RCBS .223 X-Die decap pin pulling primers back into pocket - why?

[IMtheNRA]

I've been testing this die on both the Hornady LNL and on the Rock Chucker. About 20% of the time, the decaping pin punches out the primer, but the primer remains stuck to the pin, and the pin pulls the primer partially back into the primer pocket.

I replaced the pin with a Hornady decap pin, and this helped somewhat, but I still experience this problem about 10% of the time.

Brass is mixed commercial .223 loaded with CCI-SR primers.

Any idea what is going on and how to fix it?

 

[atblis]

Are you certain it's actually pushing them all the way out?

 

[IMtheNRA]

Oh yes - I can see what's happenening through the slot in the Rock Chucker's ram.

The primer gets pushed all the way out, the pin retracts pulling the primer back up, and the primer gets partly lodged in the primer pocket, mostly sticking out.

 

[918v]

Maybe the decapper pin is too small in diameter and is lodging itself in the primer anvil?

 

[IMtheNRA]

Could be, but I replaced the RCBS pin with a Hornady pin, and this is still happening, though not as often. I did not have this problem when I used a Hornady size/decap die prior to testing this X-Die.

However, I can't figure out how the die could cause this to happen. It seems like it should be just a pin or primer issue.

A real head-scratcher this time...

 

[918v]

Grind the round end of the pin flat. Maybe then it won't wedge itself in the anvil.

 

[IMtheNRA]

Just spoke with RCBS tech support. Apparently, they've heard of this problem with straight wall pistol cases, but it is unusal in .223. For pistol dies, they have a spring loaded decap pin, but it is not compatible with the X Die.

He suggested that I file the pin to a sharper point to make it less likely to stick in the anvil. The technician also said that filing it flat, like I was thinking of doing, will probably make the problem even worse.

By the way, RCBS answered the phone withing about one minute of my call. Great to know their tech support is there if I need them!

 

[rcmodel]

I'd do what they suggested, and then after filing just slightly more taper, polish the snot out of it until it is glass smooth.
If you taper it too much it might start poking holes in the primers instead of pushing them out.

Also, just dab of sizing lube on the end of the pin might help for a little while.

rc

 

[918v]

Well, decapping pins are cheap. You can try it either way.

 

[amlevin]

This was a common problem for me with 9mm. I now use a Dillon 9mm sizing/decapping die and it "flicks" the primer off the pin by letting the pin preload a spring before it pushes the primer out. When the primer is free of the primer pocket the pin snaps down and the primer flies free.

The issue is centered on the decapping pin and it may need to be larger or flatter to avoid the "grip" of the anvil.

 

[medalguy]

I have experienced the same problem with pistol cases in the RCBS Universal Depriming Die. This is the die with the spring loaded deprining pin which, by the way, shot primers all over the room. What a nightmare! I called RCBS and they said they had not heard of this before. I called the middle of last year BTW. I tried removing the spring, and I tried flattening the pin, nothing helped.

What I did was buy a Lee depriming die and I haven't had the problem again. I normally don't use Lee products but a friend suggested this to me, and it did work.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I had this problem once and found that it was actually a small burr on the decapping pin. Feel it very carefully and see if you have a bit of roughness somewhere. I polished mine with some very fine stone and no problems ever since.