Busted My RCBS Decapping Die

Yes. I hate them.

I try to use Lee style whenever possible. They never break. And if they do, they are $2 from almost ANY reloading supplier. You can mod many dies to take the Lee system by precision drilling and tapping to 1/8" npt on a lathe. All my RCBS lube dies have the Lee decap system on them. :) If you can nick it with a file, it can readily be modified. Most Sizing dies cannot as they are case hardened then ground.
 
Last edited:
I have had one decapping pin break in 45 years of reloading. Probably was on an RCBS die as I have rarely used any other brand. I just took the pin out of an old, unused die set and replaced the broken one. Good to go again. Such pins are very cheap.
 
I got a free supply of pins from RCBS, when I called about the broken one. I only have one RCBS sizing die, so breaking pins isn't a big problem for me. Almost all my dies are Lee, and, as has been mentioned, they rarely break decapping pins.
 
I had one pin break and one shaft bend... make sure you don't try to decap berden and boxer primed 5.56 rounds. will ruin your die. but I ordered new pins from midwayusa for like 5 bucks for 5 pins and I got a new shaft at the local scheels for 8 bucks. I was up and running in 15 mins. and now I know to make sure all brass has one flash hole
 
You will never find any customer service better than that of RCBS, anywhere. When I busted the decapping pin on a .44 mag die, one quick call and they cheerfully sent me not only a 5-pack of replacement pins, but also a spare shaft (the threaded rod that threads into the die and holds the decapping pin).

Give them a call.

Mike
 
I gotta say that normally something has to go wrong to bend a decapping pin... but somehow my friend totally broke the decapping pin, and bent the shaft that the expander screws onto, in his 6.5-06 RCBS dies... in retrospect, I think he may have had the thing misadjusted so the expander was hitting the case head from the inside, and when he forced it, it bent the shaft (still hard to believe, but this was all brass that had been sized and used before in the same rifle and same dies, so I'm sure it wasn't a stubborn primer)... anyhow, I emailed RCBS for him (my friend does not have a computer, believe it or not), sent them some pictures of the decapping assembly, and they sent out a new assembly along with 6 new decapping pins (spares)... for no charge, no argument. Can't beat that! I've had and heard of similar experiences with most of the other reloading equipment mfg.

Don't sweat the breaking of a decapping pin; it has, or will happen, to all of us at some point... that's why I've got spares.
 
Just last week, I pulled the expander plug off one of their 223 X-Dies. I called to order another one and they're shipping one out free of charge! I tried to explain the shell had some media in it and I thought I broke it. They didn't want to hear it. Years ago the same thing happened with one of their standard 223 dies. Same thing, a new one. I still use that decap pin to this day to clean media out of flash holes. This bunch is great.
 
A-Mike,

I had the same experience. I broke a pin and called them and they sent me a whole bag full plus the rod. All you have to do is ask them.
 
RCBS decapping pins are just small sections of drill rod.

I purchased a 36 inch piece of the correct diameter years ago, and probably have at least 33 inches left.
You do need to cut it off with an abrasive wheel (it will ruin regular wire cutters).
This is one time a dremel comes in handy.
 
The only RCBS decapping pins I have ever broken, were..... my fault. I was doing things with the dies, they were never designed to do.

RCBS sent not one, but 2 free replacement pins no-questions-asked; each time I broke or bent one.
 
Last edited:
Nope. Never in my 30 years of reloading with my RCBS dies have I broke one. If you keep breaking them, then you are doing something wrong.
 
If you load much in the way of 5.56 using military brass, you're gonna break pins. I've seen flash holes so far off of center they're almost on the side of the primer pocket. I keep at least ten extra pins in small and large around as I do load lots of military brass. Some of the 3006 military brass isn't much better. I don't generally have issues with match brass though.
 
"RCBS decapping pins are just small sections of drill rod."

Are they heat treated?

No.
Just plain old drill rod.
It is already plenty hard in the smaller sizes from manufacture.
 
What part broke?
Click to expand...

After 19 replies with most just assuming the issue was a broken decapping pin, we still need to know WHAT PART BROKE?

No handloader should be without xtra decapping pins. You may go years without needing one. You may need a new one next time you load.

If the pin isn't the issue, then what is?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top