That's the second freakin' decapping pin today! Freakin' NATO....

[BamBam-31]

Damn, those primers are in there but TIGHT!

So I'm resizing all the .223 brass I picked up at the range, and I get the clack-clack sound a few times on various pieces of brass. Take it out, sure enough, NATO cross.

I try my luck at forcing one. Bingo. Deprimes. Bad, bad, bad. So the next one to come along, I force it again, snapping the Lee decapping pin clean off. Okay, I have another .223 sizing/de-priming die (Dillon), so I use that one instead.

Clack.

"Don't do it," says the angel on my right shoulder.

"Don't let that lil' bastard beat ya!" says the devil on my left.

"Hope," says Obama, so I force it again, bending the pin like a pretzel inside the case.

So now I gotta wait for the BBT to bring me new pins from Uncle Dillon.

Man, even the 9mm NATO primer pockets are tight. Almost all of my crushed primers have been w/ NATO brass. I'm starting to think that NATO cross is the Mark of the Beast.

[jandmtv]

WOW, I have never broken a decapping pin on my lee, rcbs or dillon dies, and I have deprimed 1000s of nato .223.

[Beelzy]

I pound the primers out of Nato cases with a punch the old school way. Great therapy.

[USN CHIEF]

Ha, I learned the hard way already like you. I just placed an order last friday with Dillon and ordered 5 extra pins. LOL.

[gunboat]

While I always deprime milt cases with a hand punch, you might try checking that your decap rod is centered -- not slightly bent. Also you might try shortening the pin so it is just long enough to remove primer --

[ar15barrels]

This won't help for Dillon or new style RCBS as both have pins with heads on them now, but for a quick fix on old-style straight pins, find the appropriate sized drill bit and cut it down, leaving only a straight shank portion of the right length.
Round off the end and install in the die.
Make sure the decapping stem is not bent slightly as that HIGHLY contributes to future pins breaking.

[scr83jp]

Damn, those primers are in there but TIGHT!

So I'm resizing all the .223 brass I picked up at the range, and I get the clack-clack sound a few times on various pieces of brass. Take it out, sure enough, NATO cross.

I try my luck at forcing one. Bingo. Deprimes. Bad, bad, bad. So the next one to come along, I force it again, snapping the Lee decapping pin clean off. Okay, I have another .223 sizing/de-priming die (Dillon), so I use that one instead.

Clack.

"Don't do it," says the angel on my right shoulder.

"Don't let that lil' bastard beat ya!" says the devil on my left.

"Hope," says Obama, so I force it again, bending the pin like a pretzel inside the case.

So now I gotta wait for the BBT to bring me new pins from Uncle Dillon.

Man, even the 9mm NATO primer pockets are tight. Almost all of my crushed primers have been w/ NATO brass. I'm starting to think that NATO cross is the Mark of the Beast.

For decapping crimped in military primers I use an L.E. Wilson Primer Decapper.

[grywlfbg]

Is it the same headstamp? I've noticed that Fiocchi primer holes aren't centered. Also IK (I think) I've had trouble with. Also, some NATO is berdan primed. Finally, make sure you don't have any tumbling media let in there.

But yes, I've bent my share of decapping pins. Also w/ the Dillon dies make sure you haven't bent the center shaft that holds the pin. As Randall said if the pin isn't straight you'll break more pins.

[Darklyte27]

Who is that pin made by?

[sargenv]

2nd? That's all?

Heck, when I was processing my buckets of 223 brass. I went through a 6 pack of Dillon pins, 3 or 4 center pins in an RCBS decapper, and a couple of Dillon shafts. Heck I even broke a decapping pin from a Lee die. 2? I don't even want to hear about it!

I think I finally had had enough after hitting about 6000 pieces. I still have another 2 or 3 k to do.

[ar15barrels]

I run an RCBS lube die that I modified to increase lube flow.
I probably eat a pin every 1500 cases or so.
Call RCBS and they will send you a 10 pack of pins for free.
Keep them around and you are less likely to need them.
When you run out, you break your last one really quickly.

Murphy is an asshat like that...

[big jon]

I USE FINISHING NAILS WHEN I BREAK EM...

[BamBam-31]

Drill bits and finishing nails...hmmm. Maybe I don't have to wait for the BBT after all....

[ar15barrels]

Drill bits are harder than nails, that's why I use them.
Realistically, music wire would work too.

[BamBam-31]

I think I've got several dull drill bits that just might fit, too. Will try them out tonight. THANKS!