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Thread: Depriming tool

  1. #21
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    georgerkahn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by abunaitoo View Post
    I deprime on my reloading press.
    Looking for something handheld.
    I have a Lee and Huntington hand press, but their kind of big.
    I'm looking at the one from Frankford Arsenal.
    Anyone use one????
    Good or not so good????
    I bought the Frankford Arsenal one, and quite frankly am quite disappointed with it. Three things do not thrill me, in no special order: One, is it comes with three plastic collets which are to put the to-be-decapped brass in, and they are barely held on to tool -- it took hardly no time at all before mine had but two ; number Two is keeping the spent, removed primers from ending up on floor, ????, etc. is more than a challenge; and, number Three is it is not as easy on the hand(s) to operate as I had envisioned.
    Yes -- it works. Again, best question: Would *I* purchase it again, should I lose mine? No.
    geo


  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by country gent View Post
    I decap hand for a couple reasons (Not always at the range though). 1) I like the feel it fives me and control. 2) When I put them in the polisher the pockets get cleaned with the brass. 3) I can feel the primers coming out, if a primer slides out easily or falls out chances are a new one is going to be loose also. 4) I can do this in the living room watching listening to tv or what ever. 5) sizing and depriming brass before cleaned runs a lot of crud thru the die.
    Its more a personal preference than anything when how you decap. My homemade tools do a great job and control the primers well. Sitting in the easy chair with a bucket of brass on one side and an empty bucket on the other and a lot of brass can be done in an evening.
    Basically use it the same as country gent. Also kinda therapeutic.

  3. #23
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
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    Cognitive Dissident

  4. #24
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
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    Sadly Meacham no longer makes the replica of the Pope de-and-recapper tool.

    http://www.meachamrifles.com/Decapper.html
    Cognitive Dissident

  5. #25
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    I was looking at homemade one's on the web.
    I think I might be able to just make one.
    Would look kind of like the Neil Jones tool.
    One I saw used a pliers, some metal.
    The Lee pistol decaping rod would work fine.
    Think I'm going to give it a try.

  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
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    Post some pics if you succeed!
    Cognitive Dissident

  7. #27
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    I have always deprimed on my presses. That said there is a point to not doing so as you get a lot of crud and metallic bits and pieces getting between the ram and the internal bore.

    A lot of my decapping involves crimped military primers. The hand units would seem to not offer enough leverage. If leverage is favored more in the engineering of a hand held unit then enough travel might suffer.

    I have just about all my presses mounted on bases set up for c clamping to my bench. Now some of my presses are not as coveted as some of my more favored ones and I could see dedicating a press of less value for grungy jobs such as decapping. I have a Lyman acculine press that would finnaly have a use!

    Once we get past the crimped primers I could likely warm up to the Harvey or Jones unit but my on farm shooting range is a brief walk from my load room so my circumstances are not in the majority.

    Three44s
    Last edited by Three44s; 11-25-2019 at 11:32 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bret4207

    “There is more to this than dumping lead in a hole.”

  8. #28
    Boolit Master 44magLeo's Avatar
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    This thread has stirred my memory. I recalled a de-priming tool that was mounted vertically. You placed the case in the tool and pressed down on a plunger to knock out the primer. It was made for crimped in primers.
    After a bit of thinking I seemed to recall this tool being talked about in my older Lyman book.
    I dug out my 46th Edition book and in the section talking about Lyman history, there it was.
    The Ideal Lighting De-Capper. I'll scan the page to post a pic.
    A tool like this appears to be fast and strong. It will keep your press clear of primer crud.
    Suppose it could be recreated inexpensively? It doesn't look to complicated. A frame and a plunger.
    Perhaps with different diameter rods for the different calibers.
    Leo

    .
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Image.jpg  

  9. #29
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
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    Screw a universal decapper stem into an automatic centerpunch.
    Cognitive Dissident

  10. #30
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    Interesting tool.
    I wonder if anyone here has one????

  11. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by 44magLeo View Post
    The Ideal Lighting De-Capper.
    I'll take 2 for $1.50 each.

  12. #32
    Boolit Buddy 2A-Jay's Avatar
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    I have used my FA Hand de-primer for over 4 years, not good on milsurp brass (don't have any more of that left to deprime) I hand deprime only and use my RCBS Universal Hand primer to prime.

  13. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by uscra112 View Post
    Note that the Jones tool needs some kind of proprietary shell holders, so of course a 45 colt and 38 spl would take different shell holders.
    One of the nice things about a Harvey deprimer is that is is "universal" and needs no shell holders.

  14. #34
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    If I were starting from scratch now (I say this because of the basement full of reloading stuff I keep tripping over) I would look very hard at the Harvey unit... I have something similar from my Schuetzen days. For sheer strength though, I still like the idea of a 310 tool with a universal decapping die. For both of these suggestions, I could use one tool with one set up to decap virtually any case.

    JMHO, but I've been experimenting with various means and methods of reloading for about the last 40 years plus, so whatever you're wondering about, I've probably tried it. The one thing I've learned through it all is that there is probably no wrong way... you just need to use the technique available to you that works best for your application.

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  15. #35
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by edp2k View Post
    Note that the Jones tool needs some kind of proprietary shell holders, so of course a 45 colt and 38 spl would take different shell holders.
    One of the nice things about a Harvey deprimer is that is is "universal" and needs no shell holders.
    The Jones tool "shellholder" is just a shallow counterbore that centers up the shell base. Why he does this I can't imagine, since a simple fork like the Harvey tool would do just as well, and if I were to buy one I'd mill the necessary slot in a flash.

    A stepped counterbore like some case trimmer collets would also do fine. Or just a ledge to catch the case rim like the Pope tool does. Probably wouldn't do well for crimped military primers, that's all.
    Cognitive Dissident

  16. #36
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    I just picked up an old Bonanza coax which knocks primers out easily even crimped in ones and does so without any mess or crud on the rams or anywhere else.

  17. #37
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    I've been using a Lee hand tool and universal deprimer. The process is pretty quick, over 100 cases an hour. The only problem is dumping the primers every 30 cases or so. I drilled out the ram and with a plug in I can do almost a 100 cases before dumping.

  18. #38
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    My homemade tool is made from copper tubing and uses no shell holders. The base is a block the cartridge butts up against. Push spent primer out and it falls thru hole into handle tube neat and simple.

    For my tool you will need 14"-18" of 3/4" hard copper tubing, 2 end caps, 1 90* elbow, 1/4" pin, solder, a brass washer to fit in the elbow.and a decapping rod. a short length of 1/4" brass tubing is handy Tools are tubing cutter, heavy tin snips, hack saw with 32 tpi blade, propane torch files round and flat.

    Cut one length of the 3/4" tubing 8"-10" long this is the main beam. in one end cut a 5/16" slot 1 3/4" long from end drill 1/4" hole 90* to slot on center 1/2" in from end. On other end install pipe cap and scribe hole for where the elbow will set. Shorten and radius elbow to fit pipe cut hole on this location in line with slot to match inside of elbow. Cut a length of tubing 4-5" long this is the handle. lay out and cut and angle bottom for comfortable tapered handle. (Save the cut off portion as this will be fit in and soldered in to stiffen handle later). File edges smooth and radius to be comfortable. Vut a piece of tube 2"+ long and split in half with pliers hammer and flat stock straighten into flat plate this is to become the link. Bend into c shape 3/16" in the center mine is tapered 2/4" wide at bottom to 1 1/2" - 3" at top 5/16" wide . drill 1/4" hole thru in narrow end on venter of it. This is hinge pin hole. In the under plate for handle cut a 5/16 slot to match link and fit into handle . cut a second 1 1/2" length of tube and flatten as before then cut a disk to fit snuggly in the main tube.

    Solder disk in tube just ahead of slot and washer into elbow and onto onto tube . Solder link into handle and inner support into handle this needs to be done in one time. A piece of 1/4OD brass tube can be cut and soldered into the link to set end play in tube.

    Last is to cut and fit the decapping rod the height of hole sets the leverage and handle travel of the tool. the end cap closes the tube and can be removed to empty spent primers don't solder it

  19. #39
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    Could you provide a photo of your device?

    Thanks,

    JCherry

  20. #40
    Boolit Master 44magLeo's Avatar
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    Pics of the assembly from a pile of bits through cutting, notching and such to get to the finished tool would help us understand your directions better.
    Leo

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check