LC 99 Decapping Question

[Significent]

I just sat down to start the reloading process on some Lake City 30-06 brass. With some difficulty, I was able to decap the first case. I'm afraid I'm going to break my decapping pin on the next one. The center of the primer is bulging out of the primer pocket but it won't break free. The primer pockets look like they were sealed around the outside edge with a red compound of some sort. I'm guessing this is my problem. The darn things are glued in. Does anyone have any suggestions about how I can decap despite this obstacle?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Grump]

Naw, it's the primer crimp, designed to ELIMINATE the chance of high-primer slam-fires in machineguns by makings absolutely sure that the primer cannot back out under any imaginable mishandling, including the MG's feed cycle.

It's the little depressed ring you see around the primer pocket.

The red laquer is on the surface only, and usually gets cracked pretty loose anyway when first fired. It doesn't penetrate beyond a few thousands (inch) into the sides of the primer pocket.

Your experience is why RCBS and some others have offered extra-thick decapping pins. Those pins, however, will get severely stuck in some european cases with tiny flasholes (Heck, even a standard pin got stuck in some Fiocci 9mm I was loading a few years back--felt like it was punching a NEW flashole, but they were NOT Berdan primed!).

IME, the Lee dies with that built-for-stout expander/decapper will handle crimped primers with ease. I've heard that some people have even accidentally put flash holes in Berdan primed cases with those dies.

 

[Grump]

Wanna buy some of my G.I. Match '06 brass? I have a couple 'unnert each of both once-fired and once-reloaded, but no M1 to shoot it in any more.

No primer crimp!

 

[Significent]

Grump:

Thanks for the info. So if I'm able to muscle the primers out, am I going to have a problem getting new primers in and seated properly? I've heard such pockets need to be swaged with a special tool. I've only got about 50 of these cases. They're in good shape otherwise so it seems a shame to toss them. Anyway, I've got plenty of other brass to reload. Thanks for your offer. (Sounds like you need to buy another rifle )

 

[Grump]

Yup, it will be near impossible to put a new primer in there without either swaging or cutting the crimp out. I've occasionally had once-fired stuff find its way into my processed brass, and the primers typically collapse when you try to seat them. Good reloading practice prevents you from completing the stroke and detonating them.

If you cut, do NOT use a conventional case neck deburring tool. The angles are not correct, and you usually get a seriously too-big cone-shaped hole in the casehead by the time the crimp is removed. Primer pocket uniforming tools should do it, but I swage them out with an RCBS tool on a Rock Chucker.

Or you could buy a Dillon 1050--that includes a station for decrimping, doesn't it?

 

[Significent]

Thanks

Grump: Thanks again for the info. Sounds like too much hassle. I think I'll just toss them.

 

[Publicola]

Lee sells a decapping kit. It goes for around $5 if I recall. It consists of a base with a hole in the center & a decapping pin. You place the cartdige in the base, place the pin in the cartridge & a few strokes with a hammer decaps the cartridge. It's rather easy & quick. You can do 100 in no time.

Lee also sells a decrimping tool for aorund $5 or so. It's just a little bladed thing that looks similar to a primer pocket uniformer. Either chuck it in a handle or a drill & it'll remove the crimp. Even by hand it only takes a few seconds.

RCBS & a few others make heavy duty decapping dies just for popping crimped primers, but the Lee kit is so easy I never felt the need to look into them.

I wouldn't use your standard sizing/decapping die to try to muscle out the primers, unless you like buying replacement decapping pins. The Lee kit is cheap & easy; so there's no excuse not to use it.

It probably takes around 20 minutes to decap & decrimp 100 rounds, possibly less as I've never timed myself. Don't give up on military brass just yet. Try the Lee decapping kit & Lee decrimper & I think you'll see it's really not that much hassle.