3 options for Universal Decapping dies

Ya missed da boat. The Lyman Universal Decapping Die for $13.99 at Amazon is better than the RCBS. Anything is better than the Lee.

Don

I got tired of breaking decapping pins on Berdan cases, so in 1992, I bought a Lee Universal Decapping Die. I liked their collet style retaining system better than what the other makers were offering at the time. It has worked fine ever since with no problems. Although I'm normally an RCBS fan, I can heartily recommend the Lee Decapper Die.

My first decapper was the RCBS. The result was broken pins. Then I got the Lee, which I could only make work after screwing the collet tight. The pins lasted a lot longer, but I then broke two on some older milsurp 5.56 brass w/out primer crimps. Also punched through several primers. They were corroded in place. Found an ebay seller guntools with an improved pin. Haven't broken one since.

I've been using the Lee decapper die for years. That's many thousands of cases. Never had a problem.

I have the RCBS and Redding decapping dies. I got the Redding because it has a 17 caliber option. Important when decapping 17 and 20 caliber cases.

No complaints. But, I do not have any experience with the other brands of decapping dies so I cannot make any judgements.

I have an old lee that has been doing just fine. I think I paid 4 dollars for it used lol. Cant complain so far.

I have the Lee decapping die and it works fine.
I have never broken a pin on it.
It isn't like a decapping die is rocket science. Unless I am missing something. I try to buy the best handloading equipment available but I can't see any reason why I should pay two or three times more money for a decapping die.

I find a decapping die to be a really nice thing to have and I use mine quite a bit.

I have the Lee and RCBS Universal decapping dies. Decap in batches then clean brass. Saves my regular resizing dies wear and tear.

I have been using a Lee decapper for years and it has never let me down. Like gojones (and many others), I decap in batches prior to cleaning.

Lee die works well. Lee pins can be bent but are generally pretty sturdy.
It is all a matter of how tight you have the nut holding the pin. To tight and you can bend them.
I ran into some really stubborn brass (should have just thrown it out, but it was a battle.....I will get this brass deprimed.....) so I bent a couple, had to have the nut really tight.

If you buy the aftermarket hardened Squirrel Daddy Pins for the Lee die they will practically make primer flash holes Very solid.

OP
6.5 horsepower gas powered decapper?? Does it work well?
(link messed up?)
OK link is no longer chipper/shredders 10/13

I am with USSR. The Lyman Universal Decapping Die is excellent. I have done thousands of military 5.56 cases with it and never had a problem. And some of those had primers that were crimped in place with great vigor.

A universal decapping die is so simple, no case dimensions to worry about, so the only difference may be how the pin is held in place. I have used Lee sizing/decapping dies and Universal decapping dies for tens of thousands of cases processed with zero problems. But, first ya gotta be smarter than the die...

Yep, anytime Lee is mentioned, however superficial or hidden, the Lee Haters crawl out.

I have lots of Lee stuff. I broke one decapping pin in a .44 spl/mag die about three years ago. I bought two decapping pins from Lee for a few bucks, replaced the one, and it still soldiers on. I have nothing bad to say about their dies or their single-stage presses, especially their factory crimp dies. All seem to work, and they don't break the bank.

I also have RCBS, Lyman, Dillon, and Hornady die sets that have all served me well... and I even an old set of steel (non-Carbide) Lyman All-American dies in .45 Colt that still work like new. No "one-brand-only" mantra for me..

I have the RCBS . I've not used it much ( almost never )...but I have a question. If you decap, then clean...do you remove the decapping pin from your size die?

Mark

BullRunBear said:

I've been using the Lee decapper die for years. That's many thousands of cases. Never had a problem.

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BullRunBear said it best. Thousands upon thousands of handle pulls - no problem.

Hardtarget said:

I have the RCBS . I've not used it much ( almost never )...but I have a question. If you decap, then clean...do you remove the decapping pin from your size die?

Mark

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I've left the decapping pin in my resizing dies. I occasionally get a case that doesn't get deprimed by the Lee. So it goes through wet tumbling with a primer still in it. The sizing die with the pin in it catches those situations.

Why don't I set the Lee decapping pin a little lower? Replay the points made at the start of the thread: adjusting the pin is too much of a PITA. I'd rather live with a very occasional dead primer in the pocket that gets caught later than mess with the collet on the die.

Hardtarget said:

I have the RCBS . I've not used it much ( almost never )...but I have a question. If you decap, then clean...do you remove the decapping pin from your size die?

Mark

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No, just because it's too much of an effort to take it out.

Also, On some of my rifle loading, I use RE Wilson hand dies and an arbor press and neck size. But on those hand dies, the decapping pin is how you get the case out of the die.

otisrush said:

I've left the decapping pin in my resizing dies. I occasionally get a case that doesn't get deprimed by the Lee. So it goes through wet tumbling with a primer still in it. The sizing die with the pin in it catches those situations.

Why don't I set the Lee decapping pin a little lower? Replay the points made at the start of the thread: adjusting the pin is too much of a PITA. I'd rather live with a very occasional dead primer in the pocket that gets caught later than mess with the collet on the die.

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A couple thoughts; How do you run a case through a universal decapping die and not knock out the primer? To to set the Lee decapping stem, just remove the stem, clean the stem and collet with brake clean (or lacquer thinner, acetone, etc.) and reset the stem. The collet must be tight, but with the absence of any oil, grease, etc., the stem will stay in place...

A Lee Universal Decapping Die pin will break on a Berdan primer too.
Anyway, universal decapping dies just add another unnecessary step.

mdi said:

A couple thoughts; How do you run a case through a universal decapping die and not knock out the primer? To to set the Lee decapping stem, just remove the stem, clean the stem and collet with brake clean (or lacquer thinner, acetone, etc.) and reset the stem. The collet must be tight, but with the absence of any oil, grease, etc., the stem will stay in place...

Click to expand...

As I said, I think the pin is set SLIGHTLY too high. I've had to unscrew that collet and re-tighten it enough times I'm done wasting brains cells on it. A used primer stays in the pocket only on my 9mm, and that happens in maybe 1 case out of every 500. Dealing with the 1/500 is less headache than wrestling with that die.

Just take a brass punch/rod and using it on the head of the pin gently tap it back down a bit with a hammer. It is not rocket science you know. I actually have a piece of round 1 inch brass stock 6 inches long that I use and tap mine down - no hammer needed.

First, ya gotta be smarter than the die...

Mighty Armory Depriming Dies are on sale for $34.95. Type in PREHOLIDAY at checkout.

What is the purpose of this "review"? Do you have a vested interest in Mighty Armory? You had another video on this die??

Just because you misused the LEE die does not make it junk. If you use a 1/2 and 3/4' wrench it is very easy to tighten the collet nut on the top.

The Lee pins are guaranteed for life. Should you break or bend one they will send you a new one. I have never damaged a pin yet. Nor have I had one pop up.

It is far stronger than the RCBS pins.. Why not test, Dillon, Hornady, Lyman and others??

As in the other video the MM is overpriced and overkill.