Lee universal deprimer die

[richhodg66]

I just broke the second one in a month, depriming some .357 Magnum brass (no, not Berdan, a batch I had deprimed on an RCBS sizer before without issue). I'm pretty open minded and have equipment from all the major manufacturers, but this is contributing to a growing opinion of mine that everything Lee makes is designed to be cheap and is simply junk.

Gonna mail these to them in the morning and tell them their dies are excrement. All the Lee fan boys can chime in, but you'll have a hard time convincing me otherwise.

I wanted to start doing decapping as a separate step to keep things neater and still like the idea. So, what DECENT manufacturer makes a universal type of decapper die? Any recommendations?

[JimB..]

What exactly are you breaking?

I have several RCBS and Lee universal decapping dies. The RCBS with the spring loaded pin is a disaster, the spring lasts about 30 sec and after that it’s not as good as if it just had a solid decapping pin. The Lee work well except that the pins tend to be too short and slip in the collet with crimped or corroded primer pockets. I usually set up 3 or 4 dies and just rotate through as I break pins, pins are cheap.

I will say that my biggest problem is with fiochi rifle brass, it seems that they work hard to get the flash holes off center.

[poppy42]

No words of wisdom here. I can say that I’ve de-capped someplace in the neighborhood of 100,000 cases (over 40,000 using a Lee universal de-capping die and my Lee APP press in the last year) over the years. The only time I’ve broken the pin was because of my own neglect. I’ve had 22rimfire brass stuck inside brass that I was trying to de-cap, or berdan primed, etc. I’ve never had it just break. I guess I’ve been lucky

[abunaitoo]

Only time I broke a pin was trying to deprime berdan case.
Not a big deal. The pin is easy to find.
I had a Lyman universal. Could not find a pin for it.

[toallmy]

Get the 5 pack of squirrel daddy replacement pins for the lee die you will be good for years .

[2A-Jay]

I gave up decaping on my presses. I bought an FA Universal Decapping tool. I don't have any brass with Crimped primers any more. I have Lee, RCBS and Hornady Dies I don't have the Decapping Pins removed.

[Sasquatch-1]

I gave up decaping on my presses. I bought an FA Universal Decapping tool. I don't have any brass with Crimped primers any more. I have Lee, RCBS and Hornady Dies I don't have the Decapping Pins removed.

+1 on the Frankford tool. I have the Lee die and the only problem was the aforementioned pin slippage.

The Frankford tool has it's problems. When using it I have to keep a pair of Pliers handy. Some brass likes to stick. S&B seems to be the worst. I think it has to do with the size of the flash hole.

[jetinteriorguy]

I’ve been using mine for ten years+ and have broken/bent a total of three pins. Two were on Brendan primed cases, and the third I just didn’t have the case centered in the shell holder. Not necessarily a fanboy by any means, just my experience. I ordered six replacement pins to make the shipping cost worthwhile, three of them are still unused.

[jim147]

I have the Lee tool sitting beside me in a Lee hand press and I can't figure out how you broke two of them.

[MUSTANG]

Seems I break a Lee De-Priming pin on average every 3 years. Last time was Monday this week. Historically it is a Berdan primed European Case that sneaks into the "Range Pick Up" .308/7.62x51 brass. The one Monday was a "BOXER primed case from Europe. The flash hole was too small, I had deprimed probably about 15 of the same case manufacture - more resistance than other headstamps, but this one bent the Lee Depriming Pin.

Ten years ago I did what TOALLMY recommended in post #5 above and bought multiple decapping pins for the Lee Decapping Die. I am now down to one spare.

[jessdigs]

+1 on the squirrel daddy hardened pins. I bought a 3 pack 6 years ago and am still on the first one, after breaking several OEM pins decappng old crimped 5.56 brass. They sell them on Amazon

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[1hole]

I have the Lee tool sitting beside me in a Lee hand press and I can't figure out how you broke two of them.

Broke TWO?! Neither can I.

Lee's decapper is the most durable available, anyone who doesn't like it sure won't like the others.

No matter what tools we use, a little attention and finger finise goes a long way; slam-bang operators often have equipment troubles.

[high standard 40]

I bought a Lee Universal depriming die several years ago and bought two extra pins for it at the same time, expecting to need them at some point. I still have the spares. Never needed one. And I've processed many thousands of cases. I am not a huge advocate of Lee products as a whole, but I do see value in some of their items, of which I have several.
Are you using this die in a single stage press or a progressive? I'm trying to understand why you're having this problem.

[pertnear]

The best Universal Decapping Die is made my Mighty Armory. One of the best reloading items I ever bought.

MIGHTY ARMORY (https://www.mightyarmory.com/products/copy-of-the-magnum-100-universal-decapping-die-for-all-presses)

[JohnFreeman]

I've recently had the pleasure of finding a brass .223 case that's Berdan primed. I've learned not to force things when it hangs up so I didn't break a decapping pin, but I sure have in the past.

[tunnug]

Been reloading since the early '80s, anytime I've broken anything it's been because of something I did or didn't do, either way it was my fault, I own ALL brands and have never found them at fault.

[richhodg66]

Broke TWO?! Neither can I.

Lee's decapper is the most durable available, anyone who doesn't like it sure won't like the others.

No matter what tools we use, a little attention and finger finise goes a long way; slam-bang operators often have equipment troubles.

Standard .357 cases, no berdan or crimped primers. Press is a Forster Co-ax.

Just basically have come to the conclusion I should have a long time ago; Lee=crap.

I did see the squirrel daddy replacement pins, hopefully they're constructed of something better than the chewing gum Lee uses. Cheap enough that I'll give them a try once.

[richhodg66]

Broke TWO?! Neither can I.

Lee's decapper is the most durable available, anyone who doesn't like it sure won't like the others.

No matter what tools we use, a little attention and finger finise goes a long way; slam-bang operators often have equipment troubles.

I've been reloading 35+ years, not a slam bang guy and can count the number of decapping pins I've broken in other dies over the years on the fingers of one hand, you know, the kinds that are designed to easily replace and don't claim to be "unbreakable".

You Lee fan boys say what you will, but anything that sets out to be the cheapest, usually is junk and Richard Lee seems to have made a career on it.

[richhodg66]

The best Universal Decapping Die is made my Mighty Armory. One of the best reloading items I ever bought.

MIGHTY ARMORY (https://www.mightyarmory.com/products/copy-of-the-magnum-100-universal-decapping-die-for-all-presses)

Costs more than twice what the Lee does, but considering you can onlt get maybe ten or twelve cases done before the Lee dies, likely well worth it. I'll be ordering one of these.

[Finster101]

You do know if you send them to Lee they will replace them, right?

[richhodg66]

You do know if you send them to Lee they will replace them, right?

So the can replace crap with more crap? No thanks.

[richhodg66]

The best Universal Decapping Die is made my Mighty Armory. One of the best reloading items I ever bought.

MIGHTY ARMORY (https://www.mightyarmory.com/products/copy-of-the-magnum-100-universal-decapping-die-for-all-presses)

Just ordered one of these. The Lee ones should make decent bank sinkers for catfish, assuming they don't bend or break when they hit the water.

[Electrod47]

If it weren't for Richard Lee's "affordability" linked with ease of use going back to 1977. I for one would probably have never attempted reloading.
I'm still using many of those same items. And yea I have bought the five pack replacement pins. It has never bothered me.

[1hole]

Nothing about reloading is complicated, if it was there would be far less of it. IF we pay attention to what we're doing we can usually detect developing problems before things break. Tim Taylor's "apply more power" is rarely the best plan.

A lot of things can break decap pins and prevent proper primer ejection. Sometimes a foreign object is in the case, sometimes the flash hole is way off center, sometimes the case isn't fully into the shell holder, etc. Whatever, if something is stopping the pin, pushing down harder is never the answer. (We can't rightly blame a tool maker if we don't use his tools correctly! :))

My young friend's excellent Lee Universal Decapper die has a steel body, a steel collet (which centers the stem very well), a sturdy steel stem and a small steel punch pin; snarky implications aside, nothing about it will easily melt, bend or break.

Lee's primer punch pins are heat treated needle bearings about .050" diameter; they're extremely strong for that small size. The small size is required by their intended use, not Richard Lee, and using another brand of decap pin (at any price, including "Mighty Armor") won't change that.

Is Lee's Universal die "unbreakable"? Well, obviously not. Fact is, nothing is unbreakable to a sufficiently determined bad user is it? But, IMHO, Lee's decap die is about as unbreakable as a small mechanical device can be.

The increased effort required to continue pushing a press lever down when something is wrong is all the feedback a user is ever going to get from such simple devices, we ignore it at our peril! So, "Pay attention to what you're doing!" is all anyone can say to prevent repeatedly broken parts.

[rustyshooter]

Just ordered one of these. The Lee ones should make decent bank sinkers for catfish, assuming they don't bend or break when they hit the water.

This is the last time you will ever have a convo about broken de-prime pins. Good choice. I too deprime offline. Mostly because Dad said to in 1965 and I’ve done it ever since. And he said to because he was of the opinion there’s nothing worse than dirty primer pockets. Not sure why he was of that opinion but he was a forward observer in Patton’s army and made it home. So if it was good enough for Dad……..oh and yes I also agree. Lee=crap

[Tar Heel]

I use the Lee to decap all my black powder cases prior to soap and water bath. Been using it for 15 years. No problems. There may be something going on with your alignment of the case or you may have the die in too far.

[richhodg66]

Nothing about reloading is complicated, if it was there would be far less of it. IF we pay attention to what we're doing we can usually detect developing problems before things break. Tim Taylor's "apply more power" is rarely the best plan.

A lot of things can break decap pins and prevent proper primer ejection. Sometimes a foreign object is in the case, sometimes the flash hole is way off center, sometimes the case isn't fully into the shell holder, etc. Whatever, if something is stopping the pin, pushing down harder is never the answer. (We can't rightly blame a tool maker if we don't use his tools correctly! :))

My young friend's excellent Lee Universal Decapper die has a steel body, a steel collet (which centers the stem very well), a sturdy steel stem and a small steel punch pin; snarky implications aside, nothing about it will easily melt, bend or break.

Lee's primer punch pins are heat treated needle bearings about .050" diameter; they're extremely strong for that small size. The small size is required by their intended use, not Richard Lee, and using another brand of decap pin (at any price, including "Mighty Armor") won't change that.

Is Lee's Universal die "unbreakable"? Well, obviously not. Fact is, nothing is unbreakable to a sufficiently determined bad user is it? But, IMHO, Lee's decap die is about as unbreakable as a small mechanical device can be.

The increased effort required to continue pushing a press lever down when something is wrong is all the feedback a user is ever going to get from such simple devices, we ignore it at our peril! So, "Pay attention to what you're doing!" is all anyone can say to prevent repeatedly broken parts.

OK, I took the case that cork screwed that Lee decapper and deprimed it with a punch which only took a light tap. Any lighter and I guessed I could have used hand pressure . I am most definitely not Tim Taylor and have more reloading experience than many if not most on here.

Funny how the Lee fan boys just won't take the blatant fact that that product and most of Lee's stuff is the big ol' PAPA-SIERRA-OSCAR. Had more problems with their stuff, despite that fact that more of my stuff is RCBS, than I ever did with anybody else's.

[BigAlofPa.]

I also endorse using the squirrel daddy replacement pins.

[444ttd]

squirrel daddy fer me!!!!!!!

[1hole]

Funny how the Lee fan boys just won't take the blatant fact that that product and most of Lee's stuff is the big ol' PAPA-SIERRA-OSCAR. Had more problems with their stuff, despite that fact that more of my stuff is RCBS, than I ever did with anybody else's.

Your "problems" aside, what I find funny is how many "Lee fan boys" get good to excellent results, and have for so long, but a rabid few folk fail to find anything good about Lee at all.

Fact is, Lee's tools sell quite well and have done so for about 50 years. Are we all just too dumb to know our results are lying to us? ;)

I've been reloading for everything that goes BANG! since 1965. I've acquired tools and dies of many brands, several of which have long vanished from the market. I've not found that any brand makes "***" junk. And, after making chamber casts in about forty FL sizer dies, I've proven to myself that there is as much difference between individual dies of the same brand as there is between brands. Seems they all make dies to SAAMI specifications.

Lee's dies do not bend or break and those who bend or break Lee's decapper stems and pins need to figure out what they're doing wrong.

Bottom line; brand snobbery is not pretty. Not all makers aim at the same market niche and that matters. I don't believe any brand makes junk tools. But I do believe some people could damage an anvil with a spoon so they NEED lifetime warranties against tool abuse!

[JimB..]

OK, I took the case that cork screwed that Lee decapper and deprimed it with a punch which only took a light tap. Any lighter and I guessed I could have used hand pressure . I am most definitely not Tim Taylor and have more reloading experience than many if not most on here.

Funny how the Lee fan boys just won't take the blatant fact that that product and most of Lee's stuff is the big ol' PAPA-SIERRA-OSCAR. Had more problems with their stuff, despite that fact that more of my stuff is RCBS, than I ever did with anybody else's.

I prefer RCBS pistol dies over Lee, but I do generally prefer the Lee universal decapping die. I threw away a Lee progressive press, but then I threw out an RCBS progressive as well. Have a lee single stage, also a coax which I prefer. Sold my Hornady ammo plant, went to Dillon 650s, but still prefer the Hornady powder measure.

For all your bashing of “Lee fan boys” you seem to be the most brand biased person in the thread.

If your Lee decapping die is trash please shoot me a PM and I’ll be happy to give it a new home.

[jim147]

I have had one problem with a Lee product ever. It was MY fault.

Yeah I'll take that junk if you are just going to throw it away. I know how to make it work.

I still have the spare pin for my Lee decapper sitting here and I might sit down in an evening and do 500-600 rounds watching tv and reading on here.

[remy3424]

Seems rich is the issue in the equation, not the tool he loves to hate. Why even post that? Bought the Lee over a decage ago and a spare rod...still using the original. Mine lives in a Lee hand press. I decap everything with it prior to cleaning....have 755 empties waiting for me after last weekend's prairie dawg shoot.

[rbuck351]

Well, I have the same problem trying to use a lee universal decapper on a CO-AX press. The small diamieter of the punch does not center the pin the case under the pin. CO-AX shell holder moves left or right to line up with the die that can move front or back. This requires a die that centers the case before the primer pin gets to the bottom of the case or you are trying to punch a hole beside the primer and bingo, broken pin or bent shaft. I broke two on the first two cases I tried to deprime on my CO-AX. Also the CO-AX has a lot of push using the long handle and it doesn't take a lot of hand pressure to mash something if it isn't lined up.

Any way, the Lee decapper and the CO-AX don't mix well. You can make it work by carefully lowering the die onto the case and wiggling it until you feel it enter the flash hole but it's more trouble than it's worth. It's just a lot easier and faster to use the proper depriming die for case you're depriming.

I broke two and Lee's web site said they would only send one free + $5 IIRC for shipping. I figured I could make them cheaper and maybe even better. I used military 5.56 cleaning rods ( perfect dia) cut to length and universal joint pins in both ends. If I break one I just flip it over and keep going.

I wouldn't call the Lee universal decapper junk but it does not work well on a CO-AX.

[frkelly74]

So , To chime in here, I have broken my lee deprime tool. I have also broken my RCBS deprime stem from my 06 dies, and have bent a Lyman deprime stem. When something breaks I usually just fix it or replace it and consider it all part of the adventure and try to not do it again. Usually this approach is satisfactory for me. Things do happen and they always will.

The Lyman and RCBS are made to be easy to repair, Just unscrew the parts and put in new ones. I have a supply of pins for both, Which I find is the best insurance against breakage. If you have a spare, you don't break the part it seems. The Lee Pin is still easily replaceable. I have also repaired my original stem. Take the stem and heat it up with the stem pointed in a safe direction. The broken pin will be ejected from the stem with a loud pop and go flying, hopefully in a safe direction. It will have some force and could be a formidable projectile and do damage, be careful. I then super glued a small drill bit shank into the hole and shorten it to suit and then round the end a bit. It is working. I have had this work on two lee deprime stems, one from the die and one wack a mole deprimer. I have had it fail once also. So I am 2 out of 3 for success this way.

[bedbugbilly]

Well . . . I guess I'm just another Lee fan boy cuz my Lee universal de-priming die has been in use for probably 20 years - still has the original pin and has de-primed xii of my brass to the tune of thousands and thousands of a wide variety of casings - has been so good that I added one for my bench in AZ an, it too, has performed the same way on thousands of de-primings - guess I'm just lucky to own a good piece of "crap" ?


Boils down to a pretty simple pot of stew though . . . ANY brand of reloading piece of equipment or tool can have issues . . . .

OP - I certainly hope your new de-priming tool doesn't cause you any issues. I'm curious though . . . did you ever have a car that had issues or gave you problems . . . and if so . . . was that make of car "crap" too? You have made it very clear that you think all Lee products are "crap" . . . . seems pretty simple solution "for you" is to just not buy any Lee product. BUT . . . . to be fair to Lee . . . I don't see any clear description by you . . . nor any photos . . . of exactly what happened . . . no photo of breakage . . . pretty much nothing.

[pertnear]

I've broke, bent, stuck & lost my share of decapping pin in my life. But not since I bought the Mighty Armory Universal die. They even have a pin that fits PPC brass diameter. You would think all the current die makers would be researching & improving their products. There is a lesson here for them, but I guess they'd rather spend a fraction of a penny on a pin & sell you a packet (or more Lee rods).
285434

BTW: I've actually come across several cases with the flash-hole so off center my M.A. decapper just punched a new hole - with ease. I'm still on the original pin. The universal decapper occasionally goes on sale with $10 off.

[mrmachinist]

I’ve broken one in about 15 years. I like lee stuff but there are better Mfg out there but for budget reloading tools they can’t be beat.


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[Valley-Shooter]

The best Universal Decapping Die is made my Mighty Armory. One of the best reloading items I ever bought.

MIGHTY ARMORY (https://www.mightyarmory.com/products/copy-of-the-magnum-100-universal-decapping-die-for-all-presses)That's the one I use. It replaced the Lee.
Thousands of 9mm have been decapped.

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[Conditor22]

The lee decapping pin is designed to move if you hit something hard unless it is sinched in too tight.

I've broken my share of decapping pins and it's usually my fault (brass not fully seated in the shell holder, small case, or junk in the case) or Berdan brass.

I save broken lee stuff and mail it back for a free replacement. (you can order free replacement parts online but have to pay for shipping and handling)

[mrmachinist]

Remember from a metallurgical standpoint that is a hard thing to make. very small and if it’s too soft it deforms, too hard and it snaps. Keep a spare on hand and don’t worry about it.


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[jetinteriorguy]

Well, I have the same problem trying to use a lee universal decapper on a CO-AX press. The small diamieter of the punch does not center the pin the case under the pin. CO-AX shell holder moves left or right to line up with the die that can move front or back. This requires a die that centers the case before the primer pin gets to the bottom of the case or you are trying to punch a hole beside the primer and bingo, broken pin or bent shaft. I broke two on the first two cases I tried to deprime on my CO-AX. Also the CO-AX has a lot of push using the long handle and it doesn't take a lot of hand pressure to mash something if it isn't lined up.

Any way, the Lee decapper and the CO-AX don't mix well. You can make it work by carefully lowering the die onto the case and wiggling it until you feel it enter the flash hole but it's more trouble than it's worth. It's just a lot easier and faster to use the proper depriming die for case you're depriming.

I broke two and Lee's web site said they would only send one free + $5 IIRC for shipping. I figured I could make them cheaper and maybe even better. I used military 5.56 cleaning rods ( perfect dia) cut to length and universal joint pins in both ends. If I break one I just flip it over and keep going.

I wouldn't call the Lee universal decapper junk but it does not work well on a CO-AX.
This is exactly the OP’s problem. I can always tell if my case isn’t lined up properly so the pin is hitting the primer, not the case base. If you can’t feel this your way too heavy handed, but this is also easy to remedy, don’t have the slip nut torqued down so tight that it won’t slip if you hit too much resistance. I mean, this thing is literally designed not to break when used properly.

[jim147]

I don't have a CO-AX so no way to test the difference. I run the Lee hand press between my knees at a 30-45 degree angle, depending on how much tv or internet I'm doing. It has never had a problem hitting the flash hole.

Does anyone have both to compare?

[tdoor4570]

I have both RCBS and Lee deprimer dies and have been using the for an excess of 10 years. only bent 1 deprimer rod on a federal 357 brass with an offcenter hole. I have extra rods and pins for both if I need them.

[rbuck351]

I have several presses and all that use a fixed die and a fixed shell holder work fine with the Lee universal decapper. With the CO-AX the dies and the shell holder both float and there is nothing in the Lee decapper to center the case under the deprimer pin so if you use it on a CO-AX, the only way to be sure it centers is to move the case and die around until it lines up with the flash hole. I quit using the Lee decapper on my CO-AX and use the proper die for that case and use the Lee in one of my other presses.

But yes, I broke two in two trys on the CO-AX before I decided that something was wrong. I set the Lee decapper fairly tight as I sometimes deprime crimped in primers and I tighten them until they won't slip on a crimped primer. Now that I make my own shaft and use ujoint pins, I don't care if I pop one now and then.

I'm not a Lee basher but Lee has made some stuff that I wouldn't recommend to anyone. I don't think the universal decapper is one of the bad things.

[JimB..]

Well, I have the same problem trying to use a lee universal decapper on a CO-AX press. The small diamieter of the punch does not center the pin the case under the pin. CO-AX shell holder moves left or right to line up with the die that can move front or back. This requires a die that centers the case before the primer pin gets to the bottom of the case or you are trying to punch a hole beside the primer and bingo, broken pin or bent shaft. I broke two on the first two cases I tried to deprime on my CO-AX. Also the CO-AX has a lot of push using the long handle and it doesn't take a lot of hand pressure to mash something if it isn't lined up.

Any way, the Lee decapper and the CO-AX don't mix well. You can make it work by carefully lowering the die onto the case and wiggling it until you feel it enter the flash hole but it's more trouble than it's worth. It's just a lot easier and faster to use the proper depriming die for case you're depriming.

I broke two and Lee's web site said they would only send one free + $5 IIRC for shipping. I figured I could make them cheaper and maybe even better. I used military 5.56 cleaning rods ( perfect dia) cut to length and universal joint pins in both ends. If I break one I just flip it over and keep going.

I wouldn't call the Lee universal decapper junk but it does not work well on a CO-AX.

Thanks, I never thought of this! I’ve just accepted that the pins bend and break, now I need to try another press.

[1hole]

Thanks, I never thought of this! I’ve just accepted that the pins bend and break, now I need to try another press.

You can't do better for that than a little Lee "Reloader" press dedicated to the Universal Decapper die.

The question isn't - or shouldn't be - does any maker make junk because they don't. The right question is, "Does any maker have a better product for some tasks than others?" The answer to that is, "Yes". Most of the time it doesn't matter what color something is because most tools are not automatically any better than the others.

Off hand, I can't remember any brand that has dropped more presses than RCBS. That doesn't mean RCBS' presses are junk, it simply means a lot of things aren't as good as the makers hoped.

The childish bashing of all things Lee as "junk" gets old after a few decades.

[sparky45]

CONDITOR 22 has the correct response/answer. You CAN'T break the pin if you have the die properly adjusted. The stem of the pin simply moves backwards into the die.

[TheDoctor]

The best Universal Decapping Die is made my Mighty Armory. One of the best reloading items I ever bought.

MIGHTY ARMORY (https://www.mightyarmory.com/products/copy-of-the-magnum-100-universal-decapping-die-for-all-presses)

Yeah buddy! I've accidentally made flash holes in berdan brass with my Blue.

[richhodg66]

I just got the Mighty Armory one in yesterday, excellent looking tool, well worth the extra money over the Lee crap.

Like they say; "buy once, cry once".

[remy3424]

I am confident you can manage to break this one also...switch press you decap on...guessing we won't hear about you new breaking since it isn't Lee.

[Liberty1776]

I went to a separate depriming step for a couple of reasons:

1. I wet tumble with stainless steel media pins, and beside the primer pockets being cleaned, the brass drains and dries faster if deprimed

2. I experienced several primers being pushed out by the sizer die in my Dillon, pinching onto the depriming pin, and then pulled back into the case. This led to dud rounds. I blamed the primer, but later realized I literally reinstalled a dead primer.

So, I deprime all my brass as a first step.

I use two methods to deprime:

1. The Frankford Armory hand deprimer, if I feel like sitting in front of the TV to deprime, or

2. The Lee Universal Deprime die in a little alloy open front Lee press I got from a guy clearing out his garage. Can't count the number of cases it has deprimed. Tens of thousands.

I've broken two pins, both due to me forcing them into an obstruction. I've learned that if it's not working easily, something is wrong.

Usually, there's a small rock in the shell. Other times it's a Berdan case. Once in a while, it's an undersized primer hole or a crimped primer that is in there really, really tight.

No given brass case is worth breaking a pin. If they don't cooperate, scrap them. They'll probably give you problems down the road anyway. Toss 'em.

By the way, I've never actually broken a Lee pin. They bend into a hook. I tried to straighten one once. Didn't work.

They are tools, with limits.

Reminds me of my kid brother, who once jammed a shovel into the ground to the hilt to start digging a hole, then pushed down on the handle with all his might, trying to pull all that compacted dirt up in one go. The handle snapped off the blade. He blamed the shovel. "Stupid cheap shovel!"

The problem was not with the shovel. I welded the blade back onto the handle and used that shovel for the next 50 years.

In reloading, the machines and tools will tell you if they're working right. Every time I force something, I smash a shell, mis-seat a bullet, try to smash a large primer into a small-primer .45 shell...or bend a depriming pin.

I've learned I cannot deprime through a pebble, regardless of brand.

[powwowell]

I just have to respond to the OP. It is a misstatement to call all of the Lee lineup of reloading equipment junk, crap, or any other derogatory term. He is just ranting. Have done it myself, at times.

If it were not for Lee, I never would have gotten into reloading. Lee was the only way I could afford it. Flash forward to today I have two presses on my bench . . . a Lee Classic Turret and a Dillon Square Deal B. The Lee Classic is the ONLY press that I deprime with. Over the years I have bent exactly 1 (one) pin in the Lee Universal die. A .38 Special case that was not fully inserted into the shell holder.

[Rich/WIS]

Have used the Lee for 20+ years with no problems, but in almost 50 tears of reloading have broken/bent decappers in RCBS and Lyman. Nothing lasts forever and I see occasionally replacing pins as a part of life.

[jetinteriorguy]

I just got the Mighty Armory one in yesterday, excellent looking tool, well worth the extra money over the Lee crap.

Like they say; "buy once, cry once".

I find it pretty interesting you’re pretty much the only one in this whole thread which you started who is complaining about the ‘Lee crap’, especially about your issues with the universal decapping die. And most likely the problem is with the tools your using it with, not the die itself.

[QuackAttack24]

Nothing about reloading is complicated, if it was there would be far less of it. IF we pay attention to what we're doing we can usually detect developing problems before things break. Tim Taylor's "apply more power" is rarely the best plan.

A lot of things can break decap pins and prevent proper primer ejection. Sometimes a foreign object is in the case, sometimes the flash hole is way off center, sometimes the case isn't fully into the shell holder, etc. Whatever, if something is stopping the pin, pushing down harder is never the answer. (We can't rightly blame a tool maker if we don't use his tools correctly! :))

My young friend's excellent Lee Universal Decapper die has a steel body, a steel collet (which centers the stem very well), a sturdy steel stem and a small steel punch pin; snarky implications aside, nothing about it will easily melt, bend or break.

Lee's primer punch pins are heat treated needle bearings about .050" diameter; they're extremely strong for that small size. The small size is required by their intended use, not Richard Lee, and using another brand of decap pin (at any price, including "Mighty Armor") won't change that.

Is Lee's Universal die "unbreakable"? Well, obviously not. Fact is, nothing is unbreakable to a sufficiently determined bad user is it? But, IMHO, Lee's decap die is about as unbreakable as a small mechanical device can be.

The increased effort required to continue pushing a press lever down when something is wrong is all the feedback a user is ever going to get from such simple devices, we ignore it at our peril! So, "Pay attention to what you're doing!" is all anyone can say to prevent repeatedly broken parts.

^This is a well worded version of how I was about to respond. I've broken a few de-priming pins, but it's ALWAYS when the ram goes "clunk" and I keep pushing harder. I don't do that any more. Happened again to me yesterday. I was de-priming .44 cases and there was a 9mm case hiding in the bottom of it. It's best to stop at stop signs!

[lightman]

I've been using a Lee Universal Depriming die for a few years. I've only broken one pin and like Liberty1776 said, there was a small rock in the case. I've also broken pins in Lyman and RCBS dies. But I use a Rockchucker press and not the Co-Ax with the floating die and universal shell holder.

For the record, I was not impressed with Lee's customer service and just ordered a few extra pins from Midway. And I make it a point to do a better job of looking in the cases that I'm working on.

The Mighty Armory die looks good and gets good reviews.

[1hole]

Just a thought about those who sneer at all things Lee: Lee's a handy excuse for the failures of people who can repeatedly destroy boat anchors with a pocket knife. After all, every smart reloader knows Lee stuff doesn't work, right??? ;)

[Soundguy]

No words of wisdom here. I can say that I’ve de-capped someplace in the neighborhood of 100,000 cases (over 40,000 using a Lee universal de-capping die and my Lee APP press in the last year) over the years. The only time I’ve broken the pin was because of my own neglect. I’ve had 22rimfire brass stuck inside brass that I was trying to de-cap, or berdan primed, etc. I’ve never had it just break. I guess I’ve been lucky

Agreed... I've decapped enough where I had 'buckets' of spent primers... I've bent exactly 1 decap stem ( rcbs ), and broke a pin ( rcbs ), and made the collet type decap stems slip a few times ( LEE ). Thousands and thousands of rounds....

Interestingly enough most of the issues were hornady brass... small prime holes and off center. plus one sneaky berdan.

[725]

To continue to carry on in the exercise of beating a dead horse, some like Lee and some don't. I like Lee. Use it the way the instruction tell you to and you'll be fine. Stuff happens (like Bredan cases), get over it. In the EOD community, we live by the maxim, "Don't force it." Should apply here as well. Don't like Lee, don't use it. Think it's junk, say so. We who do like it will continue to use it and say so, too.

[farmbif]

ive busted up stems, mostly on 308 berdan shells, but my lee decapper is still going strong after countless 1000's of crimped primers. after busting up a Hornady stem real good learned to look at each case careful and put berdan stuff in the scrap bin.

[mdi]

No offense intended nor trying to be snarky, but what's the purpose of your badmouthing Lee Universal Decapping dies? Are you "warning" us ignert reloaders of Lee's "junk"? (FWIW; I have been buying Lee dies since '77 and have had only one problem, a 45 ACP expanding plug that is too short). I normally allow Lee Haters to spew their vitriol, and chalk it up as ignorance (my very first reloading tool, in 1969, was a Lee Loader and I only reload 12 cartridges, with many of my die sets are Lee including a Universal Decapping die which I don't use a lot anymore because my standard Lee sizing/decapping dies work quite well, 80% of my molds are Lee, I have one unknown maker case trimmer but 6 Lee kits and a few more Lee tools that have worked quite well for many years. Perhaps the 22+ orders I have purchased of Lee tools I just got lucky or with my background I just know how to use tools(lifelong machinist/mechanic) and read instructions. The only Lee tools I have broken were my fault, I either did something stupid or had an accident (a small steel box fell from a shelf 4' above my bench and landed on my Lee Bench Prime and chipped the edge of the shell holder slot). I have read complaints from Lee Haters and tried to duplicate the problem but more times than I remember, I could not without purposely abusing the tool...

I rarely try to educate Lee Haters anymore (I dealt with "Tool Snobs" for 25 years in Heavy Equipment/Construction Equipment repair shops and learned it's like wrestling with a pig...) and I'll probably drop out of this thread and may not read anymore replies, but that's just my experience with Lee tools and I try to keep an open mind...

[MSUICEMAN]

have used my lee universal decapper for roughly 5k rounds (pistol get deprimed during sizing), never a problem. maybe i got lucky?

[Sam Sackett]

Yep. I have both the Lee and RCBS universal decappers. They both work as long as I set them up right. The RCBS is a pain in the butt to get the pin centered, but once you do it works well. I have a love hate relationship with the Lee design. I love the fact that the knockout pin will slide up and not break when it hits an obstruction (berdan primer or 22 casing) inside the case. But at the same time I hate that feature when it slips on a crimped primer.
I have other Lee stuff and don’t see where it’s better or worse than any other brand. I don’t know of any other brand that lets you go online and order replacement parts and only pay the shipping.

For what it’s worth,
Sam Sackett

[1hole]

I don’t know of any other brand that lets you go online and order replacement parts and only pay the shipping.

Roger that.

I suspect Lee makes us pay postage to help keep us honest and not claim more parts than are justified.

[engineer401]

I purchased the Lee die with two extra decapping pins. I haven't needed them yet. It seems to throw the primers in a few more directions than one I made from extra CH parts. I solved the errant primers problem using a classic cast press with the primer slot filled with a piece of plastic for decapping and sizing powder coated bullets.

[1hole]

Perhaps the 22+ orders I have purchased of Lee tools I just got lucky or with my background I just know how to use tools(lifelong machinist/mechanic) and read instructions. The only Lee tools I have broken were my fault, I either did something stupid or had an accident ..

Well said.

Nothing is fool proof to a sufficently talented fool!

[softwarejanitor]

I just broke the second one in a month, depriming some .357 Magnum brass (no, not Berdan, a batch I had deprimed on an RCBS sizer before without issue). I'm pretty open minded and have equipment from all the major manufacturers, but this is contributing to a growing opinion of mine that everything Lee makes is designed to be cheap and is simply junk.

Gonna mail these to them in the morning and tell them their dies are excrement. All the Lee fan boys can chime in, but you'll have a hard time convincing me otherwise.

I wanted to start doing decapping as a separate step to keep things neater and still like the idea. So, what DECENT manufacturer makes a universal type of decapper die? Any recommendations?

I have broken one pin in my Lee Universal Decapping Die in 20 years, so I know it can happen. I bought the Lee die after having run out of RCBS decapping pins after having gone through a couple of either the 3 or 5 packs of them. Sooo... I still think that the Lee product is good for what it is. In the case of the one I broke it was on a Berdan case or maybe an A-Merc which are often either drilled undersized or sometimes badly off center. The replacement pin for the Lee die was still cheaper than replacing the RCBS pins all the time.

[Ed_Shot]

My Universal Decapper is a spare Lyman M Die body with the decapping rod out of an old Lyman AA 38/357 sizing die. Works perfect and cost nothing. I use it mainly for 300 BO and 5.56.

[Alferd Packer]

LEE tools and all the other manufacturers tools were designed and made for human use ,not automated factory machines.
I would hope these people that do 20 thousand per batch will just have a machine shop make them a primer punch that can stand up to long hours punching out fired primers from shells that
sometimes have the flash hole off center which runs the punch pin into the web of the shell breaking or bending the pin.
These people as a factory business need their own thread to post to.
I reload to be able to shoot more and the affordability of the LEE tools has also kept the other
makers to keep their prices lower to be competitive.
Complaints from a high volume factory about a tool not standing up is not a fair evaluation.
Quality control is seemingly nonexistent today so when a tool from LEE or Hornady or RCBS fails right out of the box or soon after being put to use requires some talk to the manufacturer and then see what happens.
Every gun you buy says warranty nullified by use of reloads.
That's our own Quality Control.
I think I respect the reputations of the American companies that are trying to satisfy the Shooters and reloaders.
Just because a decapping pin breaks is not a good reason to say a company makes junk.

[Alferd Packer]

Another thing.
A broken decapping pin is the fault of the operator.
I started manually recapping all my shells several years ago and still do.
Sometimes I mislay or lose my decapping rod.
So I get a few ten penny nails and I start chucking them in my little Eimco lathe and turn down the nail end for a half inch to put a decapping pin on the nail.
Just fun for me and because I can.
The pins aren't hardened, but they hold up and i sometimes bend a pin in a Berdan range pickup, I can easily straighten the pin with pliers and keep going.
I always seek to 'feel' the primer hole before striking, but sometimes the Berdan inside hole gives you a false reading, then the pin is bent.
But ,no worries, it will sometimes never get bent or will survive five or six straightenings.
And I always make a couple at a time.
I have also turned 5/16
inch alloy steel screws and bolts.
The LEE decapping pin I have never broken despite hitting the occasional berdan primed shell.
I am always careful to use a lite tap when decapping shells.

Some military primers are crimped in and require a couple taps, but then you know and can set them aside for reaming the primer pocket.
After I deprime, I take a second to run the decapping pin into the pocket and clean out the ash.
Easy to do.

.

[358429]

I broke the decapping pin in the lee 357-38 die last year. I ordered another one. I totally got the money's worth out of that. I think that run was 20000? 30000?

In the time it took to break one 38/357 Lee de capping pin I have worn out two revolvers...

Many pounds of h110 and 2400 and unique and power pistol, sleeves of primers, etc...

I broke one 308 Winchester decapping pin. I'm not sure if it was operator error, or it was equipment malfunction. I was right in the middle of a big batch, I did feel disappointed, I had less than 500 casings through that die. So I ordered another one, and some spares, which I promptly lost in my reloading toolbox clutter.


Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[Hossfly]

I broke an RCBS die decapping pin on a Saturday evening. Bad timing, called LGS said didn’t have any. Ordered pack of 5 from Midway i think. Takes about 4-5 days to get from them to me. Was in city about 3 days later and went into said LGS for something else, was asked if I needed help? Of course it was same voice that told me they didn’t have any RCBS headed de capping pins. Went to the RCBS display and there is 5 bags hanging on a hook.

Now after replacing that broken one still have 9 in storage just in case. That was 5 years ago.

Got the new Lee APP, with universal decapping die and extra rods, went thru 3500 45 acp no problem. Punched thru 1, 22lr that was inside 45acp and it pulled the rod down, now that was a sight to see that rod go that direction.

[358429]

Is that Lee App any good? It looks like a good idea surrounded with plastic. If it was made out of zinc or aluminum I would jump on it.

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[onelight]

Is that Lee App any good? It looks like a good idea surrounded with plastic. If it was made out of zinc or aluminum I would jump on it.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
I like the APP it is a real time saver for what I use it for and I would get another if it disappeared .
All the parts that work under load appear to be steel or aluminum the plastic parts go with the case feeder and are cheap and offered in kits (I ordered spare plastic kits when I ordered the press )
I use mine primarily for de-priming pistol brass prior to cleaning some cases I size at the same time.
You can process brass amazingly fast with the APP once you get used to it.

[dverna]

rbuck made an astute observation about the Co-Ax not centering properly with the Lee Universal die.

I have the Lee die, along with Squirrel Daddy pins to process military brass. I have a Co-ax but use the Rock Chucker for that task. Even with the RC, I have broken the standard Lee pins...so I suspect they are not as robust. BTW, I also get some Berdan brass slip through the sorting process and they will break Lee pins if not careful but have not broken a SD pin...yet.

I am not a Lee "fan boy" and have bashed some of the stuff they sell but the Universal die has done a good job so far. It is unlikely I would purchase a better decapping die as once I process the military brass I have, I am set for life. I will never purchase military cases again as I do not shoot enough justify the added work of having to swage primer pockets and size on the RC...at times with a lot of force. I prefer loading on the Co-Ax.

I can see selling the RC and Lee Universal Die during the next "panic". The only reason I bought the Lee die was that I got tired of replacing pins on my sizer dies due to processing military brass. There is no benefit to depriming and not sizing (that I can see) when loading "good" rifle cases so why have two operations? And I load pistol on Dillon progressives that work without having clean primer pockets so why cut production by 50%?

[rbuck351]

dverna

Our loading styles must be very similar. I'm not a Lee basher nor a Lee fan boy as Lee makes many very good products but has also made some stuff that is on the bottom of my list.

I have three of the early pro 1000 presses and although I have been able to make them work, they are a major pita to keep running right. The priming system is the worst I have ever seen . Yeah, you could deprime and prime off the press but that defeats the purpose of a progressive.

I like Lee dies, the universal deprimer works great on most presses, I started loading on a Lee hack a mole and their powder measures work great for me.

I no longer use mil brass as I have enough commercial brass to last me as long as I live and I sort brass for berdan before they go on the press.

Anyway, we all have our own way of reloading and mine works for me.

[jonp]

Thousands of rounds through mine with no problems. I mostly use it now with dirty brass before tumbling.

IMHO Lee makes the best value stuff out there

[Finster101]

Thousands of rounds through mine with no problems. I mostly use it now with dirty brass before tumbling.

IMHO Lee makes the best value stuff out there


I use one for this purpose as well. Set up in an old Pro-1000 it makes for quick work getting brass ready for tumbling.

[JimB..]

I use one for this purpose as well. Set up in an old Pro-1000 it makes for quick work getting brass ready for tumbling.
I tried this, but got the Pro-1000 used and could never get it to run. It found a new home for $0 and I have an APP coming on Friday. I’ve assumed that the Lee universal decapping die will work well in it.

FWIW, my least favorite decapping die is the spring loaded rcbs. The spring is dead after no more than 5 primers, so what’s the point?

[Walks]

I've only used the Lee decapping rod and base system for military brass. I know why some folks decap only some brass. That idea doesn't work for Me. I load my own ammo to save Money AND TIME. So decapping only is a waste of time.
I do use the Lee decapping die, but only for the rod itself. I broke the original rod that came with the old decapping setup Years ago.