Separate Press for Decapping?

[Phil3]

I intend on using a separate decapping die in my reloading operations, but also see that some people use an inexpensive press for this step. Why? I have a Forster Co-Ax press and with snap-in dies, it is easy to move from one die to the next. I have seen a comment or two that have a separate press for decapping keeps primer residue off of the primary press. I have a hard time seeing how this could happen (at least on the Forster), but what do I know, I am new to reloading. If I got a separate press, it would be the cheap Lee press for about $28 with a shell holder.

- Phil

[Fishslayer]

I'm not familiar with your press, but my Lee Classic turret is simple to make a "single stage" for 'capping. I usually tumble first with walnut shells, then decap, then the real cleaning. This keeps the really bad crap out of the die.

If I was going to buy a dedicated press for one operation it would be bullet seating/roll crimping. I like my Lee, but there IS a certain amount of up & down play.

[joedogboy]

While I have a progressive press, I do my decapping and priming separately.

I use the Lee hand press to decap, and a hand priming tool to prime brass.
This allows me the option of decapping or priming while watching tv in the house, while the actual reloading always takes place at my workbench in the garage.

I started doing this because using a hand priming tool allows me to check the seat of the primers before I continue the reloading process. When I first started reloading in quantity, I found that I was having about 5% of my primers not seat fully. This is easy to rectify if the case hasn't been loaded, but once the powder and bullet are in, you have to disassemble the round to re-seat the primer.

[not-fishing]

Actually I use a RCBS manual turret for all my decapping.

Decap my mil-spec rifle rounds with my Lee decapper.

Decap my handgun rounds, size and bell.

I use a large phillips screw driver (left hand) and stick in the side turret hole to turn the turret and run the press with my other hand.

It works pretty dam fast that way and then I take the brass out and hand prime at at table then put my primed brass into plastic containers for when I want to load.

When I want to load I use a powder throw and load the bullet with the crimp portion set way off then drop the crimp portion with the bullet set backed off with a single stage RCBS. I find my revolver roll-crimped rounds come out better this way. I could use the turret press for the load but I would have to buy a seperate crimp die for each size.

[Cowboy T]

I just decap on the progressive. But if you want to do it separately, here's a great, and inexpensive, option.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=807734

I use mine for boolit-sizing, since I cast. Tens of thousands of boolits have passed through this press w/ no problems, so for decapping, even this is way overkill.

[uscbigdawg]

You could do it separately. Just depends on what it's for.

Rich

[Sunwolf]

I like this one:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=317831