45-70 decapping??

[big bore 99]

Have a question here on depriming the 45-70. I've been reloading and casting for awhile now. I was using Starline brass and neck forming only. I am depriming using the Lee Loader base and knockout pin. It's slow but I'm in no hurry. Anyway, I picked up some Winchester brass. I couldn't knock out the primers using that set up. In fact, after pounding very hard, the pin went thru the case next to the primer. I have the Hornady die set and put them thru the sizing and decapping die and it knocked out the primers ok. I miked up the pins and found the Hornady to actually be .008 larger than the Lee. I haven't cut open a case yet to look, but there must be some difference in the bottom of the Winchester brass? Anyone know anything about this? I'd rather not full length size the brass. I screwed the knock out pin way down and it doesn't work well. Both pins go thru the flash hole ok.

[Don McDowell]

I use the Lee hand press and the universal recapping die for most of my recapping chores. I also have a decapping tool made by Distant Thunder products that works well.

[Leadmelter]

Lyman 310 unit. Decap at the range so the cases are ready for cleaning when I get home
Leadmelter
MI

[montana_charlie]

I picked up some Winchester brass. I couldn't knock out the primers using that set up. In fact, after pounding very hard, the pin went thru the case next to the primer.
The Winchester 45/70 cases have a pretty thin wall down at the case head. That is why they hold more powder.
It sounds like the inside diameter of the case is enough larger than the outside diameter of your Lee depriming pin that the pin wasn't centered ... therefore it 'missed' the primer.

Put the pin in a case and 'scratch it around' until you feel it enter the primer ... then try to punch it out.

[pietro]

It sounds like the inside diameter of the case is enough larger than the outside diameter of your Lee depriming pin that the pin wasn't centered ... therefore it 'missed' the primer.

Put the pin in a case and 'scratch it around' until you feel it enter the primer ... then try to punch it out.




+1 - I've deprimed .45-70 via positioning the primer over a hole I drilled through a wooden board scrap, then using a drift pin which enters the flash hole to drive the spent primer(s) out.


.

[Lead Fred]

Just like the Troopers used in the 1880s

165364

A stick with a nail will work too

[country gent]

Some cases have a burr inside around the flash hole from when it was punched in the case. looking in the case with a good light this burr will look like a ring around the hole ( or a partial ring) If you dont "feel the pin into the flash hole under certain conditions ( Small dia punch stem large straight walled case) the burr can hold the decapping pin instead of the flash hole. Deburring flash holes can help here. Or a pilot with in .005-.010 of inside case dia on the decapping rod stem will help to alighn and get the pin in the flash hole. I have made the pilots up from JBweld epoxy makeing a small wood mould to hold the punch and epoxy around it. A simply way to see if this helps is to wrap masking tape around the punch just above the decapping pin to a loose fit in the case.

[big bore 99]

Hi Charlie. I am aware the WW brass has thinner walls and I tried scratching around at the bottom with the knock out pin. It dosen't catch or locate on the center of the primer.
I bought the WW brass in a pinch when I couldn't get Starline. I did get more Starline though now. Maybe I might need to make some kind of bushing to hold the pin concentric inside the case.

[montana_charlie]

Hi Charlie. I am aware the WW brass has thinner walls and I tried scratching around at the bottom with the knock out pin. It dosen't catch or locate on the center of the primer.
I bought the WW brass in a pinch when I couldn't get Starline. I did get more Starline though now. Maybe I might need to make some kind of bushing to hold the pin concentric inside the case.
Somebody above suggested deburring the flash hole ... that might be a good idea, too.

[big bore 99]

Thanks. I'm thinking I need to hold the pin concentric with the case as you suggested. Funny though, With no primer, the pin goes right thru the flash hole from the inside. I may cut one open to see what's going on.

[EDG]

I have been doing it with a Lee .22 cal punch since 1972. I decap everything for about 40 different cartridges with that same punch.
All I can say is use a little more patience when hunting for the hole. Make sure you get the punch in the right place. I have never messed up case. You could use the big fat punch that comes with the Lee .45-70 loader and it is less likely to get off center. Or you could make a punch about .450 diameter and Helen Keller, Jose Feliciano and Ray Charles all could use it. :bigsmyl2:

[country gent]

Another trick ive used on decapping bigger cases with small punches is to put a mark on rod when pin is in the flash hole at the case mouth, this allows a visuall way to see it your in the flash hole or on the case head.

[Freightman]

Get a universal De-primming die!

[mold maker]

What he said^^^^^^^

[doc1876]

Ditto x3

[montana_charlie]

Just like the Troopers used in the 1880s

165364
I don't believe that troopers reloaded their ammunition, so I doubt that they punched out primers.

[MT Chambers]

I have been doing it with a Lee .22 cal punch since 1972. I decap everything for about 40 different cartridges with that same punch.
All I can say is use a little more patience when hunting for the hole. Make sure you get the punch in the right place. I have never messed up case. You could use the big fat punch that comes with the Lee .45-70 loader and it is less likely to get off center. Or you could make a punch about .450 diameter and Helen Keller, Jose Feliciano and Ray Charles all could use it. :bigsmyl2:

Why would they need to use it??

[Green Frog]

The BPCS and Scheutzen crowds both do a LOT of decapping at the range... ask around there with what others are using and just pick the one you like best. For decapping cases ONLY I like a little unit that folds down to fit in a shirt pocket. It's only about 25% bigger than a 45-70 empty case.

Froggie

[jimofaz]

I use a Meecham repo Pope-style de/re-capper tool for depriming fired cases at the range if loaded with BP, then chuck 'em in a jug of soapy water to soak until I get home. For smokeless, I mostly use a LEE Universal decapping die at home. I find it helps the decapping stem find the hole if you do a one-time deburr/chamfer to the inside of the flash hole. if using a hand depriming punch, would also suggest you 'feel' the pin into the flash hole before whacking it with a hammer.

[Earlwb]

You may want to make sure you don't have Berdan primer brass cases. I remember many years ago, back when 45-70's were sort of a dying obsolete caliber, I had obtained a bunch of old cartridges at the gun store/range. They had a bucket of old 45-70 rounds and were selling them for something like ten cents each. I picked through the bucket and got the best looking ones. When I went to shoot them, most of the rounds worked OK, but a few were slow to fire off after the trigger was pulled. A while later I went to reload them and much to my dismay they had Berdan primers in them. At that time I couldn't find any Berdan primers so I couldn't reload them. The Berdan primers use two really small holes that are located on both sides of the center protrusion (anvil) in the brass primer pocket.

Now then later I did run across a batch of 45-70 brass that had smaller flash holes than expected. I had to make a special tool to punch the primers out. It was a brass rod with a hole drilled on the end and a pin pressed into it. So if you have some of those odd cases with the small hole you can make a tool for it too.

Now then Lee still makes (at least I think they do) a manual reloading kit for the .45-70 cartridge. You use a hammer with it, no press. I still have a old Lee reloading kit too, but I have a newer press version as well. Anyway, it is no big deal to using the manual reloader kit. It would be handy for reloading at the range. The 45-70 is fairly easy to reload like that manually too.

[Biggs300]

Unless I plan to full length resize a case with my Lee or other brand dies, I use a Lee Universal Decapping Die. It is what you need if you plan to neck size or if you are partially resizing a case. It is so quick and easy to use, I sometimes use it regardless of my sizing process.

[bigted]

While it were a little spendy ... I went to Buff Arms and bought the meecham/Pope de/re priming tool.

This handy and very fun to use tool is a historic as well as a "in the spirit" tool to use.

I usually just flair the mouth, then reprime and powder the case, followed by thumb seating the boolits, then remove the flair.

In my tool box this is one of the best tools and most rewarding to use.

[kywoodwrkr]

Have a question here on depriming the 45-70. I've been reloading and casting for awhile now. I was using Starline brass and neck forming only. I am depriming using the Lee Loader base and knockout pin. It's slow but I'm in no hurry. Anyway, I picked up some Winchester brass. I couldn't knock out the primers using that set up. In fact, after pounding very hard, the pin went thru the case next to the primer. I have the Hornady die set and put them thru the sizing and decapping die and it knocked out the primers ok. I miked up the pins and found the Hornady to actually be .008 larger than the Lee. I haven't cut open a case yet to look, but there must be some difference in the bottom of the Winchester brass? Anyone know anything about this? I'd rather not full length size the brass. I screwed the knock out pin way down and it doesn't work well. Both pins go thru the flash hole ok.

Lot of good ideas here.
One thing I would maybe do is hydraulically de-prime one to see what the pocket structure is.
This way the pocket and flash hole will be more or less unmolested for visual observation.
YMMV

[country gent]

I have a pope type tool capper decapper that I bought from a gentleman here and also one I made that only decaps the cases. I like both and use them both. The one I made is a simple pliers type that is all hardware store available materials and drill press hand tools. Its simply 1/8" X1" aluminum flat stock a piece of 3/16" colled rolled round stock. and some brass pins ( nails or 1/16" brazing rod) for the rivets. Its a simply pliers style 10" long and 3/8" thick light with plenty of leverage to punch primers out. Im working on one using copper tubing that will also catch the primers being removed.

[rfd]

for smokeless depriming before cleaning i use a lee universal decapper either in a bench or hand press.

for black powder cartridges, they get deprimed immediately at the range/field using a harvey hand deprimer that's just excellent. it works for almost all cartridges, no adapters needed, i have two just 'cause i'd never wanna be without this neat tool ...

http://harveydeprimer.com/images/img_9700_empties_ac_unibody_h6n2_1tl0_4hr9_8719.jp g


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TbbhmgNzGA

[marlinman93]

I use one of these for my decapping, and occasionally for repriming too.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/DSCF4183.JPG

[John Boy]

Removing spent primers at the range - Lee Loader parts:
http://leeprecision.com/images/T/t-2475.jpg
http://leeprecision.com/images/T/t-2487.jpg
http://leeprecision.com/parts/reloading-kits/lee-loader-rifle/lee-loader-45-70-govt-parts/

[Frank46]

Check with Wilson makers of the case trimmer. Seem to remember they made or make a slightly bigger punch and base set for hand decapping. Or buy a universal decapping die. Just about every die maker sells them. I made up one when I had a martini henry in 577/450 a bunch of years back along with a brass muzzle protector lined with a bronze bushing but gave it to the guy who bought the rifle. Frank

[marlinman93]

Or get a Frankford Arsenal universal decapper. Very easy to use, and no special shellholders to buy. Under $40 lots of places.
http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/220617/frankford-arsenal-platinum-series-hand-deprimer-tool?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Reloading+-+Metallic+Reloading+Equipment+(Not+Presses)-_-Frankford+Arsenal-_-220617&gclid=CO6qvsbX1MwCFYiVfgodnjMKZA

[Mytmousemalibu]

Harvey Deprimer all the way! It is an awesome tool, it does one thing and one thing only, depriming! It's reasonably priced and very well made, I love mine and it gets a lot of use. I wet tumble all my brass and it all gets deprimed 1st so i get clean primer pockets and no water trapped in. I deprime about 1500pcs of 9mm brass a month alone, all with the Harvey.

[JWT]

Get a universal De-primming die!

Absolutely!