Lee Dies vs. RCBS Dies: removable decapper

[raindog]

I originally bought a set of Lee dies for .308. While using them I didn't quite push hard enough when sizing/depriming, and the necks were not tight enough. Of course, I didn't notice this until I went to seat the bullet, at which point I had a bunch of brass with live primers.

Looking at the Lee dies, it appears there is no way to remove the decapping pin. I bought a set of RCBS FL Dies for 308 and the decapping pin can be screwed out, which allowed me to resize the brass without having to deal with the live primers.

Just wondering if I am missing something about Lee dies...the decapper looks sort of like it is screwed in, but either I am not applying enough force (in which case I need to do some more pushups or something, as I twised hard) or it's threadlocked or just not designed to come out.

 

[RustyFN]

I don't have 308 dies but if the 223 dies are the same then the decaping pin is held in by pressure. The tighter you tighten the nut on top the firmer the pin is held in. Loosen the nut and the pin should fall right out.

 

[snuffy]

Raindog, you're talking about the collet neck sizing die, aren't you? Then, you're right, the decapper pin is pressed in VERY tightly. And the pin it is pressed into is also the mandrel for the collet to form the neck against.

You'll have to get a standard FL die that can have the decapper pin loosened, then pulled up so it can't decap.

Also, the lee collet die is notorious for NOT having the mandrel small enough to get good neck tension on bullets. Most loaders take the mandrel, remove some metal from it so the necks can be squished smaller. Spinning it in a drill motor while holding some emory cloth on the mandrel takes a couple thou of of it.

 

[ranger335v]

Lee has the strongest decapping pins in the market but they are pressed into the epanding mandrel and not nomally removable.

You should be able to loosen the decap rod retaining collet and slide the whole thing up high enough to keep the pin from contacting the primers tho.

Lee WANTS the collet die mandrel larger than most expander buttons will leave necks. The smaller the neck I.D. the more pressure it takes to seat a bullet and the more likely to induce run-out in what is (or was) a straight neck.