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Posted: 3/26/2010 8:18:01 PM EDT
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ok just finished setting up my new press and threw a handful of cases in to re size and decapp, first 3 like worked like butter then the 4th case felt like the decapping rod was hitting something, i took out the case and inspected, and i couldnt tell any difference between it and the previous cases. so i did a dumb thing and went ahead and tried to size it and that bent the decapping rod. i am new to reloading military surplus ammo so i thought maybe it was the crimped primer but after reading about crimped primers i dont think that was it. so i am not sure what happened to cause this
 i could use a little wisdom please |
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I just happen to have a bunch of that brass in my range pick up bucket. Compared to LC and Speer brass that I also have, the flash hole on the ik brass is about a quarter of the size. That's the problem right there, the decapping pin is too large to fit through the flash hole on the ik brass.
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it says ik 03 5.56x45 Quoted:
What is the head stamp on the brass that caused the bent decapping rod? I'm wondering if it is berdan primed? |
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can it be reloaded or is it junk Quoted: I just happen to have a bunch of that brass in my range pick up bucket. Compared to LC and Speer brass that I also have, the flash hole on the ik brass is about a quarter of the size. That's the problem right there, the decapping pin is too large to fit through the flash hole on the ik brass. Quoted: it says ik 03 5.56x45 Quoted: What is the head stamp on the brass that caused the bent decapping rod? I'm wondering if it is berdan primed? |
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Just read over on another forum that the decapping pin on the Lee Universal Depriming and Decapping die is small enough. Then, if you use a flash hole reamer/unifier this brass should be good to go.
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can it be reloaded or is it junk Quoted:
I just happen to have a bunch of that brass in my range pick up bucket. Compared to LC and Speer brass that I also have, the flash hole on the ik brass is about a quarter of the size. That's the problem right there, the decapping pin is too large to fit through the flash hole on the ik brass. Quoted:
it says ik 03 5.56x45 Quoted:
What is the head stamp on the brass that caused the bent decapping rod? I'm wondering if it is berdan primed? |
Don't despair. Not many reloaders have escaped what you did. Often times the stem in the die gets loose or the pin retainer gets loose, the pin drifts away from the hole off center and kaboom. I have wrecked at least three in two years. In one, the entire stem assumed an S shape. I just call up the friendly folks in Oroville, express lamentations and sorrow, and they ship out a new one. 
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thanks guys, i am going to bed, cant believe that i fucked up a brand new sizer die on the 4th piece of brass it saw  Get over it; it happens to everyone. You'll recover. That's one reason that I decap almost everything with my Lee Universal Decapping die. |
| For your bent pin; call the manufacturer and ask if they will send you a new one. I have had Lee stuff break and they are really good about replacement...no questions asked...except for your address to send the new item. I have not broken RCBS products, but from what I hear they are also good about sending out replacements. |
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For removing military crimped primers I have started using the Lee decapper and base. Its a manual operation, you insert the decapping rod into the case until you feel it drop into the primer, set the case on the base and whack it with a hammer. This way you are sure the decapping pin has actually dropped into the flash hole. Even using this system I have bent/broken decapping pins. It just comes with the territory. I don't like the press mounted arrangements because you can't feel whats going on very well. Might be worth giving the Lee system a try.
After the initial decap the normal die mounted decap works just fine. |
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thanks for the help guys, i feel better after sleeping,i think ii will order the lee die and get a replacement for the dillon that way i have two  The Lee die will be the best money you ever spent. I haven't used a sizing/decapping die for decapping in ages. The Lee is significantly more robust and doesn't bend. I do recommend taking the end and grinding a more slanted profile on it so that it will enter cases more easily and not hang on the mouth of the case. The .223 case is barely large enough for it to enter freely and if the case is off-center at all it will dent the case mouth instead of going in. If you grind it to a point then it will just slide right in. I take the decapping rod out of my sizing die and put it in the second position in my reloading press. Most of the time I don't worry about expanding the neck back out because a boattail bullet will take care of expanding it out just fine without causing excess pressure on the point of the bullet. If your loading flat bottom bullets or you are worried that the tight neck is causing too much tension; then just use back the decapping rod back up inside the sizing die so it doesn't hit the subplate when it's in the 2nd position. Sarg |
| I put all my IK brass in the scrap bucket, personally, because of their undersized flash holes. I didn't break a pin, mine simply got stuck in the hole and got pulled out of the decapper assembly. But I have been advised that if you put a little Imperial sizing wax on the pin it'll swage the hole out and the pin won't stick... Too much work for me, I like my brass processing to be quick and easy, but something for you to try. |
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Use a Lee decapping die and lube the decapping pin every 2 or 3 cases. I use Imperial sizing wax.
The decapper will swage the flashole larger, the lube keeps the pin from being pulled out of the die. Next time you size/deprime cases processed this way, any sizing die will decapp just fine. |
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Quoted:
Use a Lee decapping die and lube the decapping pin every 2 or 3 cases. I use Imperial sizing wax. The decapper will swage the flashole larger, the lube keeps the pin from being pulled out of the die. Next time you size/deprime cases processed this way, any sizing die will decapp just fine. Or you can order up extra de-capper pins for just in case. I break a couple every year because I tighten the pin into die so tight it can't move. Then again, If it hits solid on bottom of case I stop and eyeball inside. Berdan primed brass is for Communists ! Ok, end of rant. |
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Quoted:
I put all my IK brass in the scrap bucket, personally, because of their undersized flash holes. I didn't break a pin, mine simply got stuck in the hole and got pulled out of the decapper assembly. But I have been advised that if you put a little Imperial sizing wax on the pin it'll swage the hole out and the pin won't stick... Too much work for me, I like my brass processing to be quick and easy, but something for you to try. THIS................I just got done doing a couple k and there were 20 of that headstamp mixed in. Unless you open up the flash hole even if you deprime and reload it, the same thing will happen next time. The cases pulled my pin on every round and not only is it small, but it seems off-center too. |
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