Finally, got the chance to spend some quality time with my Lee Turret Press and do some 9mm reloading this evening. Reloading for me is an intentionally relaxing activity, so anything that seeks to mar that experience is unwelcome. My components for the evening were regular range pick-up brass (multiple headstamp), 147gr BBI flatnose conical lead, CCI SPP and Accurate #2.

About 5-10 cycles into my evening I noticed a recurring problem. During the sizing/decapping station, about 1 in 5 spent primers would stick to the decapping pin and not drop off but be pulled back against the primer opening in the case and remain there. When I would lower the case onto the priming ram with a new primer, I could feel it stop prematurely as the new primer partially reseated the old primer. Raising the case, the new primer would remain in the priming ram while I had to return the turret to the previous station to resize and decap again.

Has anyone else experienced sticky spent primers using the Lee dies and if so, how did you solve the issue?

I didn't have a lot of time so I only reloaded about 100 rounds but averaged probably 1 in 5 sticky primers. Not fun, as it messed with my rhythm!

thanks.

Take the decapping pin out of the die and clean and polish the end of it. Another option is when you can't hear the primer drop out, pull the handle up a bit and then down again and the primer will drop off.

Bkreutz is spot-on. I had the same issue with one set of RCBS dies. The de-capping pin was smooth on the end, but wasn't truly hemispherical. It had a radius, but a sharp edge where the end transitioned to the side of the pin. I polished the end to remove that sharp edge and left a nice hemisphere on the end. Problem gone! The problem only occurred with certain primers having angles on their anvils that stuck on the pin's edge.

^^^^ What they said. The pin needs to be dulled or something.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Agree with all of the above replies, polish or stone a hemispherical end on the tip of the decapping pin. I fought with this problem for about 6 months with Dillon, RCBS, and Lee die sets in various calibers and once I found the solution I radiused all of my decapping pins. Have not had more than 2 "stuck" primers in the probably 10K rounds I've sized and decapped since.

I've not had this issue with my Lee turret, but am filing this thread in my "what to do when..." file. Thanks!!

My cure was to back out the decapping stem a smidge. Less protrusion meant less for the primer to hang on to. It worked for me.

Never had this problem with the Lee Turret and Lee dies. I've done a lot of 9mm and .45ACP.

None of my sizing and decapping dies have done this, but my universal decapping die will from time to time. Only problem is the stem it's so tight I can't get the collar off to get the pin out...

I took a look at the Lee decapping pin today. There is no radius on it; just a flat end with a sharp edge. I cleaned it but didn't have an opportunity to polish and relieve the edge. I hope to do so soon. Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement.

I don't think that it's just Lee dies, I've had the same issue with RCBS, Hornaday, Lee, and my universal decapper. Mine have only been happening with 9mm, on my single stage and on my progressive. I am wondering if the primer pocket might be over sized, my calipers don't indicate out of spec, and I find that it is mostly Federal brass.

I had the same problem with my RCBS progressive,
the primer would stick to the pin and get drawn about half way
back up into the primer pocket.
Federal brass was the most trouble.

Never had that problem, but you might look at your brass. If any of it is military, it will have a crimped in primer. That may cause enough resistance to pierce the old primer in the decapping step.

By the way, if that's the problem, you will need to ream the primer pocket to remove the crimp before you re-prime.