Originally posted by Suwannee Tim:
I have been shooting black guns of late and have accumulated a pretty good stash of 5.56mm and 7.62mm brass, most of it with crimped primers. I set out to uncrimp all this stuff and of course that requires the primers be knocked out. To that end I bought large and small decapping dies. I am using a Dillon 650 press and I keep breaking decapping pins. I believe that is because the decap dies do not align the cartridge case. I have never had a bit of trouble breaking decapping pins when using a size die, either neck size or full length. What I was thinking about is using something like a 338 Federal neck sizing die and a 6mm-223 neck size die which should provide some alignment to the case without requiring lube. The cost of dies like that sunk that plan. They are custom dies and expensive. Now I am thinking of using neck size dies for 223 and 308 and setting then up so they barely size the neck or using a full length size die and setting it up the same way, so that it sizes enough to align the case but not enough to require lube. Hopefully, having a little alignment will prevent this decap pin breaking issue. Thoughts? Opinions?

I have an old Lee hand punch and base set and a plastic 8 oz hammer. I used them with an aluminum mold that is something like a very heavy dish. I can knock the primers out about as fast as a press and I am still using the same punch after 45 years and thousands upon thousands of crimped and non-crimped primers.

If you mostly reload with a 650, you may be missing some of the benefits of non-progressive processes.

I use the regular sizing dies. Have used an RCBS swage die, and also just a chamfer tool. The swage is better I think.
I have broken decapping pins but it was usually because the flash hole was off center, but I've probably only done a couple thousand 5.56 and several hundred 7.62.

Thanks Nate, I'm ordering another size die this morning.

I forgot to mention I'm using Redding decap dies, the pins are not replacable, you have to replace the whole pin and stem assembly which costs $9, a heck of a lot more than a two bit pin.

quote:

Originally posted by SR4759:
I have an old Lee hand punch and base set and a plastic 8 oz hammer. I used them with an aluminum mold that is something like a very heavy dish. I can knock the primers out about as fast as a press and I am still using the same punch after 45 years and thousands upon thousands of crimped and non-crimped primers.

If you mostly reload with a 650, you may be missing some of the benefits of non-progressive processes.

I'm using the 650 because of the case feed, I can decap over a thousand cases per hour with it. I have about 25K cases to process, 8K of 7.62 which I'm done with including swaging which took two days, I'm just getting started with the 5.56.

I have a 650, a 450, a Forster Co-Ax and a Redding press in use and two or three this and that presses on the shelf in the garage.

Buy set of lee dies you won't break that decapping pin.

Tim
A suggestion: I bought an el cheapo press RCBS, a Lee Universal decapping die and RCBS primer pocket swage set. I don't want the primer pocket crud in my CO-AX press so I tumble the brass straight from the range, empty it, then decap. I like to clean the primer pockets so I use a carbide primer pocket uniformer to clean the pockets. Then I load the cases.
I don't shoot anything with small primer pockets.
Jim

Like SR4759 said, these work great:

http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...-and-base-22-caliber

http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...-and-base-30-caliber

i always separate the crimped cases and knock the primers out by hand. to damn much fooling around to do it on a 650 breaking pins all the time

In all Redding FL and neck dies that I have the decap pin is replaceable. However the decap stem is not very tough and it bends easily. Most brands of rifle caliber loading dies are just not designed for a high volume processes. The decapping rods are just not tough enough. If you know that every case is clean and has an on center flash hole you might get away with it for a while.

The Lee decapping stems in a Lee decapping die are pretty tough. They will decap any caliber. The decapping rod will push up through the clamp bushing rather than break if you have an off center flash hole or a Berdan case. I suspect the Lee dies would work better for just decapping than what you are currently using.

I have a Dillon but I never decap on it because of the possiblity of breaking decapping stems and rods. I know there are other shooters that do the same thing especially with bottle neck cases.
Instead the process is

Clean out dirt and crud from range pickups.
Open up any dented case mouths, toss berdans and badly damaged brass.
Decap
swage

After swage the brass can be stored or move on to the normal cleaning process below like it was commercial uncrimped brass.

the normal process is for brass that does not need the swaging process

Decap by hand or use a small press without compound leverage with a decapping die. You do not have to make a day out of it. An hours work now and then during a week or a month will result in a lot of decapped cases.

Clean brass of all grit to prevent die scratching

lube and size

trim if needed
chamfer if needed

Store brass in process until needed
Hand prime if you prefer and store

Using the Dillon
If you prefer to prime on the Dillon you can prime as part of the Dillon process then charge seat and crimp - ammo is finished.



As long as you concentrate or focus on speed you will be giving up some control of the process because you are not examining each case.
The Lee die has the toughest decapper of the commonly available dies. I do not actually own a Lee decapping die but I have a 45-70 die that would function in the same manner. However I chose to use a hand punch to knock out crimped in primers. I have never broken the punch or pin and they have been in service 40 plus years.

quote:

Originally posted by Suwannee Tim:
Thanks Nate, I'm ordering another size die this morning.

I forgot to mention I'm using Redding decap dies, the pins are not replacable, you have to replace the whole pin and stem assembly which costs $9, a heck of a lot more than a two bit pin.

quote:

Originally posted by SR4759:
I have an old Lee hand punch and base set and a plastic 8 oz hammer. I used them with an aluminum mold that is something like a very heavy dish. I can knock the primers out about as fast as a press and I am still using the same punch after 45 years and thousands upon thousands of crimped and non-crimped primers.

If you mostly reload with a 650, you may be missing some of the benefits of non-progressive processes.

I'm using the 650 because of the case feed, I can decap over a thousand cases per hour with it. I have about 25K cases to process, 8K of 7.62 which I'm done with including swaging which took two days, I'm just getting started with the 5.56.

I have a 650, a 450, a Forster Co-Ax and a Redding press in use and two or three this and that presses on the shelf in the garage.

I bought a neck size die, a Redding. I confirmed it can be used without lube. It's going to be hard on the die but heck, it's a decapping die at least that's what I'm using it for. I decapped 1000 pieces of 5.56mm brass on the 650, all crimped. Not a hint of a problem. With the Redding decapping die I could feel cartridges that balked at decapping, I think the pin was slightly in contact with the brass and a little pressure it would fall into the flash hole. None of that with the neck size die. The neck size die aligns the case with the die and thus the decapping pin. I think this is the answer for decapping large numbers of cases. Use a neck size die, not a decapping die. Thanks for all the suggestions and your attention guys.

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
i always separate the crimped cases and knock the primers out by hand. to damn much fooling around to do it on a 650 breaking pins all the time

Big 10-4 and the pins in the Lee Dies do bend and brake. roger

I broke six decaping pins with an RCBS 308 FL sizing die. I called their service dept, and they sent me a dozen pins and two decaping rods of their new design. Did 4,000+ LC cases without any further breakage issues.

Now, I bought 4500 mixed 5.56 and 223 once-fired cases to do. Pray for me...

quote:

.....Now, I bought 4500 mixed 5.56 and 223 once-fired cases to do. Pray for me...

Prayer Meetin is Wednesday night Idaho. I'll get the whole church a prayin for you. Don't do a thing until then!


My mistake was using universal decap dies for large volume decapping. These universal dies are bored larger than any case and provide no alignment to the case as the decap pin approaches the flash hole. Using a size die, the case gets aligned. That makes the difference. In light of this experience I will use universal decap dies for small volume decap jobs only. Large jobs, I will use a size die.

I sleeved my Lee universal die with a removable insert

No more miss alignment in station #1 of my progressive press now

This is held in place by two "O" rings

I wish I had access to a lathe Ted, I would do the same.

I bought myself the Lee Universal Decapping Die. It is strong and one of the Lee stuff I like. It has a protective system - when the primer is too difficult to eject, it would push the decapping rod out of the die.

The Lee die is the one I made removable sleeves for