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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - depriming without resizing brass

Posted: 3/29/2013 4:41:50 PM EDT

I put a universal decapping pin into my basket mistakenly on midway, and after realizing it was for the universal decapper it got me thinking. I'd like to deprime without resizing or cleaning, so I can clean a deprimed shell, but the Lee unit looks kinda weak.. I haven't had a problem with other lee dies, but the universal one looks like the pin shaft is much smaller than what comes on the regular dies. What has been peoples luck with this universal die, and are there other options that are better?

Posted: 3/29/2013 4:51:50 PM EDT

[#1]

Been using the Lee for years with no problem.

Posted: 3/29/2013 4:54:00 PM EDT

[#2]

Just take your regular resizing die and run the pin down far enough where the die doesn't engage the case.

Posted: 3/29/2013 4:55:48 PM EDT

[#3]

I use the universal decapper from lee on just about everything as I deprime before tumbling. I turned the tip of mine down to a rounded point (the stem not the decapping pin) so it would go into a 223 case with a buggered mouth easier. The stem is designed to slip up if it encounters a heavily crimped primer or a berdan case without breaking. If I am running once fired nato brass through it I usually have to tighten the collet nut a little more than what is needed for commercial brass. Even then I have came across four or five berdan cases and not broken a decapping pin. I also have a spare stem which I think helps discourage decapping pin gremlins from showing up.

In my opinion the Lee decapper is a quality part. I keep mine in the T-7 and use it regularly to deprime scrap range brass as well as whatever round I am working on at the time.

Posted: 3/29/2013 4:58:10 PM EDT

[#4]

I've never had an issue with anything from Lee that I've owned. No reason to think the decapper wouldn't be as good.

Posted: 3/29/2013 5:06:31 PM EDT

[#5]

Lee universal decapping die is a great die. It's built like a tank and mine has churned through thousands of once fired
military 5.56 and 7.62 ammo with crimped primers. It's tough and works like a champ! I highly suggest getting one.

ZA

Posted: 3/29/2013 5:15:07 PM EDT

[#6]

I have done hundreds of rounds with my Lee universal decapping die and never had a problem.

strangms

Posted: 3/29/2013 6:11:22 PM EDT

[#7]

I like to deprime my .223, then wet tumble. After drying it I resize with lube then an hour or so in dry media cleans up any spots left over from the wet tumble.

AZ has very hard water and if you don't rinse the heck out of your cases after wet tumble you'll get spots.

Posted: 3/29/2013 6:14:33 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
I use the universal decapper from lee on just about everything as I deprime before tumbling. I turned the tip of mine down to a rounded point (the stem not the decapping pin) so it would go into a 223 case with a buggered mouth easier. The stem is designed to slip up if it encounters a heavily crimped primer or a berdan case without breaking. If I am running once fired nato brass through it I usually have to tighten the collet nut a little more than what is needed for commercial brass. Even then I have came across four or five berdan cases and not broken a decapping pin. I also have a spare stem which I think helps discourage decapping pin gremlins from showing up.

In my opinion the Lee decapper is a quality part. I keep mine in the T-7 and use it regularly to deprime scrap range brass as well as whatever round I am working on at the time.

sounds good, I think I'll pick one up, I've got a lot of brass to go through. Given the availability of a spare pin for the FL die, I'd hate to break that one. I like the idea of modifying the stem too, I've encountered a lot of goobered up military once-fireds lately

Posted: 3/29/2013 6:47:24 PM EDT

[#9]

It's the universal decapper I recommend.

I have 3 of them.

Posted: 3/29/2013 6:52:49 PM EDT

[#10]

I find my Lee decapping to be an indispensable part of my reloading gear.

Posted: 3/29/2013 7:20:29 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
I find my Lee decapping to be an indispensable part of my reloading gear.

I got one a couple weeks ago. Threw it on my single stage, grabbed a random 7.62 NATO case out of a bucket, tightened the pin down, cranked the lever and promptly snapped the pin off. Berdan.......Doh! Usually the Lee decapper setup gives the way it's designed to do, but not this time. Ordered a couple spare pins from Midway and will watch closer next time.

Posted: 3/29/2013 7:32:44 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I find my Lee decapping to be an indispensable part of my reloading gear.

I got one a couple weeks ago. Threw it on my single stage, grabbed a random 7.62 NATO case out of a bucket, tightened the pin down, cranked the lever and promptly snapped the pin off. Berdan.......Doh! Usually the Lee decapper setup gives the way it's designed to do, but not this time. Ordered a couple spare pins from Midway and will watch closer next time.

It will never happen again.

Somehow Lee have magically infused the universal decapping pins in such as way as this:
If you only have 1 (one), it will eventually break (I did about 900 .223 cases before it bended, stout privi stuff).
BUT if you get 2 (two), it will never break again. Ordered 2 replacements, no bends or breaks yet.

Go figure.

Posted: 3/29/2013 9:26:25 PM EDT

[#13]

I use my Lee decapper, then wet tumble. I then dry tumble to remove case lube after re-sizing. Then when I actually start to load, I put the lee decapper back in just incase I missed something stuck in the flash hole.

I was having trouble with the blunt end of the Lee decapper hitting the mouth of the .223 case, and stopping everything. So I ground the tip down. Now it works like a charm.

I made it look more like the stock Hornady decapper pin.

Before pic

After pic.

Posted: 3/30/2013 12:37:06 AM EDT

[#14]

Have broken two of the pins so far. Once was my kinda my fault when I tried to deprime a Berdan case, though I believe the die is supposed to allow the pin to give if it meets too much resistance. The other time the pin broke on a piece of crimped LC 223 brass.

That's only twice in a few thousand cases, but it makes me keep a few extra pins on hand.

Posted: 3/30/2013 1:02:02 AM EDT

[#15]

The Lee decapping die is great, of the three decapping dies I have the Lee is the newest and I like it the best.

I found if you put a little teflon tape around the collate threads it makes it much easier to tighten down to hold the rod in place.

EWP

Posted: 3/30/2013 3:16:11 AM EDT

[#16]

Only thing you have to do before using it is to set the tension on the pin. IIRC they ship way too tight and are subject to breaking when hitting an obstruction. However if you adjust it so there is just enough tension when depriming the brass in question you should be able to go through many thousands of rounds w/o

breaking a pin. I'm probably right at 10k with mine and it's still just fine. It has "slipped" a few times when hitting something but I simply readjusted and kept on going.....

Posted: 3/30/2013 7:20:27 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

I use my Lee decapper, then wet tumble. I then dry tumble to remove case lube after re-sizing. Then when I actually start to load, I put the lee decapper back in just incase I missed something stuck in the flash hole.

I was having trouble with the blunt end of the Lee decapper hitting the mouth of the .223 case, and stopping everything. So I ground the tip down. Now it works like a charm.

I made it look more like the stock Hornady decapper pin.

Before pic

http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr153/Col_Cotton_Hill/reloading%20stuff/reloadingstation018_zpsf24994d1.jpg
After pic.

http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr153/Col_Cotton_Hill/reloading%20stuff/reloadingstation020_zps3b9d52a4.jpg

That's the old standard fix.

Posted: 3/31/2013 12:21:03 AM EDT

[#18]

i use the lee universal deprime die with no problems

Posted: 3/31/2013 6:10:21 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
I use my Lee decapper, then wet tumble. I then dry tumble to remove case lube after re-sizing. Then when I actually start to load, I put the lee decapper back in just incase I missed something stuck in the flash hole.

I was having trouble with the blunt end of the Lee decapper hitting the mouth of the .223 case, and stopping everything. So I ground the tip down. Now it works like a charm.

I made it look more like the stock Hornady decapper pin.

Before pic

http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr153/Col_Cotton_Hill/reloading%20stuff/reloadingstation018_zpsf24994d1.jpg

After pic.

http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr153/Col_Cotton_Hill/reloading%20stuff/reloadingstation020_zps3b9d52a4.jpg

Thats a great idea! I deprime, wet tumble, resize, dry tumble in seperate steps. This will save me from going through each case prior to sizing.

Posted: 3/31/2013 6:42:00 AM EDT

[#20]

Homemade- Large spike for the hardware store & RCBS decap pin.

Posted: 3/31/2013 7:34:57 AM EDT

[#21]

I once had a .22 LR case hiding in a rifle cartridge. My Lee Decapping Die punched clean through the .22 case and punched out the primer. The .22 case got stuck on the end of the depriming pin pin and I wound up breaking the pin when I tried to pull the case off with pliers. The pin is tough as hell until you apply lateral force.

BTW, their are two different length replacement decappers, something I did not realize. The short size will barely work in my die. I found the long size at FSReloading.com.

Posted: 3/31/2013 10:16:51 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
If you only have 1 (one), it will eventually break (I did about 900 .223 cases before it bended, stout privi stuff).

Even took a few stout whacks with this Lee Decapper and Base

Quoted:
Only thing you have to do before using it is to set the tension on the pin. IIRC they ship way too tight and are subject to breaking when hitting an obstruction.

Broke it on the above case and pissed me off, but I realized that I didn't have any spares. Kinda fortunate I guess. It's good that it broke when it did - can't imagine life with no spares. As mentioned earlier, have spares = no breakage

Posted: 3/31/2013 10:45:45 AM EDT

[#23]

I use the Lee universal decapper all the time to remove primers for wet tumbling.

I did have to tighten the collet a bit to deprime military .30-06 with their primer crimped in. The collet slip feature is good when LC brass has flash holes punched way out of center. That slip feature will save you from buying a new stem and pin.

Posted: 3/31/2013 1:47:10 PM EDT

[#24]

I've never had any problems with my Lee Universal Decapping die.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - depriming without resizing brass

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