Good grief! Is it me or is it Lee?

[Soundguy]

The collet is 1/8 NPT threads, the more you tighten it the harder it locks the pin in place. Unless you have an inch pounds torque wrench it’s more of a “feel” kind of thing, setting it.

As much as I don’t like having to back the collet off and tap the pin back with a tiny brass hammer, it beats destroying a pin.

I have used them for years, even in my projects because, if set right, will slip vs being mangled.

That's my entire point.. take some time.. set the gear up properly.. and problems like this are drastically cut. Sure.. I don't like to dink around and waste time setting up a die.. but I also don't want to have to totally stop production for 2 weeks waiting for a part via snail mail because a part broke because i couldnt waste a couple minutes setting it up correctly...
It's just like setting up and exercising a slip clutch on a farm mower. you loosen the bolts on the clutch till it slips, then tighten them a hair and do another pass.. and keep doing this till the normal material you cut doesn't cause a slip. you use white out lines across the disc and carrier to see if it has slipped. once you do this and are mowing and hit a hidden stump or tire.. or ant mound.. the clutch.. which is just tight enough to cut weeds and grass hits that stump.. and slips.. and doesn't ruin a 1500% mower.. or a 350$ shaft.. or a 35000$ tractor... and all the time to replace such.

[Engineer1911]

This is why you buy RCBS sizer dies and a 50-count bag of extra pins, large pins, small pins. headed pins. You don't need to worry about breaking pins again.

[Multra]

The nut on the top of your die was too tight if the pin bent that badly.

[parson48]

I've been pleased with these. https://www.squirreldaddy.com/Decapping-pin-s/336.htm

[Hannibal]

You guys would know you're waaaay late to the party if you'd read the whole thread.

[hoodat]

I have been using the Lee Decapping die for years and have found another purpose for it.

When I started reloading for a 20 cal., (20-222) I found that the de-capping pin is the perfect diameter to serve as a final neck expanding mandrill. Measures like .203", leaving necks perfect for .204" bullets. As I deprime the cases, I can easily detect any ones with excessively loose diameter, and weed them out for further neck sizing. jd

[ranger391xt]

Might grab a set of these https://www.squirreldaddy.com/3-Heat...p/sd24-112.htm

I like the stuff I've seen off that site before, just never purchased from them.

I've used these. Got them off ebay. They are stronger, but still possible to bend them if a berdan case slips by.....

Seems others have chimed in on the Squirrel Daddy stuff. I should have read all the way to the end before replying.

Also, I have seen the quicker rusting on newer lee dies as well. The breech lock adapter for my app is really bad about flash rusting as well.

Sent from my SM-N981U using Tapatalk

[Hannibal]

And if you dont tighten it overly hard, those pins will pop out the moment you touch the primer with it.

There's definitely a fine line and it's not easily defined. I once bought a Lee 3-hole turret press and a set of used .223 dies. Someone had apparently clamped Vice grips on the decapping pin shaft repeatedly to provide more purchase. I still have the die set and it still has that 'modified' pin in the sizing die.

[poppy42]

The nut on the top of your die was too tight if the pin bent that badly.

No it wasn’t. I’ve bent plenty of the capping pins on my Lee universal. Usually when I’m not paying attention running thousands of range pick ups. You’d be surprised how fast the decapping pin will bend/break When it encounters a 22 rimfire stuck inside whatever case you’re depriming. Incidentally they bend because they are tempered so that they have a little bit of give. Loosen the nut and the pin just slides! Some have suggested using the sizing die. No dirty brass touches my sizing dies! It only takes one grain of sand to really screw up a perfectly good sizing die! (Ask me how I know) My brass gets decapped, cleaned, then sized. I decap first because I like to inspect the primer pockets and flash holes. On a sidenote I haven’t ran a crossed it in 223 but I can certainly tell you that 9 mm Norma brass the flash hole is so small that my lee de capping pin will not fit through it! I’ve got a whole separate post on that someplace here on the forum.

[technojock]

Although I didn't think it was damp in my gun room, my Lee universal decapping and universal expander dies both rusted recently (outside only.) For an experiment, I wire brushed them and then sprayed them with Midway drop out mold lube. I've always found the drop out lube useless for molds but it has other good uses... Anyway I have to very black and now protected dies but I don't know how long it will last.

[technojock]

i use the lee hand press, i have a feeling SPEED is the big factor in killing decapping pins

I have one of those too. It's great for decapping brass while watching the tube...

Tony