God, I'm a rookie..guess what I did?

[sappnasty]

Well I set up my die tonight and I already made a HUGE boo boo. I set everything up exactly like the directions stated. Took a freshly cleaned/lubed
.308 case and placed it into the shell holder. Pulled the handle, felt resistance....but because it was my first time I didn't realize what kind of pressure your supposed to feel. Then I heard a loud SNAP! Decapper pin broke, and the spindle and lock nut were bent. Now because I did everything just as the instructions advised, I began to look and figure out why it did what it did, cause I know the pin was centered. So, I looked inside the brass and (drumroll please)....berdan primed:banghead:! Which I had no idea what it was until I called my father in-law....and he laughed loudly and said "well you learned a lesson today huh, read your materials before you try and save the world?" I feel like a total ass. Hopefully I didn't damage the die itself...

 

[54lariat]

The die is ok, watch out for Berdan primed bullets... LOL lesson learned, but you won't soon forget it.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

 

[Claude Clay]

watch out for Berdan primed bullets

I'll watch but i have doubts

 

[Shadow 7D]

Um, take half an hour, search berdan and learn, or stock up on those spindles...

 

[LiveLife]

How about this decapping die?

The Decapper is guaranteed unbreakable by Lee and even removes crimped in primers and accepts cases up to .550 in diameter

 

[rondog]

Berdan primed brass was sent here by The Debbil.

 

[54lariat]

Berdan primed brass was sent here by The Debbil.

+1


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

 

[Cosmoline]

This is one reason I prefer the Lee hand press. You can feel the problem before it breaks anything.

 

[ljnowell]

I'll watch but i have doubts

I wonder if i am the only one that got that? Berdan primed bullets are something I have never seen, nor believe in either.

 

[Lost Sheep]

Before you bash Berdan primers, ever hear of Berdan's Sharpshooters?

Remember. Berdan primed cartridges are an American invention. Boxer primers were invented in Europe. How strange it is that now, Berdan primers are found mostly in Europe and Boxer in America.

Check this thread:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2044535

Lost Sheep

 

[ReloaderFred]

The funny part is Berdan priming was invented in the U.S. by Colonel Hiram Berdan, in 1866. The Boxer primer was invented by Colonel Edward M. Boxer, a British Army Officer, shortly after the American Civil War, in England.

Boxer primers became the common priming method in the U.S., while Berdan primers became the common priming method in the rest of the world.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[evan price]

Whenever doing a rifle caliber with surplus brass not US headstamped, or unfamiliar headstamp, ALWAYS use a bright light and look down into the case. If you see one flash hole in the bottom, it's Boxer. If you see TWO holes off center, it's BERDAN- scrap it.

 

[Puddin99]

Been there, done that. No big deal. Lesson learned.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

I already made a HUGE boo boo.

A huge boo boo is one that makes it difficult or impossible to continue reloading. Since you still have your appendages it is a minor boo boo.

Contact the die manufacturer and they usually will replace the damaged parts free of charge. That's how good the warranty service is.

I also recommend getting the Lee decapper. It will punch through most bases and remove the berdan primer.

 

[68wj]

The other thing that makes Lee decappers difficult to break is the collet holding the rod in place. If there is enough resistance that breakage might occur, the collet slips before failure.

 

[Ian Sean]

I also recommend getting the Lee decapper. It will punch through most bases and remove the berdan primer.

I'll second or third it. I have yet to break a Lee.

Many gun shows sell bore lights (usually only a couple of bucks) they come in really handy for going through the unknown brass. You can see the 2 holes/one hole easy.

 

[TexasRifleman]

So, I looked inside the brass and (drumroll please)....berdan primed

Well like others have said, take lots of comfort knowing that you are nowhere near the first to do that

HUGE boo boo is when you shoot that first round and the mag blows out the bottom and the grip panels come off the sides of your 1911. That was the day I stopped using progressive presses for more than one caliber.

 

[sansone]

as previously stated, not a big boo-boo.. without trying to sound like your daddy, this mistake may prevent a bigger boo-boo in the future. We have all done stupid things, at least you shared with us

 

[azar]

sappnasty,

That sounds nearly identical to the very first time I attempted to reload. The difference was I had already learned and knew about Berdan primed brass. I had verified that the brass was indeed boxer primed. What I didn't know was that the cheap brass I was going to experiment on had undersized flash holes.

Snapped the pin and bent the rod. R.C.B.S. replaced it free of charge and even sent me a free 5-pack of replacement pins. The crappy part was simply having to wait for the parts to arrive as I was already so anxious to start reloading!

No worries, it happens.

 

[Hondo 60]

I agree with the sentiment here. You certainly did NOT do a huge boo-boo.
We've all done dumb things.

Here, read this & Thank God we're all still alive to relate our "dumbest" mistakes.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=557433&highlight=dumbest+mistakes

 

[Floppy_D]

I'm a fan of the Lee dies since the pin will just back out of the collet. However, as you're reloading those rounds, pay attention to the amount of resistance you should be feeling. You'll develop a knack for "knowing when it's right."

BTW, that boo-boo was nothin'. I thought you were gonna say you forgot to lube the case, and it's stuck real good.

 

[Fixxah]

Thought it was going to be a stuck case story.

You will get a feel for those sneaky berdan cases. Otherwise it get to be a PITA.

 

[mdi]

This is where inspection comes into play! I look at every case before it goes into any die.

 

[jaimeshawn3]

Lee decapper is awesome. I used to break a RCBS pin every couple hundred cases, but the Lee never breaks.

 

[animator]

First time I set up my press, I made it through maybe 4 cases before hitting a berdan .223 case. It was clean and shiney new brass, and I didn't think to check it. Snapped my one and only pin (Lee universal decapper). I bought a 10-pack of replacement pins and have never broken one since.