Lee Universal Decapping die pushing through primers

[mjwcaster]

So I just bought a Lee Universal Decapping die to deprime about 1300 pieces of LC 5.56.
Works great except for the pin punching through the primer at times.
Thanks to CB, I knew what the issue was, the head of the pin is mushrooming.
A little file and or sandpaper work and it was good to go.
Until the next time.
Almost done with this batch of brass, but have had to file/sand the pin down at least 8 times. It just keeps getting deformed.
At first I was worried about making the pin too small, but as it kept happening I would try and round the head off even more.
Works for a while, but the pin just seems so soft that it just keeps deforming.

I seem to remember others having this issue and that a replacement pin from Lee might have fixed it, but I cannot find any of the original threads in this issue here.

I have found a company that makes a hardened steel pin, Squirrel daddy, $20 for 3 pins.

Almost twice as much for the replacement pin pack as I paid for the decapper in the first place.

Anyone else use the Squirrel Daddy pins?

Any other suggestions?

[VHoward]

http://www.dillonprecision.com/universal-decapping-die_8_4_24510.html
http://www.rcbs.com/Products/Case-Preparation/Accessories/Decap-Die.aspx
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/dies/precision-speciality-dies.php
Or you could buy replacement pins from Lee. Never heard of squirrel daddy. Lee kind of soured me on Lee products when they refused to make a custom decap pin for my universal decap die. I then called up Dillon and described to them what I wanted and they made one for me. It did cost me $30 + shipping, but I got what I wanted. What they made for me was a Dillon universal decap die with a .223 decap assembly in it so it would decap the 223/556 case and only open up the mouth if it had a dent in it. It is mounted in station one of an XL650 tool head with Dillons RT1500 in station 4. After they get run through that process, the cases get run through the tumbler to remove the size lube and ready for loading.
After the 1500 cases I ran through it, the decap pin looks fine.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I'd contact Lee about the problem.
I don't recall a thread about the pins not being hard enough???
I bought my Lee univ decap die about 6 or 7 years ago, to replace the RCBS one I had, that I had probems with...Never a problem with the Lee...I even bought a spare pin when I bought the die, so if I had problems (like with the RCBS), I'd have a spare and not have to wait til a new one was shipped out. I bet I'd decapped 5000 crimped 556 cases, and probably a few hundred 30-06 mil crimped primers...as well as thousands of non-crimped primers. I've hit my share of berdans along the way and luckily I had developed a light touch, due to the RCBS issues.

[gpidaho]

My RCBS Decapper has knocked out three or four thousand crimped primes, mostly Lake city brass. No problems so far. Gp

[mold maker]

Under my bench now are 2 full 2liter bottles and another partial with the tube in it. That's 4+ liters of primers and I've only replaced the LEE universal pin once.
For the dented 5.56 45 necks, I ground a taper around the pin to allow it to enter and partly round out the dents.
Someone had them on sale, so I also have a couple spare pins just in case.
I deprime and inspect everything before cleaning and storing.

[Freightman]

My RCBS does the punch through thing when doing military brass but not often not a big deal as it has worked for 10's of 1000 others

[MT Chambers]

To save on cost Lee made the pin of scintered (pot) metal, they save 1/2 cent on each pin made.

[mjwcaster]

I will contact Lee about it, hopefully with better results than my last issue.
I know there was a thread that touched on this issue, it was where I got the idea to check the pin and file it down.
I am done with crimped primers for a while, so not a big issue for me right now.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

[Bayou52]

Never had that issue on my end. But I did break one pin - my fault, though.....

[RP]

I have broke a pin or two out of the countless times I use it on mil brass. It was not all mil brass but I have filled two 5 gal buckets with primers and I am sure one has to be all mil brass pistol and rifle the ones I broke was on berdam primed.

[Regulator.]

Never had a issue with the Lee Decapping die.

[wistlepig1]

I have used my Lee on both 223 and 30/06 Mil. Spec with no problem after 1000's. I do raise the ram slowly when doing them.

[mac60]

To save on cost Lee made the pin of scintered (pot) metal, they save 1/2 cent on each pin made.

1) Lee doesn't make the pin. They are used in bearings. Lee buys them in bulk.
2) They're steel not "pot metal".

[VHoward]

I have broke one and the way it broke makes me believe they are made out of pot metal.

[mac60]

I've broken one also - on a Berdan primed case I tried to decap (nobody's fault but mine). I've broken the tip off of a Buck 110 and the blade is 420HC steel. Look - on page 25 of his book Mr. Lee states that the pins are made of SAE 51000 steel. They are not made out of "pot metal".

[nicholst55]

Let's see, replacement pins are $3.00; I think we can all afford to buy them if need be. Just out of curiosity though, I'm going to take the decapping pin out of my Lee Universal Decapper to work on Monday. I'll have my machinist buddy test it to see what it's made out of, see if he can heat treat it as-is, and ask him to gin me up a couple of replacements out of tool steel and harden them. I should be good for a lifetime after that.