Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for installing primers in ammunition shells, comprising a primer holder having walls defining a pocket opening to an upper surface of the holder for receiving a primer. The pocket has a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of a primer so that there is an interference fit between the pocket and the primer sufficient to prevent the primer from being inadvertently dislodged from the holder during shipment, handling or use of the holder. The holder has a hole extending from a bottom of the pocket to a bottom surface of the holder for receiving a pin which pushes the primer out of the pocket and directly into a shell in response to relative movement between the holder and the pin. The holder preferably is disk shaped and has a plurality of pockets. The invention further comprises a shell reloading machine which utilizes the new primer feed system.