[tk]

This is kind of bizarre, but it's got me stumped, so if anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Just got reacquainted this past year with reloading after a 25-year hiatus. I'm using a dillon 650 and mostly doing pistol calibers along with 5.56. I get free brass at my range, and a lot of it is military crimped, so I swage it out (thanks to advice from fellow reloaders, here). The weird thing is, I'm losing my decapping pins, and I can't figure out where the [email protected]@!$$ they're going. Happened twice last night. I'm chugging along, go to seat the primer, and get a kind of "clunk." Pull the case, and the old primer is still in place. Look at the sizing die, and "voila" the decapping pin has magically disappeared. OK, it's got to be somewhere, right? I'm told that they can't be pushed up the shaft of the chuck on the decapping rod. They're not falling into the cup for the used primers, they're not stuck under the rotating shell plate. Aha, I think, must have popped out into the previous case. Dump that case, nothing but powder. Dump the case before that one, nothing but powder.

BTW, I'm using a Redding die set, and make sure that the pins are in as tight as I can get them by hand (and I've got strong hands).

tk

 

[aziator]

Wow, that is a good one. I haven't the slightest idea. Are they completely missing or is the pin broken? Does it happen with all calibers or just 5.56?

 

[gunner69]

If you try to deprime a metric case by mistake you will break the decapper each and every time. Even some of the boxer military cases can break a pin. :2cents:I switched to a Lee decapper where if there is sufficient resistance the decapper is pushed back up. You loosen the lock, tap the pin down, and retighten. I don't have that problem any more. >In 9mm my RCBS dies would snap pins at the damndest times. :duh:

 

[DSM]

Yep, maybe a case or two with small flash holes? Guatemalen surplus brass is pretty well known for this. Try wrenching that decapper down with a couple wrenches. If the stem is threaded too far down it could be putting too much stress on it too.

Redding has great CS so if it keeps it up, give 'em a call and they'll probably send you a new decapping/expander rod.

 

[tk]

It's only happened with the 5.56.
They're not broken; they're completely gone.
Since I'm using scrounged brass (I've got s couple thousand cases), it's certainly possible that I've got some bad cases. But what's happenng to the pins?
It's wigging me out: They're not in the cases. They're not in the spent primer bin. They're not in the die itself, unless, somehow, they're forcing themselves up the decapping rod (which supposedly can't happen).

Perhaps they've been magically transported through the looking glass to that magic land where "the peoples' right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" doesn't really mean that people have a right to keep and bear arms that cannot be infringed <g>.

Where's Rod Serling when you need him?

tk

 

[gunner69]

It's the tk Zone......... Only the Shadow knows for sure.... but it will cost you. :ninja:

 

[aziator]

It is very possible that you picked up a few pieces of berdan Primed brass. That would take care of the decapper. As to wear it went, Your guess is as good as mine.