Stuck Media & Decapping Pins

[Kaffir]

Greetings All,

I'm looking for a tumbling media that won't bend a decapping pin if it is still in a case. I've been using crushed walnut pet bedding, and have bent a few decapping pins. I've heard rice works well as a tumbling media.


Thanks in advance.

 

[oscar]

Are you sure that it is the media that is bending the decapping pins? Sometimes if the pin is a tad loose, it will hit the edge of the flash hole. I don't think that I have ever bent a pin on media. You dont have some berdan cases do you?

 

[Kaffir]

I suppose that the pin could be working itself loose. I am using RCBS dies. The stem that holds the pins gets bent as well. This is the second time the stem has been bent. I'll try loc-titing the parts when I get replacement parts.

Thanks

 

[P95Carry]

I use walnut mostly .... sometimes corn ... but have not had any decap pins damaged. So - would have to think that something re alignment perhaps is amiss with your set up.

Never tried rice but guess it could work ... tho wonder how long it would last before you got starch powder!!

 

[coonan357]

over at one of the reloading boards I am a member at we are discussing the use of rice as media , so far it seams like a good idea , just dont cook it !!! as for the bent pins if it occurs with certain types of brass ( a-amerc, speer ,and .357 sig brass) its more than likely due to off center or smaller holes and not media , if you bent the guide rod in rcbs decappers I would just pitch it and call rcbs for a new one , ( they will send a replacement for free) as you will never get it straight again .

 

[Sisco]

Try a Lee decapping die. The pin will push out through the top of the die before it will break or bend.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I've had cleaning media ruin decapping pins for me before. I bought a decapping die that works great, but it adds an extra step to the procedure. I finally just clipped the head off a nail the right diameter, dulled the point a little, and started using it. Works fine.

 

[David Wile]

Hey folks,

I have had similar problems with cob media getting stuck in the flash hole and primer pins getting bent on occasion. I gave up on the idea of simply polishing and then sizing right away. Instead, I found it necessary to carefully inspect each case for stuck media after polishing.

I prefer to carefully inspect my cases and do any trimming or culling before the polishing process, so inspecting after polishing is an unwanted operation. To eliminate this additional inspection process, I polish most of my cases after the reloading process. I know some folks may say this is dangerous, but it simply is not true. I do not tumble my cases. I use a vibratory machine with corn cob media, and the loaded cases simply flow in the media and come out as bright as usual.

No, I have never had any round go off, and I have been doing it since I first bought my Lyman vibratory cleaner nearly twenty years ago. The finished bullets shoot to the same point of impact as non-polished rounds, and I do not buy the idea that the powder breaks down inside the case. It just isn't so.

Now, having said that really crazy idea, I will let others have a go at my suggestion.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[HSMITH]

What kind of dies are you guys bending pins on media with? Are the pins adjusted down as far as they can go and not hit the bottom of the case, or just enough to push the primer out?

I have seen one RCBS mentioned so far, what are the others?

I have NEVER had it happen.

 

[1badmagnum]

grind your media into smaller pieces using a blender,works great for me.

 

[Master Blaster]

at about 20,000 rounds reloading i have yet to replace a decapping pin, still using the originals. It seems that its a problem with RCBS and Lyman dies from the comments here.

Try a dillon decap/sizing die, the pin is on a spring loaded stem in the die, it also throws the spent primer off and never has tied up the machine.

JMHO

 

[Zero]

Tumble with spent primer!

Tumbling cases before decapping, and it will greatly eliminate the bent or broken decapping pins. Its hard to believe that a piece of corncob or walnut shell could break a hardened piece of steel, but anything is possible I guess.

 

[Kaffir]

Thanks all for the help.

 

[Bottom Gun]

I agree with Zero. Tumble the cases before you size them. The clean cases go through your sizing die a lot easier anyway without the carbon and grit on them.

 

[dodgestdshift]

I deprime first, using a RCBS universal depriming die. Then I use my vibratory cleaner with walnut media. Then I use a straightened paper clip and examine every case to remove the media from the flash hole.