Deprime crimp brass issues with Lee Decapping Die

[platoonDaddy]

Have 9mm crimp brass & didn't want to use my 550 for deprime & swager, therefore I picked up a single stage Lee C Frame with their decapping die to deprime. Have bent two pins and yes, Lee will replace free, but a pain in the butt.

Is there a better decapping die on the market for crimp brass?

EDIT: Found solution - Installed a 9mm Dillon Carbide Size/Deprime die on the Lee single stage C press and running through the military brass without any bent pins! YEA... The question is: will the Lee C press hold up.

Now i just need to borrow a Pocket Swager die.

[Eric D.]

Dillon's universal decapping die.

[markm]

Something isn't right. I've used a LEE universal decap for maybe 30-40 thousand rounds and never have bent or broken a pin. Shit... you can feel it in the press before you push hard enough to tear up a pin...

And that's when there's a berdan case or a piece of brass with an obstruction inside of it...

[Leaveammoforme]

I assume since you own a dillon you know your way around reloading. But I gotta ask anyways. Are you using the correct shell holder? Also, have you got the primer out of a single one?

[platoonDaddy]

I assume since you own a dillon you know your way around reloading. But I gotta ask anyways. Are you using the correct shell holder? Also, have you got the primer out of a single one?


Lee's shell holder # 19 advertised for 9mm.



http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad176/slickville/001_zpsb8514f24.jpg (http://s933.photobucket.com/user/slickville/media/001_zpsb8514f24.jpg.html)

http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad176/slickville/001a_zps520cf87f.jpg (http://s933.photobucket.com/user/slickville/media/001a_zps520cf87f.jpg.html)

Lee's reply to my question about the issue:


Thanks for sending in the photo. We'll get two replacements sent out to you in tomorrow's mail.

The most common reasons being Berdan primed cases, military primed cases and when the pin hits the side of the flash hole. We have also seen some newer cases where the primer hole is drilled off center, which of course will then hit the case and bend/break the rod. Another common culprit of broken decappers is foreign cases that have undersized flash holes. These cases can either cause your pin to break or pull the pin out of the rod.

Sincerely,


Lee Precision, Inc.

[markm]

I hit a berdan case every so often.... and I also hit a spent primer that goes flying off the press and into a casing on my dirty brass pile.

You can FEEL it before you do any damage. You can FEEL when the decap rod hit something TOO SOON in the press cycle. I'm not scalding your ass... I'm just saying you need to your Jedi Zen on and make the press and extension of your body.

[Ryno12]

I don't have a Lee Universal but the FS dies have a collet that holds the decapping pin. If it hits resistance, the pin slips in the collet preventing any self destruction. I believe the Universal uses the same collet, correct? My guess here is that something is misaligned and/or isn't setup or adjusted properly. I'd double check everything.

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[luvmy40]

I processed 500 LC, 5.56 cases a couple days ago with Lee dies. I had one primer that the bottom of the cup ripped off but I've never bent or broken a pin on crimped brass.

[Leaveammoforme]

I don't have a Lee Universal but the FS dies have a collet that holds the decapping pin. If it hits resistance, the pin slips in the collet preventing any self destruction. I believe the Universal uses the same collet, correct? My guess here is that something is misaligned and/or isn't setup or adjusted properly. I'd double check everything.

Sent via Tapatalk

My lee universal de-cap pin threads into a cap at the top of the die. I use it because it doesn't slip under extra pressure.

To OP, If you are this hard up for 9mm brass I can send you some mixed headstamps that are already de-capped.

[Ryno12]

I didn't see threads on the pins in the picture he posted. Wasn't aware they made them threaded.

Isn't it this model?

http://leeprecision.com/decapping-die.html

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[Leaveammoforme]

I didn't see threads on the pins in the picture he posted. Wasn't aware they made them threaded.

Isn't it this model?

http://leeprecision.com/decapping-die.html

Sent via Tapatalk

My bad....Just went to take pic of mine and realized it's a Lyman and not a Lee. Pin is press fit into cap (no collet, no slip). Punched out bunches of crimped 5.56 without any issues.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/540542/lyman-universal-depriming-and-decapping-die

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/139213/lyman-decapping-rod-for-universal-decapping-die-replacement-part?cm_vc=OBv1139213

[platoonDaddy]

I didn't see threads on the pins in the picture he posted. Wasn't aware they made them threaded.

Isn't it this model?

http://leeprecision.com/decapping-die.html

Sent via Tapatalk

Yep that is the model and non threaded.


My bad....Just went to take pic of mine and realized it's a Lyman and not a Lee. Pin is press fit into cap (no collet, no slip). Punched out bunches of crimped 5.56 without any issues.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/540542/lyman-universal-depriming-and-decapping-die

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/139213/lyman-decapping-rod-for-universal-decapping-die-replacement-part?cm_vc=OBv1139213
Thanks for the up on the Lyman, midway is out-of-stock but taking back orders. Will search the web.

As for being hard-up for brass: I have thousands of those 9mm rounds and following a few more range trips, it is time to reload those once fired brass.



You can FEEL it before you do any damage. You can FEEL when the decap rod hit something TOO SOON in the press cycle. I'm not scalding your ass... I'm just saying you need to your Jedi Zen on and make the press and extension of your body.
Lunar Eclipse I could feel the force of the closer, but smaller mass of the lunar orb pulling on my form from the west and the equal force of the larger, yet more distant solar body pulling from the east. At this point I entered into the karma phase of equilibrium. Will stay in that state, when I receive the new pins and get back to you.

[platoonDaddy]

Installed a 9mm Dillon Carbide Size/Deprime die on the Lee single stage C press and running through the military brass without any bent pins! YEA... The question is: will the Lee C press hold up.

Now i just need to borrow a Pocket Swager die.

[taliv]

Something isn't right. I've used a LEE universal decap for maybe 30-40 thousand rounds and never have bent or broken a pin.

same here, until two weeks ago! pin snapped. i went and picked two spares up last week. should do me for several years

[platoonDaddy]

FYI: if you send them a picture of your bent pins via the form set up on their web site, they will mail you free of charge a replacement.

The following is an email from their tech support:

Hi xxxx,

The pins are now made of one piece hardened steel, so they will bend.

Sincerely,
Stephanie


Lee Precision, Inc.
4275 Highway U
Hartford, WI 53027