Rcbs Inertia puller comes apart. Alternatives?

[retread]

Today I was pulling some rounds down when my RCBS puller came undone. The top end hit me in the glasses(protected my eye[smilie=w:) but the lens from the glasses of the other eye went flying across the floor. Put my glasses back together and all is well except for the puller! I have had this puller for a number of years and it has served me well, however I think I will be a little "gun shy" when it comes to impact puller in the future. The advantage to these is they can handle so many cartridge sizes. The collet type are caliber specific as I understand them. Any suggestions?

156403

[Steve77]

I ditched my RCBS inertia puller for a Frankford Arsenal inertia puller.I typically like RCBS but, their puller is not that great. I do have a Forster collet puller and collets for my most common calibers, but this is kinda expensive. I much prefer the collet setup for doing any more than 2 or 3 cartridges. Watch ebay for a collet puller with a few collets, sometimes they can be bought fairly cheap that way.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I had this same old style model of puller. It too finally came apart as yours did in the same place. I contacted RCBS about this happening. They replaced it with a newer version of it. Monday I would contact them about this broken tool.Robert

[JSnover]

I have the same type. It hasn't broken yet but I expect it to happen some day, since it's not much more than a hollow plastic hammer.

[Gus Youmans]

The collet type bullet pullers work great on jacketed bullets but do not always work as well on lead pistol bullets. I have a Hornady that uses a camming lever on top and a Forster that uses a screw to tighten the collet. The Hornady works better in my experience. If I have just one or two to pull I remove the die from one of the presses and run the cartridge into the empty hole, gently grab the bullet with a pair of pliers, and lower the handle to pull the bullet. Done correctly, it hardly leaves a mark on the bullet but that bullet is still set aside for plinking or fouling a clean barrel.

I have had little success pulling lead pistol bullets with the collet pullers and reach for the inertia puller. I broke my first inertia bullet puller by hitting it on concrete and now use a block of wood to cushion the blow and have had the current inertia puller for about 20 years - think it is a Frankfurt Arsenal but am not sure.

Gus Youmans

[Mk42gunner]

I have been using my press, shell holder and a set of wire cutters to pull any bullets from cases long enough to reach through the press. It works better, faster and quieter than the inertia type pullers.

This solution won't work with short handgun cases unless you have either an extended shell holder or a shell holder extension. I haven't invested in one of those yet, but probably will if I ever have to pull many short rounds.

Robert

[David2011]

Collet pullers are great if you have enough bearing surface exposed. I use an RCBS on the press to pull rifle bullets and love the way it works. Most handgun bullets and boolits require an inertia puller as will any short tapered or round nosed bullet/boolit.

David

[duckey]

Glad you had safety glasses on. I have a Frankford Arsenal that is looking like its gunna go any whack now. It plastic.

[LUBEDUDE]

My RCBS broke where the handle connects to the head about 15 years ago.

I went with a Dillon and a Frankford Arsenal for back up. Hadn't needed to bust out the back up yet. Both appear nearly the same.

[1_Ogre]

I've had my RCBS for years and years. When I have to pull boolits, I always hit it against a 4x4 that I put in the vice. Don't know what you hit it against, but I've seen many of them come apart when hitting on concrete. Only problem I've had is that stupid little rubber band breaks but go to Home Depot and buy a pack of "O" rings for about $2 and they have lasted me now for about 5yrs.

[ioon44]

Today I was pulling some rounds down when my RCBS puller came undone. The top end hit me in the glasses(protected my eye[smilie=w:) but the lens from the glasses of the other eye went flying across the floor. Put my glasses back together and all is well except for the puller! I have had this puller for a number of years and it has served me well, however I think I will be a little "gun shy" when it comes to impact puller in the future. The advantage to these is they can handle so many cartridge sizes. The collet type are caliber specific as I understand them. Any suggestions?

156403

I have used this same boolit puller for something like 30 years and have pulled all kinds of ammo with no problems.
I would call RCBS and get a replacement, no point in buying something else.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Yep, call RCBS and they'll send you a new one. The newer ones are a better design, but still not "bullet" proof. If you overwhack any of them, regardless of brand, they'll break. No need to waste money buying another brand.

[mozeppa]

i've actually had the metal shaft of the hammer break in two!

right below the head

[Wild Bill 7]

I bought two Midway pullers way back when I really got started reloading. Last month the first one just broke when the boolit hit the bottom on the barrel. I was given 1000 WWll 30-06's and pulled them with that hammer and 500 38 special swc's that I got so carried away with when using my friends 1050(forgot that primers needed to be in them, we didn't have a low primer sensor then)plus countless boolits from the range that people would discard because they didn't reload. I abused it because I didn't know any better, smacked on the concrete floor to pull a lot of mistakes. Now I use a 4x4 on carpet on the concrete floor. The new puller works good except the handle started to crack after pulling a few boolits so I wrapped it with some electrical tape and it's good to go.

[David2011]

I've had my RCBS for years and years. When I have to pull boolits, I always hit it against a 4x4 that I put in the vice. Don't know what you hit it against, but I've seen many of them come apart when hitting on concrete. Only problem I've had is that stupid little rubber band breaks but go to Home Depot and buy a pack of "O" rings for about $2 and they have lasted me now for about 5yrs.


Now I use a 4x4 on carpet on the concrete floor.

Couple of tips:
1) Standard shell holders can be used in place of the Mickey Mouse 3 piece collet with the O-ring. Much less aggravating.
2) My preference is to use a post of wood striking the end grain instead of the side of the wood. Carpet over concrete will protect the puller but you're having to work much harder at getting a hard enough strike to pull the bullet.

David

[leebuilder]

Have had mine for years too, suprised it still is one piece.
When pulling milsurp ammo I push the bullit in a bit with the bullit seating die to break the seal.
Be safe

[Kevin Rohrer]

Inertia pullers are good for lead bullets. Were you whacking it on a wooden or plastic board as you should?

Collet-type pullers are good for jacketed bullets.

[TheDoctor]

Collet tyoe pullers are good for jacketed bullets, BUT, not for Gold Dots. Too soft, and not enough bearing surface normally.

[rush1886]

A pure lead ingot, out of a muffin pan, works real well as a striking surface in my experience.

[Catshooter]

I broke my RCBS puller two weeks ago. Called RCBS and they said, sure, send it to us and we'll send you a new one. Just FYI.


Cat

[Hick]

I find a shell holder, press and pair of pliers is all I need.

[Mike Kerr]

Just buy another. They do break sometimes. No big deal.

[Motor]

retread, What were you striking the puller against?

Motor

[Silverboolit]

For short pistol rounds, ex. .45 acp, I use a regular 1/2 inch drive socket that slips over the ram on my rockchucker. Put cartridge in holder, slip the socket over the ram push to raise ram until the bullet is showing on top of the socket and use a sidecutter to remove the lead. Works for jacketed also, although the bullet may be a beat up for re-use.