depriming die question

[Bubba the Roach]

Hello just got my lee reloading kit today. ordered a universal decapping/priming die, can I or do I need to remove the pin from it. Would it help or does it matter thanks for the info.

Bubba

[lee n. field]

Hello just got my lee reloading kit today. ordered a universal decapping/priming die, can I or do I need to remove the pin from it. Would it help or does it matter thanks for the info.

If you use a universal decapping die, you may or may not remove the decapping pin from the regular sizing die. It won't matter.

(Really, there's not much need for a universal depriming die.)

[dacaur]

For me, I would buy a universal decapping die so I could tumble after decapping, in which case I would leave the decapping pin in my sizing die to make sure no media get stuck in the hole...

[oldreloader]

^^^^^^^
me too

[hk33ka1]

Universal Decapping dies are used to remove primers without sizing the case. There are a few reasons for this including;
decapping black powder cases so they can be washed at the range
removing primers from crimped primer rounds that may damage some dies
removing primers before tumbling/washing so only clean brass goes in resizer

For the price and quality of the Lee it can be handy for any loader.

You would not normally remove the decapper from any sizing die unless you wanted or needed to (although with Lee Loadmaster press for pistol usually the universal decapper is run in the first station and a sizing die with no decapper is run in the second so priming can occur during sizing).

In the case of bottleneck cases the decapping rod also has an expander on it that pulls back through the case to set the case mouth size/tension. A .308 Win case might be sized down to .304" then expanded to .307" by the expander on the decapping rod when backed out of the die. This then gives the grip or neck tension on the .308" bullet that is seated.

The above is not the case on straight walled cases like most pistol rounds or .45-70 etc.

[tkglazie]

It would be a shame to load a cartridge with a plugged flashhole when a decapping rod coul dhave prevented it. I guess the best way to look at it is if there is a process-related reason to remove the decapping rod (as the last poster mentioned), go ahead, but if not, you would be well served to leave it in as a mechanical check of the flashhole, if nothing else.

I am not sure what you are loading for but if you plan to prime before sizing keep in mind lube and primers dont always mix. It is generally advisable to order your process in a way that avoids introducing the primer to the case any sooner than necessary. The longer your components are in their raw form the better, in my opinion.

That's one of the big benefits of a turret press that I dont think gets talked about enough. Only 1 primer, 1 case, 1 powder charge and 1 bullet are ever in process at any given time.

[Throckmorton]

OLD reloading manuals tell you to size/decap,then tumble.
well,i've neve ever had my media clean the pockets with any success when I did that,so now I dont do dat.

cleaning primer pockeets for my cowboy/blasing ammo just don't happen anymore,and they all go bang. for SD OR ACCURACY ammo,yes,I clean them.

[jcwit]

It would be a shame to load a cartridge with a plugged flashhole when a decapping rod coul dhave prevented it. I guess the best way to look at it is if there is a process-related reason to remove the decapping rod (as the last poster mentioned), go ahead, but if not, you would be well served to leave it in as a mechanical check of the flashhole, if nothing else.

If you're concerned about a piece of tumbling media being in the flash hole creating a misfire, ain't gonna happen. The primer will blow the the chunk of media right out of the hole and the cartridge will go off just as if nothing happened.

Furthermore if you use a media that is small this is a problem that does not exsist. Check out the link for a supplier, and no I'm not affilited with the supplier in any way other than being a customer in the past.

http://www.drillspot.com/products/52...bs_blast_media

Hope this helps

[rclark]

The only reason I initially got a Lee depriming die was for fire-lapping purposes. You don't want to resize the fired cases for this purpose.

When I tumble cases (not to often), I leave the primer in place.

I have also found I like to deprime my BP cases after washing and drying them as the pockets fill with water. So I'll use the depriming die here. This is one time I clean the primer pockets 'every' time with tool... let dry overnight and ready for normally loading.

[Mike-Mat]

Am I missing something here? The OP asked about removing the pin from the Universal Decapping die. Exactly what would it do to the case if you removed the pin?

[jcwit]

Am I missing something here? The OP asked about removing the pin from the Universal Decapping die. Exactly what would it do to the case if you removed the pin?

Actually I caught that also but thought it was so ridiculous I thought it was a mistake. But if taken literally, it leave me speechless!

[tkglazie]

Actually I caught that also but thought it was so ridiculous I thought it was a mistake. But if taken literally, it leave me speechless!

Oh thats funny. I think some of us assumed the question was: "should I remove the pin from my sizing/decapping die if I am using a universal die separately". Doesnt pay to assume!

[mrawesome22]

Without the pin in, you might as well not even bother screwing the die in.

Just leave the die in the box and run the case up and down in the press. When the case gets to the top of the stroke, clap your hands and say "I are am macking billets. Yeah!".

Oy vay.

Sent from HenseMod6.

[jcwit]

Oh thats funny. I think some of us assumed the question was: "should I remove the pin from my sizing/decapping die if I am using a universal die separately". Doesnt pay to assume!

I never assumed anything, nor did I use the word assume. Assuming makes me and the other person something neither of us wish to be. Be careful how you use the word, it may come back at you.

[dacaur]

I never assumed anything, nor did I use the word assume. Assuming makes me and the other person something neither of us wish to be. Be careful how you use the word, it may come back at you.

There is a cute saying about it, but you simply cant get through life without making assumptions. We all make hundreds of assumptions a day (I assume the cars stopped at the cross street I'm passing are gonig to stay stopped, or I would have to stop or slow down at every intersection...)

I think in this case its ok to assume the OP just made a mistake in wording. Otherwise the post doesnt make any sense. I mean, I generaly assume most people are idiots, but I do like to think that no one with access to firearms is dumb enough to wonder if he should take the decapping pin out of a die who's ONLY function is decapping.....

I have been wrong before, but I hope in this case I truly hope I am not.

[Bubba the Roach]

it is true that some times im not the brightest bulb in the sign and that I am really new to reloading but I was just wondering if the pin could come out of the resizer that is all Thanks

[jcwit]

I think in this case its ok to assume the OP just made a mistake in wording. Otherwise the post doesnt make any sense. I mean, I generaly assume most people are idiots, but I do like to think that no one with access to firearms is dumb enough to wonder if he should take the decapping pin out of a die who's ONLY function is decapping.....

Whether you wish to assume or not, you now have your answer.

Myself, I think things thru and assume virtually nothing. Yup, I do check the cross streets.

[tkglazie]

I was just wondering if the pin could come out of the resizer that is all

It can indeed. The terminology is key though- a universal decapping die and a sizing/decapping die are very different. As you can tell from some of the responses above, the way you worded it made it sound like you wanted to remove the decapping rod from the universal decapping die. Since that die doesnt touch the case at all (only the rod touches the spent primer) that didnt make any sense so some I (and maybe others) thought you were talking about removing the decapping rod from your sizing/decapping die.

[Bubba the Roach]

sorry for the confusion it does sound that way.

[Mike-Mat]

Well I dont know what type of round your doing, or what kind of press you have, so I'll tell you what I do. I have a Lee Loadmaster progressive press and I like to deprime and size all my rounds separately from the reloading process.

I do have a Lee universal depriming die that I keep on a single station Lee Challenger press. I use it to remove crimped rifle primers and any primers that didn't seat right (look kinked or damaged).

You can remove the pin from you pistol sizing die. But on a rifle sizing die, the pin also sizes the neck diameter. So you can back off the pin depth, as long as the neck sizer part of the shaft enters deep enough.

Hope That Helps,

Mike

[marklyftogt]

I bought a universal decapping die but never use it. I size and deprime after tumbling and i just short stroke the press and do several at a time. btw...i have a lee universal decapping die for sale

[oneoldsap]

I have used a decapping die forever , or since they've been around . None of my resizing dies have decapping pins in them . This allows me to run my expander balls way up inside the die , this (IMO) makes the stem shorter inside the die , a shorter stem tends to stay straighter and create less runout when the expander ball is retracted from the case . This method also makes the press stroke more operator friendly when you don't have to force the expander into the case at the beginning of the stroke , and flexing the long stem . It just feels better too , doing one process at a time . As for tumbleing media in the flash holes , I just poke it out with a # 7.5 torx bit in a screwdriver handle . Is it an extra step , of course it is , gives me one more chance to inspect my brass also . I tumble after decapping/ before sizing . I don't tumble again either , just wipe off the lube with a rag wet with Mineral Spirits . Don't knock it till you've tried it !

[Bubba the Roach]

I got the lee 50th anniversary kit because of price Im reloading .357mag for now but will load .223 and .308 in the future thanks for all the replies next time I will give more and better info when posting thanks again for taking it easy on the newbie

Bubba

[sc928porsche]

The pin on the lee universal decaping die is made so that if you hit an obstruction it will rise up without breaking the pin. Without the pin in place, you have nothing to push out the primer.

This feature has saved me money a few times. Berdan primed cases do not like decaping pins!