Dillon De-priming Pins

[Jersey Joe]

Hi All...I just unboxed and mounted my new 650 last night. I was installing the dies and noticed that Dillon includes an extra De-priming Pin with their set. I did some Google due diligence, and see the usual, "one will last a lifetime" to "have plenty of spares". Any consensus on this forum? I've successfully decapped TWO cases without breaking one :)

[Zymurgy50]

If by some chance you are in the middle of a run and happen to throw in a Berdan primed case, then you will want a spare. Yes, Dillon's customer service is top shelf, but not even Dillon can get you a spare pin RIGHT NOW!!!!
BTW, I have had a 550 for many years and I do not remember ever changing out a decapping pin.

[Able 5]

25 years and two presses and never broken one...knock on wood.

[HATCH]

I have damaged two so far.
Both were from New starline brass that didn't have a primer hole drilled/punched.

[Jersey Joe]

Thanks guys. I'm just reloading 45acp for now so hopefully I should be GTG.

[Dan Cash]

I broke one but I think it was a way off center flash hole.

[M-Tecs]

I do a lot of crimped military brass. The crimped primers are hard on pins. I don't keep track but my guess is I get 2K - 5K out of a pin with crimped brass. I don't ever remember breaking one on a standard primer.

[LUBEDUDE]

Years back, before I inspected my brass BEFore loading, I would bend a decapping pin from a 22 case inside a 38 or 40 /380 inside a 45.
Also had a brass supplier that shipped some 38's with rocks wedged so tight, tumbling did not jar them out.
Thus, pull the handle, wham! Bent pin.
Easy fix, reach up with needle nose pliers and straighten out. Well metal can only bend so many times. Those spares came in handy.

Better fix- inspect my brass now. Takes time, but saves all kinds of time and other issues down the road.

[WILDEBILL308]

Thanks guys. I'm just reloading 45acp for now so hopefully I should be GTG.
Be aware there are some 45acp brass out there with small primer pockets. I think they were Speer.
Bill

[Jersey Joe]

Be aware there are some 45acp brass out there with small primer pockets. I think they were Speer.
Bill

Yes I heard about them. Thanks.

[Hawkeye45]

I have never broken one of the Dillon pins in many years, but losing one on the bench someplace is why I am glad they sent an extra.

Mr. Ed

[VHoward]

Be aware there are some 45acp brass out there with small primer pockets. I think they were Speer.
Bill

I've had mixed large/small primer pockets on Speer 45acp brass. Blazer on the other hand has been small on every single one I find. You just have to sort by primer pocket, not neccesarily brand unless there is a specific brand you don't like. I have also found federal 45acp brass with small primer pockets.

[Mike Kerr]

Hi Jersey Joe,
Welcome to the Forum, and thanks for your question in your post. I've been on the Forum for a little while longer than you and been a reloader for decades but I rarely see a post on what has to be a fairly common reloading situation i.e slipped or broken primer pins. Even if the responder states minimal problems.
There is a thread on a different forum which is eliciting some similar response titled "brass you won't reload". Some of the same problems regarding brass types, bad primer holes, tight pockets etc. etc. are mentioned just as some of the responses on this thread say " Ive never had a problem BUT....
Anyway the responses are good information for all of us in the hobby.

[375RUGER]

Haven't damaged a pin, but I have bent 2 stems.

[Walter Laich]

bought mine in '73, broke one when I missed a rock in a case

[dudel]

Be aware there are some 45acp brass out there with small primer pockets. I think they were Speer.
Bill

Speer, Win NT and Federal. Great stuff. Got rid of all my large primer 45 ACP. Now all my stuff is small primer. No need to swap primer systems. One less primer size to keep supplies for. Plus, no one grabs my 45ACP brass.

[Jersey Joe]

Thanks again Gents. What are your thoughts on depriming before cleaning the brass?

[Zymurgy50]

Personally I always de-prime on a single stage press and clean primer pockets before any brass sees my 550. The priming system on the 550 is picky about dust, dirt, and grit, so the cleaner the brass to begin, the less problems I have with the priming system.

[jakharath]

I have punched all the way thru 308 berdan cases with no problems. Even went thru a 40 S&W case stuck in a 45acp case. Went straight thru the 40 S&W primer and then removed the 45acp primer. But it felt oh so wrong on my 650.

[ROGER4314]

Three RL450's and two RL550's and never broke a pin. The day is not over, however....smile.

For the past couple of years, I've used an RCBS universal decapping die in my Rock Chucker, clean the rifle primer pockets then run them on the Dillon press. I don't do that for pistol rounds.

Flash

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Thanks again Gents. What are your thoughts on depriming before cleaning the brass?

Depends on the press you are using. Presses that come with a way to route the spent primer and assorted crud off the press seem to handle the primed and tumbled brass just fine. Those presses that do not, don't do as well.

[Iowa Fox]

Three RL450's and two RL550's and never broke a pin. The day is not over, however....smile.

For the past couple of years, I've used an RCBS universal decapping die in my Rock Chucker, clean the rifle primer pockets then run them on the Dillon press. I don't do that for pistol rounds.

Flash

Do you like Dillon loaders? :kidding: I'm envious on those 3 450s