Stop Me If You've Heard This One: Decapping Pin In Loaded Round

[Justin]

Ok, so I was spending this afternoon loading a bunch of .223 on my press. The cases were all ones that I have previously decapped and swaged out the primer pockets.

After loading around 100 rounds, I decided to run a handful of cases through that still had primers. I put the case into the press, ran it up, and didn't hear the primer pop out.



"That's odd." I thought.

I pulled the case out, and looked at the die, only to see that there was no decapping pin in the die. I removed the entire decapping rod assembly and visually inspected it. Sure enough. No decapping pin. None. Not a broken one, not a bent one, it was just gone.

:banghead:

So, I dumped out the spent primer bin, hoping to find the decapping pin in there. No luck (of course.) It's possible, I suppose, that the pin is on the floor somewhere, gone forever. But my fear here is that the pin is now sitting inside of one of the rounds that I just finished loading.

I assume I'm going to have to pull all of them until I find the round with the pin in it? Presumably bad things would happen if I were to touch off a round that had a decapping pin buried in all of the powder, right?

If it matters, my equipment is a Redding Type S Bushing Style Full Length Sizing Die on a Dillon 550.

 

[IMtheNRA]

If you use a digital scale, I'd weigh the rounds and pull the heavy ones first. Of course, if you used mixed headstamps, that may not be very effective...

 

[Mal H]

Depending on how much powder and what type of powder, you might be able to hear the pin if you shake the rounds. You might get lucky!

The weighing idea is a good one also. A decapping pin weighs enough to notice the difference if the other components are fairly consistent.

 

[jr_roosa]

Maybe you could use a strong magnet?

Put the shells on a smooth surface and move the magnet over them. The one that rolls a little has the pin in it.

Might need a really strong magnet to have a chance.

Reminds me to check for a decapping pin when I dismount my sizing die.

Otherwise I'd pull them until I find the pin.

You know that if you pull them all, there will be no pin, and if you don't pull them, it will blow up your gun.

Bummer.

-J.

 

[Walkalong]

Yea, ya might get lucky weighing them, but I don't know if a decapping pin weighs enough, or perhaps a very strong magnet. Reckon a strong enough magnet would hold the round with a decapping pin in it? It would be easy to check that theory with another case. pop a pin in it, fill it with powder, seat a bullet, and check. Just a thought. Might not be enough steel to hold the weight.

I see jr roosa had the same idea, and types faster than I. Plus he had a good point. You don't have to pick one up, just make it move some.

 

[rfwobbly]

Might need a really strong magnet to have a chance.

There's a REALLY strong magnet inside your hard drive. Let us know when you get back on-line with your new computer.

 

[ThomasT]

The magnet sounds like a really good idea to me. I have one of those super strong magnets from Harbor Frieght plus a magnetic base for a dial indicator.

I know one thing for a certainty. It will be in the last case you look in.

 

[highorder]

Another vote for weighing.

As a side benefit, you get to check the consistancy of your loaded rounds.

 

[Mal H]

Use a magnet - great idea, jr_roosa!

Since all the materials used in a round are generally non-ferrous, I wouldn't think you would need to use a very strong magnet to detect the difference between a case with a pin in it and all the ones without it.

 

[Slamfire]

I pulled the case out, and looked at the die, only to see that there was no decapping pin in the die. I removed the entire decapping rod assembly and visually inspected it. Sure enough. No decapping pin. None. Not a broken one, not a bent one, it was just gone.

I have had cases with extra small primer holes pull decapping pins out of dies. I suspect your de capping pin is inside the primer hole of one of your cases.

Good luck. Since decapping pins are not made of neutron star material, I will bet the normal case weight to weight varience will hide your decapping pin.

Give the magnet a try.

If that don't work, do the rain dance, or pull the bullets.

I sure would not want a decapping pin going down my barrel.

 

[nitetrane98]

I'm not completely sure that the pin would even fly out of the barrel. There will be forces acting upon it in all directions if it indeed is still in a shell. I think it could easily just sit in the casing and eject with the shell. It's certainly not the end of the world. I guarantee a couple of 1/2" rare earth magnets will find that pin in a heartbeat. Another thought is that chances are the pin was left sticking out the bottom of the case. You might find that it put a bump on the primer that you might be able to see on the outside as it was seated.

 

[RoostRider]

Wouldnt it be in the last round you decapped?

That round should be near the top even if you are on a progressive press.

Start with those

 

[Mal H]

I just did a little experimenting. I loaded a .223 round with a full load of powder and a decapping pin.

First, the "shake it" idea won't work. It was hard to tell any difference between a round with the pin and one without.

The weighing idea isn't reliable as someone said if different headstamps are involved. If the headstamps are the same, it should work. But don't go to the bother of trying it because ...

The magnet idea worked like a champ. I used a rare-earth magnet of the type found in old disk drives. It would pick up the entire round with the pin it, but didn't even budge one without it. A more traditional magnet (like a magnetic screw retriever) would just about pick it up, it certainly was easy enough to detect the pin.

So, Justin, let us know how you make out with the missing pin.


Oh, and I might as well confess to a bit of stupidity. The magnet came in handy again when I absent-mindedly poured the case full of 2230 back into the powder container - along with the pin. D'oh! Holding the magnet with a pair of needle nose pliers, I had it out in a few seconds.

 

[Sport45]

So, I dumped out the spent primer bin, hoping to find the decapping pin in there. No luck (of course.) It's possible, I suppose, that the pin is on the floor somewhere, gone forever.

I'd give the room a good going over with a magnet before I started pulling bullets. But I'd definately find the thing or empty all the cases before I took the chance of sending a hardened-steel decapping pin down my barrel. I'd dispose of them before I did that.

A HF tool that works...

 

[IMtheNRA]

Where does one find this magnet in an old hard disk drive?

 

[bobotech]

Inside the hard drive. It controls the heads. We have probably about 100-200 of them at work that we play with.

 

[editingfx]

Just curious - how would a decap pin adversely affect a gun if you shot it? Doesn't seem like it'd add enough volume to affect pressure. I'd think it'd just come out the barrel.

 

[Sport45]

I think it would definately come out the barrel. The problem is it would be hard enough to scratch the bore all the way through.

 

[woodsoup]

I may be wrong but, if it's stuck in an undersized primer hole. the round MIGHT be a dud, if the primer charge can't dislodge it.

 

[Mal H]

Trust me, if a primer is strong enough to push a jacketed bullet at an inch into the bore, it's strong enough to dislodge the pin if it's in the flash hole.

I wouldn't want a hardened steel object banging around my barrel at supersonic speeds.

 

[editingfx]

I wouldn't want a hardened steel object banging around my barrel at supersonic speeds.

Bet you wear your seat belt, too.

 

[bobotech]

Mal is right. Decapping pins are basically timkin (I think) hardened steel bearings. I would not want one of those bouncing around in my barrel either.

 

[Justin]

Found it!






Thanks for the help, guys!

 

[jfh]

...and thank you, Justin, for the good pictures showing the technique.

BTW, are you the same Justin who keeps sending me e-mails--maybe twenty or so a day, in batches of about six, entreating me to become an overnight millionaire by exploiting a cell phone "glitch?"

I could use a million dollars right now. Contact me by PM.

Jim H.

 

[Odd Job]

This is a great example of misadventure, forensics, physics and finally success!

I once lost a non-ferrous metallic item on a ribbon (of sentimental value to me), while on duty at a hospital. I narrowed down the most likely locations to be three possible wards and two possible X-ray rooms.
I couldn't go rooting through the waste / hazard bins for my property (which was surely chucked away), so all I could do was X-ray the boxes.
It was an interesting exercise (I used a fluoroscopy unit) but unlike you, I came up empty and never saw that item again.

If your pin wasn't ferrous I guess you would have to call up a friendly radiographer to take a quick screen of your cartridges if you didn't want to open each one.