.223 depriming question

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myFRAGisFUBAR

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So I managed to break a lee .223 decapping pin today. My question is this. If I use a universal decapping die, can the broken 223 die still size the cases? The only reason I ask is because a friend has a universal decapping die he does not use. Thanks for any info.
 
Might want to grind off any remaining stub/nub of the broken decapping pin, but yeah, should work fine.
 
Having trashed a pile of them, I find the pin in the sizing die is the strongest, with the one in the universal decapper almost as robust. The "Unbreakable decapper" is a joke. I have broken at least 3 and none of the lasted 10 rounds of Lake City .223. Forget the universal decapper. Lee sent another, it lasted 2 cases and broke off. I didnt bother asking for another!

Russellc
 
How the heck do you break so many? I have never broke a decapping pin in a Lee die. I bent one driving a case out & wore a expander out loading steal cases but never broke the decapper.
 
I had a case get stuck, and it broke when i was trying to smack the decapper out of the die. It happens, but they are anything but unbreakable. :rolleyes:
 
My problem was I took the collet out instead of just losing it but I don't think that case would have came out anyways. I had to drill it out. I used a hand drill talk about touchy trying to keep center.
 
I've deprimed at least 6,000 cases on my universal die. I've even powered through a few berden on accident
 
I'm a wierdo, I prefer to decap all my brass first, clean and polish, reprime it, then store it until I'm ready to load them. Pistol brass gets resized at loading time, I just remove the decapping pin from the sizing die (all Lee dies). Rifle brass, I'll lube, resize it, trim, prime, then store it.

Since I deprime everything with the Universal Decapping Die, I've often thought about breaking the decapping pins off my rifle expanders, but haven't yet. I'd want to buy spares first so I'd have them, just haven't done it.
 
Depriming pins break from a side load bending them sideways under load.

Not from pushing the tightest crimped primers Straight Out of the primer pocket.

1. Off center flash holes can cause side loading.
2. As can getting in too big a hurry and not fully seating a case in the shell holder.
3. And also, dirt or a spec of tumbler media stuck in the shell holder rim.
4. Also a die not centered in the press threads when the lock-ring was tightened down.

A. Set the die up with the lock-ring loose.
B. Then 'feel around for the flash hole as you raise the ram to full extension.
C. Once the pin is through the flash-hole.
D. Wiggle the die around to center the threads.
E. Then lock the lock-ring.

rc
 
I'm a wierdo, I prefer to decap all my brass first, clean and polish, reprime it, then store it until I'm ready to load them. Pistol brass gets resized at loading time, I just remove the decapping pin from the sizing die (all Lee dies). Rifle brass, I'll lube, resize it, trim, prime, then store it.
Click to expand...

If I did that, I would have blown up my Glock by now. Somehow, I let an unsized 40SW case slip into the wrong bin. I must have picked it up off the floor. When the gun went click, I ejected a round with the bullet setback so far the nose barely extended past the case mouth! I only decap while sizing, so of course the primer was already spent.

I consider a decapped, unsized case as somewhat of a loose end, if not a liability. It's one way to have a kb even using the correct powder charge.

I would personally never intentionally decap AND prime a case that is in a condition that looks loadable, yet could lead to serious setback, unless I had something reasonable to gain from it. If one of those found its way into the wrong bin, it would be hell finding it, even if you knew it was in there. There's not always reliable feedback when seating a bullet, neither. I find the best feedback comes during expanding; if the case doesn't provide resistance to the expanding plug, I toss it right there. No seating and pressing the nose, later, cuz I don't care to build a potential bomb, first, then try to keep track of it and test it, second. Trying to gauge neck tension by the feel when seating a bullet is futile, in comparison. This is why if I ever bought a progressive press, I would only use it with tight/undersize sizing dies, regardless of how much it works the brass. I know that several of my dies would NOT cut the mustard in a progressive, from a neck tension safety standpoint.

I know I'm sidetracking, sorry OP.
 
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I had not broken a decapping pin in over 20 yrs of reloading, Until I started doing .223 :). Having to buy range brass, there are usually some berdans to be found. I decided to buy the new RCBS "AR" series and the .223's go much smother now. I feel too much resistance when decapping and resizing, I pull the cartiidge out and check the primer pocket with a penlight.

UL
 
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