) Because not many realize its importance, not many invest time and money into the operation.
3) Due to this, not many get to experience a wide array of priming tool configurations. Most just use whatever unit they started with.
4) As a result, people simply do not realize how simple, effortless, precise, and fast the operation can become.
The same can be said of all high end reloading equipment. These forums are slammed full of people claiming a bottle torch and a socket in a drill is the best way to anneal. A manual hand operated trimmer is the best way to trim. A beam scale and thrower is the best way to charge cases. Many people simply do not know differently and they base their reality on their experiences, which are very limited. As someone that owns a Bench Source annealer, a giraud trimmer, and a Prometheus genII powder measure... I can tell you that every single device is essentially without equal. (other than perhaps the AMP annealer) Yet there will still be some who claim these high end devices are not worth the money. They are worth it, and that is a reality those who choose not to buy them may not discover, yet it is a reality none the less. When better tools come along, they too will be worth it.
Time is important to some of us. It has less to do with "need" than it has to do with the kind of experiences, feelings, and time management we want to have in our lives. Sure, the best equipment is absolutely going to produce better results than cheap equipment.
The result of more consistent rounds performing better on target is obvious. What isn't obvious is the kind of enjoyment we can have when the laborious tasks associated with our passions have the pain, frustration, and time stripped away from the equation. The feeling of satisfaction we get from using the most excellent optics, on the best custom rifles, with the most perfectly uniform ammo we can produce. The calm confidence behind the rifle which exists due to our extreme diligence and obsession over every tiny detail. Nothing is left to chance. All variables accounted for. The hit is assured. Yes it is a need after all. The need to know we've done everything possible to ensure perfection. The pursuit and the satisfaction it creates, just as important as the result itself. It's not unlike how the act of hunting, can often be as fun or more fun than the trophy gained. Think of how much time is spent in the reloading room to create each round. It takes a lot longer to create it than it does to send it. That time at the loading bench should be pleasing to you, and shouldn't be unduly punishing or time consuming. If it is, then you should realize it doesn't have to be.
If that doesn't speak to you personally, then by all means keep mashing those primers into those cases with your thumbs or jamming them in there with your presses. You might be able to convince yourself it's the best way, but you won't convince those who have used a CPS. People will spend $1000 on a barrel install that will be shot out in 2000 rounds. People will spend $300 on a bipod for a single rifle. People will spend $400 on a rifle case they will hardly use. People will spend $400 on a scope mount which will sit on a single rifle. The CPS can be used on literally hundreds of thousands of rounds for as many rifles as you want. We sincerely do not know the service life, because no one has ever wore one out yet. One customer claims over a million rounds primed on a single unit, and there's no indication it will need service anytime soon. It's a lifetime tool which takes a laborious, monotonous, sloppy, slow, and physically demanding task... and makes it precise, fast, and nearly effortless. Buying a CPS is not a risk proposition. Buying a CPS is an investment into your health and happiness as a shooter.
Anyone that orders a CPS before friday of this week via our website (
www.primalrights.com) and mentions this thread in the comments during checkout will get $75 off and free shipping to anywhere in the lower 48. We almost never do discounts on the CPS... but reading this thread and seeing so many people advocate torturous hand tools or inferior bench tools seems very strange. Almost like people are intentionally making their priming operation harder for themselves for some reason. If incentive was needed... here it is. You'll make more money. You'll never get time back, and you'll never feel good about inflicting pain on yourself while pursuing a sport that is suppose to be fun.
