Hand Depriming Tool

[Shooterjim]

I've got my eye on a hand tool to deprime my brass (usually 9mm and .223). I like to hand prime anyway so this looks like a good way to sit back and relax while getting some brass ready to load.

Here's my question...The reloading dies include the full length sizing die WITH the deprimer. So if I use a hand tool to deprime, when should I resize? Seems silly to run it through the press after the primer has been removed.

Is there a different die that only resizes?

[baih777]

Edited

[rsrocket1]

Go get yourself a case gauge or measure the outer dimensions of your fired cases (or range pickups). If you have a european gun or one of those guns with "generous" chambers, depriming only can lead to poorly fitting cases in your gun. On top of that, be sure to try to hand fit your bullets into your "deprimed only" cases. In some cases, you will be able to push the bullet into the case with little or no resistance.

9mm is a tapered case round and some 9mm chambers are straight. That will give you easy reliable feeding but will result in a case mouth that will not hold a 0.355" bullet.

Nothing worse than loading a bunch of 9mm cartridges only to find out that the bullets can be pulled out and pushed in with finger pressure (been there done that).

[golfish]

Is there a different die that only resizes?

I can remove the deprimming pin from all the resizing dies that I have. I resize and deprime my pistol caliber cases at the same time and then I clean them.

[kcheung2]

You can take your existing resizing die & unscrew the decapping pin. Or just leave it in there, there's no harm in pushing the pin through an empty primer hole. Regardless, skipping the actual resizing die is not recommended.

Then why have a separate deprimer? you may ask. For wet tumblers, they like to remove the spent primer first before they tumble so the primer pocket also gets cleaned. But after cleaning they will still run the cases through the sizing die. Also the hand deprimer isn't really a precision tool, so running a dirty case through there isn't an issue. But most people don't want to run a dirty case through their resizing die.

[bohoki]

yea i think lyman used to sell case holders that you just set the case on and used a rod to knock out the primer using a little hammer

i made one before i stopped caring about dirty pockets using an oak board drilled holes the size of the case with a flat bit then drilled a small hole for the primer to enter

i'll show a pic gimme a sec

['ol shooter]

I use a Harvey hand held de-capper, have added cartridge guides from RCBS flash hole cutter, they are same I.D. as the rod on the Harvey tool. I filed them down a tad so the cases will slide on easily.
The tool:

The guide:

Tool with guide:

[the_tunaman]

I use the universal depriving die in my Lee handloader while I’m sitting on the couch, and it works great.

[hermosabeach]

I had a single stage growing up

I would decap/ resize
then tumble the brass
(Really dirty brass would get tumbled first)

Prime
Etc

Hand priming allows one to control the primer depth.


What advantage does one get to hand decapping?

[SmokeTheClay]

You can take your existing resizing die & unscrew the decapping pin. Or just leave it in there, there's no harm in pushing the pin through an empty primer hole. Regardless, skipping the actual resizing die is not recommended.

Then why have a separate deprimer? you may ask. For wet tumblers, they like to remove the spent primer first before they tumble so the primer pocket also gets cleaned. But after cleaning they will still run the cases through the sizing die. Also the hand deprimer isn't really a precision tool, so running a dirty case through there isn't an issue. But most people don't want to run a dirty case through their resizing die.

This is what I do.

1. Hand deprime with Frankford Arsenal
2. Wet tumble with stainless media which includes primer pockets (primer out allows me to get the media out easily)
3. Resize without decapping pin