Starting to load for my 9mm. I bought a umc 250 round mega pack and shot 200 of them. Brought home the cases, and as I usually do, started to de-cap before tumbling. The first case broke my universal de-capping pin. Is their a better way to de-cap pistol cases? or did I just have literally a stroke of bad luck.
9mm de-capping
- Thread starter 308Loader
- Start date
g.willikers
New member
Check to see that brand of ammo isn't berdan primed.
g.willikers
New member
Just a wild guess,
But check the size of the primer flash hole in that brass.
Maybe it's too small for your decapper pin.
And also that the brass and shell holder are square to the die.
But check the size of the primer flash hole in that brass.
Maybe it's too small for your decapper pin.
And also that the brass and shell holder are square to the die.
This
"And also that the brass and shell holder are square to the die. "
I had this happen with 45 ACP. For some odd reason, it did not line up. Actually curled then pin back in a 'U' shape.
Of the thousands of 45 I have run through the Universal decapping die, this only happened once.
Also found out the hard way that Universal de-capping die has built in safe guard that is supposed to prevent a broken pin. What i know now is that you have to adjust yourself, does not come adjusted from factor.
"And also that the brass and shell holder are square to the die. "
I had this happen with 45 ACP. For some odd reason, it did not line up. Actually curled then pin back in a 'U' shape.
Of the thousands of 45 I have run through the Universal decapping die, this only happened once.
Also found out the hard way that Universal de-capping die has built in safe guard that is supposed to prevent a broken pin. What i know now is that you have to adjust yourself, does not come adjusted from factor.
What was your reason to use a universal versus the common resize/decapping die that comes in most all sets. I figure the die makers know a whole lot more than I do so I follow what they say, so why vary. Is that something that is done more in rifle reloading? Doesn't really make sense for pistol rounds.
g.willikers
New member
I did have one decapper pin bite the dust.
But it was after so many cases had been run through the press that it deserved an honorable demise.
The replacement is still going strong - so far.
Yeah, the Universal Decapping die does have a lot of wiggle room that might be adding to the problem of any mis-alignment with a relatively smaller diameter 9mm.
But it was after so many cases had been run through the press that it deserved an honorable demise.
The replacement is still going strong - so far.
Yeah, the Universal Decapping die does have a lot of wiggle room that might be adding to the problem of any mis-alignment with a relatively smaller diameter 9mm.
Jag2,
I have an XL650 with case feeder.
I keep one tool head with the Universal de-capping die only.
I like to de-cap before wet tumbling. load em in the case-feeder, dirty or not, and start cranking. ( I don't pick up range brass, this is almost always my recovered cases).
This gives me the ability to de-cap hundreds of cases in a short amount of time vs. using a single stage set to de-cap which is much slower.
I have an XL650 with case feeder.
I keep one tool head with the Universal de-capping die only.
I like to de-cap before wet tumbling. load em in the case-feeder, dirty or not, and start cranking. ( I don't pick up range brass, this is almost always my recovered cases).
This gives me the ability to de-cap hundreds of cases in a short amount of time vs. using a single stage set to de-cap which is much slower.
Gravedigger56
New member
This ^^^^^^
I have found that when I get in a hurry that's when pins bend and/or break. Usually, in my case anyway, I failed to put the case all the way into the holder so the hole didn't line up with the pin.
WVMountaineer
New member
I normally buy a couple decapping pins when I buy a die set. I had stopped doing that after never breaking any.
I just bought an RCBS short base die for the 223. I broke that decapping pin in less than 10 rounds of crimped brass. I have never broken a cheap Lee but, This is twice I have broken them in RCBS dies. So, it happens to some dies more than others it appears.
For the 9mm, I'd simply start sizing and decapping the spent primer before tumbling. No need for a universal depriming die while reloading them. God Bless
I just bought an RCBS short base die for the 223. I broke that decapping pin in less than 10 rounds of crimped brass. I have never broken a cheap Lee but, This is twice I have broken them in RCBS dies. So, it happens to some dies more than others it appears.
For the 9mm, I'd simply start sizing and decapping the spent primer before tumbling. No need for a universal depriming die while reloading them. God Bless
Machineguntony
New member
The question is why did the pin break?
There could be many reasons...
The pin wasn't straight so it missed the hole. There could have been something blocking the primer hole, like a rock or a 22 case, etc; then the pin either breaks or is deformed, and subsequently breaks later. This latter happened to me twice.
Pins are cheap.
There could be many reasons...
The pin wasn't straight so it missed the hole. There could have been something blocking the primer hole, like a rock or a 22 case, etc; then the pin either breaks or is deformed, and subsequently breaks later. This latter happened to me twice.
Pins are cheap.
serf 'rett
New member
That will do it.
This too.
Broke the pin in my new Lee Universal decapping die on the 17th piece of .223 brass. Misalignment. Ordered new pins.
Almost all of my pistol brass is decapped on the shop drill press using a piece of wood with a counterbore and through hole. Primer drops into ice cream bucket below table. Faster. Decapping "pin" is a nail with the head cut off and point rounded over. And when I encounter the Berdan case or rock, the nail is easily replaced. I'm on my third nail after over 30K cases.
Lots of good answers so far. I missed the manufacturer of the ammo in your "mega pack". 
Inexpensive foreign manufacturer or American loaded?
I have broken one pin in 30 years of reloading and it was an RCBS sizing die vs. a berdan primed 30-06 case. Dunno where it came from, it was mixed in with some once fired military brass and haven't seen another since...
Inexpensive foreign manufacturer or American loaded?I have broken one pin in 30 years of reloading and it was an RCBS sizing die vs. a berdan primed 30-06 case. Dunno where it came from, it was mixed in with some once fired military brass and haven't seen another since...