DIY decapping pins

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  • John3354

    Plinker
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    Sep 29, 2018
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    I was going through some reloading stuff the other day and I found a set of .45ACP Redding dies that I picked up in a package deal a while back. I used it for a while until one day I broke the decapping pin and did not have a replacement so I grabbed a resizing die from my Lee set and swapped them. So I look at the die, it has a separate decapping pin without a shoulder or anything. It fits in to a sort of compression collet built in to the decapping rod.

    So I look around for replacement pins. Most places want $1/per! Ten pins for $10+. That is highway robbery. The pins are just straight pieces of steel and the Redding replacements say they are 0.062" diameter. So it seems like a person could pick up some appropriate stock and just cut their own. Or am I missing something? I mean, you couldn't use soft wire or anything. But I cannot see those pins being made of some sort of unobtanium that we mere mortals cannot buy for under $1/inch. Any ideas on where I should look for some appropriate stock?

    And while we are on the subject, this coincides with something else I have been considering. Why does everyone recommend the Lee Universal Decapping die? It uses fairly expensive decapping pins that require you to replace the entire rod due to the integrated decapping pin that is cut in to it. I have tried the Squirrel Daddy pins, and while they do last longer they are still fairly expensive. Other brands make universal decappers that have much cheaper replacement costs should you bend or break the pin. Even buying the Redding pins at what seems like a usurious price to me would still be cheaper than the Lee replacements. Lee decapping pins are $3 or more per pin. If I could make Redding pins cheaply I may pick up their decapping die and use it instead of my Lee. I am tired of spending $3-$4 every time I bend a pin on a misaligned case or hard crimped primer.

    Yes, I know you can loosen up the collet so that it will slip and (hopefully) not break. But I have never been able to find the sweet spot between it being able to decap crimped primers and not breaking when one is crimped in extra well.
     

    Clay Pigeon

    Shooter
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    Aug 3, 2016
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    Summitville
    I was going through some reloading stuff the other day and I found a set of .45ACP Redding dies that I picked up in a package deal a while back. I used it for a while until one day I broke the decapping pin and did not have a replacement so I grabbed a resizing die from my Lee set and swapped them. So I look at the die, it has a separate decapping pin without a shoulder or anything. It fits in to a sort of compression collet built in to the decapping rod.

    So I look around for replacement pins. Most places want $1/per! Ten pins for $10+. That is highway robbery. The pins are just straight pieces of steel and the Redding replacements say they are 0.062" diameter. So it seems like a person could pick up some appropriate stock and just cut their own. Or am I missing something? I mean, you couldn't use soft wire or anything. But I cannot see those pins being made of some sort of unobtanium that we mere mortals cannot buy for under $1/inch. Any ideas on where I should look for some appropriate stock?

    And while we are on the subject, this coincides with something else I have been considering. Why does everyone recommend the Lee Universal Decapping die? It uses fairly expensive decapping pins that require you to replace the entire rod due to the integrated decapping pin that is cut in to it. I have tried the Squirrel Daddy pins, and while they do last longer they are still fairly expensive. Other brands make universal decappers that have much cheaper replacement costs should you bend or break the pin. Even buying the Redding pins at what seems like a usurious price to me would still be cheaper than the Lee replacements. Lee decapping pins are $3 or more per pin. If I could make Redding pins cheaply I may pick up their decapping die and use it instead of my Lee. I am tired of spending $3-$4 every time I bend a pin on a misaligned case or hard crimped primer.

    Yes, I know you can loosen up the collet so that it will slip and (hopefully) not break. But I have never been able to find the sweet spot between it being able to decap crimped primers and not breaking when one is crimped in extra well.

    A buck a piece is expensive? you might want to pick another hobby.....



    Invest 9 bucks for a large primer decapper from Lee... And a re loader that does't have a few bags of large and small decapping pins in his spare parts is not prepared.

    View attachment 81307
     

    AmmoManAaron

    Master
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    Feb 20, 2015
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    Because the Lee replacement is free when you message them that it broke? Lee seems to do a good job of standing by their cheap products.

    ^^^This^^^

    In my experience, the Lee product is very stout. I have only ever broken one and Lee replaced it promptly at no charge - great customer service!

    On the other end, I have broken more RCBS pins than I care to count. Yuck!
     

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    May 12, 2013
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    What is the cost of a good metal lathe and saw to cut the blanks? Because I believe that is what would be required to cut the pin tip into the rod stock.

    How many pins would you have to go through to break even by saving 75 cents a pin?
     

    gmcttr

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    May 22, 2013
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    ...The pins are just straight pieces of steel and the Redding replacements say they are 0.062" diameter. So it seems like a person could pick up some appropriate stock and just cut their own. Or am I missing something?...

    Price 1/16" O1 tool steel (because it's relatively easy to heat treat at home). Cut, round and polish the tips of each pin. Heat pins to cherry red and drop in oil. Heat your oven to it's max and temper the pins back to a spring temper. Then all you need to do is clean up the scale on each pin and you're ready to put them to use. Get them too hard and they will snap, too soft and they will bend.

    $1 a pin looks like a bargain to me.

    You could also buy 1/16" drill bits and cut a pin out of the shanks and hope they are not hard enough to be prone to breaking, but again, $1 a pin seems cheap/
     

    Cameramonkey

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    So we're talking about these things, right? Not some straight rod? That last narrow bit seems to be the hangup to self manufacturing.

    iu


    Any savings will be eaten up with screwing around making the tip.
     

    John3354

    Plinker
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    Sep 29, 2018
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    What is the cost of a good metal lathe and saw to cut the blanks? Because I believe that is what would be required to cut the pin tip into the rod stock.

    How many pins would you have to go through to break even by saving 75 cents a pin?

    Why would you need a lathe? Why would you need anything more than something to cut suitable material to length?
     

    Cameramonkey

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    May 12, 2013
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    Why would you need a lathe? Why would you need anything more than something to cut suitable material to length?
    Look at the pic. how do you get the skinny tip if all you have is rod stock?

    Depriming pins are not a single diameter rod. there are two diameters in play.
     

    red_zr24x4

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    Look at the pic. how do you get the skinny tip if all you have is rod stock?

    Depriming pins are not a single diameter rod. there are two diameters in play.

    Never used an RCBS die I take it?
    I believe Redding ( what the OP said he was using) are the same. Removable collet on the end that hold the pin.
    De-priming pin is 1/16" in diameter and about 1" long
     

    red_zr24x4

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    Price 1/16" O1 tool steel (because it's relatively easy to heat treat at home). Cut, round and polish the tips of each pin. Heat pins to cherry red and drop in oil. Heat your oven to it's max and temper the pins back to a spring temper. Then all you need to do is clean up the scale on each pin and you're ready to put them to use. Get them too hard and they will snap, too soft and they will bend.

    $1 a pin looks like a bargain to me.

    You could also buy 1/16" drill bits and cut a pin out of the shanks and hope they are not hard enough to be prone to breaking, but again, $1 a pin seems cheap/

    I don't think the OP would have to go to all that trouble, I'm sure it would work fine to just cut the rod to length and round the ends
     

    Sniper 79

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    Oct 7, 2012
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    Never broke a Lee pin just bend them back with pliers. RCBS are crap. Replaced those with a Brad nail I heated up and quenched. Used it like that for years.

    Sold it all now drinking the blue koolaid. Haven't had any problems.
     

    red_zr24x4

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    Never broke a Lee pin just bend them back with pliers. RCBS are crap. Replaced those with a Brad nail I heated up and quenched. Used it like that for years.

    Sold it all now drinking the blue koolaid. Haven't had any problems.

    Now that you mentioned it, My cousin told me one time he did the Brad nail thing and it worked just fine
     

    AmmoManAaron

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    No, I think the pic is a de-priming pin out of a set of Lee 9mm dies. Look at the pic in post 3, see how the end away from the pin is knurled ? thats a manual pin, CM's pic is from a set of dies

    ^^^What this guy said^^^

    FWIW, the Lee pistol dies and the Lee Universal decapping die all use the same pin that CM posted.
     
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