Forster Collet Style Bullet Puller

[Vacek]

I just received from Midway a Forster Collet Style Bullet Puller. I also recieved collets for .264 (for my Swede), a .311 (for my 303 Brit) and a .308.

Anyway I first tried it out on the .264. It took a lot of tightening down but I finally got a bullet to pull, but then the bullet was stuck in the collet.... it wouldn't release. I followed instructions and put a light coat of grease on the tapered portion and the base of the collet.

When I tried to pull a bullet on a 303 I couldn't get it to budge.

Any help, suggestons would be appreaciated. I believe Forster is a good brand but at this point I am disappointed.

 

[David Wile]

Hey Vacek,

I have been using an RCBS collet style bullet puller for over 40 years, and I think it is pretty much like the Forster in operation. I have maybe seven different collet sizes, and it seems like the only problem child is the 30 caliber collet. If I am pulling .308 bullets, they fall out of the collet when I loosen the screw handle. If I am pulling slightly bigger 30 cal bullets like the Russians and the the 303 British, I have the same problem.

There really isn't anything wrong with the tools, it is just that the bullets are a little too big for the 30 cal collet which was apparently designed primarily for .308 bullets. Once I have pulled one of the bigger bullets, I remove the case from the shellholder, loosen the screw handle, and then grab the bullet with a pliars cushioned with a piece of terry cloth so the pliars will pull the bullet out of the collet without any damage to the bullet.

The bigger .30s are a little extra work, but not too bad.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[rcmodel]

I took my RCBS .224" and .308" collets and "sprung" the collet fingers open a little more.
Now, they will drop any bullet when the screw is loosened.

As I remember, I used a pair of tapered needle-nose pliers and forced them inside the collet fingers until they opened up and stayed there.

There is a risk the hardened steel collet will break when "springing" it open more, but it was a risk I was willing to take, and they didn't break.

rc

 

[ants]

When I started having problems getting bullets loose many years ago, I bought a cheapie tiny screwdriver at the dime store. When a bullet doesn't drop, I use the screwdriver to gently spread the collet fingers a bit (it doesn't take much!) till the bullet drops. I use a real cheap screwdriver because it's softer than the hardened collets and doesn't harm them.

By the way, my 224 collet is the one that sticks. My larger ones don't. I suspect that it's an individual thing from one collet to the next, along with the ogive curve of the bullet.

 

[Vacek]

Good information. Thank you all. I will have to work on this problem in October. I leave tomorrow for Taiwan, China, Ho Chi Ming (Saigon) and Singapore. Keep that government in line whilst I'm away.

 

[ants]

Have a safe trip.

You'll probably have more luck with those governments than we will with ours. **Sigh**

 

[FROGO207]

FWIW I have a Hornaday leverlock puller with collets from .224 to .44 and have no problems with mine. Reason for brand? on sale at Midway at the time.

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

+1 on the Hornady. They now have a lock ring on the collet fine adjustment, so once it is set, it stays set, and all you do is flip the lever up and down.

Andy