Harvey Deprimer

[OldLincoln]

Does anybody have experience with the Harvey Deprimer (http://harveydeprimer.com/Home_Page.php) tool? I was wondering about a way to deprime before tumbling without messing up a die, or buying one for each caliber. I found the Lee universal deprimer but that requires sliding the case in and out of the shell holder plus a pull just to remover the spent primer. The Harvey is similar to the Lee Hand priming tool and appears easy and quick. I'm thinking about putting it on my BDay list but at $50 it is pricey. Your thoughts?

[Bawanna]

I've never heard of such a thing. I watched the video and while I can't see her head it appears even an angel can operate the thing.

If your set on depriming prior to tumbling that would be the ticket. Looks like a good way to maintain hand strength an like they say you could sort and deprime as you go along.

Be nice to actually try one before you plunk the gold down but it appears solid enough.

I'm gonna go watch the video one more time. Angels rock!

[MW surveyor]

Cleavage sells!

Actually looks to work pretty good with the exception of launching the spent primer to who know where.

[Sliebl]

I also reload .223 and those I like to clean the primer pocket manually. This tool looks like the ticket for that application. Thanks for posting!

If you are speaking of reloading 9mm, you can easily get a piece of media stuck in the flash hole if you deprime prior to tumbling.
If you tumble prior to depriming, any crud in the flash hole will get pushed out by the decapping tool. I'll stick with that method for my pistol brass, as the primer pockets don't need cleaned, in my opinion.

[Bawanna]

I used to be meticulous about cleaning primer pockets. When I switched to a progressive you lose that option which took me a bit to get used to.

I guess using this machine I could still do that. Not really change anything in the sequence as you still need to size but you'd know the primer hole is clean.

I agree that for practice handgun stuff its probably not all that important. I don't load much rifle these days but I was much more meticulous with those.

[OldLincoln]

May want to only use that tool on casings you have punched before on a press. Last night I tried to punch a couple casings with a small nail and tap hammer. I was surprised that the casings hung up on the nail. I don't know how skinny that rod is, but that could be a problem. I'm sure that once punched on a press, the flash hole is sized okay.

As MW said, primers do tend to take flight when punched. Try as I may I still have to scour the floor to find a few. I think you could develop a technique to flip the wrist as you pop it out directing it into a container.

As for angels using the tool, one user said his 9 year old daughter does it just fine. In general those who use it like it. However, many of those who use the universal press dies complain that they break pins. Seems there is too much leverage and they miss the flash hole. With the Harvey, you set it in the hole and cannot close the unit if it doesn't sit down in it.

[Sliebl]

I've yet to bend a decapping pin in my Lee press. The pin is gripped by a collet and supposedly the collet will allow the pin to slip before it bends. That's never happened to me either. Bending/breaking of decapping pins is probably more of a concern in a progressive press where you don't have tactile control over each step with an individual pull of the press handle.

I also can't imagine having to crawl around cleaning up spent primers. The Lee turret press catches them all in a clear tube for easy emptying.

[OldLincoln]

I also have a Lee for 9mm but it's the re-sizer/deprimer, not the universal deprimer. The majority of complaints I read were for the Lee stating the the collet was set too tight from the factory. I adjusted mine but haven't had it slip nor bend, probably because the re-sizer lines it up correctly.

I use a Rockchucker press, with a tray, but often the primers break free with a ping and shoot down the slot and bounce off the solid cast area in front. I will make a small tent like diverter that will hopefully deflect them into the tray better.

I'm not surprised that newer presses do better capturing primers, but I'm just thankful to have what I do and will deal with it as needed. It's become a little game we play sometimes turning out the lights and crawl around on the floor with flashlights. Beats Monopoly!

[Sliebl]

I'm not surprised that newer presses do better capturing primers, but I'm just thankful to have what I do and will deal with it as needed.

I hear ya there! http://www.lieblweb.com/Emoticons/cheers.gif

[OldLincoln]

As an experiment, I dirty punched a tumbler load of 9mm - about 150 cases - then tumbled them. I was amazed at how clean the pockets are, especially compared to the 150 cases in the control group, tumbled then punched.

My mind is set, I will punch then tumble, but not with a $50 hand tool. I'll buy a Lee Universal Decapping Die for about $15 if local. I have time to spend but not money.

Out of 150 cases, about 15 had media in the flash hole which came out with a tap on the bench or my handy dandy home made tool. It's a small screwdriver reshaped on the grinder and file to just fit a standard pocket squarely with a center protruding part that extends into the flash hole.

[MW surveyor]

OldLincoln,

I was thinking the same way as you to use the Lee universal decap die, but can't seem to find one at my local reloading equipment store. They get stuff in all the time so until then I'll tumble then decap/resize. I've just about always tapped each case after decap/resize so I've developed the habit.

Another good idea about the repurposed screw driver!

[OldLincoln]

Had a brilliant idea yesterday and visited my local "old time" hardware store. It's been in business at least 80 years and used to be way out in the country, but the city has built around it. The floors are wooden boards uneven and the people there aren't very friendly. They know who their customers are and don't cater to the boutique hardware.

So I go looking for a cleave pin or machine bolt in 7/8th X 14. I found some but the threads stopped way short. Last night it occurred to me to thread it in from the bottom. So now I'm thinking I can get a hardened 7/8ths bolt 4" long and all I have to do is somehow turn it down to 1/16 for the last 1/4" then 3/16" for another 1.5". All that and I'll have my very own nearly unbreakable universal decapper.

How long does it take a grind a 7/8" hardened steel bolt to a perfect 3/16"? I have a little underpowered grinder with medium grit wheel. I really like making stuff, but figure I'll use more electricity than it costs to buy one on the internet.

What galls me is not that the die is $8 but that the special handling of $3 plus the shipping of $9 turns it into $20. I finished cleaning and punching my casings anyway so don't need it for a while. I'm likely to need something else someday and will get it then to spread the shipping.

[jlottmc]

Why couldn't you use an old Allen wrench with the same effect? Drill it and pin it then the weak point is that pin, and if you use a hardened roll pin, you should have no worries. If done with a 5/32's Allen wrench you get the benefits of not having to round it.

[OldLincoln]

How do you screw it into the press?

[Bawanna]

Why not just deprime with the press with the sizing die. Wipe off the big stuff and even if a little dirty the die should still last about 130 years.
You could buy a new die in 70 or 80 years if you think it's getting worn.

[OldLincoln]

Now that I've cleaned up the range brass I purchased, it may even be fairly clean. I looked over some I shot and the coating left on the brass from the Nu-Finish let it pretty much wipe off to shine.

It's just that I've heard somewhere not to punch dirty brass and tried to be a good boy. But I suspect you are right that it would take a very long time to wear spots on the carbide die, so if you say it's OK, I'll do it.

[jlottmc]

Or just do that. To screw the other into the die take a piece of bolt, drill it, to just bigger than the Allen wrench, or cut a grove and pin over it. If you cut the wrench, pound it in, drill a small pin hole and pin. That thing will never break or move. I did it once on my old set up after I had broken a pin, and was too cheap to get another, and had some stuff laying around. Never had a problem after that.

[OldLincoln]

OK, now I see what you are saying. Just drill the bolt, knock the corners off the wrench for a pretty good fit and mig it, pin it or whatever. Sounds easier than still grinding on the bolt a year from now. But all the same, I'll likely just use my carbide resizer now that I know it's okay.

[Bawanna]

Don't put that kind of pressure on me. Just cause I think it's ok don't mean it's ok. Sometimes it's ok but not always.

I always tumble and then cleaned the primer pockets with a hand tool as I inspected. At first I just ran them thru the sizer and deprimed before close inspection in case sizing caused anything bad.

You actually might be on to something. If I deprimed like your talking I could have clean primer pockets before I feed the progressive. I don't worry too much about pistol ammo, it's usually clean enough. I used to go to extra effort for rifle stuff and still would if I loaded much rifle.

[earle8888]

Well, Guy's I guess some steps left undone don't necessarily screw-up the operation! BUT, I am never sure which straw will get the camel a-bucking! I am a NUT when it comes to reloading! I ALWAYS do each and every step, rather spend the time at the reloading bench than clearing malfunctions!