Automated Depriming Prior to Wet Tumbling??

G

Gary H

New member
I only have one progressive and one single stage press. I also have a hand depriming tool. I don't want to use the progressive for depriming of 9mm and 45acp prior to case cleaning. Is there a more automated approach to depriming 1000 cases, or is the single stage press, or hand depriming tool the only affordable option? Of course, affordable is a relative measure.

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I never found depriming using a Universal Decapping Die in a single stage press particularly time consuming.

Don
 
The lee APP press. get the Unicersal case feed and collator. The whole thing was around $120 shipped. Its a touch fiddly to set up. but I can deprime 1000pcs of 223 in about 1-2hrs. 9mm is a touch faster.
 
Manu-matic

I can deprime 1000 in 2 hours using Frankfort Arsenal hand deprimer. If dirty brass wear latex gloves or wash GSR off before handling. Maybe longer if I change channels.
 
I only have single stage presses, one is dedicated for depriming and swaging, it takes some time (retired), but it moves along quickly once you find a comfy speed.
 
I deprime with a Lee cast iron press using a universal depriming die. I changed the handle to a short one 4" long as you don't need leverage to deprime most cases. This makes the action of the press very fast = making depriming of cases very fast. I added a tube to my bench that is close to shell holder height allowing me to drop deprimed case down tube into my wet tumbling barrel sitting on floor. I do a thousand at a time, before left arm gets tired loading and unloading cases in and out of press.

BUT I am a firm believer of wet tumbling and depriming of all cases prior to the SS Pin processing. All commenters of my brass tell me how new my clean brass looks.

YMMV.
 
I put a 40 S&W sizing die in my progressive to decap 9mm before wet tumbling. It seems to center on the brass better than my universal decapping die. With the case feeder I can decap as fast as I can crank.
 
Single stage press and a Lee de capping die is all you need. Around 3-4 seconds per case max. I quit de priming with my 550's as all the crud/dirt from fired brass would gum/sludge up my primer bar to machine contact.

Bill
 
I’ve always deprimed in my Lyman Orange Crusher with a Lee universal decapping die. The trick to speed this process up is to just short stroke the ram. But lately I’ve been using my Loadmaster with a sizing/decapping die for 9mm only and it really speeds up the process using the four tube case feeder.
 
mgulino said:
My vote goes for a universal decapping die in a single stage press. Very quick and mostly foolproof.
Click to expand...
I would like to add that technique can make a significant difference in the time it takes to deprime using a single stage press and a universal decapping die. Having been a punch-press operator in my misspent youth, I leaned to employ techniques to make the process faster. For instance, after depriming the first case, leave it in the shell holder as you pick up another case to be deprimed. Holding the spent case in the palm of your hand with your little finger, use the thumb and index finger to take the deprimed case from the shell holder and slip the case with the spent primer into the shell holder in its place. That, opposed to removing the deprimed case, putting it into a bin and then picking up another case to be deprimed...which takes longer.
 
I have found that cleaning the primer pocket prior to wet tumbling is better (aka cleaner pockets) for me in that some of the pockets just don't come clean with just wet tumbling. Seems to be a hit or miss thing, the majority are clean enough, but those that didn't get clean in the wet tumble, after drying, the remaining crud is even more difficult to remove. Fresh primer residue comes out pretty easy with a cleaning tool. JMO
 
Lee APP
Automatic Processing Press
This is not a loading press but a case processing press .
As fast as you can operate the lever : Deprime , bulge bust , size cast bullets , primer pocket swage & size cases .

The fastest and easiest way to prepare cases and size cast bullets .

www.leeprecision.com

This could be just the thing you're looking for .
Gary
 
I love my lee app once you figure it out and get it dialed in. Ran through and de-primes 1000 9mm casings in about 45-50min the other day.

On a side note, you can load on it. Unhook the spring and take off the feeder claw. Insert a regular shellplate. Your good to go. Wont do longer cases, I would say just handgun is probably best, maybe some smaller rifle stuff. Its not ideal, but if it will work.
 
Shadow9mm said:
The lee APP press. get the Unicersal case feed and collator. The whole thing was around $120 shipped. Its a touch fiddly to set up. but I can deprime 1000pcs of 223 in about 1-2hrs. 9mm is a touch faster.
Click to expand...
Yep. Really nice and fast.

I got one a few months ago. Best thing there is for quickly decapping. Put mine on a block to pop in the vise. I got the bulge buster for it too, but have not use that yet.
 
Got mine mounted to a block of wood. Using wood working clamps to stick it to the kitchen table. Casings drop into a 5gal bucket real nice.
 
Let's jump tracks a sec:

Why are you depriming before cleaning?

If it's just an "well, i'm kinda ocd and that's my thing," then cool, but fyi, even world champion shooters, like Jerry Miceluk and Max Michel don't deprime before cleaning pistol cases (except prs/benchrest/biancci cup ype reloading).

I'm not knocking you, I'm just looking for your motivation, which will tell me a bit more about what to recommend....


Watch the first 2 minutes of this video... start 2:24 It's a quick example of the Lee app (about $130-150) depriming cases. It's QUICK and pretty easy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvDhBlVoM9U
 
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