!@#@$%$#@ Speer!

[gandog56]

I'm getting tired of busting decapping pins trying to deprime Speer 357 SIG cases. With 1000 cases, so far I've bent or broke off 5 decapping pins. I still have 282 to go, but have to wait till my new order of pins come in. ONLY Speer 357 SIG cases are doing this to me, no other caliber of Speer brass.

[62chevy]

Is it the crimp or did they glue them in?

[gandog56]

All I can figure out is the flash holes were drilled very small, and some weren't exactly centered. It's from different lots, brass and nickel plated. I've run into this before, and once again, it's just their 357 SIG.

[Mbaker78]

Are you using a Lee universal depriming die? I have yet to break or bend that thing... And I've accidentally tried to deprime berdan primers with it.

[Happyguy]

Flash holes are smaller and as baker stated the Lee decapping die is the only one that I have found that won't break the pin. David

[DukeInFlorida]

I also ran into MANY batches of this brass.

Talking to the folks at Speer, they said that they bought the brass from Lapua, which is known for small flash holes. The solution would be to use smaller pins.

I contacted both Lee and RCBS. Lee was no help, but RCBS graciously sent me some .047" pins, which both fit in their knock out pin collets, and also did the job. So, now I have modified my process of assembling 357 Sig ammo:

1) I resize and deprime using a .40 S&W CARBIDE full length resizing die, from RCBS, with the smaller pin in place. That way, I don't have to lube the necked rifle brass style cases. I'm only sizing the major diameter at this point. But, I'm able to deprime without issues. I do this operation off the press.
2) Once having the deprimed brass prepared, and knowing that the major OD is sized, and with a minimum of friction left to deal with, I run the prepared brass in my Dillon 550b, with a 357 Sig full length sizing die in station one, with the knock out pin removed (cut off). It's still important to leave the collet pin in place, since the ID of the neck is controlled by the OD of the collet pin. In this way, the neck gets properly sized, and the shoulder gets pushed back.
3) In station two, where the powder drop is, as well as the bell mouthing, I have the powder drop tube adjusted so that the bell mouthing is an absolute minimum.
4) In station 3, I do only a push on the bullet, to the proper seating depth.
5) Finally, in station 4, I do a Lee Factory Crimp Die crimp. I have this set pretty tight, as the short length of the neck doesn't allow for a lot of neck friction, and bullet set-back is a BIG problem for this chambering. The deeper than normal crimp assures that the bullets stay tight where they are supposed to be.

Now that I have this system set up, my normal batch size is about 2500 rounds. With not ever any issues! (I never even notice that the flash holes might be a bit small)

Get yourself some RCBS small pins. They'll graciously send you some.

[gandog56]

Flash holes are smaller and as baker stated the Lee decapping die is the only one that I have found that won't break the pin. David

Well, except for the fact I've broken three of them so far!

[gandog56]

I also ran into MANY batches of this brass.

Talking to the folks at Speer, they said that they bought the brass from Lapua, which is known for small flash holes. The solution would be to use smaller pins.

I contacted both Lee and RCBS. Lee was no help, but RCBS graciously sent me some .047" pins, which both fit in their knock out pin collets, and also did the job. So, now I have modified my process of assembling 357 Sig ammo:

1) I resize and deprime using a .40 S&W CARBIDE full length resizing die, from RCBS, with the smaller pin in place. That way, I don't have to lube the necked rifle brass style cases. I'm only sizing the major diameter at this point. But, I'm able to deprime without issues. I do this operation off the press.
2) Once having the deprimed brass prepared, and knowing that the major OD is sized, and with a minimum of friction left to deal with, I run the prepared brass in my Dillon 550b, with a 357 Sig full length sizing die in station one, with the knock out pin removed (cut off). It's still important to leave the collet pin in place, since the ID of the neck is controlled by the OD of the collet pin. In this way, the neck gets properly sized, and the shoulder gets pushed back.
3) In station two, where the powder drop is, as well as the bell mouthing, I have the powder drop tube adjusted so that the bell mouthing is an absolute minimum.
4) In station 3, I do only a push on the bullet, to the proper seating depth.
5) Finally, in station 4, I do a Lee Factory Crimp Die crimp. I have this set pretty tight, as the short length of the neck doesn't allow for a lot of neck friction, and bullet set-back is a BIG problem for this chambering. The deeper than normal crimp assures that the bullets stay tight where they are supposed to be.

Now that I have this system set up, my normal batch size is about 2500 rounds. With not ever any issues! (I never even notice that the flash holes might be a bit small)

Get yourself some RCBS small pins. They'll graciously send you some.

Well, the only problem there is my .40 cal and 357 SIG dies are Lee.

[DukeInFlorida]

Get a RCBS .40 S&W carbide sizing die..... Use their small pins in it. Stop being so damned cheap!

[ZmanWakeForest]

Get a RCBS .40 S&W carbide sizing die..... Use their small pins in it. Stop being so damned cheap!

LOL! That is awesome!

[gandog56]

Get a RCBS .40 S&W carbide sizing die..... Use their small pins in it. Stop being so damned cheap!

If I wasn't cheap, I probably wouldn't be here!

[62chevy]

If I wasn't cheap, I probably wouldn't be here!

Amen to that gandog56

[jebsca]

If I wasn't cheap, I probably wouldn't be here!

Me too! Me too! Being cheap is costing me more every day.

[gandog56]

Finished up the batch by punching the primers out with a Philips jewelers screwdriver and a brass hammer. Used the shellholder as a mini base to hold the case while I punched. Some of them I had to pull the screwdriver out with a pair of pliers, some just pulled the screwdriver right out. There is just no consistency in these hole widths!

If it is really Lapua that made these I am very disappointed in them.

[gandog56]

A little further research shows that Lapua thought slightly smaller flash holes might have made a gas jet more concentrated when the primer is set off and cause better ignition. Now since I've never had 357 SIG cases not go bang, it seems like they were searching a bit for a problem that really wasn't there in the first place.

Just got my order in for extra decapping pins from Lee. Just sorry I needed them in the forst place.

[Mbaker78]

Who do you order Lee parts from? Just curious if you have any better options than Titan reloading (they're a bit cheaper than direct from Lee)

[gandog56]

Directly from Lee. Their shipping charges aren't too bad, and it usually gets to me pretty fast.

[Mbaker78]

I ordered some stuff from Titan a while back and saved a few bucks over if I'd ordered direct from Lee, received it pretty quickly too.

[Point-Man]

Check the prices at FS Reloading. Just ordered some crimp dies and they were cheaper than Titan`s. Although the shell holders were cheaper at Titan.

[gandog56]

I just like getting them straight from Lee, and not having to pay a middleman.