How do you resize primed brass? Or do you?

[maroonandwhite]

I will be pulling a few blackout rounds today that I screwed up and am wondering how you guys handle the primed brass when re-sizing. In my Lee dies I can't just remove the decapping rod since it also expands the neck. Maybe I don't need to worry about this though? I would consider deactivating them and just using new primers since it's only about 50 cases but the last thing I want is to deal with the maybe of popping live primers. Any ideas?

[Raoul]

I've resized primed brass. Of course I use RCBS dies so I can't help you with the Lee stuff.

[bigtruuck]

I use a Lee press as well and push the primer out and just seat a new one. I just go slow and have not had an issue with the live primer popping. (All my blackout rounds have the fed 205 primers)

it's tapatalks fault

[mikegideon]

I buy a new expander, and break off the depriming pin. Works like a champ, and they're dirt cheap.

[Jonnin]

a few options...   you could just push them out, they should not go off if you do not use a lot of force.  You could shoot them as blanks, seems like a lot of trouble to me.   You could take the decapper out and see what happens...  if the necks are ok, this might work.   I would just push them out, though, they really should not go off but you will ruin most of them for reuse if they are tight.  If they pop out easily, you might save them.

[RED333]

Resize in 2 steps, neck in first without the decaping rod in.

Then put the decaping rod in and adjust till just the expander is inside the neck and no more.

Or just reload em as is and shoot em.

Edited September 9, 2015 by RED333

[BigK]

 

Or just reload em as is and shoot em.

 

I've done this with 9mm and 45 acp with no ill effects. Seems like they'd flare and crimp just fine to me, but I don't reload rifle ammo, so what do I know?

[maroonandwhite]

All good ideas guys. Since I'm gonna have to lube and tumble them again I'm thinking it would be easiest to just push them out and start over. I'm not worried about losing 50 primers and would rather just do that. I didn't realize they could be pushed out easily without igniting. I will wear my hearing protection just in case. :pleased:

 

 

I buy a new expander, and break off the depriming pin. Works like a champ, and they're dirt cheap.

That's a great idea! I failed to mention I am having trouble with these dies forming the brass correctly and will probably be getting a set of RCBS dies. I'm gonna experiment a little with these though and maybe try to resize them, rotate them in the shell holder and size again.

[dcloudy777]

The de-priming pin is replaceable isn't it?  That means you should just be able to take it out and use the size die to just re-size, fix the brass, then put the pin back in.

[leroy]

I buy a new expander, and break off the depriming pin. Works like a champ, and they're dirt cheap.

 

This is the answer...!

[leroy]

All good ideas guys. Since I'm gonna have to lube and tumble them again I'm thinking it would be easiest to just push them out and start over. I'm not worried about losing 50 primers and would rather just do that. I didn't realize they could be pushed out easily without igniting. I will wear my hearing protection just in case. :pleased:

 

 

That's a great idea! I failed to mention I am having trouble with these dies forming the brass correctly and will probably be getting a set of RCBS dies. I'm gonna experiment a little with these though and maybe try to resize them, rotate them in the shell holder and size again.

 

This is the answer too...!

 

leroy

[Omega]

All good ideas guys. Since I'm gonna have to lube and tumble them again I'm thinking it would be easiest to just push them out and start over. I'm not worried about losing 50 primers and would rather just do that. I didn't realize they could be pushed out easily without igniting. I will wear my hearing protection just in case. :pleased:

 

 

That's a great idea! I failed to mention I am having trouble with these dies forming the brass correctly and will probably be getting a set of RCBS dies. I'm gonna experiment a little with these though and maybe try to resize them, rotate them in the shell holder and size again.

If you have/want to tumble then yes, just slowly deprime and start over.  Otherwise just pull the decapping pin and resize that way.  As for not sizing right, what press are you using?  Use a single stage press with little to no flex and make sure the die touches the shell holder then give an extra 1/4 to 1/2 turn.  See if that improves the die performance; if not then take a bit off of either your shell holder or die (I would do the shell holder since they are cheaper) and it should work then.  IMHO I think a lot of the Lee die issues with the 300Blk are due to the shell plates on the progressives having too much flex and people not giving their die that extra 1/4 to 1/2 turn.

[maroonandwhite]

If you have/want to tumble then yes, just slowly deprime and start over.  Otherwise just pull the decapping pin and resize that way.  As for not sizing right, what press are you using?  Use a single stage press with little to no flex and make sure the die touches the shell holder then give an extra 1/4 to 1/2 turn.  See if that improves the die performance; if not then take a bit off of either your shell holder or die (I would do the shell holder since they are cheaper) and it should work then.  IMHO I think a lot of the Lee die issues with the 300Blk are due to the shell plates on the progressives having too much flex and people not giving their die that extra 1/4 to 1/2 turn.

I'm using the Lee turret press. The cast version. I do have the dies set correctly but was planning on trying to take some off of the shell holder if the second resize doesn't work. They are cheap enough and I have an extra.

[Omega]

I'm using the Lee turret press. The cast version. I do have the dies set correctly but was planning on trying to take some off of the shell holder if the second resize doesn't work. They are cheap enough and I have an extra.

I have the older turret and once I reset my dies to almost 3/4 turn, I also polished the shell holder; so one of the two or both made it size correctly.  One other thing you can try is to size, then turn the case and size again leaving the handle pulled a few seconds before releasing each time.

[maroonandwhite]

I have the older turret and once I reset my dies to almost 3/4 turn, I also polished the shell holder; so one of the two or both made it size correctly.  One other thing you can try is to size, then turn the case and size again leaving the handle pulled a few seconds before releasing each time.

Yeah I was going to try the turning method first. My guess is that since these aren't designed to convert the brass I am just dealing with some spring back.

[mikegideon]

The de-priming pin is replaceable isn't it?  That means you should just be able to take it out and use the size die to just re-size, fix the brass, then put the pin back in.

 

Not on a Lee die. That's all I use for 300. Since all my brass was primed Lake City, I don't think depriming them would have been the best option. They are crimped..

[Omega]

Yeah I was going to try the turning method first. My guess is that since these aren't designed to convert the brass I am just dealing with some spring back.

Yea, these are not forming dies so they need a tweak here and there.

[Omega]

Not on a Lee die. That's all I use for 300. Since all my brass was primed Lake City, I don't think depriming them would have been the best option. They are crimped..

The pin is replaceable, all that holds them in is a collet at the top which is great when you get a crimped primer it just pushed the pin up instead of breaking...most times.

[mikegideon]

The pin is replaceable, all that holds them in is a collet at the top which is great when you get a crimped primer it just pushed the pin up instead of breaking...most times.

 

You misunderstood me. The decapping pin isn't individually replaceable. The whole thing is machined out of one chunk. So if you want to expand, but not decap, you gotta break the decapping pin off (like I said in my first post). And yes, the whole thing can be replaced fast and cheap.

 

My Redding high end dies will let you remove/replace the decapping pin from the expander.

[Omega]

You misunderstood me. The decapping pin isn't individually replaceable. The whole thing is machined out of one chunk. So if you want to expand, but not decap, you gotta break the decapping pin off (like I said in my first post). And yes, the whole thing can be replaced fast and cheap.

 

My Redding high end dies will let you remove/replace the decapping pin from the expander.

Ah, yes I get what you are saying now.  I was taking what he said about the neck sizing the wrong way, I thought he DIDN'T want to resize the neck part, only the body.

[Ray Z]

I use Dillon, Lyman, and Hornady dies. With all three the decaping pin is removable. By doing so I can do all other functions of the die without disturbing the primer.