Decapping pin torque?

Radom Guy

Radom Guy

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Does anyone know what the actual torque rating (in ft-lbs or equivalent) is for Lee handgun caliber resize and decapping dies? Other than “torque the crap out of it but don’t break it”?

I know it’s a common event that the decapping pins are inadvertently pushed upward with Lee sizing dies. This stuff drives me crazy; it coincidentally happened to me twice yesterday with two different calibers.

I read another post that Lee’s new decapping pin design is knurled to help resolve the issue, but I’m dealing with dies that I have had for years. I just ordered three more decapping pins but I don’t know if they will be the new knurled design.

Next time I re-torque it, I’ll make sure I use a degreaser on the pin and inside the part of the die that holds the pin, I’ll use loc-tite on the pin itself too .

PS I am not a new reloader; I have been reloading for many years, which is why I mentioned that my dies are “years old”. I am tightening the living crap out of it without breaking it; I am not a weakling. I respect my tools and try to not break them. Please no statements like it’s “not tight enough”, that is obvious and it is not helpful.

Thanks in advance to helpful fellow reloaders .
 
Last edited:
Y-T71 said:
Just spitballing here but, did you ask Lee if they have a torque "rating"?

I have always just "tightened" them; if the pin moved, I figured it did what it was designed to do or, if I didn't see a crimped primer or something wonkey with the flash hole, I just gave it a little more "crank".
Click to expand...
They are not open on Saturday (today), and I of course did check online. It’s not on their support site nor their product site that I could find. That’s why I am asking here.
 
Y-T71 said:
Just spitballing here but, did you ask Lee if they have a torque "rating"?

I have always just "tightened" them; if the pin moved, I figured it did what it was designed to do or, if I didn't see a crimped primer or something wonkey with the flash hole, I just gave it a little more "crank".
Click to expand...
Caliber is 32 ACP that’s why it is so annoying. It won’t be crimped primers.
 
Y-T71 said:
I have always just "tightened" them; if the pin moved, I figured it did what it was designed to do or, if I didn't see a crimped primer or something wonkey with the flash hole, I just gave it a little more "crank".
Click to expand...
I agree and do this, too. If the primer is frozen in place, crimped or obstructed somehow, I prefer the pin moves rather than break.
 
No number, but if it moves and you don't want it to with the brass you are using make it tighter,
of course if it is to tight it can't function as designed to prevent damage to the pin.

Given different brass and conditions I think it would be hard to come up with one number,
crimped .223 would certainly need more than well used brass where the pockets are starting to get loose,
or brass that may have been laying outside in the weather vs clean indoor range brass.


BTW Squirrel Daddy pins for the Lee dies are much tougher than Lee pins.
Since I managed to discover this it means I had my .223 tight enough to mangle pins.

(bad GFL brass flash holes way off center on some.....)
 
The pin is designed to slip and not break the pin.
The pin is a length to line up the top end of the pin flush with the collet to give you a visual que when it slips upward.
Yes, clean all lube the pin and the inside of the collet, BUT LUBE/grease the threads :what:.
I tighten the collet with a 3/8th ratchet and a six-point socket to apply more torque, and never use an open-end or adjustable wrench.
I apologize if any info here does not conform to the OP's stated restrictions.
It is just how I do it,
jmo,
.
Edit: torque spec. is 5 PBIS (pounds before it snaps, pounds before it strips,or pounds before it squeaks, your choice.)
 
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GeoDudeFlorida said:
I agree and do this, too. If the primer is frozen in place, crimped or obstructed somehow, I prefer the pin moves rather than break.
Click to expand...
You may know that this is a pretty common problem with Lee sizing and decapper handgun dies, which is why the new pins are knurled (but mine is old and smooth on the outside of the pin). Of course this is why I am asking folks what the proper torque is, in case I am not torquing it down enough.

When this happens, I am able to remove the primers with a Lee Universal Decapping Die.
 
Dudedog said:
No number, but if it moves and you don't want it to with the brass you are using make it tighter,
of course if it is to tight it can't function as designed to prevent damage to the pin.

Given different brass and conditions I think it would be hard to come up with one number,
crimped .223 would certainly need more than well used brass where the pockets are starting to get loose,
or brass that may have been laying outside in the weather vs clean indoor range brass.


BTW Squirrel Daddy pins for the Lee dies are much tougher than Lee pins.
Since I managed to discover this it means I had my .223 tight enough to mangle pins.

(bad GFL brass flash holes way off center on some.....)
Click to expand...
That’s very helpful, thank you! A lot of my 32 ACP brass is in fact Fiocchi.
 
Radom Guy said:
You may know that this is a pretty common problem with Lee sizing and decapper handgun dies, which is why the new pins are knurled (but mine is old and smooth on the outside of the pin). Of course this is why I am asking folks what the proper torque is, in case I am not torquing it down enough.

When this happens, I am able to remove the primers with a Lee Universal Decapping Die.
Click to expand...
What I'm saying is, I never considered it a problem. It's a design feature I learned to use to my advantage. I tighten the collet until the pin is held to a "good" tightness for a "good" primer. If a primer pops the pin up, I use the small brass mallet I keep in the tackle box with my other stuff for that reloading session to tap it down and punch out the offending primer. That way, no additional torque on the pin is necessary and I can feel if there's something wrong that primers that might break or bend a pin. I have been using the Lee decapping dies for most of my reloading since around 1995/96 - I started with Lyman dies in the 70's and when I got back into reloading the third time, I bought Lee to start with - but I also use Hornady and RCBS. I tend to prefer the Lee pin-n-collet arrangement and don't consider the pin moving to be a problem. I have never broken a pin but I did bend the crud out of a Hornady .45ACP pin a few times when Berdan-primed, copper-washed steel cases snuck into the mix. Changing the ping on a Hornady die is pretty easy so it's not a big deal.

One thing I used to do as a machinist when I had a collet-pin that wanted to move was stripe it with blue Dykem and tighten it down while the Dykem was still wet. That stuff is like LokTite but you can also see where it's slipping when it slips. Hope that helps.
 
That’s very helpful, thank you! A lot of my 32 ACP brass is in fact Fiocchi.
Click to expand...
Look at some of the deprimed cases and see how the flash holes are.
If they are not in the center of the pocket that might be part of your issue.

I had some that were way off, others have reported the same issue with Fiocchi brass,
Not all of it is bad but it appears that I am not the only one that had an issue.

Here is a pic of some of the .223 brass I had issues with
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/gfl-223-brass-bent-decap-pin.748343/

Some almost on the edge of the pocket:eek:
 
Radom Guy said:
PS I am not a new reloader; I have been reloading for many years, which is why I mentioned that my dies are “years old”. I am tightening the living crap out of it without breaking it; I am not a weakling. I respect my tools and try to not break them. Please no statements like it’s “not tight enough”, that is obvious and it is not helpful.

Thanks in advance to helpful fellow reloaders .
Click to expand...

Radom Guy said:
They are not open on Saturday (today), and I of course did check online. It’s not on their support site nor their product site that I could find. That’s why I am asking here.
Click to expand...

="Radom Guy, post: 12533444, member: 272413"]Caliber is 32 ACP that’s why it is so annoying. It won’t be crimped
Click to expand...

I'm sorry if I came off "snarnky", definitely not my intention.

I didn't know what day this happened and didn't realize that they weren't open Saturdays.

I also didn't know what cartridge you were having issues with.

I know nothing of .32acp and, even if you would've mentioned it in your OP, I don't think I would have known that there was no crimped primers in that cartridge.

In my experience (I've been reloading for awhile too) there's only a couple of things that could be going on.

1-Crimped primers
2-off center, small or even no flash holes
3-collet isn't tight enough.

In all my "travels" through loading manuals, magazines, the interwebs and general BS'ing to other reloaders, I have never, ever heard of a "torque spec" for what you're asking.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
What I'm saying is, I never considered it a problem. It's a design feature I learned to use to my advantage. I tighten the collet until the pin is held to a "good" tightness for a "good" primer. If a primer pops the pin up, I use the small brass mallet I keep in the tackle box with my other stuff for that reloading session to tap it down and punch out the offending primer. That way, no additional torque on the pin is necessary and I can feel if there's something wrong that primers that might break or bend a pin. I have been using the Lee decapping dies for most of my reloading since around 1995/96 - I started with Lyman dies in the 70's and when I got back into reloading the third time, I bought Lee to start with - but I also use Hornady and RCBS. I tend to prefer the Lee pin-n-collet arrangement and don't consider the pin moving to be a problem. I have never broken a pin but I did bend the crud out of a Hornady .45ACP pin a few times when Berdan-primed, copper-washed steel cases snuck into the mix. Changing the ping on a Hornady die is pretty easy so it's not a big deal.

One thing I used to do as a machinist when I had a collet-pin that wanted to move was stripe it with blue Dykem and tighten it down while the Dykem was still wet. That stuff is like LokTite but you can also see where it's slipping when it slips. Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Appreciate the details, thanks! I am not a machinist by trade, but I live my life like one in many ways. My late father was a master machinist and owned and ran a “small job shop.” I worked for him when I was younger, of course. I live my life like he did and many things mechanical and mathematical come natural to me. That’s why I like reloading as much as I like shooting. Thanks again for the details.
 
Y-T71 said:
I'm sorry if I came off "snarnky", definitely not my intention.

I didn't know what day this happened and didn't realize that they weren't open Saturdays.

I also didn't know what cartridge you were having issues with.

I know nothing of .32acp and, even if you would've mentioned it in your OP, I don't think I would have known that there was no crimped primers in that cartridge.

In my experience (I've been reloading for awhile too) there's only a couple of things that could be going on.

1-Crimped primers
2-off center, small or even no flash holes
3-collet isn't tight enough.

In all my "travels" through loading manuals, magazines, the interwebs and general BS'ing to other reloaders, I have never, ever heard of a "torque spec" for what you're asking.
Click to expand...
Gotcha, thanks for the explanation. I have neck heard of a specific torque spec either but there’s a lot in the world that I do not know, so I thought I would ask.

I think the particular problem that you just mentioned and someone else did was off center flash holes. Apparently Fiocchi brass is infamous for this, and around 1/3 of my 32 ACP brass is Fiocchi. I had actually set it aside from other manufacturers brass, so I would not use it for other reasons, but my son accidentally mixed it all back together and I figured I would just go with it. I think I’ll separate them again.
thanks!
 
Perfectly reasonable to ask, most things do have a number or a range.
On the Lee die with any given brass the range is somewhere between to loose (doesn't work at all) or to tight (oh Sh!p I just mangeled a pin...again...:cuss:.) (large range;))
For most reasonable non crimped brass it really doesn't need to be very tight IMO, just snug.

Curious to hear if some of your cases do have off center flashholes.
 
Radom Guy said:
Gotcha, thanks for the explanation. I have neck heard of a specific torque spec either but there’s a lot in the world that I do not know, so I thought I would ask.

I think the particular problem that you just mentioned and someone else did was off center flash holes. Apparently Fiocchi brass is infamous for this, and around 1/3 of my 32 ACP brass is Fiocchi. I had actually set it aside from other manufacturers brass, so I would not use it for other reasons, but my son accidentally mixed it all back together and I figured I would just go with it. I think I’ll separate them again.
thanks!
Click to expand...
I think maybe the Universal doesn't have a problem because the case can "float" a little, vs. the sizing die that holds it centered. ??? Maybe?
 
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