Pulling Boolits from BP rounds

[mdevlin53]

Just about the same time that another member posted a thread about a decapping pin going missing i had the same thing happen to me. After reading the post i decided to take the 20 rounds apart and see if the pin was in one of the cases. I picked up a RCBS hammer type puller and in an uncommon act i read the instructions and low and behold it states that you should never use this tool to remove boolits from BP rounds. Could anybody tell me why this is a bad idea and why is it ok for smokeless rounds.
Thanks Michael

[Mooseman]

BP is more shock sensitive and static electricity also can touch it off. Thats why. Best is to use a press and a collet puller carefully...

[RobsTV]

For BP, I use a press and pliers to grab the soft boolit in the presses die hole.

[Chicken Thief]

About shock sencivity i can tell the following:
I put @ 650grains in a tin and shot it directly at 25 yds.
The remaning powder trickled out and i would have got'n more action out of a stale hamburger or a luke warm rabbit pile!

It's like swallowing a dime or button, it'll pass without you knowing it!
And whats the worst that can happen?
It will settle slightly asquev and block the BP gasses, weehew talk about nothing.
Tell you what! I'll pay for another gun of equal value if you can proof that the one you have has had any damage from shooting a cartride with an obstruction as you describe.

In the past the military actually designed duplex cartridges with another projectile interially imerged into the powder of the cartridge.

Regarding static and BP i have to call BS:
http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/sparks/sparks.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5Z5yAeO3dw

[mdevlin53]

I have used the pliers and press method but usually the boolits end up in the pot after pulling, Half of the cases were my own cas boolits but the other half are store bought and i was trying to save them.
One thing about this site there is no shortage of opinions. i am inclined to agree with Chicken thief but there are a lot of people who think differently. I know what you are going to say, whats ane eye or hand worth next to ten boolits and an hours work. I will probably pull them ust to be safe.

[Jim]

.....In the past the military actually designed duplex cartridges with another projectile interially imerged into the powder of the cartridge.....

Interesting, never heard of that. Got a link to a documentary site on that?

[prs]

Sorry, but I call BS on this, same as the old wive's tale about static electricity setting of finished gun powder. I would like to see hard evidence of impact, impulse, or static igniting a charge of commercially prepared real black gunpowder. Now, a factory situation with suspended dust is another matter.

prs

[Chicken Thief]

Interesting, never heard of that. Got a link to a documentary site on that?

http://www.thegunzone.com/salvo.html
http://weapons.travellercentral.com/ammo/marder.html
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/Assault.htm

Enough?

https://www.google.com/search?q=duplex+military+cartridges&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:da:official&client=firefox-a

[shooter93]

The trick is....it can happen. Not that it will every time, maybe once in a million much like SEE, filler use in some circumstances etc. The choice is yours....if you have a ten dollar head.....buy a ten dollar helmet.

[MT Chambers]

Buy you a collet type puller, it's safer, you can re-use the bullet, might as well do it now, you're gonna end up with one anyways.

[Ragnarok]

I mash the bullet in a vise...and use a block of wood and a screwdriver to 'pop' the case from the bullet

[bbqncigars]

I'd play it safe and pull the bullets even if it means trashing them. You don't want to be the exception that proves the rule. For example, I've been reloading for 44 years now, and only had one instance of primer chainfire in a primer feed tube in that time. I still have no idea what caused it, but since then ('74) I wear eye and ear protection when priming is involved.

[milrifle]

At one time, I had about decided that black powder being impact sensitive was BS. I had put a small 'pinch' on an anvil and smacked it with a brass hammer (No sparks to taint my results). Tried this several times, to no avail. I told someone else about it and he said try putting the 'pinch' of black powder between two pieces of tape. I tried that and got a good 'pop' on the first try. Guess it needed to be confined somewhat. I couldn't help but think about the rolls of caps we used to shoot in our cap guns when we were kids. Gotta wonder if those are black powder or something else?

[OuchHot!]

I think that the caps may have had some perchlorate in them or else ground glass to make a stress riser. I have tried beating on BP and came to the conclusion it wasn't that easy to set off. I still don't get cavalier with it. Life is short enough.

[44man]

BP static stuff has been around a long time and there are metal measure tubes for them but I have used my plastic Redding forever. Coated BP can not be ignited from static and it has been proven.
Impact has set off smokeless when a round was stuck in the chamber and it was pounded out. The case coming out the back killed the mans wife.
A boolit puller will not do it. You can not exert pressure on the powder, the boolit pulls and the powder is loose.
It is up to you and what you feel safe with. I have NEVER had a primer go off either in 59 to 60 years of loading and have punched out hundreds of live primers.
Chances are that if you shoot the pin it will not hurt the barrel but I would want to find it to save getting or making another one.
Loading ammo is a million times safer then a chainsaw or table saw.

[I'll Make Mine]

I couldn't help but think about the rolls of caps we used to shoot in our cap guns when we were kids. Gotta wonder if those are black powder or something else?

Paper caps and the plastic "cup" caps that come on a "moon clip" of eight use a pyrotechnic composition called Armstrong's mixture (some may include ground glass, but it's not required); it's one of the most dangerous simple mixtures to mix and handle (I won't even give the ingredients on a public list, but they're included in the striking tip of kitchen matches, along with other stuff that makes them safe to handle). Armstrong's mixture can ignite from friction or impact even when fairly wet and is technically a primary explosive, easily transitioning to detonation in fairly small quantities. Modern paper and plastic caps are loaded by automated machinery that is turned off any time someone is in the loading building (match tips are mixed in an order that makes them less hazardous: the phlegmatizer first, then the oxidizer and the sulfur, and finally the primary fuel).