.308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

[gabriellapua]

I have a bunch of .308 military brass that i am going to reload for a friend. should i worry about breaking the decaping pin on my rcbs FL sizing die? that or worse. Its been almost ten years since ive reloaded military brass for a .308 and if i remeber i broke a few pins doing so. any how i would like to hear your thoughts. thanks you-gabe.

 

[ChadTRG42]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

A standard FL die should knock out the old primer fine. You'll get a little resistance when the decapping pin makes contact with the primer, but it should push it on out without issue. Just chamfer the primer pocket before you prime, and you should be good.

 

[groovebus]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

I don't mess with crimped primers on any Caliber. I broke 3 pins on .223s and one on .308s. If I see those three little tabs around the primer, they go into the recycle box of messed up brass.

 

[mtrmn]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

Get the Lee decapper because yes, you will break decapping pins on crimped brass if you do much volume. Speaking from experience of multiple incidents.

 

[jagged77]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

The Lee decapper is an inexpensive way to do it, not sure I'd risk breaking a FL die decapping pin. I've used the RCBS swaging tool to uniform the primer pockets after, seems to work well.

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

All I load is military brass (US), the only one I've broke was because I had corn cob media in the shell wrapped in a spider web (range pick-up). Bent the stem and the pin on my new Redding FL. Unless the primer has corroded in from being on the range too long there shouldn't be any problem. I've used Lee RCBS and Redding dies. If your woried get a pack of decapping pins for a couple of bucks. Three and some change for 5 at Midway. Universal deprime is another way to go but adds a step.

Groove, I haven't used any of the punched foreign. From the sound of it, it may not be worth it. Thanks for the heads up since I have a few hundred .308.

 

[scotharr]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

I use a Lee decapper tighten it so the decapping pin will slide up rather than break under extreme pressure. Almost all crimped primers can be successfully removed,but every once in a while you get one that will break your pin if you aren't careful.

 

[Clark]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

The Lee decapping die is much better than the RCBS decapping die.
Different brass have different flash hole diameters. Use the right decaping pin diameter for the job.
The pin should hit the hole. The decapping pin hitting the case web will make problems.
You can buy just the decapping stem from Lee and put it in a bullet puller collet die.

The Dillion crimp remover is much better than the RCBS crimp remover.

See the 4" long black thing at the top of the pic?
That is made for hitting with a hammer to de cap a case.

Here is the replacement part from Lee. They want $2.50 + shipping, and shipping from Lee is always cheap, because they use the US mail.

This is a bullet puller collet.

This is a bullet puller die.

You put the bullet pullet collet in the bullet puller die.
You put the bullet puller die in the press.
You put the decapping pin in the bullet puller collet.

Voila, you have a better decapping set up than even a Lee decapping die.
It is better, because it is more concentric, and more likely to hit the hole, not the case web.
It is better, because it does not require tools to set up.
It is better because it is built beefier and is stronger.

Trouble? pin too tight?
Spin the decapper in a lathe or drill while pinching the pin with fine sandpaper until the pin will fit through the flash holes.

 

[Queequeg]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

Clark,

I couldn't help noticing how helpful that was!

 

[Kentucky Jelly]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

I just de-primed 1,500 .308 LC cases from various years. None of them are as hard to de-prime as FC 10 I have. Using a RCBS de-capping die, and have not broken it yet.

 

[former naval person]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

Clark...Nifty idea! Gabriel...shine a light into those case mouths if any are not US made. One big hole...good. Two little holes...BAD!

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

Bullet puller and hand decapper cool idea instead of a universal die.

 

[lsm62]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

ok, i just got done popping out a bunch of primers, reamed out the primer pocket and still had a hard time getting the new primers in. they went in but with a lot more force then i would have liked to use. i measured the hole with my calipers and it looked like they should go no problem, width was good, depth was fine, what am i doing wrong?

 

[former naval person]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

How did you "ream out" the pocket? If you just chamfered the mouth of the pocket you still could have a slight constriction just inside. When they crimp the pocket in around the primer the whole entry is constricted for a little depth, not just the rim. A swage, either RCBS or Dillon (which is faster) will do a better job of straightening out the sides of the pocket. FWIW the crimping operation also work hardens the area around the pocket. Believe it or not, one of the considerations given to the markings that identify the case has to do with how much lettering and how deep in order to control the case head hardness. Too hard and brittle the rim can snap off on extraction, too soft and the rim deforms too much. The seating process for the primer involves not only the size but the hardness of the two items...the case head and the primer shell. If you don't have too many to swage, the RCBS is fine. If several thousand over many years, get the Dillon. If you want to cut the sides and mouth to spec, Wilson makes a pocket reamer that will do so beautifully. JMHO

 

[showlow50]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

+ 1 for the dillon but in a pinch you can take the RCBS camfer tool and chuck it in a drill, alot easer on the hand.

 

[500grains]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

Very nice solution. But I already broke the Lee decapper after 10 rounds.

 

[former naval person]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

Go slow. Ease it in. JMHO

 

[turbo54]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

Recently, I picked up 1000 pcs of late 60s and early 70s vintage miliary 7.62. Mostly IVI 69 and IVI 70 headstamp.

I got about 30 pcs into the full length sizing and bent the stem of my RCBS sizer. A quick call to RCBS and admitting I was an idiot, and a free replacement (and a 10-pack of decapping pins) was in the mail. They did ask me if I was sizing military brass and I said I was, then I asked if that was ok. They said "absolutely...it's just a little easier to bend the stem".

When it arrived in the mail (promptly), I ran through the rest of the 950+ pieces in an evening with no issue other than my arm being tired. That IVI brass is TOUGH! On a sidenote, making your own sizing lube with liquid lanolin and 99% isopropyl alcohol works great - and IVI brass is a great test!

Then I used the RCBS military crimp swager, which did a very nice job, although having to use your press, and align the case with the rod inside the die makes it a little more tedious than would be ideal.

 

[aquinas]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

And the best way is....

Get a wilson punch and base. Press run dies are way too slow.
You can fly with a punch and base and i've never broken mine...don't know if I could.

As an added bonus, decap as your first step and then toss in the vibrator/tumbler. Cleans the primer pocket, too.

 

[dammitall]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

Several ways mentioned here and they all work.

I use the Lee Universal mentioned and never had a problem. I lower it and then push, not just framming it through there. It makes a nice "ping" sound. It stopped the broken pins from different sized flash holes. Pins don't come up missing either, being stuck in a tight flash hole. An extra Lee pin was for insurance; it's not been needed yet. One Berdan primed case and you're done if you're just framming them through.

I started swaging with the RCBS set which works but I was faced with about 10K in LC 5.56 brass. The RCBS was too slow to suit me. I moved to the Dillon and use the RCBS shoe as a primer pocket gauge to adjust the Dillon. The chamfer tools work but it makes more to sense(to me) to push brass back than cut it out.

Bear in mind I'm doing this all the hard way with an old RCBS single stage, which still works fine. It's just slower than many would tolerate

 

[samnev]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

That's one of the reasons I swithched to Lee dies for 223 and 308. However I had one Lee decapping die that had the decapping rod so tight it wouldn't slide and the pin broke when I inadvertantly tried to decap berden primed case. It took a 10" adjustable to get the broken rod out. Now I check any Lee die I get. Lee replaced the broken decapping rod.

 

[ozzy1038]

Re: .308 crimped primers and decaping pins?

LEE all the way. FAR less broken pins with their collet system.