Anyone ever break a primer push pin on the decapping die?

[Mags]

Just broke my Lee Decapping die reloading 223 Lake city brass. Ever happen to anyone else? I think lee will replace it they do have a 2 year unconditional warranty.

 

[Ol` Joe]

It happens. RCBS sends a 1/2 dozen at a time when you call and tell them you broke one.

 

[rcmodel]

The Lee die is supposed to let the rod slip in the collet before the pin breaks. Maybe had the collet nut too tight?

rc

 

[Ben Shepherd]

With a boxer primed round, no. When the occasional berdan primed round sneaks into my range brass scrounging, it's happened.

 

[Mags]

I thought the same thing RC I actually have never adjusted the collet nut on this die set.

 

[Randy1911]

I have broke plenty of them. I have even bent the stem that the pin goes in a time or two. But RCBS has always replaced them for free.

 

[azar]

Yes, on my very first reload I ever did. I used some really cheap European brass which was boxer primed and supposedly reloadable. I think it was from the "Hot Shot" brand of ammo. I figured I didn't want to waste any quality brass in case I screwed it up.

The flash hole was undersized, unbeknown to me, and it was difficult getting that thing to go in! Since I had never done it before and didn't have anyone there to let me know you should not have to press -that hard- I heard this loud "SNAP!" and I could hear something tumbling around in the case.

Not only did I break the decapping pin, I bent the expander rod assembly. :banghead: I called RCBS to find out how much a new one would cost thinking that it was my own fault for being cheap/stupid. The nice lady got my address and shipped it out the next day. Gotta love RCBS customer service!

The worst part was being so excited to get into reloading and then having to wait for a replacement part to arrive in the mail...

 

[loadedround]

Used to when I first started reloading. Now after very many years I have finally gotten all my sizer dies properly adjusted and haven't broken one in years. I do have about a dozen spares if i ever do.

 

[Clarence]

I've broken a few. No big deal, replace it and drive on.

 

[threefeathers]

2 or 3 a year, I keep an extra and order another so I can keep 2 in stock. I do a lot of loading.

 

[Chawbaccer]

I cut the head off a 4p nail, don't know if it will work for Lee.

 

[AirplaneDoc]

I keep several in stock. Hate to have to shut down for something like that.

 

[Sunray]

Yep. Decapping pins break. Fortunately, they're all the same size. You can take one out of another die in a pinch.
"...RCBS sends a 1/2 dozen..." That's the number in the package. Long before there was an Internet, I busted one and didn't have another set of dies at the time. Sent a letter to RCBS asking where I could get 'em(didn't occur to me to go to my local shop. Very new, so I was). Took about 2 weeks for the package of 6 to arrive in the mail, along with where to get 'em. No questions asked.

 

[MMCSRET]

I quit counting 30 years ago. I buy them in bulk. I even keep a couple of extras for my Lee dies.

 

[GotCoffee]

I curled one like a rams horn tonight!

 

[Afy]

Yup have a non-functional universal deprimer because of that right now.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Decapping pins are like fish hooks-you buy them by the dozen.

 

[kelbro]

Those undersize flash holes in some of the foreign brass will do it every now and then.

 

[ar10]

Yep, buy them by the dozen.

 

[Mags]

Thanks Guys, I will call lee on Monday and place an order.

 

[raborlin]

Years ago I found a source for needle bearings and I've never looked back.
They have worked wonderfully in replacing factory decapping pins that have broken or bent.

Ramon

 

[Floppy_D]

I curled one like a rams horn tonight!

The last time I used RCBS dies, I did the same. I gave the dies away on THR, bought Lee, and carried on smartly.

I've wrecked a couple, and keep a couple extra laying around, just in case.

 

[FROGO207]

Broken more than I care to admit. Mostly on crappy imported brass scrounged from the range. Now I have a spare decapper for the lee universal setup that I have ground down so that I can decap them then drill out the flash holes to something normal. Might be accused of being to cheap but free is free.

 

[1SOW]

Embarassingly, I tried to press a stone through the bottom of 9mm range brass.
I did feel the difference and saw the stone and removed it, but the LEE worked as advertised. The top of the pin did slip up about 1/4" or more. Those nuts are "Tight".

 

[GotCoffee]

Floppy D it wasnt the dies fault! It was the military brass I was depriming and resizing, flash hole wasnt centered! I have never had a problem using RCBS dies.