Average lifespan of Lee Universal decapping pins?

[Lazr111]

I'm trying to make a dent in my ".223 brass to be prepped bucket" and I am bending and/or breaking pins like crazy. I've probably gone through 10 or so pins in about 1000-1500 cases. It's all mixed brass so there is a mix of crimped, non crimped brass, but there doesn't seem to be a correlation between crimp or head stamp and breaking pins.

Has anybody had the same issues, and what are some suggestions to remedy this? This is all on a dedicated 650 tool head with just the Lee die in position 1 and a sizing die in position 2.

[Hi-Power Jack]

there doesn't seem to be a correlation between crimp or head stamp and breaking pins.

I'd be very surprised if there is no correlation between crimp and breaking pins.

Only times I've broken a pin is on a crimped brass ...

[Sarge]

Loosen the collet so the pin can slide up as designed instead of bending?

[mic2377]

Wow, that is a short lifespan. While I use my Lee decapping die in a single stage press, I have decapped at least 2k of 223 and 308 brass, with at least 1k of it being 308 military brass with incredibly tight primer crimps. It shows no signs of deformation or bending.

Is it indexing with the case properly? Repeated bending and resultant fatigue is the only explanation I would have for rapid breakage.

[sschultz]

if you take a picture of the bent pins and send it lee they will replace them

[Dr Mitch]

It happens. Crimped primer pockets are awful.

I had one pin make it over 2000 cases, and others not make it 10 cases.

[coordinator]

The Lee decapping die, in a single stage press, is the remedy I use. No more replacing those little pins.

[Smeeg]

They make aftermarket pins for it that are harder they sell them on eBay

[Dannybot]

Are you wet tumbling the brass with SS pins before decapping? I have found stuck pins in at lease 1/2 of the cases that broke my decappers. Also there is some Russian brass I've found with small pilot holes and crimped to boot that are more prone to break the pins, so I try to cull them.

[mikeyjones]

They make aftermarket pins for it that are harder they sell them on eBay

Was going to suggest this, but Tapatalk wouldn't let me post from my phone.

Squirreldaddy makes some good ones. They are harder, don't bend as easily, and an added bonus of the primers not sticking to them and getting sucked back up.

I was having all kinds of issues when setting up my PW Drive 650 to process brass. These pins were my answer.

[Lazr111]

So, I've loosened the collet a little and the pins are sliding a lot, but the pin I've got in now seems to be holding up.

It also appears that they don't line up quite perfectly with the shell plate causing them to fatigue a bit but I'm not certain.

I'll look into the ebay pins next time I have to restock.

I'm dry tumbling and don't have any plans to start wet tumbling, but at least one pin met its fate due to a pebble in the case.

[Lazr111]

Bent another but it held up a lot longer after loosening the collet it seems. I guess I'll have to just accept that I'm going to have to readjust it a lot with crimped brass.

I have 5 broken/bent pins that I haven't thrown away yet so I'll see if Lee will replace them to add to my spares.

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[mikeyjones]

Bent another but it held up a lot longer after loosening the collet it seems. I guess I'll have to just accept that I'm going to have to readjust it a lot with crimped brass.

I have 5 broken/bent pins that I haven't thrown away yet so I'll see if Lee will replace them to add to my spares.

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Get the squirreldaddy ones. You won't regret it.

[Lazr111]

I will definitely look into them.

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[Sarge]

Bent another but it held up a lot longer after loosening the collet it seems. I guess I'll have to just accept that I'm going to have to readjust it a lot with crimped brass.

I have 5 broken/bent pins that I haven't thrown away yet so I'll see if Lee will replace them to add to my spares.

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

Last one I bent LEE asked for an emailed pic and they only honored one pin per claim. So bend them all a little different and submit randomly.

[Kaldor]

I have one that has gone 15000 rounds decapping non crimped brass in my LnL. I have some that only make a few hundred while decapping crimped 7.62. Sometimes I can straighten them, and keep using them. Most of the time I can can them and get a new one. I just buy a dozen at a time. I always clean them up a little and chamfer the ends, which seems to increase life span.

I have tried the Squirrel Daddy ones, didnt work that great for me with crimped brass.

[rancher5]

Eliminated most broken pins,while reloading 9mm I use 40mm decapper/resizer- 40mm use a 45 deccapper/sizer for depriming keeps the brass centered a lot better, it works really well

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[chrishoesel]

On ‎8‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 8:38 AM, rancher5 said:

Eliminated most broken pins,while reloading 9mm I use 40mm decapper/resizer- 40mm use a 45 deccapper/sizer for depriming keeps the brass centered a lot better, it works really well

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That's a really great idea! I'll have to try it sometime.

 

Honestly I did a run of 5K 5.56 LC crimped primers over 2 days and not a single problem.  I probably got lucky.  (Although a bunch of primers did suck back in, I do a short double stroke of the press to make sure those suckers pop out.

[Steve RA]

I deprime on a single stage and they hold up for a long time - although if a Berdan primed case slips in - it can lead to readjusting the decapping pin or rarely bending one.

[Boxerglocker]

On 8/9/2016 at 6:07 PM, Lazr111 said:

Bent another but it held up a lot longer after loosening the collet it seems. I guess I'll have to just accept that I'm going to have to readjust it a lot with crimped brass.

I have 5 broken/bent pins that I haven't thrown away yet so I'll see if Lee will replace them to add to my spares.

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

Lee will replace them for free. I resolved these issues by doing the following: Ensure the press is adjusted properly at the case insert to fully place the cases into the shell plate slot. Center the Lee decap die in the tool head bore by loosening the lock ring, place a deprimed case at station one, lift the ram until the pin goes through the primer flash hole. Then lock the die down. Lastly make sure your press is well lubed, especially the zerk grease points. You will be amazed how much better your feel is and just the slightest amount of unusually high resistance can be felt. This will help you stop and assess quicker before bending or breaking pins. I literally just last night deprimed my 5000 case since my last pin bent/broke and that i believe was just due to wear.

[Boxerglocker]

On 8/9/2016 at 6:26 PM, Sarge said:

Last one I bent LEE asked for an emailed pic and they only honored one pin per claim. So bend them all a little different and submit randomly.

I have gone through that same single pin at a time warranty before. I now have 3 spare UNIV DECAP PINS/90292 for my 2 dies, they were only $1.99 back when I bought them. Since having them I have only broke one early last season. Once I break  a second. I'll send contact them for warranty.

[M1A4ME]

I've only broken a couple on the Lee dies.  One in .223 and one on .357 SIG. 

No idea why the one broke on .357 SIG, but the .223 case had a loose primer in it (my fault for placing a can of .223 cases too close to the press and letting the primer catch tray overflow).

I did the same thing.  I bought several spares (so cheap) and since then haven't broken one.

My Lee die usage has decreased though.  RCBS X dies for .the rifle cartridges and just bought a set of Hornady carbide dies for 9MM.  Still using Lee dies for .40 S&W and .45 acp though.

Oh, a large part of my .223 and .308 resizing was crimped in primers in surplus military brass.  When I've let a piece of berdan primed brass sneak into a can of brass it just pushes the Lee decapping pin back up out of the collet.

[sierra77mk]

15+ years and countless cases, crimped or not. Then a couple weeks ago a .223 case flipped out of the shell holder into the path on the downstroke and the pin broke.

Any other time I had foreign object or berdan case the pin just backed out.

Do you think the press timing is just a little off or the pin is not exactly centered in the collet so you're not centered up on the primer?

[Lazr111]

Lee will replace them for free. I resolved these issues by doing the following: Ensure the press is adjusted properly at the case insert to fully place the cases into the shell plate slot. Center the Lee decap die in the tool head bore by loosening the lock ring, place a deprimed case at station one, lift the ram until the pin goes through the primer flash hole. Then lock the die down. Lastly make sure your press is well lubed, especially the zerk grease points. You will be amazed how much better your feel is and just the slightest amount of unusually high resistance can be felt. This will help you stop and assess quicker before bending or breaking pins. I literally just last night deprimed my 5000 case since my last pin bent/broke and that i believe was just due to wear.

That brings up a good point... I have been meaning to send my press into Dillon to be rebuilt. Maybe the time has finally come.

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[Lazr111]

15+ years and countless cases, crimped or not. Then a couple weeks ago a .223 case flipped out of the shell holder into the path on the downstroke and the pin broke.

Any other time I had foreign object or berdan case the pin just backed out.

Do you think the press timing is just a little off or the pin is not exactly centered in the collet so you're not centered up on the primer?

I am not sure whether the timing is off, but I don't think so. When the pins bend and not break, the pin catches the shoulder of the case and u turns through the shoulder. I'm starting to think that it really is time to get the press rebuilt and tightened up.

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