Depriming Weirdness

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Bill_in_TR

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OK, has anyone ever had this happen to them? I have been sizing and depriming 357 magnum cases. Every so often when I pick up the case I just sized the spent primer is still hanging on the primer cup of the case. It is very loose and all it takes is a flick of my finger to knock it off. I have tried adjusting the decapping rod further and further out so that there is no way the spent primer isn't being pushed completely out of the case. I checked the drop tube on the press and it isn't obstructed in any way.

This happens five or six times out of fifty cases. It does not seem to happen with any particular head stamp. It is only a trivial inconvenience but I would like to keep it from happening. I am working on a Coax press and using a Lyman die. I have never had this issue before. Does anyone have a clue?
 
Sometimes they will reseat. The spring on Dillon’s pistol dies help but I generally solve the problem with a little angle on the tip of the decaping pin. If the cylinder (primer) isn’t square with the hole, it’s much more likely to get knocked off than go back in.
 
Are you sure your pin is sticking out far enough to pop that cap? On some spindle designs, they are smooth... so if you encounter a blockage (think Berdan case, etc...) it will slide up in the friction collet and not break the pin. Sometimes, over time, the decap pin will work it's way up... and not fully decap the spent primer.
 
Charlie98 said:
Are you sure your pin is sticking out far enough to pop that cap? On some spindle designs, they are smooth... so if you encounter a blockage (think Berdan case, etc...) it will slide up in the friction collet and not break the pin. Sometimes, over time, the decap pin will work it's way up... and not fully decap the spent primer.
Click to expand...

I definitely adjusted the pin so it was out quite far in trying to solve this. It was out a good bit farther than I like to leave it. The amount of decapping pin below the base of the die wasn't the problem.
 
Ive seen it happen with my Lee decapper. Standard Mighty Armory decapper not so much due to a longer rounded tool steel tip.

Both Mighty Armory and FW Arms have decappers with spring flickers to prevent primer drawback if its a huge issue.
 
It is something I have to deal with also using my Lee decapper. I think mine is definitely the primer sticking to the pin since I modified the decapping pin point to a smaller diameter. The reason for the modification was to deal with some of the 357sig cases with a smaller flash hole. I can probably swap out the decapping pin depending on the cases I am decapping, or just deal with the hanging primers.
 
I had this happen a few times so I just polished the pin with emery cloth, Both my Lee and RCBS dies...
 
As stated above, the primer anvils are hanging on the tip of the decapping pin, and being reseated slightly when the ram is lowered. A little reforming of the decapping pin will eliminate that issue.

In most presses, that dangling primer causes far more issue than you’re seeing in your Co-ax as the case then can’t slide out of the shellholder.
 
My Dillon 650 use to do this too, my 40S&W dies were really bad about it. I filed the end of the decapping pin off at about a 45 degree angle and that pretty much eliminated the problem.
 
Bill_in_TR said:
OK, has anyone ever had this happen to them?
Click to expand...
Yes. The primer is riding the end of the pin back into the pocket.

If you'd like a new religious ritual to practice, start trying to figure out how to shape the pin so it doesn't do that. Sharp, blunt, rounded, polished, square, bent. . . each denomination has its adherents.

And then there's the Spring Loaded heretics, but we don't talk about them. . .
 
Bill_in_TR said:
Ooooooooh, man! I didn't mean to start a decapping pin war.
Click to expand...
More of a skirmish. The Die Wars are on-going. ;)

FWIWPN - Lee App w/ Lee Universal decapper this happened with small pistol primers only in various calibers. Until I polished the pin. Ever since, it doesn't happen. Only happened on the APP, not the Lee hand press or my RCBS Partner with the same die/pin.
 
I've had that happen, primer being repeated, but here's a real weird one that happened the other night. Bottom of primer punched through and left the side in the primer pocket. Had to fig it out with a jewelers screw driver.
 
stillquietvoice said:
I've had that happen, primer being repeated, but here's a real weird one that happened the other night. Bottom of primer punched through and left the side in the primer pocket. Had to fig it out with a jewelers screw driver.
Click to expand...

Hmmmmm. That one is definitely unusual. I've never had that happen either. But then I never had the problem I reported before either. But this is a die from a new set I just bought.
 
stillquietvoice said:
It was 1 piece of brass, out of 1k, that I bought from a fellow forum member, and had dry tumbled. Should have taken pics, but didn't think of it at the time. Ice been reloading a long time and have never seen it happen before.
Click to expand...

I'd be willing to bet it was wet at one time. I've seen it happen.
 
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