Intermittant decapping
Quote from Reloader on July 22, 2013, 9:35 pmI've had my XL650 for a month or so. I reload 9mm. Originally I was using Lee Dies(I already had them) and was experiencing an intermittent failure to decap (FTD). I thought maybe the Lee's were getting old and I had a Dillon set on order. The new dies arrived last week and I'm still having the problem. There doesn't seem to be any pattern, I'll be going along and then I can't put a new primer in, I pull that shell out and the old primer is still there after going through the decapping die. I'm at the point where the last 150 rounds I loaded this happened 8 times. I'm pulling the handle all the way down because I'm not ending up with any long rounds. I've eliminated the brass being a problem because when I have a FTD I mark the base of the case with a sharpie and put it back in the stack. If the same casing fails to decap the second time I would think that it would be a brass problem, but that's not the case. I've never had the same shell case fail to decap twice and I have a whole bunch of loaded rounds with blackened bases in my completed ammo bin. I've taken the decap pin out and everything looks OK, the intermittentness is what's puzzling. Any ideas?
I've had my XL650 for a month or so. I reload 9mm. Originally I was using Lee Dies(I already had them) and was experiencing an intermittent failure to decap (FTD). I thought maybe the Lee's were getting old and I had a Dillon set on order. The new dies arrived last week and I'm still having the problem. There doesn't seem to be any pattern, I'll be going along and then I can't put a new primer in, I pull that shell out and the old primer is still there after going through the decapping die. I'm at the point where the last 150 rounds I loaded this happened 8 times. I'm pulling the handle all the way down because I'm not ending up with any long rounds. I've eliminated the brass being a problem because when I have a FTD I mark the base of the case with a sharpie and put it back in the stack. If the same casing fails to decap the second time I would think that it would be a brass problem, but that's not the case. I've never had the same shell case fail to decap twice and I have a whole bunch of loaded rounds with blackened bases in my completed ammo bin. I've taken the decap pin out and everything looks OK, the intermittentness is what's puzzling. Any ideas?
Quote from Reloader on July 23, 2013, 4:41 pmMost likely the spent primer requires enough pressure to push out that it is getting jammed onto the end of the decap pin. It is being pushed out, but because it is jammed onto the end of the pin it gets partially pulled back up into the case. Then the new primer finishes reseating the old primer.
We suggest using medium grit steel wool to round off any square edges from the end of the decap pin, so primers won't stick to the pin.
Most likely the spent primer requires enough pressure to push out that it is getting jammed onto the end of the decap pin. It is being pushed out, but because it is jammed onto the end of the pin it gets partially pulled back up into the case. Then the new primer finishes reseating the old primer.
We suggest using medium grit steel wool to round off any square edges from the end of the decap pin, so primers won't stick to the pin.
Quote from Reloader on July 23, 2013, 9:01 pmI thought about that (sort of), I've been watching or listening for the spent primer to fall and then looking at it before I try to put a new primer in (which is where I normally figure out that I can't put one in). But Murphy's law is coming into play since it hasn't FTD since I started listening for the primer fall. I'll give the smoothing off the pin idea a shot. Thanks.
I thought about that (sort of), I've been watching or listening for the spent primer to fall and then looking at it before I try to put a new primer in (which is where I normally figure out that I can't put one in). But Murphy's law is coming into play since it hasn't FTD since I started listening for the primer fall. I'll give the smoothing off the pin idea a shot. Thanks.
Quote from Reloader on July 25, 2013, 4:21 pmI pulled the decap pin out of the die and there was a buildup of what I assume is carbon on the end of it. I cleaned it off and polished the pin with a piece of fine Scotchbrite pad. The end was already rounded off but after I cleaned it I loaded about 400 rounds without a problem. At that point I figured I was home free. Then I had another FTD (I'm liking this term, Failure to Decap). and I figured it was a random one. In the next 200 rounds I had a couple more so I pulled the pin out again and cleaned off the carbon. I've done a couple of hundred more without a FTD. So now cleaning the pin is going into my maintenance schedule. Maybe Dillon should consider Teflon coating the pin (just joking). Hope this will help others having this problem. I'm using mixed brass that has been ultrasonically cleaned (and lubed after drying).
I pulled the decap pin out of the die and there was a buildup of what I assume is carbon on the end of it. I cleaned it off and polished the pin with a piece of fine Scotchbrite pad. The end was already rounded off but after I cleaned it I loaded about 400 rounds without a problem. At that point I figured I was home free. Then I had another FTD (I'm liking this term, Failure to Decap). and I figured it was a random one. In the next 200 rounds I had a couple more so I pulled the pin out again and cleaned off the carbon. I've done a couple of hundred more without a FTD. So now cleaning the pin is going into my maintenance schedule. Maybe Dillon should consider Teflon coating the pin (just joking). Hope this will help others having this problem. I'm using mixed brass that has been ultrasonically cleaned (and lubed after drying).
Quote from Reloader on July 30, 2013, 6:38 amThe decapping mandrel in lee dies are designed to slide up instead of breaking in the event that you run across a berdan case or have a particularly hard to remove primer. Make sure your mandrel is flush with the top of the die. Then ensure your lock nut is tight and that your die has not worked it's way loose and back out a few turns.
If your are using Dillon dies, and have not broken the decapping pin then the die is not set deep enough.
The only thing I have ever seen that can cause this is if you have 22LR inside your cases, they then can actually build up on the decapper. One night I pulled three 22LR cases off of my lee mandrel. The pin pushed through the case head, but had crushed like beer cans. I could see the de-capping pin, but the cases took up to much space to allow the pin to decap.
The decapping mandrel in lee dies are designed to slide up instead of breaking in the event that you run across a berdan case or have a particularly hard to remove primer. Make sure your mandrel is flush with the top of the die. Then ensure your lock nut is tight and that your die has not worked it's way loose and back out a few turns.
If your are using Dillon dies, and have not broken the decapping pin then the die is not set deep enough.
The only thing I have ever seen that can cause this is if you have 22LR inside your cases, they then can actually build up on the decapper. One night I pulled three 22LR cases off of my lee mandrel. The pin pushed through the case head, but had crushed like beer cans. I could see the de-capping pin, but the cases took up to much space to allow the pin to decap.
Quote from Reloader on July 31, 2013, 1:56 amLatest update: I was getting by with cleaning the decapping pin on my Dillon die, but I was having to do it every 200-300 rounds. Looking at the end of the pin I could see where gunk from the primer was sticking to it. I took out the pin and cleaned it again but this time I sprayed the clean pin with One Shot case lube (sorry Dillon, I tried your case lube but it didn't change anything). I've now reloaded about 1000 rounds without cleaning and without primer pullback, in addition to this the end of the depriming pin doesn't show any buildup of gunk now. I think 1000 is a number I can live with between cleanings.
Latest update: I was getting by with cleaning the decapping pin on my Dillon die, but I was having to do it every 200-300 rounds. Looking at the end of the pin I could see where gunk from the primer was sticking to it. I took out the pin and cleaned it again but this time I sprayed the clean pin with One Shot case lube (sorry Dillon, I tried your case lube but it didn't change anything). I've now reloaded about 1000 rounds without cleaning and without primer pullback, in addition to this the end of the depriming pin doesn't show any buildup of gunk now. I think 1000 is a number I can live with between cleanings.
Quote from Reloader on August 2, 2013, 1:24 pmHint, try Finish line dry teflon bicycle chain lube, stuff is like magic. You should also polish the pin on a buffing wheel (Or Dremel) with some rouge nothing will stick to it.
Hint, try Finish line dry teflon bicycle chain lube, stuff is like magic. You should also polish the pin on a buffing wheel (Or Dremel) with some rouge nothing will stick to it.
Quote from Reloader on August 6, 2013, 1:38 amThis is apparently a common problem with Dillon decaping dies as the ones on my XL-650 also did it. A call to Dillon produced the recommendation that I polish and round the pin's end. I did just that using 400 wet-or-dry emery cloth and the problem has never reoccurred.
This is apparently a common problem with Dillon decaping dies as the ones on my XL-650 also did it. A call to Dillon produced the recommendation that I polish and round the pin's end. I did just that using 400 wet-or-dry emery cloth and the problem has never reoccurred.
Quote from Reloader on August 15, 2013, 4:24 amIt's not just our beloved Dillon's that have this problem, I've run Hornady, RCBS, and Lyman presses and sooner or later a primer gets sucked back up on the pin on all of them.
It does seem to happen more often if you're washing your brass before decapping. I've started decapping my brass with a universal deprime die before I wash my brass and I have no more problems. This also allows the primer pockets to get washed out a bit too.
It's not just our beloved Dillon's that have this problem, I've run Hornady, RCBS, and Lyman presses and sooner or later a primer gets sucked back up on the pin on all of them.
It does seem to happen more often if you're washing your brass before decapping. I've started decapping my brass with a universal deprime die before I wash my brass and I have no more problems. This also allows the primer pockets to get washed out a bit too.