How to Choose and Setup Decapping Dies Correctly

September 19th 2023How to Select Decapping Dies and Set Them Up ProperlyOne member of our Forum complained that he couldn’t get his primers to sit flush with the rim. No matter what primer tools he tried, the primers would not seat deeply enough. He measured the primers and they were of the correct thickness, but his primer pockets seemed to be too shallow. He was unsure of the cause. Boyd Allen, a friend of ours, diagnosed the problem. It was the decapping bar. If the rod is too low (screwed too far), then the base of full-diameter shaft (just above pin) will touch the inside of case. The shaft is made of steel, while your case is made of brass, which is a softer and weaker metal. When you push the case into the die, it can stretch the base of primer pocket outward. Most presses are powerful enough to achieve this. You’ve essentially destroyed your case if you bell the base outwards of the primer pocket. A primer will not seat correctly. The fix is simple. Make sure that you adjust the decapping bar so that the base shaft of the rod does not bottom out inside the case. The pin needs to extend just enough through the flashhole to knock out the primer. The photo shows a Lyman universal decapping die. The decapping rod should be checked when using a die for the first time or moving it to a new press. It’s a good practice to check the height of full-length sizing sizing dies when changing presses.Midsouth Shooters Supply offers the LEE Universal Decapping Die (006-90292) for only $11.49, which is a great deal. In many cases, you may wish to remove primers separately from fired brass (prior case sizing). De-capping your rifle brass before sizing is a good idea, for example, if it’s dirty. If you are loading on a progressive presses, it will be much easier to load if the brass is decapped first. Decapping Dies For Cases With Smaller FlashholesTAKE NOTICE: Some Euro Small Flash holes are spec’d as 1.5mm or 0.062″ and maximum at.062″, so these need a small die pin. The low-cost LEE universal decapping die will work with cartridges ranging from 17 Fireball to large Magnums. The decapping pin that comes with this Lee die, however, is TOO LARGE to fit LAPUA 220 Russian flash holes, 6mmBR, 6.5×47 (6.5 Creedmoor),.308 Win Palma, and Norma 6-PPC flashholes. The pin diameter is too big for these brass types. You can either reduce the pin size or use a different tool to decap cases with.059 -.062? Flash-holes.Sinclair Int’l has a Stainless Decapping Die with BOTH.080 Pins and.060 pins. The $46.99 die comes with three decapping.080 pins. The $46.99 die comes with three decapping pins for standard.080? Redding manufactures a Universal Decapping Die that comes with an optional smaller diameter decapping rod to fit the smaller.059 -.062? The BR and PPC cases have flash holes. This die is used in the video below.