[kingpin008]

First of all, let me say that I have absolutely zero reloading gear at this point in time. I do, however, have a decent pile of .45 ACP and .38 Special brass that I want to start de-priming in anticipation of a time when I can start reloading.

Is there any sort of household tool I can use, or some way to rig something to be able to de-prime these cases without having a press with a de-priming die? I need a project!

Thanks ya'll!

[trueblue1776]

Its really hard for me to deprime w/o my press (I have tried), plus I don't trust solid objects in the flash hole. Don't hurt yourself, buy a press.

[tasco 74]

get yourself a lee reloader press and a set of lee dies to use to do it right........ i got my first lee reloader at a gunshow for $10...... it's really too easy to mess up your brass without a press and dies to use.......

[The Bushmaster]

Let's see...Yes...ah-huh...You could rig up a means of punching those spent primers out of those fired cases...But by the time you made a rig and finished punchin' each one you could go to your local reloaders/gun shop and purchased a Lee hand reloader kit for a lot less then devising any other way...Don't waste your time and money trying to find a short cut...

[ChristopherG]

Don't waste your time and money trying to find a short cut

Boy, I wish I'd learned that lesson a lot earlier in life.

[Matt Dillon]

First off, you will want to read some reloading books, such as the ABCs of reloading, then I would advise you to NOT purchase the Lee reloader, but the most budget effective way to start out would be to purchase an inexpensive Lee Handpress, and a set of Lee Carbide dies in the caliber of your choice for pistol brass. You will use both of these should you desire to continue in your pursuit of the reloading hobby.

[gandog56]

Define Lee Reloader. A hand press is a terrible thing if you are reloading magnum cases.

[scrat]

a long time ago before i got my equipment. i was too in the same boat. so here is what i did.

Take about 10 3/8 washers. stack them on top of each other and super glue the sides. Now take a 2" nail and grind down the tip from having a point to having a small thin rod tip. make several of these. if you have a grinder it takes about 1 minute or less to make.

Now your in business. stand up the shell casing on top of the washers. use the nail tip. Insert it in the primer flash hole. then hit the nail with the small hammer a few light taps and its out. i actually toook it a step further. you can go a step further. measure the width of the washers. use a drill to drill a hole in a piece of plywood. only drill it about 3/16 of an inch in the plywood so the washers stay still. then measure the center and drill a 3/8 hole in the center. Now connect a piece of 3/8 hose in the back. you can make up two L pieces of sheet metal. drill two small holes on each one. then screw into the bottom of the plywood. insert the hose in between the two L brackets. use a hose clamp. now put the other end of the hose in a bucket. if you cut the plywood to about 18" by 6" you can be sitting down and deprime you shells while watching tv.

[Walkalong]

scrat's idea will work. Lee makes, or did make, a tool for this which was two pieces. A "stand" with a hole in it and a rod with a turned down end to punch out the primers. Works fine. Pretty much like what scrat described. :)

I did not see it on their website.

[kingpin008]

Thanks for the tips everybody. I think that I will get myself one of the small hand-presses Lee offers..I just got that bug in me where I was sitting here, bored, and had all those cases staring me in the face. I had to do something!

But I do want to do it right, so I'm not gonna rig anything, heh. Now, the Lee hand-loader press (while I'd never attempt to actually manufacture any rounds on it) will do alright for de-priming only? I'd like to have a depriming setup that is a bit more portable than a full-on press would be.

I do have a copy of The ABC's of Reloading, haven't gotten all the way through it yet, but I'm reading it as I can.

[trueblue1776]

I bought an anniversary kit from Midway recently which is cheaper than buying from Lee directly, just get your dies and go to town (#149097 - $64.99 Lee anniversary Reloading Kit) Dies run $15-20ish.

[kansas45]

kingpin, you know what' gonna' happen. You'll get the primers punched out of all that brass, then you'll be bored again. Then you'll start trying to figgure out how to put some new ones in, then you'll try to.............well, you get the picture. Buy yourself a reloading kit of somekind & get busy! :)

[Sunray]

"...I need a project!..." Come clean my apartment. Snicker.
Once you have your equipment, you'll have to set up the depriming anyway. This is the one and only time when patience is a virtue. You could always clean the cases by hand. No Brasso though.

[kingpin008]

Kansas45 - yea, I know. I'm still in the stage where it seems like a ton of impossible info, and press types, and powder varieties, etc, but I'm planning on starting to buy some gear soon.

I went to Wal-Mart and got some plastic tubs tonight while we were out with one of her friends. Got home, and started sorting the brass I have into three categories - once-fired .45 ACP, once-fired .38 Spl, and scrap .22lr. So, I took care of some of that project-lust. After I was done, it turned out that I was so zoned sorting my treasure that I didn't even realize that they'd been talking about shooting, and the girl and I have a new shooter to take with us next time we hit the range! :D


Sunray - Come clean my apartment.

Sure... It starts as "come clean my apartment", but next thing I know I wake up chained to a reloading bench facing a Dillon 550 pumping out rounds while chanting "Ammo for Sunray, Ammo for Sunray" as a guy in a viking helmet stands in the corner beating a drum. :neener:

I've seen it a thousand times......:p

[koja48]

Sure... It starts as "come clean my apartment", but next thing I know I wake up chained to a reloading bench facing a Dillon 550 pumping out rounds while chanting "Ammo for Sunray, Ammo for Sunray" as a guy in a viking helmet stands in the corner beating a drum.


But, you WOULD have access to a reloading press . . . :D

[ClarkEMyers]

Punch and base sets work just fine and are readily available from commercial sources as well as being easy to improvise. Ideally the punch will be a good size to center in the case neck. Personally I have anything from the Anywhere press for portable use to a Hollywood Universal Turret for fixed base use for a depriming die but over time I have used a punch and base set extensively.

The punch and base set of course does an especially fine job for crimped in primers. On the other hand a punch and base set may spread a little more lead (styphenate) around and so be a cause for concern. The Bonanza/Forster Co-Ax does an especially clean job of depriming.

[scout26]

Kingpin08,

As much as I hate Evil-bay, do a search there for "Lee Loader". The older ones came in a cardboard box, then they switched to a 'clear' 2 piece plastic case, then a hinge one piece plastic case. Age doesn't matter, if they've got all the parts and are in good shape, they will work as advertised. (Bring you're own hammer or mallet). I got 'em in .32 Win Spec and .30-06. (Gave another in .30-06 to a friend) I vaguely recall paying $5, $9 and $10 each for them at gun shows. I also occasionally see them under layers of dust at local gun-shops. Good tool and a great way to get started and learn the fundamentals of re-loading.

I'll second the motion on getting a couple of books on reloading and reading them. There's also http://www.reload-nrma.com/ with tons of good info here. They also maintain a list of NRA ceritfied reloading instructors. Just enter the first digit of your zipcode.

Sure... It starts as "come clean my apartment", but next thing I know I wake up chained to a reloading bench facing a Dillon 550 pumping out rounds while chanting "Ammo for Sunray, Ammo for Sunray" as a guy in a viking helmet stands in the corner beating a drum.

You make it sound like that's a bad thing. :evil::neener:

[kingpin008]

Once again, thanks for the tips everybody. I'll see what I can scrounge up as soon as I get some cash, and I'll keep reading my books so I'll be ready to reload (hopefully) soon.

Scout26 said:

You make it sound like that's a bad thing.

Well yea, if it's ammo for Sunray, I don't get to use any!!:p