Convince Me......Universal Decapper Die

[AJ]

Military brass has crimped primers, which are hard to remove in a standard press, and should be reamed or swaged before recapping.

Have reloaded many thousand military .38 Special and even more military .45 ACP brass over the years and never really noticed a difference. Maybe it is only rifle brass that is crimped? I have noticed that some of the newer commerical brass is a bit on the hard side to deprime.

 

[TaxPhd]

If I come into a large quantity of military brass or range brass (.223/5.56), I use a Lee universal decapper to avoid breaking firing pins or bending decapping stems in my regular resize die.

I'll decap, swage the primer pocket, and trim it to length before loading.

A tool head with the Lee decapper and a Dillon power trimmer on the 650 with case feed makes two of those three operations relatively quick. Especially if I have several thousand to process.

YMMV

 

[venomballistics]

A friend and I bought a bunch of used reloading items from another friend that is getting out of reloading. In the stash was a Universal Decapping Die. I have been reloading since 1972 and have never used one. My friend uses one a lot (he rloads both rifle and pistol, I just reload handgun ammo. I tried it tonight and it seems to work fine. I am use to decaping and sizing in one step. This way adds another step in reloading to me. So why do I need to use one?

I suppose it would solve the almost non-existent problem of grinding dirt and grit between case and die.
I've warmed up to a few extra steps in the process, but I'm hard pressed to muster any kind of flame for this one either.

 

[AJ]

I suppose it would solve the almost non-existent problem of grinding dirt and grit between case and die.
I've warmed up to a few extra steps in the process, but I'm hard pressed to muster any kind of flame for this one either.

Why would I be grinding dirt and grit between the case and the die? I tumble my brass to clean and polish it after I come home from the range after each range trip.

 

[JimFr]

When one has been handloading for an EXTENDED period of time . . . in my case, since 1964 . . . .one accumulates a great bunch of tools.
A universal decapping die resides on my bench, and I find uses for it . . . .sometimes!
Just recently, I was handloading some ANCIENT "UMC 7/Mm" brass that had a flash hole that was too small for the decapping pin on my RCBS decap/sizing die . . . .
So-o-o . . .
After annealing the ancient brass, I proceeded to decap with the universal Lee die and drill out the flash hole with a #46 (.081") wire-size twist drill.
At the cost of components today, I try to be all-the-more frugal!

 

[rockquarry]

Why would I be grinding dirt and grit between the case and the die? I tumble my brass to clean and polish it after I come home from the range after each range trip.

Yes, and it only takes about ten minutes of tumbling to knock off dirt and grime, then it's ready for depriming, sizing, and belling. If you need the brass to look prettier instead of just clean, tumble it a second time and for longer after processing though the dies.

 

[AJ]

I usually tumble for about two hours. Just turn it on and go do something else. Nice bright and shiny brass.

 

[cowboy94916]

I us mine specifically to deprime military cimped primers on 06,08 and 45acp. I also use it when neck sizing for bolt or single shot bottleneck cartridges.

 

[Huskerguy]

I thought of another use as I was reloading this weekend. If I load a piece of brass, happened to be 9mm this weekend and the brass splits or something goes haywire and I need to remove the good primer, I use my single stage press and a universal decapping die. I usually toss my seconds in a pile and when time allows, I break them down and save what components I can, mainly primers. My SDB that I use for 9's was having an issue with the primer pocket getting caught on the shell plate and flips the primer over so it is inverted. I use the universal die to remove the primer and use it again. Carefully of course.

 

[Lance Boyle]

A possible scenario might be to de-cap prior to wet tumbling to get the primer pocket clean. JMHO

Nailed in one fell swoop.

They also are handy if doing a pile of military brass with crimped primers. Easy to punch them out and not having to worry about sizing issues at the same time. Then use a deburring tool or swage to claw an the crimp out and then tumble them.

 

[oO_Rogue_Oo]

I also am very fond of military / Lake City brass which means crimped primers and swaging / uniforming primer pockets. Which I choose to do before wet tumbling. I have both a Lee Universal decapper and a Mighty Armory. I prefer the Mighty Armory decapper. Wayne is a great guy and his customer service is great. Been dealing with him for at least ten years now and never been disappointed.

 

[Lance Boyle]

Years ago I purchased at Mighty Armory universal decapping die for the really hard primers. I don't even remember how many years I have had the thing but I ordered a few extra pins and just a month or so ago, I finally bent one. As stated above, I deprime all of my brass before wet tumbling. Yes, it does add another step and takes time but for me it is worth it. I could use the vibrator but hate the dust and it is toxic or just wet tumble with primers in. Whatever turns a guys crank I guess.

Holy cow. $50 for a decapping die? My el cheapo lee one was likely $12. Granted it is a Lee and has rust spots from the steel grade they use.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I've been loading calibers and guages since 1972.......I've never had the need for a UDD...........Still don't.