pulling bullets

[49FMarlin]

I've got 40 V Max hornady 22 hornet bullets i don't want to fire,

can i use a washer on top of my press and grip the bullet and lower the ram ? to pull the bullet?
SAFELY?

thank you
and no i don't have one of those hammer-pullers

[dondiego]

Not sure about the washer but a pair of pliars will grip them and let you remove them.

[blackthorn]

Yes you can. The washer will protect the top of the press and the threads.

[dondiego]

Can you describe the function of the washer for me please?

[49FMarlin]

Can you describe the function of the washer for me please?

from what I've read, you place a big fender washer or 2 on top of your press, when you raise the bullet through the washer hole, you grab the bullet with plyers
then lower the ram, the washers makes it so the plyers don't hit the treads on the inside of your press, and gall/mess them up

i just was wondering if the process was safe to do,,

as to me it seems them plastic hammers look dang scary and i don't want to buy one

[CraigOK]

I use the collet style puller that mounts in the press. But I'd bet that washer trick would work well

[Yodogsandman]

Using the washer and pliers trick damages the bullet. If you're interested in saving them, better to get the impact puller and place a hunk of foam in the bottom to protect the noses when they dislodge. After a few, you stop worrying about the cartridge exploding.

[David2011]

If you want to save the bullets consider the RCBS collet puller. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/680804/rcbs-collet-bullet-puller It will only pull lead boolits if they extend long straight sides like the 308-165-SIL but it's great on jacketed bullets. I find it fast and easy to use. The powder stays in the cartridge and the bullet isn't deformed. It will last a lifetime or two.

David

[David2011]

After a few, you stop worrying about the cartridge exploding.

Hmmm. That honestly never entered my mind. I didn't see that there was anything to cause ignition. Now I'll worry about it.

David

[mozeppa]

using the hammer...

i've un-loaded better than 50 THOUSAND ROUNDS ....from 50 cal. S&W 500 magnums to 25 acp....and everything in between!

never had one explode.

[hc18flyer]

using the hammer...
Always gives me the 'pucker factor', kind of counterintuitive to pound with a live round!! But I don't have to use it very much. Flyer

[websterz]

I had to break down about 300 rounds of .45 acp last week. My SR45 decided it doesn't like the truncated cone boolits. Sure gave the old Frankford Arsenal inertia puller a pretty good workout!

[Mauser48]

I use the hammer style bullet puller and hit it on a piece of railroad track. There is nothing even close to the primer so it cant go off.

[Hick]

I always use the press to pull bullets. I figure that putting the cartridge in the shell holder is good insurance as it protects the primer from contact (no reason to go off). Never thought of using a washer, but it sounds like a good idea.

[lightman]

Theres no danger in this but the pliers will damage the bullet. I've done this with duds that I find at the range. The fender washer is a good idea. I slightly damaged the threads in my press by letting the nose of my Linemans pliers get into them. Nothing that running a 7/8/- 14 tap through them did not fix but a lot of people don't have a tap that size.

I bought an RCBS bullet puller years ago and it has earned its keep in saving bullets. It does not work well with short bullets or pistol bullets though.

[Mk42gunner]

I use a set of end nips (side cutters work too) to grip the projectile in the press, without using a washer. Jacketed bullets are not normally damaged, lead ones can be.

A trick I saw on youtube for pulling short rounds that won't extend through the press (.45 ACP) is to use a large ½" drive socket over the ram and pull them towards the lower end of ram travel.

Robert

[frkelly74]

If you use a wire stripper that you have ground out the radius to match the diameter of the bullet and grab the bullet at the crimp groove with the sharp edge you can pull a bullet with your press without damaging the bullet too much. Also I have a piece of 1 1/2" plastic pipe about 2" long on the bench to use as a bushing for pulling short rounds like the 45 that won't reach through the top of the press. I used to use a hammer type puller but it broke and I did not want to spend money on another one.

[dondiego]

using the hammer...

i've un-loaded better than 50 THOUSAND ROUNDS ....from 50 cal. S&W 500 magnums to 25 acp....and everything in between!

never had one explode.

50,000 rounds! That's a lot of mistakes.

[mdi]

Removing bullets with a washer on your press is a safe, easy method to pull bullets. Not to worry...

I prefer the speed and ease of using a "hammer disassembler". I use regular shell holders and have never had a problem and definitely no Kabooms! I have an ingot of lead, 2"x4"x10" that I use as an anvil and it is much quieter and does not soften the blow enough to hinder the bullet's inertia. Some prefer collet type for use in a press, but I have problems gripping lead bullets, and before I got my Frankfort Arsenal puller (about 12 years ago and it still works great) I used pliers on my press as described above. The best "trial" was about 100 military surplus 30-06 rounds I pulled to try a "new and improved" load. BTW; failure...

[Lead Fred]

I have both the hammer and collet type pullers.

I cant tell you the last time I used the collet puller. I think I got it in a trade. Its in a box somewhere.

Two tricks with the hammer puller:

Strike a vise,or railroad rail, anything else will damage the puller. I have an anvil that was made from railroad rail.
Use a shell holder, not the rubber band 3 piece thing that comes with the hammer.

[Victor N TN]

After using an RCBS Collet type bullet puller for 30+ years, I discovered the new style Hornady collet puller. I have an inertia (hammer ) puller. It makes me tired before I get them all pulled. The Hornady collet type is the easiest to use. I think I'm hooked on it.

Good luck with your choices.

[Dimner]

If you want to save the bullets consider the RCBS collet puller. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/680804/rcbs-collet-bullet-puller It will only pull lead boolits if they extend long straight sides like the 308-165-SIL but it's great on jacketed bullets. I find it fast and easy to use. The powder stays in the cartridge and the bullet isn't deformed. It will last a lifetime or two.

David

+1 on the RCBS puller. It's great on jacketed and cast bullets. You will get a little bit of damage on a cast bullet, but none on a jacketed bullet. I used it for both .308 and .223 bullets. makes pulling bullets hassle free.

I'll never go back to the impact puller. My family would curse me when I would smack a wood block around for 100 bullet pulls.

[M-Tecs]

Not made anymore but the Forster Superfast (Possum Type) Bullet Puller http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=forster+bullet+puller is great. I have used them to pull many thousands of GI ball in 5.56 & 7.62 for Mexican match.

If I didn't have the Forster Superfast I would try these.
http://www.grip-n-pull.com

I have owned a hammer type since the early 70's. When I was younger I was given a bunch of reloads from an estate. I used it to pull a bunch. They work well but slow for any quantity.

[mozeppa]

50,000 rounds! That's a lot of mistakes.

your assumption would be wrong.

dad re-loaded for years...well into the age of some-timers....i trust no-one. i found many double loads by breaking them down for the parts
lead was re- melted , primers and brass were okay ... i knew the powder he used ...again okay.

found many future squibs as well.

loved my dad...didn't trust his loading abilities.

[Geezer in NH]

Hmmm. That honestly never entered my mind. I didn't see that there was anything to cause ignition. Now I'll worry about it.

David:groner::bigsmyl2:

[tazman]

The washer trick is all well and good, but the pistol loads I need to pull(9mm, 40S&W, 38SP) don't extend enough through the press to even reach the washer, let alone go through it far enough to grab with pliers of some sort.
My collet pullet won't grab the lead boolits well enough to pull them either.
Does anyone make a shellholder extension?

[frkelly74]

Use a piece of 1 1/2" plastic pipe about 2" long or a large socket from a wrench set. Set over the ram so that when you raise the ram it goes through the pipe and the cartridge sticks out above it. Grab the bullet with pliers or a wire stripper and lower the ram , the pliers contact the top of the piece of pipe pulling the bullet. No big bang, no spilled powder, not much damage to the bullet.

[Bullwolf]

Use a piece of 1 1/2" plastic pipe about 2" long or a large socket from a wrench set. Set over the ram so that when you raise the ram it goes through the pipe and the cartridge sticks out above it. Grab the bullet with pliers or a wire stripper and lower the ram , the pliers contact the top of the piece of pipe pulling the bullet. No big bang, no spilled powder, not much damage to the bullet.

They say a picture is worth 1000 words.

Using a pair vice grips, and short piece of pipe to pull boolits with.
A piece of PVC pipe will also work as well.

Image originally posted by Cast Boolits member P.K. (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?13168-P-K)

From "The 1.99 Bullet Puller" thread.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?132250-The-1-99-Bullet-Puller

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h316/IrishEKU/100_1247.jpg




- Bullwolf

[frkelly74]

What he said.

[Bullwolf]

The washer trick is all well and good, but the pistol loads I need to pull(9mm, 40S&W, 38SP) don't extend enough through the press to even reach the washer, let alone go through it far enough to grab with pliers of some sort.
My collet pullet won't grab the lead boolits well enough to pull them either.
Does anyone make a shellholder extension?

Hornady makes a somewhat fat Universal Extended Shellholder. It's around $8 bucks.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/225116/hornady-universal-extended-shellholder

http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/320x240/Primary/225/225116.jpg

Looks like RCBS, Hornady, and Redding also make caliber specific ones too.

While I haven't needed to use one yet, it's nice to know they are out there.


- Bullwolf

[tazman]

The pipe/socket trick looks good.
Have you read the reviews of the Hornady extension? From what I read, it doesn't work properly. It won't fit into many of the normal presses in use. Apparently it wasn't machined correctly.

[XDROB]

I have used the hammer for years. No explosion. Nothing comes near primer. Bullet can be reused if done with slight hits.
Primer case can be used after resizing.. Powder is lost though. It is a slow process.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Walter Laich]

I just pulled 328 .45 Colt cartridges because of too much powder in them. Only took a day, off and on with a hammer type. Will give the tube over the ram a try. My are TC so not sure if I can get a good enough grip.

[lightman]

RCBS offers extended shellholders in some of the more common calibers. These should extend through the top of the press enough to use a bullet puller. If you are using the socket/pipe nipple idea and your vice grips won't grab the bullet try using the cutter part of a pair of side cutters. This pretty well trashes the bullet. The cost of the extended shell holder could be partially off set by saving the bullet. When I fine loaded cartridges at the range I pull the bullet by running it to the top of the press and grabbing it with side cutters. The pulled bullet goes into my lead stash! Don't laugh, between the duds that I find and the unfired 22's that are dropped I accumulate about a coffee can of lead a year!

[dondiego]

your assumption would be wrong.

dad re-loaded for years...well into the age of some-timers....i trust no-one. i found many double loads by breaking them down for the parts
lead was re- melted , primers and brass were okay ... i knew the powder he used ...again okay.

found many future squibs as well.

loved my dad...didn't trust his loading abilities.

Your assumption was that they might have been mistakes............and you found some.

[Bullwolf]

The pipe/socket trick looks good.
Have you read the reviews of the Hornady extension? From what I read, it doesn't work properly. It won't fit into many of the normal presses in use. Apparently it wasn't machined correctly.

Yes, I noticed that as well going over the Midway reviews.

Guess it would depend on what kind of press you were using, and how large the hole in the top is.

If I absolutely had to have one, I could live with turning down the outside of the Hornady universal ram extension until it clears.

But I'd be more likely to buy a specific caliber one from RCBS for whatever project I was doing that required an extension. If I got one that didn't work or fit from RCBS, they would happily send me another one that did.


- Bullwolf

[dudel]

The pipe/socket trick looks good.
Have you read the reviews of the Hornady extension? From what I read, it doesn't work properly. It won't fit into many of the normal presses in use. Apparently it wasn't machined correctly.

Same applies to the Hornady shell holders I recently got. I like Hornady gear, and it's normally my first choice. Needed a shell holder for 45LC and 40S&W. Got them from Midway. The 45 LC would not fit the ram on either the RockChucker or the Lee C press I have dedicated to depriming. The 40S&W would fit the RC (tight fit); but not the Lee C press. Replaced them both with another brand (Lee), and they fit both presses just fine. I have plenty of other Hornady shell holders, and have never had a problem with before. Need to give Hornady a shout. I did mangle up the 45LC shell holder trying to get it to fit (without luck). Not sure how much effort I want to expend on a $4 shell holder.

[prs]

I have the Hornady puller of about year 2,000 vintage, but with my lead boolits and good boolit to case fit the grip usually stripped through the boolit leaving the round loaded, but mangled. The impact types are slow, but sure and even with black powder I do not worry about ignition. "Here lies Slim, dead on the floor; won't be pull'n black powder rounds no more."

prs

[smoked turkey]

I use vice grips on top of the RCBS RC press to pull my cast boolits. I protect the top of the press and the threads with two cut off pieces of an old leather belt. I don't worry about damage to the lead boolits because I just remelt them. I use the RCBS collet puller for j words. I like the tips here on the short length of pipe and the fender washer. I'll have to give those a try if the need comes up again.

[tunnug]

Not made anymore but the Forster Superfast (Possum Type) Bullet Puller http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=forster+bullet+puller is great. I have used them to pull many thousands of GI ball in 5.56 & 7.62 for Mexican match.

If I didn't have the Forster Superfast I would try these.
http://www.grip-n-pull.com

I have owned a hammer type since the early 70's. When I was younger I was given a bunch of reloads from an estate. I used it to pull a bunch. They work well but slow for any quantity.
Years ago I bought someone's Bonanza (Foster) loader and it came with two of the Possum type pullers, I can see where it'll grip the bullet to pull them but, how do you release the bullet? do you use the next one to push thru or a pair of pliers?, I've never used them because I couldn't figure it out how not to damage the bullets.

[M-Tecs]

Years ago I bought someone's Bonanza (Foster) loader and it came with two of the Possum type pullers, I can see where it'll grip the bullet to pull them but, how do you release the bullet? do you use the next one to push thru or a pair of pliers?, I've never used them because I couldn't figure it out how not to damage the bullets.

The next one pushes it through.

http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIREARMS/forster_bulletpullersuperpuller.pdf

If you don't want them I may be interested depending on caliber.

[tunnug]

Thank you for the quick response, I'll be keeping these, the only difference is that they don't have the threaded section, they just slip in on the die slot of the press.