Why would I only be breaking my rcbs decapping pins? I have the carbide 3 die set for 9x19, and their steel AR series 223 dies and I've broken one of each, but haven't broken a single hornady decapping pin and I have theirs in 6.5 creedmoor(both FL and neck sizer) 40 and 45 colt, all with many many reloads on them.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Only breaking rcbs decapping pins
- Thread starter nhyrum
- Start date
firewrench044
New member
I keep several of each size and stile on hand
RCBS makes good dies but nothing is perfect
Call RCBS and they will send you some new pins
usually FREE
RCBS makes good dies but nothing is perfect
Call RCBS and they will send you some new pins
usually FREE
Marco Califo
New member
+1There is a lot to be said for having a Lee Universal decap die
I like to deprime as a separate step, then clean in hot dish soapy water before handling the brass. The Lee universal decapping die does not touch the brass. My sizing dies remain clean. The deprimed brass drains better.
Marco Califo
New member
I use a Lee hand press, as well as a turret, and O frame. The hand press gets the most use by far. Using a hand press does not cause the pins to break.
If your empties had a military primer crimp, that could make the primers harder to remove. The solution in that case is also the Lee decapper.
I don't know what kind of brass you are using, but a lot of foreign military ammo is Berdan primed, and will NOT deprime the same way as boxer primed brass (the pin will break if you try one by mistake); almost all ammo uses boxer primers. You need to shine a light into the bottom inside of the case (with the primer in it still). A center hole indicates boxer primed, and you are good. But if you see two or more tiny holes off-center, then they are Berdan primed. If so you should toss them. It is not worth the effort to support two priming systems, especially when one messes up your equipment.
From Sierra manual: "The 7.7x58mm nearly duplicates the 303 British in performance. . . . However, it can be reloaded with very good results, and boxer-style cases are still available from Norma. Reloading dies are available from most major manufacturers, leaving no reason why a Type 99 in good condition cannot be put back into service."
If your empties had a military primer crimp, that could make the primers harder to remove. The solution in that case is also the Lee decapper.
I don't know what kind of brass you are using, but a lot of foreign military ammo is Berdan primed, and will NOT deprime the same way as boxer primed brass (the pin will break if you try one by mistake); almost all ammo uses boxer primers. You need to shine a light into the bottom inside of the case (with the primer in it still). A center hole indicates boxer primed, and you are good. But if you see two or more tiny holes off-center, then they are Berdan primed. If so you should toss them. It is not worth the effort to support two priming systems, especially when one messes up your equipment.
From Sierra manual: "The 7.7x58mm nearly duplicates the 303 British in performance. . . . However, it can be reloaded with very good results, and boxer-style cases are still available from Norma. Reloading dies are available from most major manufacturers, leaving no reason why a Type 99 in good condition cannot be put back into service."
Last edited:
I keep several of each size and stile on hand
RCBS makes good dies but nothing is perfect
Call RCBS and they will send you some new pins
usually FREE
Yep, emailed them over the holiday and one is on the way. Just curious why they'd break, and not my hornady ones. I always follow the manual that comes in the die box too.
Lee classic cast turret press with the auto indexing disabled.What make and model of press are you using?
What really made me post this is the pin that broke most recent was my 223 AR series small base. It looks like the pin is not a separate unitI keep several of each size and stile on hand
RCBS makes good dies but nothing is perfect
Call RCBS and they will send you some new pins
usually FREE
FrankenMauser
New member
I'd say that's due, in no small part, to the fact that your RCBS dies are handling military cartridges known for crimped primers, sealed primers, the occasional berdan-primed case, and cheap/import cases with flash holes that are undersized. In contrast, your other dies will rarely encounter the same complications.Why would I only be breaking my rcbs decapping pins? I have the carbide 3 die set for 9x19, and their steel AR series 223 dies and I've broken one of each, but haven't broken a single hornady decapping pin and I have theirs in 6.5 creedmoor(both FL and neck sizer) 40 and 45 colt, all with many many reloads on them.
There's also the possibility that you're adjusting them incorrectly...
Just curious why they'd break, and not my hornady ones
Without looking at the dies themselves and seeing what, if any flexibility there is in the different brands decapping stems, the only likely possibility I see is the cases used. IF the pin is loose in its holder, it can get mis-aligned and break. Maybe your RCBS needs to be checked for tightness, more than the Hornady??
What cases are you using in .223 and 9mm? If military, (and not Berdan primed) there is the possibility of off center flash holes.
While they do happen in commercial cases, its more rare than with milsurp brass. 6.5mm Creedmore, .40, and .45 Colt are all commercial brass. That might be why...
I do think it may be crimped primers.I'd say that's due, in no small part, to the fact that your RCBS dies are handling military cartridges known for crimped primers, sealed primers, the occasional berdan-primed case, and cheap/import cases with flash holes that are undersized. In contrast, your other dies will rarely encounter the same complications.
There's also the possibility that you're adjusting them incorrectly...
The threaded stem for my 9mm die is bent... Looks like its time to call customer service! I hate having two things in the mail from them, I feel moochy, but I'm glad they don't hesitate to fix stuff
So you are breaking the pins in the die. Yea it is common although you can reduce the problem.
1. When you get cases make sure you burr the inside of the case flash hole with one of the common burring tools available.
2. When setting up your die to punch out the primer. Make sure the pin is through the flash hole before you lock the pin in place.
3. When you are punching out the primers do it with finesse. Go easy and use your finger tips so you can feel what's going on.
Don't grab the press handle and drive it through with a heavy punch.
I think you will reduce broken pins.
Good luck
1. When you get cases make sure you burr the inside of the case flash hole with one of the common burring tools available.
2. When setting up your die to punch out the primer. Make sure the pin is through the flash hole before you lock the pin in place.
3. When you are punching out the primers do it with finesse. Go easy and use your finger tips so you can feel what's going on.
Don't grab the press handle and drive it through with a heavy punch.
I think you will reduce broken pins.
Good luck
I too had problems with RCBS pins breaking when loading pistol cartridges. It's even worse on a progressive press because the pins seem to loosen. Granted RCBS always sent me new pins but it got to the point of why am I using RCBS?
So, I finally switched to Dillon sizing dies and got rid of the problem.
So, I finally switched to Dillon sizing dies and got rid of the problem.
Nhyrum,
Assuming you haven't run into Berdan cases, I think your issue is probably the military cases, as described above. A lot of them, as well as Fiocchi cases, have drilled flash holes, and for some reason they do not use a moving drill guide with a nipple that moves up into the primer pocket (what I would do), so the drill tips extend into the pocket and tend to walk, resulting in off-center flash holes. I've long noticed this in Lake City brass with an occasional one pretty far off. In the Fiocchi's I've seen a few that were almost adjacent to the side of the primer pocket, and your decapping pin would wind up running into those same as the solid center of a Berdan primed case.
You can look into the cases with a bore light and the off-center holes are pretty apparent, so a pre-decapping inspection should let you segregate the ones with significant offset. If you use a deburring tool on the inside of your flash holes, most of the time those put enough of a chamfer on the hole that they will guide a decapping pin into place when the offset isn't too great. One way to decap offset flash holes is with a inexpensive Lee Loader decapping rod and a hammer. These probably give you the most lateral wiggle room to find the flash hole, though I have to say I have a Lee Universal Decapper semi-permanently mounted in an old Challenger press on a portable plastic stand that has only once had trouble stopping against an off-center hole. If you want to use the Lee Loader rod and don't have a Lee Loader's shell base, just use a of 2×4 or, better a piece of hardwood block as a base. Dill a shallow hole wide enough to capture the base of a case, drill a deeper quarter inch hole in the middle for pin clearance and spent primers. Put a metal washer in the bottom of the hole to better support the case as you hammer the spent primers out.
Once you've decapped all these, cut or swaged the crimp away and deburred them, your standard dies should work OK from then on, though I would dispose of any where the flash hole is grossly off-center. Up to about half a flash hole diameter off-center should be OK.
In addition to the above, I'll add that I've broken a few decapping pins in RCBS, Redding and Lyman dies over the years. Almost always it turns out the pin chuck has loosened. Use the removable blue Loctite 242 on the pin chuck threads and they will last a lot longer.
Assuming you haven't run into Berdan cases, I think your issue is probably the military cases, as described above. A lot of them, as well as Fiocchi cases, have drilled flash holes, and for some reason they do not use a moving drill guide with a nipple that moves up into the primer pocket (what I would do), so the drill tips extend into the pocket and tend to walk, resulting in off-center flash holes. I've long noticed this in Lake City brass with an occasional one pretty far off. In the Fiocchi's I've seen a few that were almost adjacent to the side of the primer pocket, and your decapping pin would wind up running into those same as the solid center of a Berdan primed case.
You can look into the cases with a bore light and the off-center holes are pretty apparent, so a pre-decapping inspection should let you segregate the ones with significant offset. If you use a deburring tool on the inside of your flash holes, most of the time those put enough of a chamfer on the hole that they will guide a decapping pin into place when the offset isn't too great. One way to decap offset flash holes is with a inexpensive Lee Loader decapping rod and a hammer. These probably give you the most lateral wiggle room to find the flash hole, though I have to say I have a Lee Universal Decapper semi-permanently mounted in an old Challenger press on a portable plastic stand that has only once had trouble stopping against an off-center hole. If you want to use the Lee Loader rod and don't have a Lee Loader's shell base, just use a of 2×4 or, better a piece of hardwood block as a base. Dill a shallow hole wide enough to capture the base of a case, drill a deeper quarter inch hole in the middle for pin clearance and spent primers. Put a metal washer in the bottom of the hole to better support the case as you hammer the spent primers out.
Once you've decapped all these, cut or swaged the crimp away and deburred them, your standard dies should work OK from then on, though I would dispose of any where the flash hole is grossly off-center. Up to about half a flash hole diameter off-center should be OK.
In addition to the above, I'll add that I've broken a few decapping pins in RCBS, Redding and Lyman dies over the years. Almost always it turns out the pin chuck has loosened. Use the removable blue Loctite 242 on the pin chuck threads and they will last a lot longer.