I bought an APP on sale at Midway but need to buy a decapping die.
It looks like the Lee die requires you to replace the whole stem/pin if you break it. The RCBS just has pins.
Recommendations?
I bought an APP on sale at Midway but need to buy a decapping die.
It looks like the Lee die requires you to replace the whole stem/pin if you break it. The RCBS just has pins.
Recommendations?
Acorn: I own both the Lee and the RCBS. Both will work just fine if used properly. The RCBS replaceable pins seem to break a little easier than the Lee in my opinion but the Lee sliding pin, tension nut held can be a bit annoying. Either way, if you flail about running the press at warp speed as you see in the advertisements, you're going to break some pins. Gp
You can usually find aftermarket replacement pins for the Lee dies on Ebay, three for $10-$12. I've used the SquirrelDaddy ones.
As mentioned, the tension nut on the Lee can be a pain. Too loose and the decapping rod slides up and doesn't push out primers. Too tight and you end up bending/breaking the pin when a Berdan primed 9mm case slips into the batch....
You can get the guided decapping rods for the Lee die, specifically designed to help align the case when decapping. I have purchased some of them, but not tried them yet.
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For some reason I never damaged another Lee decapping pin once I had a supply of replacements on hand.
Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris
The Lee pins are superior. The RCBS is supposed to break, that's their weak point. The Lee uses a collet as mentioned, so the pin is supposed to slide. RCBS is a solid unit with no give. If you are decapping military crimped brass, then it is a no brainer, get the Lee. The RCBS pins break way to easily, I doubt I got more than a couple hundred cases per pin on an RCBS die. If you own two Lee replacement pins as I do, the original one becomes invincible.
I still have my spare Lee pin I got with the die.
I have the Lee dies, the pins do bend and need replacement from time to time.
I have the RCBS springloaded dies and the spring never seems to last very long.
Just bought an FW Arms selfcentering springloaded die and it is sharp, but it’s too tall with the stock arm on the APP. Also bought 3 of their replacement Lee pins, will be trying them.
The old RCBS style would never break. It would just bend the entire decapping rod. And you needed to keep 2 sizes of decapping rods and pins in stock.
All that being said, the Lyman decapping die I was gifted hasn't broken yet.
The Lee busted about 2 months after I bought it. Their warranty is worthless.
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Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.
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Haven't lost/damaged a Lee pin yet. I do have a good supply of replacement pins for my RCBS, which I have replace more than once.
Another thumbs up for the lee. Still on original pin after several years.
I bought a universal lee when I got my app last year. Bought a tapered pin after i was having issues with the std pin not hitting primer while depriving several thousand .223 rounds. tapered pin worked until I pulled too hard on a crimped 7mm mouser case. So I went back to the one that came with the die. I've other lee dies and never broken pin till then.
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The only decapping assembly I broke was operator error. It was a RCBS assembly on a 223 die. The assembly got loose and was bent when the pin didn't line up. I learned to keep everything tight after that. I also have extra pins for the CH and RCBS dies I have. I don't ever seem to need them. I have a Lee universal decapping die which I bought a couple extra spare pins for. I ever needed them either. All brands seem to work for me.
Bent my last stock lee pin tonight, thought the primer was just heavily crimped, it was a berdan primed case.
I have the Lee and rcbs universal de cap dies, I prefer the Lee on the app or any other press I may be using.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |