What's everyone using to de cap brass without sizing for annealing ?

Hey team,
I will be soon able to anneal my own brass and I'm just wondering what people are using for decapping without sizing so the brass can be annealed before it's sized.
From what I can see there are 2 options
1.) Universal decapping die
These are cheap (around $30) but are there any cons ?
Do I need to remove the de capping pin from my sizing die if I go this way ? I currently use RCBS full length sizing and decapping die.

2.) stand alone decapping device like frankford arsenal universal depriming tool.
Not so cheap (around $130) and cant find any in stock in NZ not sure if there are other brands.

Aside from not having to change dies to decap brass is there anything I'm missing ?
Are the universal de capping dies just as effective ?

Thanks for your time :thumbsup:

For boxer primers I just use a universal decap die & for Berdan primers I either use hydraulic, pick & pry or convert shells to boxer.

Attachment 126690

Lee press and lee decapping die. also, a set of lee shellholders is handy. saves having to pillage the one you keep with your set of dies.

Why don't you just set your decapping pin down lower to pop 'em out before the die sizes?? Most decap pins are long enough to do this.

I've never annealed but was planning on giving it a go prior to the next big round of sizing etc. Is it necessary to remove old primers prior to annealing?

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Originally Posted by Mathias

Why don't you just set your decapping pin down lower to pop 'em out before the die sizes?? Most decap pins are long enough to do this.

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The only problem I see with this is that I would then have to either remove the pin or reset it when I have to size the brass post annealing.

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Originally Posted by Dama dama

I've never annealed but was planning on giving it a go prior to the next big round of sizing etc. Is it necessary to remove old primers prior to annealing?

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It is Highly recommended for hot salt bath annealing which is what I'm doing, couldn't say about blow torch method

I used to just lower my decapping sharft lower so it doesn't size the case but pushes out the primer.
But I had to do alot of crimped primers so I brought a Lee universal decapping die either way will work.

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by 25 /08 IMP

I used to just lower my decapping sharft lower so it doesn't size the case but pushes out the primer.
But I had to do alot of crimped primers so I brought a Lee universal decapping die either way will work.

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

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Once it's been annealed do you remove the pin for full length sizing or just set it back ?

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Originally Posted by dannyb

The only problem I see with this is that I would then have to either remove the pin or reset it when I have to size the brass post annealing.

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Yep, not that hard to do ;)

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Originally Posted by dannyb

Once it's been annealed do you remove the pin for full length sizing or just set it back ?

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Anyone ???

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Originally Posted by dannyb

Anyone ???

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The pin's just going to poke through the primer hole if the case is already de-primed. Though, if you don't set it back then the expander ball might hit the bottom of the case before you can raise the case up enough to size it.

Roger, I just thought I had heard of people removing the pin altogether. That makes sense with the expander ball though.
Cheers

To the first question, I use an RCBS universal decapping die which works awesome. I have a little bag of spare pins as well for when one breaks. Bear in mind if you are using brass with a reduced flashhole (e.g 1.5mm for Lapua) you will need to reduce the pin diameter for the RCBS die. I just spun them in sandpaper to achieve this purpose!

Next question, yes I would remove primers prior to annealing but more from the perspective of cleaning. I clean immediately after decapping and prior to annealing... so I remove the primers so that my primer pockets are also clean. I guess there is also a slight risk of any unburnt primer composition burning but I reckon having any residue is highly unlikely.

To your last question, yes just remove the pin out of the decapping stem and then refit the expander ball to it. Also because you don’t need the depth of the pin punching out the primer you can also raise the expander ball. I raised mine expander ball as much as possible so that the case is still partially supported as the expander ball draws back out the mouth (hopefully to reduce run out). Obviously if you raise too high the ball with try to expand the neck whilst it’s still compressed in the die and your case will get stuck...

I used to deprime everything with a universal die, tumble it then clean primer pockets, trim, chamfer etc.. for multiple cals all in one go. Didn't need pins in the sizing dies so I removed some of them. That meant if I made a cock up while loading, I could pull bullets, dump powder, and resize necks, without depriming live primers and re-priming the cases again.

But now I'm shooting less and making less cock ups, so I've left pins in.

Just use a Lee decapping rod and tap them out with a hammer. Easy as. I have a couple of spares if you want one.

I just got a lee decapping die off the forum not long ago. Super fast and easy.

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Originally Posted by dannyb

Once it's been annealed do you remove the pin for full length sizing or just set it back ?

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I just run it back through the complete die as the Lee decapper does not size it at all.
it would be better if you had a bushing die and I would run it without the decapper

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

I put a decapper rod in a drill press and a shellholder in the vice to do a bunch of .223s for my ar15
Sniff

Bluntened 3-4" nail and a 3/4 nut.tap tap and its done.

Here's my three.

RCBS decapping die for large rifle primers.
Modified 22 cal Hornady Neck Sizing die (POS). Decapping pin ground down for my 6.5x47 and Palma 308 brass.
Third one is a Ramset nail ground down which I used to use for decapping milsurp 30-06 with live primers.

I do my FLSing after annealing.

Attachment 126707

Greetings Dannyb,
Recently I started doing most of my decapping with Lee punch and base sets. The reason was to keep all the grit from the spent primers from getting on the press ram. I have .222, .308 and .303 bases which does most cases that I have. The punch and base sets are available in separately in .223 and .308 for less than $20 bucks each. I use a home made punch for any thing smaller than .30 cal. I would definitely decap before annealing, a personal choice, and you do not need to remove the decapping pin before sizing.
Regards Grandpamac.

Harvey depriming tool is great and another option to consider.

Just spend $30.00 on a lee decaping die. Easy as saves messing with your other dies

Yep I use the Lee universal decapping die, it works super well from 223 to 28 Nosler

Pin Punch

Only really used it on Black Powder Cartridges,but guess it would work on modern stuff too.

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Originally Posted by stagstalker

I just got a lee decapping die off the forum not long ago. Super fast and easy.

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+1 lee decapping die

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Originally Posted by Moutere

Harvey depriming tool is great and another option to consider.

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Where can they be bought ? Trying not to source bits ftom overseas at the moment. ....I already have enough frustration in my life

I started with a Lee Universal decapping die. However I have bent the decapping rod pin and had to buy another rod.

But also recently in the past year started using the Frankford Arsenal handheld universal decapping tool and it works pretty good. Primers get collected in a little plastic cup on the end of it and every 30 primers or so you take it off and dump the contents in the trash.

Lee universal decapping die

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Originally Posted by 57jl

Lee universal decapping die

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+1 saves any shagging around

I always aneal my cases before sizing them. That way you get full benefit of the anealling process in both sizing and seating operations as you reload.

Not sure why you want to knock the primers out first but have not read every post here?

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Originally Posted by Dicko

I always aneal my cases before sizing them. That way you get full benefit of the anealling process in both sizing and seating operations as you reload.

Not sure why you want to knock the primers out first but have not read every post here?

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because I will be using a hot salt bath annealing process and it is highly recommended so the hot air can vent out as you put the cases neck first into molten salt mixture at about 500c

Mate had an old guy in the rifle club ask him if he would anneal his cases for him.
Mate said yeah yeah bring them around just make sure they are all deprimed though.
Half way thru the annealing, kerbang! Mate was NOT impressed.

Danny, thanks for the detail, makes sense now.

I have recently got a frankford hand deprimer, lives in my range bag to give me something to do in my down time at the range. At home I prefer a decapping die.