Bullet Puller

[dcali]

I've never had one go off, but I've heard credible stories of it happening. Honestly, I have no idea how it could, but apparently it does occasionally.

 

[Texas10]

I gave my inertial puller a few good wacks trying to pull down a load, then realized that I had it upside down and was banging on the primer end. It didn't go off, fortunately the collar didn't break during my "brain fart" attempt thereby exposing the primer to whatever I was smashing it against. But I can see how that same mistake might not end quite as well and how I should maybe try to not do that again.

 

[Flouncer]

I recall reading about primers going off. We just found a primer sized hole in a glass window in our garage door. How ? Huh ? Well, when the door is open, that window is right over where i would smack the hammer type primer remover. I wasn't worried about it before but now, come to think about it . . . . .

 

[Chris Edmondson]

I am not worried about the primer. I was just hoping someone came out with a durable puller, the plastic ones do not seem to hold up for me.

Once I learned how to use the Forster bullet puller, you know, after I read the ^%*^ manual, I'll never go back to a kinetic puller.

https://www.forsterproducts.com/product/bullet-pullers/

 

[markm87]

Once I learned how to use the Forster bullet puller, you know, after I read the ^%*^ manual, I'll never go back to a kinetic puller.

https://www.forsterproducts.com/product/bullet-pullers/

The problem is having a die for every caliber. I love the collet puller, but can't do without the kinetic puller for one offs.

 

[divingin]

The problem is having a die for every caliber. I love the collet puller, but can't do without the kinetic puller for one offs.

The other problem (read: "my problem") is that I load 32 and 38 full wadcutters (no exposed bullet for a collet to grip) and 200 gn 45 SWC (too steep an angle on exposed lead for a collet to grip, and the collet would deform the bullet anyway.)

For jacketed rifle bullets, I use a collet puller. Most pistol stuff I'd need to pull has to use the inertial.

Though I did find a couple/few gentle taps in the inertial puller will allow you to correct a rifle round seated too deep. Always check the setscrew for some tension on the Wilson micrometer seaters.

 

[markm87]

Though I did find a couple/few gentle taps in the inertial puller will allow you to correct a rifle round seated too deep. Always check the setscrew for some tension on the Wilson micrometer seaters.

Good point. If I get a gas gun round that misfed and is set way back, the hammer will get the bullet far enough out to use the collet.

I pulled 300 rounds of AAC 77 gr OTMs yesterday. Two of my buddies bought this ammo and it's loaded over a full grain too hot. I have another 700 or so to go. I might hold the record for manual bullet pulls in a lifetime when this is done.

 

[jonbearman]

Hornady puller the safest way.

 

[Hengehold]

No, and doubt it would ever happen.

During my career I was directly involved in weapon systems development that included some tests that put ridiculous G shock forces on primers, fuses, and “triggers” and can say that there is a huge difference between the forces it would take to set off a primer and the force you get from an inertial bullet puller.

Ever watch one of those slow motion videos of a bunker buster or delayed trigger on a penetrator round. Or, imagine the forces on the triggers and fuses of a shell? I am not trying to say those are identical, but the margin of safety on a small arms primer against G shock is very good when discussing an example of just going for the ride installed in a case. Introduce a firing pin that can punch the cup or have a primer cup slip down into an anvil, and those odds change.

Those compounds and primer designs in rifle and pistol primers would require several orders of magnitude more force to distort or cause a detonation than one could ever arrange from a bullet puller, hand powered or spring actuated.

If a ”loose” primer were able to “slip” in a way that forces an anvil to impact, then the odds can change, but even then it would take such an extreme example of bad fit and higher than conceivable forces from a puller to arrange such an example. (We tried, but with a slam into chamber.)

The hypothetical examples one can imagine to lead to an installed primer being set off with an inertial puller could go on for days, but in the context of motorized machine guns and cannons, those hypothetical extremes were tested and not even a remote risk.

The only thing I will add, is to never leave a primer installed flush or protruding for a semi-auto or auto, cause those slam fire contexts are an actual risk compared to the ones from an inertial puller.

Old thread here but I am reviving it because I had a similar event happen and wish to share as a public service. I was using an inertia bullet puller hammer with all the original factory parts and equipment. Pulling a bullet from a handload that was probably 1-2 years old. 6mm Hagar, it was either ball or R-15 powder, I think a Fed 210M primer.

I was whacking the hammer on the cement floor and the primer ignited. The primer flew out of the case into the ceiling and ricocheted about 20-30 feet. I was leaning over the hammer (without safety glasses of course) and the primer hit me in the cheek about 1-2 inches below my eye. It was strong enough that it probably would have destroyed my eye. No powder was ignited but obviously that would have been catastrophic.

The only thing that I can come up with is the bouncing back of the small granules of ball powder must have impacted the primer compound. Similar concept seems to work with opening wine bottles using a shoe ;-)

I have unloaded hundreds of rounds with an impact hammer and this was the first time I have had a problem. Never the less, I will never use an impact hammer again.

-Trevor

 

[over_thetop]

Never happened to me but.... Lee says no Federal primers in thier hand primer.

 

[RegionRat]

I have unloaded hundreds of rounds with an impact hammer and this was the first time I have had a problem. Never the less, I will never use an impact hammer again.

-Trevor

Glad you only got a good scare, versus loosing an eye.
Eye (and ear) protection is a good idea any time we play with primers.
Speedy Recovery.

 

[Ccrider]

and, of course, never try to seat a primer deeper once the round is loaded.

Wow! Never thought of doing that and hope nobody else has.

Grip and pull. fast and easy.

 

[BugOnPoint]

Has anyone ever had a primer go off when pulling a bullet with a inertia bullet puller? If so what caused it?

Yes, and I don't know, but it necessitated and underwear change. I was just grateful that the reason for pulling it was because I had failed to charge the case with powder.

 

[Murray Brook]

I have both kinds, hammer and collet type. Both have their place. I use the hammer type mainly for when I seat a bullet to deep. A few small taps and then I can re-seat at the proper OAL.

 

[HuntClub]

Never had one go off. Although I've broken a few inertia pullers so I went to a Hornady Cam Lock Bullet Puller which virtually eliminates any chance of primer ignition.

Love my Hornady Cam Lock Bullet Puller. Wish I had learned of it sooner than I did. Great piece of Reloading equipment to have handy.

 

[over_thetop]

The inertia pullers are ok when a heavy crimp needs to be delt with but everything else l use my RCBS press puller. The collets needed to be cleaned up and polished for the bullet to be dropped

 

[kd4avp]

I have one of the Frankford Arsenal inertia pullers. Makes a heck of a racket. Great for problem rounds that have a heavy crimp. That's mostly stuff used in our CMP loaded ammo. 30.06, 308, 223/556. For all the benchrest stuff the cam lock is my fav.