finally got a universal decapper
 

went to a show today and the wifey bought me a lee uni decapper. been wanting one.

many times I've wanted to decap before tumble.. and with a sizer / decapper.. well... :)

I also like the colleted pin... no more worrying about accidental berdan anymore!

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

I have never used a universal decapper die. Someone gave me one a while back and I ended up giving it away to someone here on TFF.

I always clean my brass before I resize/deprime them.

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

i clean my brass before resizing too.. I would sometimes, for small lots.. like to deap before cleaning though

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

Do you use the sonic cleaner that uses a liquid? I have thought about trying some of that but I guess you really can't teach an old dog those new tricks.

I use corncob media and it sticks in the flash hole if I decap first.

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

i have been using lyman treated cc media mixed with white rice and fine untreated 'litter' style cob media.

up untill a week ago that was all I had.. that in a vibro tumbler. then I found my FIL's old kettle style heated ultra sonic cleaner ( deceased now.. but he was a watch and jewlry maker.. .. this US cleaner is probably from the 70's but big and nice and HD.. ) so now I vibro clean and then US clean.

I ocasionally have a bit of media that fids a flash hole.. but when I resize, the decap pin takes care of that.. plus my luman case prep center has primer pocket tools including a flash hole cleaner. so not too big an issue.

Reason i wanted to decap first is I see some nasty carbon in them primer pockets depending on where I get my brass. if it is range pickup.. sometiems it's dark and has been out there weeks and i guess the primer pocket corodes up a bit?

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

my .458 win mag cruds it's primer pockets pretty bad, much more than anything else I reload, usually every third load at least ya gotta scrape 'em clean but I just use a primer pocket reamer to remove the carbon junk.

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

I haven't tried the Lee decapper, I have the RCBS and always decap before cleaning. I go through them all with a flash-hole deburring tool so I don't worry about media being stuck.

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

yeah.. flash hole celaner or the decapper will get em..

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

If I wanted to deprime before cleaning I just ran the mandrel down lower than it should be by about 1/4" and it took care of it for me.

I normally just size and deprime then clean prime and load. I had a Lee decapping tool it lasted 5 minutes before the mandrel broke so I just tossed it in the trash. No I didn't hit a berdan primed case either. These were all my brass that I purchased. The hole for the mandrel was bored at an angle and I forgot to align it just so and SNAP.

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

wow.. i'm surprised it snapped.. the decapper is colelt held and should have given in..

i thought about running my decapper lower in my rcbs dies.. but didn't want to constantlyt readjust them..

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

If it were less than 2 years old, a quick phone call to Lee and you would have had a new one in the mail in a few days!!

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

Found that to be the better way for sure..tumbling with primer in.......too much media gets into the primer pocket and takes more time picking it out if you tumble after depriming

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

the US cleaning phase gets it out for me.. dust too..

Re: finally got a universal decapper
 

A very good idea Deacon Man!