BP Cart/ Impact hammer

[Walks]

I've loaded and shot Black Powder for years.
Never needed to break down BP ammo before. Just loaded what I needed for the next shoot, and shot up leftovers within a month.

Haven't shot BP Cartridge in at least 15yrs.
And just found 3rds of .44-40 loaded with Maybe Black Powder ?
Marked as I & a lot of Cowboy Shooters did,
By coloring the headstamp black with a marker.
But the brass is starline Nickel-Plated loaded with Win Primer and a bullet I don't recognize. Never had ANY nickel plated .44-40 brass. No idea where it came from or how long I've had it.

Can I break down this maybe Black Powder ammo with an impact hammer type bullet puller ????

Is it safe ???

[country gent]

since its only 3 rds and you probably wont be reusing them in this form. I would install the shell holder in your press and run up thru the die thread. grip bullet with a set of side cutters and pull it that way. Its quick and easy with no risk of damaging mouths with bounce back. If the bullet dosnt get thru the die threads cut a short piece of tube that fits over the shell holder ram and use it. I dont see a problem with the impact puller but prefer the above method

[M-Tecs]

Can I break down this maybe Black Powder ammo with an impact hammer type bullet puller ????

Is it safe ???

yes.....

[Dapaki]

YES!! We make Black Powder rockets and use aluminum or stainless steel tooling to pound the powder into the tube and around the spindles. Black Powder is not nearly as impact sensitive as one may think, google 'black powder impact sensitivity' and you will see thousands of tests, papers and treatise on BP.

[M-Tecs]

YES!! We make Black Powder rockets and use aluminum or stainless steel tooling to pound the powder into the tube and around the spindles. Black Powder is not nearly as impact sensitive as one may think, google 'black powder impact sensitivity' and you will see thousands of tests, papers and treatise on BP.

Yep I have shot cardboard tubes tightly packed with BP with a 220 Swift at 4,100 FPS and nothing happened except I wasted a couple hundred grains of BP.

[Walks]

Thanks for the answers Guys.

Making Rockets, my older Brothers used to do that. When Dad wasn't around.
Dad finally locked up the BP. So I had to make do with Cherry bombs.

[greenjoytj]

Weigh the cartridges, you maybe will be able to determine if their charged with BP or smokeless.
For fun of course that won’t reveal the granulation size or speed of the smokeless, just helps you guess their contents before you pull the bullets.

[indian joe]

If you have an impact puller use it - if not - dismantle them in the loading press - dont shoot them.