RCBS Pow'r Pull Bullet Puller Mishap

It ts a great idea to wear safety glasses at all times when using any tool that would be causing something to move, chip, cut, etc. I wear prescription safety glasses and can't count the times that I have said to myself "Gee I am glad I had my glasses on" when a part or spring went flying that was not in the plan of things. Thanks for the general reminder.

Don't over tighten the cap. Last much longer (experience talking).

"I was pulling some .243 rounds and the threaded cap split in half on impact"

You didn't perhaps hit the hammer upside down did you? (One poster a few years back said he had broken three impact pullers that way and wanted us to tell him how to not do that!!!)

"Now how would the cap and bullet hit me in the head if I hit it the wrong way? .. I've had it for about 12 years"

Don't get your panties in a wad, it was a question, not an explaination or accusation. But I can't imagine how the broken puller cap and BULLET hit you in the head no matter how you did it. ??

I was hitting it against a piece of Oak and the first 2 worked just fine.

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I would suggest finding a heavy plate of steel to strike it against or at least concrete. It will be less ware on both your puller & elbow.

I bang mine on the flat of my bench vise - very little give/bounce & avoids unfortunate experiences like you had.

I have used mine against the concrete garage floor. Seems to work fine. I do notice that ir I have a particularly sticky bullet I have to retighten the twist cap after some blows.

Mine's made of PVC pipe and duct tape. something is always flying off - but I don't use it much.

Spend about $3.00 for a hockey puck. I did, and it's about the best all-around bench anvil you could ask for. Besides using it to bang the ol' bullet puller on, it makes an excellent, non-scratching base for tapping in roll pins, etc. The things are damn near indestructable, don't take up much room, and are dirt cheap.

I walked into an ice hockey rink looking to buy one at the pro shop, and they handed me a used one free.

Never thought of a hockey puck.

Sounds like a good thing to have.

I live in deep south Georgia. Not many hockey pucks around here.

I have been thinking of giving up on safety glasses and just getting a full-face shield. This kind of encourages me.

Anyone use one?

Thanks

Lost Sheep

My very recent experience was very similar to Parker51's and I second his observation. My 20+ YO green inertia bullet puller, when whacked on my concrete garage floor, broke between screw-down cap and handle seat in the head. The screw-down cap, collet, and empty cartridge case ended up on the floor nearby, the powder remained in the hollow hammerhead, and the bullet went to parts unknown in my garage. It'll turn up someday. And yes, all of my prescription glasses are mil-spec safety lenses. I am very fortunate to live in a military town and my ophthalmologist and optician (both shooters) serve members of the US Olympic Shooting Team.

Parker51,

"Don't get your panties in a wad, it was a question, not an explaination (SP) or accusation. But I can't imagine how the broken puller cap and BULLET hit you in the head no matter how you did it. ?? "

Being treated in a manner rather rude is something best gotten used to. I removed the 3 piece rubber banded colet on my inertia puller with shell holders, I prefer the lee Shell holder designed for the Lee automatic hand primer, much easier to dodge one piece than 3 and the lee shell holder is thinner than a standard shell holder.

Pulling bullets with the Hornady leaver lock, on their advise I purchased one, after that is was difficult to determine who owned the puller, they had it more than I did, then they approached me in a manner rather rude, and one day I found myself in Hastings, Neb, I ask them for more parts and they said I made too many mistake, anyhow they changed their minds and said they had problems with the heat treat 3rd party, and I took the time to explain to them how I came to own one of their tools, I reminded them I purchased 1,000+ 8x57 rounds cheap and was going pull pull the bullets and save the powder with the intention of form 30/06 cases to 8mm57 to avoid the corrosive primers, Hornady had the chance of saying no, that is too much work for our puller, instead they said you bet, no problem and right away, then they approached me in a manner rather rude, it was a good trip, had I been talking to the technical person on the phone instead of in person I would not have seen one of the bosses Schnauzers on someone desk having lunch, I realize the person that owned the lunch was a victim, I am not an impulsive 'laffer' and everything I see on Americas Funniest Videos is not funny.

Anyhow, a bullet pulling reloader had a round go off, in a crowd of family members, no one knew why but through insult and innuendo there was an attempt made to make sure no one else knew, no one would accept the only logical reason, I am not a fan of seating primers after powder and bullet have been added, meaning do not attempt to pull a bullet with an inertia bullet if it has a high primer.

I have the RCBS colet puller, 2 in fact, I purchased about 40 lbs of datums at the Big Town Gun Show in Mesquite, TX., in that pile was another RCBS bullet puller with a 30 cal colet, seems separating the colet from the T handle was too difficult, I paid $20.00 for the 2 boxes, not a waste but had it not been for the Lee parts the person in front of me would have beat me to the good stuff.

F. Guffey

The inertia puller can be tough on the elbow.