reloading problems yesterday

[JMtoolman]

I was sizing some 222 Remington yesterday, and discovered a couple of things that in 50 years of reloading that I have never seen before. The first problem was I lost a priming pin in a case. Odd thing to have happen! Bent the stem of the old RCBS decapper pin a bit. Upon shining a light into the Rem. case I could see not only the end of the primer punch but something else besides. Looked in the primer pocket { this was a deprimed case} and I could see a bit of what looked like a primer inside of the case. Used a punch through the hole and knocked out a spent primer! So I tried to get the decapping pin out of the case, no go. Wouldn't come out, even with a hemostat gripping the end of pin and still wouldn't come out. So I sacrificed the case and hacksawed the back of the case in two pieces. The primer punch was bent into a spiral, after hitting the primer and deflecting the punch to the side of the case it hit the inside of the wall and ran around the inside of the web! A bit later I had another case that wouldn't deprine. Upon looking inside of the case I could see something but couldn't tell what it was. Cut the case into two pieces and discovered a what looked like a 50 grain bullet nose down inside of the case. The primer punch had gone through the rear of the bullet and displaced the bullet jamming the bullet into the inside of the case, and it wasn't going to move. This time it didn't break the priming punch. These were cases I had purchased from another member, they must have been stored in a bag or something, and the primer and bullet managed to work there way into the cases. After a lifetime of reloading I thought I had seen it all, but that really wasn't true. The toolman.

[sigep1764]

You go through the rest of the cases peering inside to see what other treasures await you?

[fredj338]

I cant figure out how that even happened.

[redhawk0]

Makes me want to look at some of my 22-250 cases that I have purchased as "once fired" brass. I can see how these small caliber cases could easily hide "surprises" inside.

just a thought...maybe a quick "shake" would identify any foreign objects.

redhawk

[Thumbcocker]

Have had the same problem with RCBS dies. Not a fan of headless decapping pins. I always check the expander ball tightness on RCBS dies and put blue lock tight on the threads on t4eh expander ball. Very tight flash holes can be a problem. .223 brass from Guatemala was the culprit on one occasion.

[cwlongshot]

Ha strange things...

I once got a 25ACP case stuck to a pilot/depriming pin... managed to size a few cases with it stuck on there too!!

Just last night, re forming 6.5/06 cases I managed to fold and fold back a shoulder PERFECTLY only reducing the length of the neck...

CW

[MT Gianni]

I was with a friend that "lost" a depriming pin while reloading. I found it when I shot his contender and opened it. The pin was in the 7tcu case after I had fired it. Why it stayed there instead of shooting out has always been a mystery to me. I believe it was because most of the powder burn was above it but weird things can happen.

[Winger Ed.]

I've bent a few RCBS pins, usually on a Berdan primed case.
I went through enough, I scrounged the pins from old automotive U joint cups to keep from buying them.

[lightman]

I've broken pins because of pea gravel in the case. Add a cobweb or two and the pea gravel won't shake loose. When I reply to those threads about "best dies" I often mention the advantages of having the same brands. That gives you the option of swapping pins or rods and continuing to work vs being dead in the water. I also keep a few spare pins and even a rod on hand.

Foreign objects in a case are pretty common but a bullet is defiantly odd! I have had smaller cases nest in larger cases and even spent primers. The last time I broke a pin in my Lee Depriming die I bought 3 extras.

[popper]

2lr cases are the worst. I've pushed the pin completely though.

[Big Boomer]

Several years ago I began de-priming all my brass by hand using the Lee brand de-priming plunger with "unbreakable" pins (which are very breakable). Then began to use the de-priming pins that come with Lee sizing dies which are slightly smaller and allowed me to clean the brass in a vibratory tumbler with walnut media and got most of the primer pocket crud out. Then got into using stainless steel pins with water/citric acid/Dawn dish detergent and drum and still de-prime by hand. For me its the only way to go. When you place the de-priming shaft down into a case, you can feel whatever is in the case in the event of a small pebble, etc, in the case of rifle brass. Straight wall cases are seldom a problem. Big Boomer

[Lloyd Smale]

ive hit old primers in cases myself. It comes from tumbling. Sometimes a dead primer gets into the pile of decapped brass and dumped into the tumbler. Ive even had tired brass lose a primer in the tumbler.

[Lloyd Smale]

Several years ago I began de-priming all my brass by hand using the Lee brand de-priming plunger with "unbreakable" pins (which are very breakable). Then began to use the de-priming pins that come with Lee sizing dies which are slightly smaller and allowed me to clean the brass in a vibratory tumbler with walnut media and got most of the primer pocket crud out. Then got into using stainless steel pins with water/citric acid/Dawn dish detergent and drum and still de-prime by hand. For me its the only way to go. When you place the de-priming shaft down into a case, you can feel whatever is in the case in the event of a small pebble, etc, in the case of rifle brass. Straight wall cases are seldom a problem. Big Boomer

if you think lee pins are unbreakable you have loaded enough ammo on a progress press. Ive broke a few of them. All it takes is to tighten the nut up a bit to much and a old primer or an off center drilled primer hole or a shell plate that is a bit sloppy. Deprime all my brass in a separate operation? It might work for you but id rather be shooting then loading.

[Screwbolts]

What LS said, ^^^^^^ . don't need a progressive to break them just load enough.

Ken

[lightman]

I think nearly everyone has broken a pin or two. Whether you deprime and tumble separately or load on a progressive. If you have have not then you will, sooner or later. I've made pins from pop rivets and finishing mails in an emergency. I also keep a few spares on hand. Those sets of plastic drawers are a nice addition to a loading bench!

I get lots of brass from around gravel pits, dead end gravel roads and even a few ranges that get bits of gravel in them. I'm pretty much a slow and easy type of guy and usually can feel a berdan primer but not always. The bit of gravel seems to let the pin scoot by it to the side, thus inducing a side load that the pin is not up to handling.

I like the Lee universal depriming die but I run it with the collet tightened down more than recommended. I would rather chance breaking a pin than putting up with the aggravation of resetting the die.

[jmort]

I have been using
http://www.squirreldaddy.com/3-Heat-Treat-decapping-pin-upgrade-for-Lee-90783-p/sd24-112.htm
Big upgrade for the Lee Decapper

[BigAlofPa.]

I use the squirrel daddy pins too.

[cwlongshot]

I found and now use a MIGHTY MITE de priming die. I even broke a few of the LEE manual jobbers (hammer smack) too...

I mostly use it for crimped primers in 223/556 & 357SIG small flash holes.

I chuckle at UNBREAKABLE decaping pins claims. This mighty die carries same unbreakable claim... along with a spare decaping pin. :veryconfu:shock::bigsmyl2:

CW

[Green Frog]

Just recently I was doing my standard strategy of decapping and sizing a big batch of cases... this time a mixed batch of 32 S&W Longs from a variety of sources. I just got going good really when I started having cases "feel funny." It should have been enough to warn me but I kept going for another case or two, then it all went South on me. My Lyman TC die suddenly had a bent decapping pin. I thought I had it straightened out, but the next cartridge was enough to finish it off. Those little pins from Lyman are cheap have and come in packs of 5, 10 or more over the years, so I put in a fresh one and kept going, but if the main shaft of the decapping rod gets bent, it's best to replace it because pins start bending and breaking with regularity. :(

Froggie

[Hossfly]

I broke a RCBS headed pin last summer, made one that lasted 2 rounds. Bought 10 pack @ LGS haven’t broken one since. Got a good supply now.

[GregLaROCHE]

As I remember, the ones I had broke right off instead of bending. I now use the Lee universal déprimer. One of the Lee tools I really like. Works well for mil surplus cases.

[David2011]

This reminds me of something I encountered several years ago. I started having weak shots out of my competition pistol that uses .40 S&W ammunition. They weren't really squibs in the normal sense because there were no boolits left in the barrel but the shots were fairly quiet and lacking power and recoil. I load for that pistol on a Dillon 650.

Before you start telling me how dangerous and unreliable progressive presses are, read on!

I was having a lot of trouble determining the cause of the weak shots. The powder measure is very reliable and when tested it was continuing to drop exactly the charge I have settled on for USPSA Major power factor, using a very free flowing powder, one of those that "measures like water." As I continued to reload on a subsequent reloading session I saw something in a cartridge. I pulled it out of the press and saw a bug in the cartridge. I lived in an area where June "bugs" (more accurately June beetles; they're tan in color) were prolific in the spring. June bugs had bee crawling into empty cartridges that were sitting in the case loader between sessions. The decapping pin was punching through them and my 4.7 grains of very small particle sized powder still fit in the cases and did not set the powder alarm off. Apparently after seating the boolits the bugs stifled enough of the primer flame to barely ignite the powder but there was enough that the boolits cleared the barrel. Not enough impulse to cycle the action, though. I immediately quit leaving brass in the case feeder and the problem never happened again.

[Petrol & Powder]

I've bent a few RCBS pins, usually on a Berdan primed case.
I went through enough, I scrounged the pins from old automotive U joint cups to keep from buying them.

Now there's a good idea !

I never thought about needle bearings but they are hard steel and if you find the correct size you'll be set for life.

[GregLaROCHE]

Now there's a good idea !

I never thought about needle bearings but they are hard steel and if you find the correct size you'll be set for life.

Are they really that much harder than the normal pins? If so they need to start making the pins to the same hardness.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've broken pins because of pea gravel in the case. Add a cobweb or two and the pea gravel won't shake loose. When I reply to those threads about "best dies" I often mention the advantages of having the same brands. That gives you the option of swapping pins or rods and continuing to work vs being dead in the water. I also keep a few spare pins and even a rod on hand.

Foreign objects in a case are pretty common but a bullet is defiantly odd! I have had smaller cases nest in larger cases and even spent primers. The last time I broke a pin in my Lee Depriming die I bought 3 extras.

It seems that Spiders like to make 'egg nests' in range brass if it lays on the range for a while...at least at my range :shock:
I've found several in scrounged range pickups. 45acp mostly, but also found a nest in 243 once.

[robg]

Tumble polished 357 and 45-70 brass together big mistake couple of 357 case got stuck in the 45-70 cases ,hard to see them but they won't come out lost the brass .won't do that again !

[Chev. William]

Several Points:

RE: .357 stuck in a 45-70
A long shank 5/64" Pin Pinch may solve that problem by going in through the Flash Hole and GENTLY pushing the .357 case out.
Grainger Industrial Supply lists 8" long pin punches in their catalog.

RE: Decapping punches by Lee
I use the long type mostly but due to my making Wildcat cases from 5.7x28mm or .22Hornet Brass by swaging the Body Down to .278"-.276" outside diameter, the insides become to small for the Lee pin punch body to get deep enough without jamming in the Internal taper before the web.
So I machine/file/grind a taper and radius on the pin end of the punch body
to clear the inside taper of the formed cases.

RE: strange findings while decapping fired Brass
I have overtime found the following occurrences in purchased Once fired Brass;
- a .22 Spire point bullet inside a 5.7x28mm case with a unfired Primer, but no powder.
- a .22WMR case inside a 5.7x28mm case.
- Several .22LR or .22Long cases inside 5.7x28mm and .22Hornet cases.
- a .25ACP case stuck in the Neck of a .22Hornet case Rim facing out.
- Spent Primers inside cases with spent primers still in the Primer pockets.
- .25ACP case inside .32 Cases (three occurrences).
- .32 case with bullet and Powder and a fired primer!

Some strange things seem to be mixed in with 'sorted' Range brass purchases.
In a Lot of 1000 5.7x28mm once fired brass I found three 4.6x30mm cases, two .17 Winchester Magnum RF cases, a .17HMR case, and three .22LR cases along with 999 actual 5.7x28mm cases.
In another Lot of 1000 5.7x28mm once fired brass I found three 4.6x30mm cases, a 32S&W Long case, and two .17HMR cases mixed in with the intended Brass.
Interestingly enough, neither supplier of the Once fired Brass have ever noticed, nor found any more 4.6x30mm brass to sell me.

Chev. William

[HangFireW8]

I was with a friend that "lost" a depriming pin while reloading. I found it when I shot his contender and opened it. The pin was in the 7tcu case after I had fired it. Why it stayed there instead of shooting out has always been a mystery to me. I believe it was because most of the powder burn was above it but weird things can happen..
When investigating certain ballistic situations at APG, sometimes we would have to use an uninstrumented barrel and the old school copper crusher internal gages, a little bigger than a 35mm film canister.

I would mark and drop them in the propellant at various depths in a 105 or 120 and recover them at various distances, usually each one in the order of depth loaded.

One dropped in the bottom of the load would be waiting for me in the breech of the 120, or in the 105 case. Next one mid barrel and next would be sitting near the muzzle. I would find the next a few meters downrange, the next maybe on the beach. Or maybe not. Anything near the warhead was lost to the Bay.

[HangFireW8]

Back to the original topic, when I first started using a corn cob media tumbler, I started with strictly one cartridge batches. Then I did a few of mixed, and started running into "things in cases" issues.

The worst was a .224 FMJ lead base impaled on a depriming pin inside a .257RAI case. The primer pushed down far enough (how???) to hang up in the shell holder. At that point my RC was hung up top and bottom. I had to sacrifice one of my precious early Ackley formed cases and cut it apart to get things moving again.

After that, it was back to single batch, or at least compatible cases in the tumbler, plus a whole new emphasis on case inspection.

[lightman]

It seems that Spiders like to make 'egg nests' in range brass if it lays on the range for a while...at least at my range :shock:
I've found several in scrounged range pickups. 45acp mostly, but also found a nest in 243 once.

I have 1 place that I pick up brass thats really bad about this. Much worse than other places. It an abandoned gravel quary out in the middle of a huge pine forrest that mined and washed pea gravel. Most cases, even the new looking shiney ones will be housing a critter. I guess they make a nice water tite home?

I run a dental pick into most of these cases and twist it around before working on them. Or if the weather is nice enough I'll fire up the air compressor and blow them out.

And yeah, I guess we all have learned the lesson on what and what not to tumble together.