Best Universal Decapping Die

Skgreen said:

Something about the anvils of certain SPP's cause them to hang up/stick to the decapping pin. The pin pushes the primer out, primer sticks to pin and then it gets pulled back in to the primer pocket just enough to stick.

Aggravating for such a simple tool.

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See post #14 for a quick fix to that problem....

Skgreen said:

Something about the anvils of certain SPP's cause them to hang up/stick to the decapping pin. The pin pushes the primer out, primer sticks to pin and then it gets pulled back in to the primer pocket just enough to stick

Click to expand...

I had this happen but only on the app press. Got the Lyman spring loaded and problem gone

I am sold on the RCBS decapping dies. The main reason is that there are a half dozen stores near me the keep the RCBS decapping pins in stock. When I have bent my last pin and realize that I am out of them I don't want to wait around a week for new ones to show up.

That said if you buy a decapping die from a different manufacture I would recommend ordering a few extra decapping pins with it.

Skgreen said:

Something about the anvils of certain SPP's cause them to hang up/stick to the decapping pin. The pin pushes the primer out, primer sticks to pin and then it gets pulled back in to the primer pocket just enough to stick.

Aggravating for such a simple tool.

Click to expand...

I have had this happen before on my Dillon 650. Drove me nuts. I forget what I did to fix it though. I might have messed with changing how far down the pin hangs??? Or maybe the decapping pin or the shaft that hold the pin was a little bent? Sorry, that was MANY years ago and the problem has not reoccurred.

Just about all of my decapping dies are old enough to use a collet and a plain steel pin.

No head or tails on the tie, just a short piece of drill rod.
When I got a new die set I would check the pin diameter and make sure I had a piece of
drill rod in that diameter.

For the most part within brands they had a larger diameter pin for large timers,
and a smaller diameter for small primers.

A 36 inch piece of drill rod will make a lot of pins.
Put some oil on them, wrap in wax paper, stand in a handy place.
Use a Dremel cut off wheel to make a replacement pin as required.
Do NOT use 'wire cutters' on drill rod.
The rod is normally hard enough it will destroy the cutting edges of a typical diagonal cutter.
The cut edge will likely have some burs, so use a grinding stone to round the edges of the pin slightly.

Soonerpesek said:

See post #14 for a quick fix to that problem....

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I've filed the pins on both my Hornady and RCBS dies. (meh)
I also have one of the RCBS 'spring loaded' decapping rods. (works good but the OEM spring is a bit weak/wears out over time)
The Lee unit, for reasons unknown to me, doesn't seem to hang onto the primers.

Another plug for the Lee Universal die. It is not finished as well as my much more expensive Sinclair die but it works well. $12.99 at Midway right now. And order a few extra pins to go with it.

I'm not much of a Lee fan but this die has deprimed thousands of cases with only one broken pin. That case had a small pebble in it held in place by a cobweb. Not the dies fault.

I have a single stage press and use an old worn out Texan 30-06 die. Fits all I reload for up to -06 rifle and .45 pistol; "universal" for all that I do. Decap pin is held collet style. About 20 years ago I broke a pin and went to local machine shop supply and bought a 3" piece of drill rod of the appropriate size, don't remember now, put it in my vise and broke off a 1" piece, put the broken end in the collet, used a stone to break the sharp edges of the business end, put it in the die and started decapping again. I still have 2" of drill rod in my parts box.

I used a Lee Universal de-capper for years and got tired of the occasional broken pin. Found the F.W. Arms Auto-Case Centering Decapper/Deprimer and found it to be a far superior product.

Before I got the Lee universal decapper I used my 500 S&W die as a universal decapper. Worked from 22Hornet to 338 with no problems. Then got a 300 WSM so got the universal decapper because the larger hole in it.

Check out FW Arms decapping die. I have one and the Mighty Armory, very happy with both.

https://fwarms.com/shop/reloading/fw-arms-primer-popper-auto-case-centering-decapper-deprimer/

gifbohane said:

It has been a while ago but I had trouble setting them up so they would not enter the loose chamber sideways and bend/break the pin. As I said in original post I always thought that it was me and not the dies.

Just trying to find out which one you guys had success with and give it another go. Think I might try the RCBS I had good luck with their equipment.

Thanks for the replies.

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You really have to try to break a LEE pin. RCBS pins are weenies!

I use the Lee universal decapper.

All these suggestions and no one has mentioned this one yet????? (Get it?)

https://www.dillonprecision.com/universal-decapping-die_8_4_24510.html

I bought two of the Lee and haven’t opened one of them yet, so far.

gifbohane said:

Well I ordered one (FW ARM's) of these so we shall see. Sorry I just cannot wrap my head around the LEE BRAND. Something in the back of my mind tells me that inexpensive is just cheap. I do not want controversy on this, it is just my opinion.

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You will have the best deprimed brass ever!

Lee

This is a great question because of the differing approaches or procedures.
If you deprime as you size then you would have to of cleaned any range brass and then lubed them.
Personally I like the way the SS pins clean the primer pockets.
The method that I use is the Frankford Arsenal Hand Deprimer .
Watching college football or watching the neighbor lady chasing her kids around the neighborhood while hand depriming. Then I can wash in hot water, rinse, then tumble, dry, lube and resize.
BTW, leaving the depriming rod in the sizing die is a good idea as I've had it occasionally kick out a SS pin that was stuck.

9mmepiphany said:

Might be because they charge more for a die that doesn't do anything better than the Lee

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And the Lee does up to .550 caliber cases, the Dillon only does up to 45

I use the Lyman Universal Depriming and Decapping die. I have deprimed many hundreds of crimped military 5.56 and 9mm cases.
It is a beast.

Walkalong said:

There's a lot of truth to that, and I have used various ones over the years, but finally bought
a Mighty Armory de-capper, and it's the bomb. But hey, all they have to do is knock out primers.
View attachment 1036686

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I just ordered one of the Mighty Armory de-cappers. At least it will be easy to tell apart from my other dies.

I have an RCBS UNIVERSAL DECAPPING DIE. I used it on about 1400 9mm and it worked flawlessly BUT, Later I found out that I have to run them through the sizing die and then bell the case for my reload. I will only use the decapper that comes with my Carbide unit because when you punch out the primer you also size the case, then I clean the case and primer pocket and check my primer pocket and use a swaging tool if need be, then bell the mouth. I wasted my money on the RCBS Universal Decapping die, IMO!! Just my two cents worth.

The Universal are for removing primers so you can clean using the Wet SS pins to clean the pocket. It is not for sizing at all, just a mistake on your part.