Primers in .223

wvcardsfan said:

I have picked up a lot of .223 range brass lately. I set about depriming it only to find that it is VERY hard to deprime. I broke a pin doing them

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As you have already been told, crimped brass is common.

A dedicated "decapping die" may be a potential solution.

hdwhit said:

A dedicated "decapping die" may be a potential solution.

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Since I have 5 gallon buckets of range brass I use the cheapest lee press they sell that is not a hand press and the decapping dye strictly for this. Don't even worry about cleaning the brass, I do that afterwards.

When I've broken a decap pin ... it's been on 223 range pick ups. All the above mentioned reasons are why. Crimp, off center flash hole, or flash hole being to small.

I tried one of those universal decapping pins tools and my experience showed that it would be easier to remove the primers with a hammer and an awl.

I refuse to try the Lee decapper and the other two brands proved too diffucult

All of my brass is Lake City, and all of it is crimped, never had a problem with decapping military brass, the only problem is priming it.... if your breaking pins, you are doing something wrong, or the brass is berdan primed. Its not the crimped primers that's causing the problem.

gifbohane said:

I tried one of those universal decapping pins tools and my experience showed that it would be easier to remove the primers with a hammer and an awl.

I refuse to try the Lee decapper and the other two brands proved too diffucult

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???? The RCBS you just run the ram up and the primer is out. You don't even need the clip-in shell holders. I use the Lee priming tool shell holders for calibers I don't load; I just set them on top of the ram.

entropy said:

???? The RCBS you just run the ram up and the primer is out. You don't even need the clip-in shell holders.

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Entropy- I kept bending the depriming pin. Mechanically challenged, I guess. I tried the instructions and youtube, and it was beyond me.. If you know of a tutorial I would appreciate the link and I would try it again.

It would be convenient not to have to tumble twice.

Thanks.

I tumble with Zilla, the grains are so fine they don't make depriming tougher. (Walnut would sometimes get stuck in the hole above the primer, you'd have to crack or push the piece before you could star on the primer.) All I do is make sure the case is straight in the shell holder. I use an RCBS Jr. 3 press; not as much leverage as a Rock Chucker, but more than enough for depriming.
I'd say developing a 'feel' for what the pin is doing is the key. It came naturally to me, but you might have to work at it. Go slow when the pin makes contact, you'll soon get a feel for it.

I kept bending the depriming pin

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If you are using the Lee universal decap die Squirrel Daddy makes some pins that are much tougher than the Lee pins
https://www.amazon.com/Squirrel-Dad...quirrel+daddy+decap+pin&qid=1606157170&sr=8-1