Depriming LC .223 brass and 9MM stuck cases...

[scotty]

Firstly, I bought a case of AE 55Gr .233 but this stuff is LakeCity Military stuff so the primers are crimped in. I'd like to get them out so I can give them a good cleaning before they go into storage. Higginsons sent me a universal decapper for military, guaranteed not to break. Well that broke after 2-3 hits with a mallet...

So I am seeking advice to get these primers out of my casings...

Also, for some reason I keep getting stuck cases in my 9MM Lee Dies. During resizing/depriming they can get very sticky and get stuck in the die. When I go on my down stroke its so firmly in there that my shell holder will rip the sides off of the bottom of my casing. Kinda of a pain because I have to take out the collet ring and hit it out with a hammer and a punch, not that fun. I am trying to remember to lube a case every 10th or so which helps alot but I forget some times. I have had to bang out 3 today in about 100 rounds. This is a brand new die, installed properly. I had another Lee Resizing die but one kicked the bucket (and still had the stuck casing problems) I am using Winchester brass fired 2-3 times.

Any suggestions?

 

[acrashb]

Also, for some reason I keep getting stuck cases in my 9MM Lee Dies.

9mm is a tapered case and likes to stick. Mist some spray lube on them and everything will be fine. Just a touch. This is common advice with 9mm Lee dies, and I've heard it with some other brands too. Certainly worked for me.

 

[magicchip]

9mm is a tapered case and likes to stick. Mist some spray lube on them and everything will be fine. Just a touch. This is common advice with 9mm Lee dies, and I've heard it with some other brands too. Certainly worked for me.

+1. spray lube is your friend. BTW, that's not only lee dies.

 

[troutseeker]

I recently deprimed over 300 military crimped .223's using a lee universal depriming die. Not a single problem with it. I then used a RCBS case mouth chamfer tool to remove the crimps (two turns per case with slight pressure). I then resized the brass and carried on reloading as usual. It worked just fine.

Troutseeker

 

[agent_mango]

Can you please explain how you can tell whether a .223 case has a military primer crimp?

I have lots of once fired 55 gr whitebox which I plan on using the lee universal decapper on anyway, but how do you tell if a case had a military primer crimp? And would a lee primer pocket cleaner remove it?

 

[acrashb]

Can you please explain how you can tell whether a .223 case has a military primer crimp?

google is your friend.

 

[beltfed]

Why not FL resize the brass at the same time? I ran around 2000 ruag & IVI cases through my RCBS die around Christmas time, and didn't have any breakage.

 

[762shooter]

Once de-primed I remove the remains of the crimp by chucking a countersink in my drill press, run it at a low speed and gently lift the inverted cases against it by hand. This makes fast work of a job that is tedious by hand!

 

[Silverback]

Also, for some reason I keep getting stuck cases in my 9MM Lee Dies. ?

Is this a carbide sizing die? If so there is something really wrong there, if not you need to use lube on all the brass to resize them. The only carbide dies that I have ever heard of suggesting lube is RCBS 500 S&W carbide sizing dies, they suggest lubing every 10th case due to the size and force required to resize that big brass.

 

[kresjanxx]

I lube them all because I got sick and tired of pounding the stuck ones out.
The military crimp can be removed by swaging.I have an old tool that I don't know who made ,but it works. I believe the correct term for that crimp is a roll crimp.On the smaller pistol calibres, 9mm etc, you will also encounter a stab crimp, which usually means that the primer is held in place by three, wait for it, stabs!They can be removed as easily as the roll ones.

Kresjanxx

 

[scotty]

Is this a carbide sizing die? If so there is something really wrong there, if not you need to use lube on all the brass to resize them. The only carbide dies that I have ever heard of suggesting lube is RCBS 500 S&W carbide sizing dies, they suggest lubing every 10th case due to the size and force required to resize that big brass.

Yes they are the carbide dies.

Thanks for the advice guys. I don't have any .223 dies yet, but I figured I could start working on this pile of 500 casings that I have.

 

[mikeelliot]

I have found the crimp un-even on lots of LC 223 brass...

Busted 2 decapping pins on some as well.

Have to be real careful, put some pressure on the ram, if it doesnt go let it down and turn the case, seemed to work for me.

RCBS Swagger works like a hot damn.

You wont see me chamfering crimps anymore.

 

[sunray]

"...correct term for that crimp is a roll crimp..." Primer crimp. A roll crimp is for holding the bullet on a case that doesn't headspace on the case mouth in place.
"...trying to remember to lube a case every 10th..." Lube them all. Carbide dies usually don't need lubing, but it doesn't hurt if you do. Sounds like you may be using too much force too.
The crimped primers should come out with a regular decapper. However, you may have been hitting too hard with your mallet. Call Lee if it's their Universal decapper. They likely send you another one.