De-capping pins

Bucksnort1 · November 2, 2015, 12:29 PM

How 'bout some ideas on home made pins. These would be the straight RCBS type without the head. I'm guessing a small finish nail would work too.

Yesterday, I bent a pin so while looking for my container of pins, I found an allen wrench of the same diameter as my RCBS pins. The light bulb went off in my head so I used some heavy duty nippers to cut it to the right length - works perfectly.

roashooter · November 2, 2015, 02:43 PM

RCBS will send FREE pins on request.......

T. O'Heir · November 2, 2015, 03:04 PM

"...small finish nail would work..." Yep. Field expedient decapping pin. As long as it fits through the primer pocket flash hole. File the end flat too. Forget what size they were when I did it eons ago.
Nails are soft as Hades. They are easily filed into assorted tools. Leather hole punches for extra thick holster projects, for example.

Sevens · November 2, 2015, 03:21 PM

In nearly 30 years and hundreds of thousands of pieces processed, I have managed only once to snap a decap pin. I have deducted quite simply that it is due to the design of the nearly unbreakable collet-style Lee decap rod. When adjusted properly, the amount of force needed to break a pin never really gets to corrupt a pin because the collet fingers release the entire rod to let you know that you have a problem.

It is annoying when you displace a rod, but it is also a waving red flag to alter you to the fact that something isn't right.

Resetting the collet-retained rod with the PROPER amount of torque and not gorilla-level torque is not easy -- and when you fail to do it properly, NOW you can snap a pin off... which is how I torched mine. Lee mailed me a new one for free/free shipping in four days.

serf 'rett · November 2, 2015, 03:47 PM

Lee charged me for the one I broke.

I have used small nails and a Drill press for depriming pistol brass for around seven years and 50K+ pieces of brass. I think I'm on my sixth nail now. When the soft nail bends, I pick up the pliers and bend it back in place. Don't use the nail point. Cut off the nail head. A helpful trick, to prevent primers sticking to the cut nail, is to round over the cut end with a file or sand paper.

Bucksnort1 · November 2, 2015, 04:09 PM

A drill bit of the proper diameter would also work.

mdemetz · November 2, 2015, 04:19 PM

You can get drill rod from MSC, Grainger and other machinist supplies stores.

firewrench044 · November 2, 2015, 04:37 PM

Call RCBS they will send some pins FREE
they will send 5 or 10
( I have in stock RCBS- big pins, small pins and pins with a head )

surveyor · November 2, 2015, 04:48 PM

Decapping pins are something that breaks and wears out.
On 223/308 I decap as a separate step with a lee universal decapper.
My dies thank me.

BigJimP · November 3, 2015, 12:47 PM

Keep a couple extra on hand.../ I wouldn't bother making them except in an emergency - I'd just wait a few days for the replacements to show up from the Die mfg.

( but I reload about 25,000 rds a year...and I can't remember the last time I broke one...maybe never...)...

Xfire68 · November 3, 2015, 02:11 PM

I tend to go with the "Properly adjusted" theory. I have tried pretty much every commercially available decapping die on my Dillon 1050 and most of them "Work" but if they are not setup just right for the task at hand they will normally break prematurely.

I would be using the Lee but it is not long enough to work on the Dillon 1050 tool head and get a reliable decap. I use a RCBS full length die to decap and size at the same time. Running at 1,800 per hour I see about 2-3 per thousand cases that don't get decapped. Most of the time the machine jams up or the case moves on the swagging station and the swagger pushes it up into the pocket. Hard to catch those when running batches of 10k at a time.

The full length die has about 25k of decapped and sized cases without a broken pin running with a autodrive system.

yes RCBS is great about sending out new pins when you need them

1100 tac · November 5, 2015, 10:27 AM

Just order some new pins, then you'll never break another one!

serf 'rett · November 5, 2015, 11:07 AM

^Yep. That is the way it works. I ordered new pins from Lee and haven't broken one yet. I ordered small/large spare pins for my RCBS dies and have never broken one of their pins.

I am confident I will not break another pin until I "misplace" my spare pins. If I lose my spares, then and only then will I break another pin.

Jim243 · November 7, 2015, 10:23 PM

Quote:

I am confident I will not break another pin until I "misplace" my spare pins. If I lose my spares, then and only then will I break another pin.

LOL........................ SO TRUE!!

November 2, 2015, 12:29 PM	#1
Bucksnort1 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2013 Location: Littleton, Colorado Posts: 1,121	De-capping pins How 'bout some ideas on home made pins. These would be the straight RCBS type without the head. I'm guessing a small finish nail would work too. Yesterday, I bent a pin so while looking for my container of pins, I found an allen wrench of the same diameter as my RCBS pins. The light bulb went off in my head so I used some heavy duty nippers to cut it to the right length - works perfectly.

November 2, 2015, 03:04 PM	#3
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...small finish nail would work..." Yep. Field expedient decapping pin. As long as it fits through the primer pocket flash hole. File the end flat too. Forget what size they were when I did it eons ago. Nails are soft as Hades. They are easily filed into assorted tools. Leather hole punches for extra thick holster projects, for example. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

November 2, 2015, 03:21 PM	#4
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	In nearly 30 years and hundreds of thousands of pieces processed, I have managed only once to snap a decap pin. I have deducted quite simply that it is due to the design of the nearly unbreakable collet-style Lee decap rod. When adjusted properly, the amount of force needed to break a pin never really gets to corrupt a pin because the collet fingers release the entire rod to let you know that you have a problem. It is annoying when you displace a rod, but it is also a waving red flag to alter you to the fact that something isn't right. Resetting the collet-retained rod with the PROPER amount of torque and not gorilla-level torque is not easy -- and when you fail to do it properly, NOW you can snap a pin off... which is how I torched mine. Lee mailed me a new one for free/free shipping in four days. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

November 2, 2015, 03:47 PM	#5
serf 'rett Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2009 Location: Stuttgart, AR Posts: 1,569	Lee charged me for the one I broke. I have used small nails and a Drill press for depriming pistol brass for around seven years and 50K+ pieces of brass. I think I'm on my sixth nail now. When the soft nail bends, I pick up the pliers and bend it back in place. Don't use the nail point. Cut off the nail head. A helpful trick, to prevent primers sticking to the cut nail, is to round over the cut end with a file or sand paper. __________________ A lack of planning on your part does not necessarily constitute an emergency on my part.

November 3, 2015, 02:11 PM	#11
Xfire68 Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2010 Location: Communist State of IL. Posts: 1,562	I tend to go with the "Properly adjusted" theory. I have tried pretty much every commercially available decapping die on my Dillon 1050 and most of them "Work" but if they are not setup just right for the task at hand they will normally break prematurely. I would be using the Lee but it is not long enough to work on the Dillon 1050 tool head and get a reliable decap. I use a RCBS full length die to decap and size at the same time. Running at 1,800 per hour I see about 2-3 per thousand cases that don't get decapped. Most of the time the machine jams up or the case moves on the swagging station and the swagger pushes it up into the pocket. Hard to catch those when running batches of 10k at a time. The full length die has about 25k of decapped and sized cases without a broken pin running with a autodrive system. yes RCBS is great about sending out new pins when you need them __________________ NRA Life Member, SAF Member

November 2, 2015, 02:43 PM	#2
roashooter Junior member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Posts: 508	RCBS will send FREE pins on request.......

November 2, 2015, 04:09 PM	#6
Bucksnort1 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2013 Location: Littleton, Colorado Posts: 1,121	A drill bit of the proper diameter would also work.

November 2, 2015, 04:19 PM	#7
mdemetz Member Join Date: September 23, 2009 Posts: 73	You can get drill rod from MSC, Grainger and other machinist supplies stores.

November 2, 2015, 04:37 PM	#8
firewrench044 Senior Member Join Date: July 9, 2007 Location: Fort Pierce, Florida Posts: 381	Call RCBS they will send some pins FREE they will send 5 or 10 ( I have in stock RCBS- big pins, small pins and pins with a head )

November 2, 2015, 04:48 PM	#9
surveyor Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2007 Posts: 770	Decapping pins are something that breaks and wears out. On 223/308 I decap as a separate step with a lee universal decapper. My dies thank me.

November 3, 2015, 12:47 PM	#10
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Keep a couple extra on hand.../ I wouldn't bother making them except in an emergency - I'd just wait a few days for the replacements to show up from the Die mfg. ( but I reload about 25,000 rds a year...and I can't remember the last time I broke one...maybe never...)...

November 5, 2015, 10:27 AM	#12
1100 tac Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2012 Posts: 299	Just order some new pins, then you'll never break another one!

November 5, 2015, 11:07 AM	#13
serf 'rett Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2009 Location: Stuttgart, AR Posts: 1,569	^Yep. That is the way it works. I ordered new pins from Lee and haven't broken one yet. I ordered small/large spare pins for my RCBS dies and have never broken one of their pins. I am confident I will not break another pin until I "misplace" my spare pins. If I lose my spares, then and only then will I break another pin. __________________ A lack of planning on your part does not necessarily constitute an emergency on my part.