Whats the most tidy way to decap all my brass? Reloading hazards...

[Pendragon]

I do not yet have a dedicated area for reloading so I use the kitchen area with my Lee Turret press mounted on a portable reloading bench (stand) from MidwayUSA.com.

I am able to keep everything pretty neat and orderly except for one thing - when I use the press to decap my brass, the primers fall down the groove in the ram and then bounce and roll in random directions and go every where. Half the time the anvil breaks out along with a little bit of debris.

I did about 50 like this and then I remembered that primers can contain lead and its probably not nice to have that on the congoleum floor

The design of the press I have is such that catching the primers is very slow and tedious and still not 100% reliable.

I would really like to find a way to decap all the bras in a way that lets me contain the primers in some way. I am considering the Lee Hand Press - I have large hands so I am not worried about the effort, I just want it to be neat.

Also, are there any other hazards I should worry about if I reload in the kitchen? I use hardcast bullets, but I keep them in the box and handle them with care and wash up and clean up when I am done. What about powder? My understanding is that powder is not realy toxic (at least not a flake here and there).

I do have a 9 month old, but we keep an eye on him and he does not come in direct contact with my reloading stuff.

Advice is appreciated.

 

[Frohickey]

Depends... are you willing to spend more money on a new press?

I just saw the RCBS Pro 2000 press, and it has a nifty spent primer catch tube that goes to a small little enclosed jar.

 

[Steve Smith]

Let's hear it for Lee!

I think Lee is the only manufacturer to make a modern press without any thought as to where the old primers will go.

Seems like the Turret has the same base as the Pro 1000. When I had my 1000, the primers went into a hole in the base (intentionally) and every so often you had to remove the base from the table and take out a few hundred old primers. I evenually used a drill and took out a section of the table under the press and mounted a removable cup under the table to catch the primers.

If the above does not help, try rigging a large plastic funnel around the area that will deflect the primers back toward the press for easier pick-up. Try moving your decapping pin in and out to see if you get more consistent primer release in a certain spot. Deprime outside? Put table, press, and self in a large trash bag (with breathing passage, possibly a snorkel?) and deprime inside the trash bag. White bags will transfer light better.


As long as you're not smoking the lead bullets (mmm, these lead bullets is good **** yo!) and you're cleaning everything real well after you're done, they shouldn't represent a probelm. don't let your 9mo old get one and use it as an all-day sucker, though.

 

[Pendragon]

Heh

Thanks guys

I was hoping there was a tool that was like a hand primer only a hand decapper.

I guess the Lee Hand Press with a decapping die is the closest there is - at least then I could sit in front of the idiot box and decap a thousand or so at a sitting...

 

[TallPine]

Well, the "Lee Loader" has a base and a punch that you use to drive out the primers. Of course, everything you do with those is done with a hammer as there is no press.

But it doesn't make sense to spend 15 or 20 dollars for one just for the de-priming parts unless you want to be able to also load out on the tailgate of your pickup or on a stump.

With the Lee Challenger press I cup my left hand around the back of the press to try to guide the spent primer down in the catch tray. Sometimes they fly out at Mach 2 and end up who knows where and sometimes they fall right in the tray like they are supposed to.

Lee presses seem to work better with Lee dies than with other brands of dies, at least as far as the primer catching is concerned.

 

[sricciardelli]

Have you thought about hanging a plastic bag (like the ones you get your groceries in) on the press so that it catches the primers?

Or putting a cardboard box under your press to catch them?

 

[Pendragon]

I dont think that would work - the press is such that there is absolutely no guaranteed vector of the ejected primers - they go everywhere

Anyone use the hand press? It looks like it takes regular dies and would be pretty handy... and less than $20

too bad there are none on ebay right now

 

[nyetter]

Yeah, there's really not much you can do about the Lee Turret's spent primer non-catching system . Best bet is probably either a Lee Hand Press or Lee's cheapest bench-mounted press, forget the name, but it's like $15 and has a decent catcher (gotta drill a hole in what you mount it to, though).

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Suggest a trip to Home Depot or a competitor and pick up a cheap 4X6 or 5X7 indoor/outdoor carpet remnant. Thick, short pile no shag. Put it under your press when reloading. Anything that drops should stay on the carpet and not bounce and roll all over. I put a dark piece under my bench in the cellar for just that reason. The spent primers show up nicely against the dark background.
Take Care

 

[swifter...]

I'm using a Wilson hand decapper. it has a base that the casehead fits. arod w/pin thru the case, whack with a small hammer to operate releives aggressions, too... Sinclair International has 'em.
om

 

[Edward429451]

I've tried boxes. I've tried carpets. I have not tried trash bags! My Dillon does good at catching the primers but my RockChucker cannot contain them very well. They get everywhere. I quit worrying about it and just decided that the old cliche' must be true...'You cant make an omlette without spilling some primers' (or something like that!)

Blew up the wifes vacuum once by picking up a live one. Blew a chunk out of the plastic blade thing and cracked it in half.

She was not amused.

 

[blades67]

I so like my RL550B and its handy spent primer catch.

 

[DaleA]

Edward429451 - Picking up a live primer and blowing a piece out of your wife's vacuum cleaner counts as a 'near death experience' in my book.

Also, IMhO the 19th century had Mark Twain and the 20th century had Robert Heinlein.

 

[Dave P]

Lee sells a punch and base setup: just whack out those old primers! Natchez P/N LEE90102 (30 cal), about $4. Very neat and easy to use.

 

[Sisco]

Do you re-prime on the press? If not, remove the primer arm and 90% of the spent primers will fall through the slot. Put a trash can underneath it and you're set.

 

[Jim Watson]

A friend of mine uses the Lee Hand Press and a decap-only die to decap his .45-70 BP cases at the range so he can get them soaking as soon as possible. He thinks it is way ahead of his old Lyman Tong Tool. It is certainly faster than a punch and hammer and cheaper than one of the Pope-style devices. Sounds like a cheap way to ensure domestic tranquility. Do get the decap-only die, it would take a good deal of grunt to resize in it.

 

[Edward429451]

- Picking up a live primer and blowing a piece out of your wife's vacuum cleaner counts as a 'near death experience' in my book.

It might've been if I didn't have the cash to let her go buy a new one. Being able to give a green light to a shopping trip always helps calm things down! I use a shop vac to vacuum my room now.

 

[Poodleshooter]

I cut a narrow slot in the bench, right below the hollow where spent primers go. I then placed a trashcan underneath it. This seems to work quite well.
For the turret, my dad has used a very large cardboard box under the press. It catches almost everything, but is always in the way.

 

[larryw]

With all due respect and coming as a father of two young children, I don't think its a good idea to load where your child is, especially the kitchen.

While I'm certain you're very careful, it is possible that you can miss something. Also, as you mentioned, spent primers are dirty, I don't think there is any way to totally ensure you get all the residue every time.

Considering a 9mo old spends most of his time crawling around floor exploring little nooks and crannys and his hands spend most their time in his mouth, I strongly urge you to find somewhere else to reload.

Lead at this age is something to be avoided at all costs; the long term developmental dangers are too great.

Best regards,
Larry Woodard

 

[Steve Smith]

Perhaps it would be eaiser to place the 9mo old in a plastic bag to protect it?