Hammer style bullet puller - Accidental discharge.

[Mike Lum]

As the title suggests.. finally had this happen after years of using a Hammer style bullet puller.
Basic scenario was this - Pulling bullets form a loaded lot that was blowing primers due to too many reloads and lack of tension in the primer pockets. Idea was to save the powder from them at very least, as the rest was to be discarded.

Apparently with each whack, the tool was also causing the primer to creep out of the pocket until it became proud...

The primer ignited inside the tool, and it was only fact that it had bounced out of the pocket enough not to ignite the powder column that prevented parts of the tool and round from turning into a flying disaster. It basically launched itself out of the pocket, and through the top of the tool.

Hopefully this warning helps some folks, the 2 dollars worth of components you are trying to salvage isn't worth your eyesight or injury.
Hope this will save someone injury, or at very least a clean pair of shorts.

 

[jpx2rk]

Glad you were not injured, I use that blue handled version at times, but also use a press mounted collet die to pull bullets as well.

 

[Webster]

As the title suggests.. finally had this happen after years of using a Hammer style bullet puller.
Basic scenario was this - Pulling bullets form a loaded lot that was blowing primers due to too many reloads and lack of tension in the primer pockets. Idea was to save the powder from them at very least, as the rest was to be discarded.

Apparently with each whack, the tool was also causing the primer to creep out of the pocket until it became proud...

The primer ignited inside the tool, and it was only fact that it had bounced out of the pocket enough not to ignite the powder column that prevented parts of the tool and round from turning into a flying disaster. It basically launched itself out of the pocket, and through the top of the tool.

Hopefully this warning helps some folks, the 2 dollars worth of components you are trying to salvage isn't worth your eyesight or injury.
Hope this will save someone injury, or at very least a clean pair of shorts.

Not to many reloads. A lot of hot loads. I have over 20 shots on 6BR cases with tight pockets. Sounds like you like to push the limits?

 

[TrapperBR549]

What impacted the primer to cause it to ignite?

 

[Mike Lum]

Not to many reloads. A lot of hot loads. I have over 20 shots on 6BR cases with tight pockets. Sounds like you like to push the limits?

more of a case of that one poor 22-250 and those 120 cartridges bearing the brunt of my reloading learning curve!

 

[Mike Lum]

What impacted the primer to cause it to ignite?

I was wondering this as well as there is nothing around to contact it in the tool. It appears the primer was so loose it was backed far out of the pocket with one smack and then slammed down into it with the next, and that's what lit it off.

 

[Dave M.]

Not to many reloads. A lot of hot loads. I have over 20 shots on 6BR cases with tight pockets. Sounds like you like to push the limits?

I have 23 firings on my 200 pieces of Lapua 6BR brass in my 6 dasher (4673 total rounds fired). 33.1g of RL-15, 105g Berger hybrids, 3070fps MV average. Never lost a single piece due to loose primer pockets.

 

[Bill Norris]

Absolutely why we should ALL wear safety glasses when working with hand loading stuff. You never know when something will go bang out of place.

 

[shoot4fun]

I had this happen to me a few years back. Blew a Frankfort Arsenal Inertia Puller all to bits.
The bullet stayed intact to the brass but the primer shot out the top of the puller and broke a fluorescent light bulb directly over my head. Glad I was wearing safety glasses and a cap.
It was not the same cause though because this ammo was in fairly fresh and not overpowered brass.
It was old reloads that I did for a prairie dog trip.
I still have a couple of the inertia type pullers but use the Forster Collet Puller most of the time now.

 

[K22]

Wow - thanks for the post. Never thought this could happen. I've using one for many years. Granted, I don't pull too many these days but over the years I may have pulled a bunch.

Well, I won't be pulling any more with an inertia tool. Not worth taking the chance. I have too many things wrong with this old body, I don't need something else.

 

[SSL]

Switched from that identical puller to RCBS bullet puller a couple years ago, after over 60 years of using the impact type, and not looking back! Far more peace of mind and a whole lot quieter.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Yall be careful out there. Freaky stuff happens

 

[LHSmith]

I was wondering this as well as there is nothing around to contact it in the tool. It appears the primer was so loose it was backed far out of the pocket with one smack and then slammed down into it with the next, and that's what lit it off.

Not clear on what you are saying- the primer nearly backed out on the first hit, then reseated itself on the next blow causing it to fire?
Never had a problem and I used mine hundreds of times. I inspect after each blow and check the threaded cap for tightness. I also discard any brass that the primer seats too easily and make no attempt to tighten the pockets. I have heard of users placing the round in backwords (bullet out) and some that unthinkingly hit on the primer end.

 

[Mike Lum]

...I also discard any brass that the primer seats too easily...

This was the root cause of the problem.

 

[LHSmith]

I still would like clarification on how you think the primer fired. Many of us would like to avoid having the same thing happen.

 

[Mike Lum]

I still would like clarification on how you think the primer fired. Many of us would like to avoid having the same thing happen.

The primer pockets were barely hanging onto the primers. several of them you could smack on a table surface and have them protrude as showing in the first picture. They moved so freely in and out of the primer pocket that the velocity of one that was backed out like in the picture or even further, smashed back into the primer pocket from that distance at whatever MPH the swing of the tool was.
I was tossing the whole batch when had some blow out but was trying to salvage the powder.

 

[RegionRat]

Just FYI for the group... there are tests for the safety of ammo ordinance and fuses etc., that means you cannot set off a normally installed primer in this tool, as in very high margin of safety.

However, once the context is a loose primer that can walk out of the pocket, all bets are off.

You don't have to scrap your hammer tools, but you can also not get away with loose primers (in any context).

 

[Jr solocam]

Thanks for sharing that, I have thought about that using that tool. Glad you weren't hurt.

 

[762plinker]

i hate to say this but i do not buy it.
a primer is an IMPACT EXPLOSIVE.
impact drives the parts down not up
what detonated the primer, it should have just fallen out of the hammer setup
what was the impact ??

 

[Mike Lum]

Just FYI for the group... there are tests for the safety of ammo ordinance and fuses etc., that means you cannot set off a normally installed primer in this tool, as in very high margin of safety.

However, once the context is a loose primer that can walk out of the pocket, all bets are off.

You don't have to scrap your hammer tools, but you can also not get away with loose primers (in any context).

In a nutshell, this is not the tool to use if you are salvaging rounds due to others in the batch are suspect to have loose primer pockets. Use a pair of pliers and bend the bullet out of the brass by hand with no impact, salvage the powder and toss the rest of the mess.