Looking for a cheap dedicated decapping press

[igolfat8]

I have a small single stage Lee ($25) press that I use for dedicated decapping. The primers fall through the ram and then jam between the ram and frame. I can only run 3-4 cases before I have to clear out the primer jam which is a royal pain in the backside. Any ideas on how to prevent these jams or suggest a better, more reliable press, that is not very expensive?

[David2011]

An old used RCBS JR2 or JR3 might fill the bill nicely. They had an aluminum or plastic primer catcher cup depending on the age and you definitely want that cup. There are any number of quality old presses that would work. For decappin git doesn't need to be a heavy duty or powerful one. You can see pictures on Bing or Google pictures.

[Jniedbalski]

What lee press do u have? I have a mounted lee cast press that the primers just fall in the hopper. My lee hand held press does jam up if Iam laying it on its side while depriving. I like using it for depriming sitting on the couch. If I hold it up and tap the ram every 4 or 5 th time the primers usually fall out

[Kenstone]

I use my drill press and a brass centering fixturing made from 2 fender washers on a block of wood for every caliber:
209421
209422
209423
There's no sliding the case in/out of a shell holder so de-priming goes quickly with the spent primers collected it the lower 2x4 block cavity.
:razz:

[Bzcraig]

I bought a Lee breech lock for that purpose, I like how the primers fall through the clear tubing into whatever you choose, no mess, no handling. Probably find one on eBay cheap.

[texassako]

My Lee Challenger does not jam, and very rarely sends a primer anywhere other than down the spent primer tube. You have to make sure the primer piece is installed in the ram to have them go the right way, though. I extended the tube to dump them in a coffee can on the floor. They are pretty cheap, especially used.

[jmorris]

I have the cheapest Lee mounted to a hunk of metal with a fitting and hose, just clamp it to any surface and go.

[igolfat8]

I have the cheapest Lee mounted to a hunk of metal with a fitting and hose, just clamp it to any surface and go.
That's the one I have. How do you keep the primers from jamming between the ram and the frame?

[WFO2]

I use a Lee Classic Cast and the tube sits in an old milk jug till it get full then toss and get a new jug .

[zymguy]

anyone have any experience with the Frankfort arsenal hand tool ?

[jmorris]

That's the one I have. How do you keep the primers from jamming between the ram and the frame?

It’s likely die adjustment, or decapping pin in the die, is your problem.

Look at the frame, with the ram down. See the slot that the primers are supposed to fall into?

Now look at the ram, all the way up (handle all the way down). See the hole the primers fall out of?

Now, you want the decapping pin to push the primer out of the pocket when the exit hole in the ram is towards the top of the slot in the frame, middle would be OK too but if they hit the frame above or below the slot, deals off.

[country gent]

For strictly decapping I would look at one of the hand decappers, benefits are size its hand held light and handy, It can be used almost anywhere since it isn't bolted down or so awkward to use. And they take up very little space. I have one in my line box and several around the reloading room. It dos'nt take a lot to decap cases if that's all your doing. I like them over a press.
As for a dedicated press the little Lees c frames work great and are inexpensive. A hole drilled in the bench at the right spot allows the spent primers to drop thru. A hose over this hole to a gallon jug ( don't fill it full they are heavy) catches all the primers. Mounted on a plate and stand with a tray under it works also. This needs at least one die and set of shell holders.
The handheld tool dosn't need a lot of extras. You feel the pin into the hole hook the rim on the ledge and squeeze. A set of bushings for different calibers as needed makes it easier to find the flash hole. These arn't hard to make. All of mine are home made from various materials. I made one form some nice walnut even. I used a decapping rod froman old die set for the rod and worked around that.

[igolfat8]

It’s likely die adjustment, or decapping pin in the die, is your problem.

Look at the frame, with the ram down. See the slot that the primers are supposed to fall into?

Now look at the ram, all the way up (handle all the way down). See the hole the primers fall out of?

Now, you want the decapping pin to push the primer out of the pocket when the exit hole in the ram is towards the top of the slot in the frame, middle would be OK too but if they hit the frame above or below the slot, deals off.

OK, I will check the die adjustment out today. My primers are accumulating BELOW the hole on the frame upright. That is where the binding occurs.

[jmorris]

They should be coming out of the hole in the side of the ram with enough velocity to make it to the hole in the ram. Maybe it’s gunked up and causing them to dribble out, run a Q-tip in their to make sure it’s clean.

[Shawlerbrook]

Agree getting an old RCBS Jr. or RS. I got a RS a few years back off fleabay for $50 delivered.

[Green Frog]

Pick up an old Lyman 310 tool with the universal decapper. Problem solved. :bigsmyl2:

Froggie

[Soundguy]

That's the one I have. How do you keep the primers from jamming between the ram and the frame?

Mine's never jambed that I can remember. i too use a cheap lee C press mounted tot he edge of my bench, and have a hole drilled thru the bench, and a jar lid screwed to the bottom of the bench.. lid has a hole punched in it. I just screw the jar onto the lid and it catches the primers. i unscrew and empty after a few thousand collect. once in a blue moon, it will toss a primer out topside somehow.. but never has jambed.

[Soundguy]

They should be coming out of the hole in the side of the ram with enough velocity to make it to the hole in the ram. Maybe it’s gunked up and causing them to dribble out, run a Q-tip in their to make sure it’s clean.

good call.. maybee ram needs cleaning

[RogerDat]

Throwing out spent primers is losing money. Scrap yard will take them as brass. I collect mine along with any discarded and damaged cases (with the neck crushed using pliers) get better than the price of lead per pound. Coffee can worth of brass goes to scrap yard and some lead comes home with me.

I use my Lee turret press, have my deprime dies and some other utility dies mounted on turret disks that I slap in when needed. Love the hollow ram and hose for spent primers.

[igolfat8]

They should be coming out of the hole in the side of the ram with enough velocity to make it to the hole in the ram. Maybe it’s gunked up and causing them to dribble out, run a Q-tip in their to make sure it’s clean.

Found the problem. The de-cap die was adjusted down too low and primers were missing the slot in the press upright. Works like a champ now. Thanks for all of the help and suggestions here guys. You saved me a $$$ trip to flea-Bay.

[Pressman]

Pick up an old Lyman 310 tool with the universal decapper. Problem solved. :bigsmyl2:

Froggie

Mr. Frog Person Sir, but you are an anachronism. And I cannot fins anything wrong with that.
Ken

[Green Frog]

Mr. Frog Person Sir, but you are an anachronism. And I cannot fins anything wrong with that.
Ken

“Anachronism?” Does that mean my watch doesn’t work? :bigsmyl2: You’re right! I just noticed last night the battery is dead. But remember, even a stopped watch is right twice a day.

Anyway, I prefer to think of myself as “old school.” If you find something that works, why bother to change? In point of fact my favorite methods usually involve a re- and decapper such as the Jake Simmons copy of the Harry Pope tool. I often like to do those two processes at once and be done with it. Many of them even have a little scraper to clean the primer pocket. That said, I can still resort to the 310 tool or something similar if I want to deprime a bunch of brass to tumble.

Like you, Mr Pressman, I’ve accumulated such a variety of equipment, sometimes it takes longer to decide which tool to use than it does to actually do the job! Isn’t that why we got into reloading, for all the toys?? ;)

Merry Christmas, my friend!
Froggie

[igolfat8]

I have the cheapest Lee mounted to a hunk of metal with a fitting and hose, just clamp it to any surface and go.

OK, I did the JMORRIS mod to my little Lee press. It catches 80% of the primers now ... but ... there are still too many occasional fliers that end up all over the floor. I'm a little OCD and it bugs me to see primers on my floor so I need to revisit my options again.

I've looked at all the current Lee single stage presses and it appears the only press that uses a drilled through hollow ram is the Lee Classic Cast press. It appears the Breech Lock and Challenger models still expel the primers out the side of the ram? Wouldn't this design eventually allow primer and powder residue to contaminate the lubricant on the ram.

Are there other brands of presses that use a hollow ram to allow the primers to fall straight through and out the bottom of the ram?

[jmorris]

The Loadmaster collects them in the ram. The Co-ax drops them into a sealed cup no ram below the shell holder, no conventional ram on it.

[Wayne Smith]

I believe the new RCBS drops them through the ram. Randy's Buchannon press has a primer catching cup - 100% effective. Just have to empty it too often!

[Ickisrulz]

You can deprime anything anywhere with a Harvey Deprimer.

http://www.harveydeprimer.com/

[country gent]

The RCBS summit drops primers out the bottom also into a little cup or a piece can be made to hold a length of tubing and ran into a jug. My Summit does good on catching the primers with what little Ive deprimed on it.

[fstreed]

OK, I did the JMORRIS mod to my little Lee press. It catches 80% of the primers now ... but ... there are still too many occasional fliers that end up all over the floor. I'm a little OCD and it bugs me to see primers on my floor so I need to revisit my options again.


I have been using that exact setup for decades. I enlarged the slot in the frame a bit and extended it down a little. The bottom of the slot is filed at a downward angle with a round file to help direct primers into the frame. The sides of the slot are chamfered to deflect any primers hitting there into the frame. The little Lee C-frame is bolted to a piece of hardwood board with a large hole in it making a cavity under the press, sized so that the press barely covers it. The hole goes all the way through the mounting board and gets covered with duck tape on the bottom. Then the board is clamped to the bench as needed. The hole holds hundreds if not a thousand or more spent primers. To empty, unclamp from bench, hold over trash can, and remove tape. Maybe one or two primers per thousand aren't caught and end up on the bench or floor. I can live with that.

[Walter Laich]

taking a right turn here:

I have a SDB and by removing 7 bolts the tool head and primer assembly comes off. I put an empty tool head, except for the decapping pin back on (of course I removed the reloading dies after removing the tool head. SDB uses special dies) Entire operation take less than 5 minutes if I'm slow

now I have a 'progressive' depriming machine. All I have to do it put the case in and pull the handle. No need to take anything out as the cases rotate with the shell plate and drop into the bin 3 pulls of the handle later.

I good 'attack' with the air compressor and it's all clean and ready to be put back into reloading press mode. Have not noticed any build-up of grit or whatever in or on the machine.

It is amazing how quickly I can deprime 100 cartridges though I usually do many more in a sitting. The cases go into a wet tumbler after this and once dried back through to get turned into loaded cartridges

[EDG]

I use a Lee hand decapping punch and base with an 8 oz. Deadblow hammer. The primers are knocked out using an aluminum base. The whole set up is easily transported and cases can be deprimed any where. In 50 years I have never broken the original hand punch.

[GhostHawk]

I use a Frankford Arsenal Hand depriming unit. Cases get citric acid washed, dried, primer pockets cleaned before going down to the reloading area.

Best of all, I can do it watching TV.

The FA unit has a clear plastic container that catch's primers. I dump them into a screw top jar when it starts getting full.

Midway has it for 32$
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1016298781/frankford-arsenal-platinum-series-hand-deprimer-tool