RCBS Decapping Die-What a crappy design!

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The_Antibubba

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Since I'm the guy who picks up ALL the brass when I go to the range, I finally got a universal decapper--an RCBS. Within a day the pin snapped off. Fortunately they're made to be replaced; the guy at the shop where I bought the die showed me how the headed pins are slipped in. Today I'm decapping away and the pin shears. So I unscrew the pin and take off the little collar the pin secures in--and the pin is too bent to slide out! As the collar is aluminum I can't grip it too tightly or it'll get bent, but I can't straighten the sheared pin enough to remove it. :cuss:

Who makes a die that was designed by someone who actually uses the product?
 
Get the Lee. I have the RCBS and it worked for a long time until I started decapping M2 surplus brass. I was breaking pins left and right, and even the decapping stem. After snapping a decapping stem, I bought the Lee. The Lee Universal Decapping die is an excellent design.
 
Lee. All steel...Last for ever. I have the resizing/decapping dies for six calibres and have not broken or bent any decapping pins in 20 years...If, on the odd chance, you do break one. They are easy to replace, even when bent...
 
I've got both, and they both work just fine.

I have the Heavy Duty RCBS Decapping Die and the Lee Decapping die. I use both on a regular basis with the Lee primarily for .223 or smaller. I've broken the pin on the RCBS once in many thousands of uses. I've almost broke it many times, always when the case is not seated in the shell holder and the pin hits the case head instead of the primer. The Lee decapper has a hell of a time with crimped (military) brass. That damn decapping pin always pushes out on the REALLY well crimped ones. I know it's supposed to, yes it's really freaken tight. I whack it back down with a hammer with no harm. But when I get sick of doing that a few times, I'll switch over to the RCBS HD Decapper and the primers don't stand a chance.
 
I haven't used decapping dies, but I do have an opinion on Lee dies.
I strongly dislike the design that allows the stem to slide up when decapping. Definitely a pain when reloading crimped brass.

I have a set of collet neck-size Lee dies I've had for many years, the ones with the supposedly unbreakable decapping pin that is also not replaceable. It broke, and also happens to not be replaceable. I also dislike the lock rings that have to be re-adjusted every time I use them.

The one thing I do like about Lee is that they have good prices on dies for obscure calibers. How much will a set of RCBS dies in 8x56R cost? Hopefully Lee will soon start making 7.62x45mm dies.

Sorry, I know I got a little off the topic of decapping dies. Would it work to use a Dremel or grinder to cut the bent part of the pin off so the rest will come out?
 
Hmmph...maybe Your Problem Is Operator Error.

I have used an RCBS decapping die since nearly the first day they were issued and I have yet to break a decapping pin not have any other problem of any sort with this decapping setup.
 
I use a Lee 50 AE resizing die for my universal decapper. Except of course for the brass that's too long, or the 50 AE stuff. In which case I don't bother with a separate step and just resize the brass. It works well enough I've never bothered to buy a real decapping die. The Lee decappers are tough as nails and if the tension is adjusted correctly are basically impossible to ruin. Unfortunately, finding that magic tension that decaps everything but still gives when it strikes something solid can be tricky.
 
My Lee decapper works great many many decapped primers from new.
The only pin I ever broke was on an RCBS die. I appreciate those Lee
prices also. I never use trash-picked brass, that's One problem I can afford
to avoid.
 
I replaced my RCBS decapping die with a Lee and haven't had a problem since. I generally don't like Lee dies but the decapper with collet is nice.
 
If you have the need to work with range and surplus brass you need the heavy duty equipment. Just a thought. Chief aka Maxx Load
 
I just de-capped a dozen or so crimped .308 primers, using a Lee universal decapping die and a mallet. Works great. ;)
 
I've broken two. One standard and one "heavy duty." Since replaced it with a Redding, but haven't done much to put it to the test yet.
 
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