UNIVERSAL DECAPPING DIE??

[Highland Lofts]

If every one that bought reloading stuff and never used it gave it all to one person you'd have a house full of reloading equipment. I have items that are still sitting on a shelf.
When I get my reloading shed completed and setup iwill have some PIF items

 

[74man]

OK all, I learned something today from most of you. and not from the ones who know it all or the sarcastic ones. I learned that most of the people use it to deprime really dirty range brass so as not to dirty their reloading dies, the extra step is a plus in sizing the cleaned brass. I also learned that you can keep it set up for items like removing live primers that are cockeyed or upside down so if the primer ignites it only hurts the Universal Decapping pin and not your reloading dies. I want to thank all who took my question seriously and gave me good information. To those sarcastic members please remember I have not been reloading as long as you have and I have always gone by the old addage that states ;" there is no such thing as a dumb question (if you have a need to know) there are only DUMB answers by sarcastic people". I like to have information so I don't have to guess. Thanks again..

 

[cfullgraf]

Lyman advertises a Carbide die set for the .223 Rem but the only thing carbide is the decapper rod and the carbide sizing ball. I hate the mess with the lube but it is a necessity unless you like removing stuck cases. What do you all think??

As a side note to the universal decapping die, as you noted, the Lyman 223 Remington carbide die only comes with a carbide expander button for the case mouth. Redding also offers carbide expander buttons that replace the steel expander buttons on their dies. These make it a bit easier to expand the case mouth of bottle neck rifle cases but, the case sizing part of the die is still steel and the cases still have to be lubricated.

This is unlike straight walled handgun case carbide sizing dies where there is carbide ring in the die to resize the body of the case. As you have noted, lubrication of the cases used in these carbide dies is not necessary.

Dillon makes a 223 Remington carbide sizing die but they are designed for the high volume loaders who would wear out a standard steel sizing die. These dies are expensive and still require the cases to be lubricated.

A final note, the Lyman set includes a neck sizing die. Neck sizing bottle neck cases is a whole other world. Read some reloading manuals and do a search of THR to learn more about the ins and outs of neck sizing.

 

[barnfrog]

If every one that bought reloading stuff and never used it gave it all to one person you'd have a house full of reloading equipment. I have items that are still sitting on a shelf.
When I get my reloading shed completed and setup iwill have some PIF items

To keep or not to keep, that is the question.

The flip side of the coin is stuff you sold or gave away and then wish you hadn't. I sold three or four pieces of equipment this summer thinking I wasn't ever going to use them, and six months later I wish I still had them. I've already purchased a replacement for one of them and am considering replacing another.

Hindsight does not require corrective lenses.

 

[bersaguy]

OK all, I learned something today from most of you. and not from the ones who know it all or the sarcastic ones. I learned that most of the people use it to deprime really dirty range brass so as not to dirty their reloading dies, the extra step is a plus in sizing the cleaned brass.

That's it, I love mine, and I keep it mounted in a Lee C press all the time. It all depends on your process on whether or not it's the right tool for you. I like to take my grungy range pick ups, deprime them, and while depriming them sort them by headstamp. Then a batch of matched brass goes in the tumbler and then added to the appropriate bin. Then, ill take some single headstamp brass and prime them, and put them in another bin. So when I go to actually load, I have clean, primed, sorted brass ready to go. That process isn't for everyone, but for me, I get little snippets of time to work with. 20min here, an hour there, so breaking the brass prep into steps works for me. That would drive some guys nuts. Sorry you got snarky answers...that's not typical of this site. We have gotten a lot of new members recently, and some haven't fully embraced the HighRoad ethos. From my experience, a little knowledge and experience makes you cocky...a bit more will make you cautious, and much more makes you realize you don't know everything you thought you did

 

[beeenbag]

imperial sizing wax is your friend, not messy and a little goes a long way.

The use of the dacapping die for me is for knocking media out of the flash hole of rifle brass.

When I load rifle rounds, I fully prep the brass before tumbling, which means I resize it, trim it, chamfer, deburr and clean/cut crimp from primer pockets. After all this the brass goes into the tumbler where media is prone to get stuck in the flash hole. I use my decapping die in my turret press to ensure that any media is knocked from the flash hole before it gets a new primer.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Wow!
Two pages and no one has hit on the REAL reason for the dedicated decapping die!

It’s to remove crimped-in primers!
This is so the full effort is applied to pushing out the primer without needing enough force that’ll break something.
After swaging the primer pockets, the next time they decap easily. So resize and decap at same time as usual.
Lee used to sell a base and punch as included in the basic Classic Loader, for just such use. They even had an “Unbreakable” warranty if you did break one, you sent it back (when postage was 6cents! , and they’d send you a new one.... )
I don’t think they do that anymore.

 

[Seedy Character]

The universal decapping die is my must have.

A trip to range RARELY (never) is a one caliber thing. ALL brass is dropped in shooting bag, including any range pick up.

When I get home, it gets primer removed and dropped into vibrator for cleaning.

This is faster and easier than sorting and resizing. Plus, any calibers that I don't load are clean and ready to trade or sell. The occasional military crimps is an added plus. Most of the decapping pins is broke, before getting the universal, was due to military crimps.

I was a reloaded for several years, before "learning" why a universal die was a must have die.

 

[Chuck R.]

I leave my RCBS universal decayer die in my old Lee single stage O press all the time. I would rather get it filthy decapping range brass versus getting all that dirt on my turret press.

I keep mine on my old RCBS RockChucker which has become my de-priming station. As you said, it keeps my Dillons and Redding press clean. I have 2 of the universal decappers, the LW and HD models from RCBS. I normally run all my rifle brass through the decappers before wet tumbling with SS pins. It makes cleaning the primer pockets unnecessary.

 

[74man]

See, I learned something new today from the Goose Gestapo. The Universal Decapping Die does a great job of removing crimped in primers, (Military) and saves money spent on Pins. Never to old to learn something new!! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THOSE WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THR, I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT 2022!!

 

[Telum Pisces]

OK all, I learned something today from most of you. and not from the ones who know it all or the sarcastic ones. I learned that most of the people use it to deprime really dirty range brass so as not to dirty their reloading dies,

Yep, I like to size and tumble my brass without those pesky used primers. Keeps dies cleaner and lasting longer.

 

[kmw1954]

Will add another reason for the universal die. I work at a large range were we recover many rounds that have not been fired or are misfires and we need to dispose of them. So I have volunteered to decommission these. I have collet type bullet pullers so everything gets pulled and the powder dumped. Salvageable bullets and brass of course are saved and sorted. This then leaves brass that may still have live primers in them. Again primers that can be salvaged. I want to save the primers but do not need to size these cases as some are dented beyond hope. This is where this die becomes invaluable.

 

[lightman]

OK all, I learned something today from most of you. and not from the ones who know it all or the sarcastic ones. I learned that most of the people use it to deprime really dirty range brass so as not to dirty their reloading dies, the extra step is a plus in sizing the cleaned brass. I also learned that you can keep it set up for items like removing live primers that are cockeyed or upside down so if the primer ignites it only hurts the Universal Decapping pin and not your reloading dies. I want to thank all who took my question seriously and gave me good information. To those sarcastic members please remember I have not been reloading as long as you have and I have always gone by the old addage that states ;" there is no such thing as a dumb question (if you have a need to know) there are only DUMB answers by sarcastic people". I like to have information so I don't have to guess. Thanks again..

Well......... Heck!
I thought I typed up a response that wasn't too snooty or condescending. But the Wife called me to supper and then the timer on my tumbler timed out and I went out to empty and reload it. Somewhere along the way I failed to post that response! Duh!
Glad to hear that you got answers to your post. Many of us have been reloading for years and forget that new reloaders have questions that seem simple, just because they don't know. Happy New Year to you and yours!