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removing primers from military case

rp85
hello;

using the lee mil. case deprimer tool (7.62 nato). broken two so far. anyone have a better idea? thanks for any input.

rp
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • Sunray
    Hi. Military primers are crimped in. If your tool is a hand tool that uses a mallet, give it a harder whack with the tool on something hard. Wood will do. The best thing is a regular de-priming die in a press. More strength.
    Then you'll have to chamfer the primer hole to take out the crimp. A regular chamfering tool will do, but it'll take a while. It can be mechanized with a hand drill or drill press and a chamfering tool(a light touch with a suitably sized drill will do too) made for a drill. Remove just enough brass to clean up the hole and no more. Maybe a 1/16". Remember your safety glasses if you go with a drill.
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  • bobski
    rcbs sells a decrimping tool. invaluable tool . get one!

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, former navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction. NRA certified instructor.
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  • tlen
    I've never had a problem decapping .30-06 military cases with my old [60's]RCBS sizing die. Perhaps RCBS decapping pins are larger in diameter and thereby stronger. You might want to upgrade to RCBS dies
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  • Pinhead
    rp85, removing the old crimped in primers from military brass is not the problem it once was. Lyman, RCBS, Lee all make a universal decapping die tht will remove the primers from all brass, military or civilian. The one I am using is the RCBS Heavy duty die and it does a good job. Any decapping die can break a decapping pin out but they are easy to replace and not expensive. My advice is to get the RCBS heavy duty die and while your at it buy a half dozen of the replacement pins and have at it. Getting the old military crimp out after removing the primer is no big deal either. Get one of the RCBS or Lyman press mounted swagers for that operation and your in business--very easy to do also. I prefer military cases and have loaded them since the 1950's. Good luck. Jim
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  • Pearyw
    On the tough ones, I get out my old Lee loader and use the depriming rod and a hammer. It saves a lot of decapping pins.
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  • rp85
    hello;

    thanks for the input. i'm using rcbs dies, not the heavy duty type. after bending 3 decapping pins i got 3 lee decappers. after breaking 3 lee's decappers i'm done for the day. trying to remove primers on @600 cases, lc/ivi/tw. broke the last pin with 12 cases left to go. looks like all the pins are a tad to long and if a primer pocket is not centered just so the pin gets in a bind and breaks. thanks again for input.

    rp
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  • grdad45
    I have found some military brass with flashholes off-center. This is death to depriming pins. You just have to keep a few pins on hand, or deprime with a manual punch.

    F&AM, NRA Life (25 yrs)
    "The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion."
    Edmund Burke (1729-97)
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  • jonk
    Lee's decapper broke? Call them. THey'll send you a replacement rod free. And next time, loosen the collet a bit so the rod glides up before breaking.

    "...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf
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