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Lee decapping die trouble.

D@DD@D Member Posts: 4,407
edited June 2014 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
I bought a set of Lee 380 acp dies & went to deprime the brass. Well the pin keeps popping up, I've adjusted the pin & tightened the top nut as tight as I can. Is it a defective die or am I doing something wrong?
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    MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member, Moderator Posts: 9,972 ******
    edited November -1
    are you sure your brass is 'boxer' primed? my lee dis have to have the top lock nut very tight to prevent pin 'slipage', this takes 2 wrenches.
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    casper1947casper1947 Member Posts: 1,147 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by MIKE WISKEY
    are you sure your brass is 'boxer' primed? my lee dis have to have the top lock nut very tight to prevent pin 'slipage', this takes 2 wrenches.

    +1
    also is the pin straight?
    have you managed to decap any?
    I will occasionally need to rotate the brass.
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    D@DD@D Member Posts: 4,407
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by MIKE WISKEY
    are you sure your brass is 'boxer' primed? my lee dis have to have the top lock nut very tight to prevent pin 'slipage', this takes 2 wrenches.


    yes they are boxer primed winchester brass matter of fact. I had to use 2 wrenches (1/2 & 3/4) as well.
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    D@DD@D Member Posts: 4,407
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by casper1947
    quote:Originally posted by MIKE WISKEY
    are you sure your brass is 'boxer' primed? my lee dis have to have the top lock nut very tight to prevent pin 'slipage', this takes 2 wrenches.

    +1
    also is the pin straight?
    have you managed to decap any?
    I will occasionally need to rotate the brass.



    yes its straight, looks like my other ones. I did manage to get 2 popped out.
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    casper1947casper1947 Member Posts: 1,147 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You are using the 380 ACP shellholder (LEE #4)?
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    D@DD@D Member Posts: 4,407
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by casper1947
    You are using the 380 ACP shellholder (LEE #4)?


    yes
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    casper1947casper1947 Member Posts: 1,147 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well nuts. It may be defective.

    If i were in this position i would try using a larger (pistol) die just to see if it would work.

    If you have another size you could try swapping the pins & lock nut.

    These pins need to be real tight. actually tighter than that. I use 2 6~8" wrenches for leverage.

    This has happened to me but it turned out that i cleaned the brass and there was a piece of the walnut media in the primer hole.
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    charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm not sure what is up but I bet Lee will help you fix the issue.

    http://leeprecision.net/support/index.php?/Tickets/Submit/RenderForm/4
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    D@DD@D Member Posts: 4,407
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by charliemeyer007
    I'm not sure what is up but I bet Lee will help you fix the issue.

    http://leeprecision.net/support/index.php?/Tickets/Submit/RenderForm/4


    I sent one in earlier. [:p]
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    MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,793 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My experience with the LEE indicates that you may have better results if you degrease the depriming stem and inside the colt that holds it. Carefully put a little grease on the outside threaded part only reassemble. Two things cause the depriming stem to fail to hold and this procedure takes care of both. When tightening the collet, it's best if you align the stem by using a deprimed case in the shell holder in the raised position.
    You may have an alignment problem not related to the die.
    Worst case scenario, chuck the stem in a drill and spin it against some 200 grit emery cloth to rough it a little(just the area which is held by the collet).
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    D@DD@D Member Posts: 4,407
    edited November -1
    Been a busy week & this is the first chance I had to update my die problem. Lee sent me a new nut & pin, that seemed to be the problem. It now pops them out with no trouble. Thanks for all the help trying to figure it out.
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    bear bruinbear bruin Member Posts: 10 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    maybe the flash holes are off center. had that with some cbc brass and an old set of dies that broke the decaping pin off.
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    v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Decapping pins used to regularly bend or break.
    Times have changed and Lee decapper pins never seem to break.
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    jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by v35
    Decapping pins used to regularly bend or break.
    Times have changed and Lee decapper pins never seem to break.
    This. I don't know how many decapping pins I have snapped and how many center rods I have bent from RCBS, Lyman, and Hornady over the years, but enough to keep a pile on hand. Lee? Never breaks. With their supposedly 'cheap' dies.

    I had a few that had the issue you describe. I just popped it in the drill press, and put a retaining pin through it (albeit, that defeats the purpose of the Lee collet decapping system)... seemed worst with the 30/40 than anything, who knows. For under $30 you can afford to just buy a whole new die set if Lee doesn't make it right (which is RARE).
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