Hammer type bullet pullers?
- Thread starter hps1
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After a RBCS and a Hornady inertia, each of which lasted a year before the hammer head broke off the handle while striking a pine board. I finally broke down and bought a Hornady Collet. Best buy I ever made, but you do have to have something to lock onto otherwise I go to a vice grips and a vice.
FROGO207
Member
I do not envy your task one bit. Personally I would take the hit on the SWC and use some sort of clamp or plyers to grasp the bullet and pull it on the press. I have the means to reuse the bullets by recasting. If you could make a cheap wire stripper from an auto parts store work by using a file and still keeping an angle on the hole you could grasp the bullet just above the flat part and grip into the bullet as to remove it without a lot of damage and possible reuse. Just thinking out loud here. I presently have a FA hammer puller and the Hornaday Cam Loc puller. Both have served me well.
runner3264
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Been reloading for over 70 years and am ashamed to admit that I find myself in need of a means to break down a large number of 38 Special reloads.
Have never used a hammer puller, but I think this would be the best tool for the job and wonder if there is a preferred make/model.
Turns out, I loaded a thousand rounds of 38 Special ammo on a progressive press and in retrospect, was distracted a couple of times during the process. Probably just fine, but now I question the possibility of a double charge slipping through, soooo. Unload, I must.
The load was relatively mild @ 5.3 gr. Accurate #5 behind 157 gr. lead swc, but a double charge would be too stout even in a 357 mag.
Any favorite hammer type pullers out there, and tips on salvaging components?
Regards,
hps
I Have the Lyman and it held up very well. It cracked a little on the hammer end early on but I then wrapped duct tape very tightly around it and it has held up so far for 4 years. And I used it quite often.
RealGun
Member
I am on my second hammer, but the first one broke by whacking too hard on a terrazzo floor with considerable recoil. Now I try to be more patient, because firm hits on an immovable surface will eventually produce the bullet. I also need it less often, trying not to be a slow learner.
length_of_pull_1
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If you use a hammer style puller just use a shell holder instead of the thing they give you to hold the case. You will hate banging away like that and you'll cuss every person who ever had anything to do with metallic reloading, but you can get through it. I can personally recommend the RCBS collet type of puller, if you aren't pulling wadcutters or something. You can get in a rhythm with it and buzz right through your thousand rounds.
FROGO207
Member
I once loaded some 243 rounds hotter than I should have by using weight from a different propellant in the manual. Realised before shooting any thank goodness and had to break down 40 rounds. Now I use a straight edge under things to keep my eyes on the goal. Lesson learned and glad I listened to that little voice in my head to check things.
Captcurt
Member
You might weigh several and see what the average is. A double charge should be 3-5 grains heavier. Then you wouldn't have to hammer all of them.
RealGun
Member
I wonder if case weights could vary enough to make that method risky.
FROGO207
Member
If you have some more empty cases of the same head stamps you could weigh them and see how the averages shake out. Do the same with some of the same bullets. Might be worth doing this if they are consistant enough.
I tried several of the hammer style bullet pullers and found none satisfactory. I don't use one often, but found this works much, much better. And doesn't cost that much more.
Hornady Cam-Lock Bullet Puller (midwayusa.com)
That brand is out of stock, but similar ones are in stock. Should work just as well.
RCBS Collet Bullet Puller (midwayusa.com)
You do also need the collet
RCBS Collet Bullet Puller Collet 35 Cal 9mm (357 Diameter) (midwayusa.com)
Hornady Cam-Lock Bullet Puller (midwayusa.com)
That brand is out of stock, but similar ones are in stock. Should work just as well.
RCBS Collet Bullet Puller (midwayusa.com)
You do also need the collet
RCBS Collet Bullet Puller Collet 35 Cal 9mm (357 Diameter) (midwayusa.com)
lordpaxman
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If you can’t find a pair of dikes to grind up, you may be able to get a nail clipper that would work:
https://www.chewy.com/millers-forge-nail-clipper-safety/dp/136877
They typically are a bypass cutter design and come in different sizes. The curved cutters are the ones I use on larger dog nails, you’d need to be careful to not cut right through the lead, or dull them a bit. As you indicated, they’d still shoot just fine.
I do have the RCBS inertia puller and it does work, I use a large log and it does work but I wear ear protection, it’s loud.
While I know you are looking for input on bullet pullers, I’d like to point out that if your press allows it, I’d recommend the RCBS Lock out die. During those long loading sessions when you get done and reflect back and say “did I really zone out and look in every case?”, having the lock out die will ease your worries. Good luck.
https://www.chewy.com/millers-forge-nail-clipper-safety/dp/136877
They typically are a bypass cutter design and come in different sizes. The curved cutters are the ones I use on larger dog nails, you’d need to be careful to not cut right through the lead, or dull them a bit. As you indicated, they’d still shoot just fine.
I do have the RCBS inertia puller and it does work, I use a large log and it does work but I wear ear protection, it’s loud.
While I know you are looking for input on bullet pullers, I’d like to point out that if your press allows it, I’d recommend the RCBS Lock out die. During those long loading sessions when you get done and reflect back and say “did I really zone out and look in every case?”, having the lock out die will ease your worries. Good luck.
Captcurt
Member
I think Frogo is on the right track. It would be interesting to find out. I think that I will weigh some brass of the same manufacture and see how much difference there is.
RealGun
Member
I was thinking that 38 Special is often loaded with mixed head stamps and pretty wide range of case lengths. In other words, one might not often actually purchase new 38 Special brass or sort head stamps for that relatively mild cartridge. I measure case lengths and segregate ranges to allow a quality crimp, but keep reading poo-poos re bothering to do that for 38s.
ballman6711
Member
Weighing finished rounds to find a few possible squibs or double charges is most likely a waste of time imo. I have weighed both bullets and brass in 45acp, and found that my Hornady HAP bullets from the same box varied from 228.3gr to as high as 231.4 grains. Same headstamp brass was similar in variations. So finding something with a heavy or light charge would be difficult at best.
chris
chris
Shivahasagun
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- Jul 12, 2021
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- 913
I have a hammer style and it works. Takes a few hits.
However when I tried to pull a .25 acp lead bullet it did not work. Too light a bullet perhaps?
However when I tried to pull a .25 acp lead bullet it did not work. Too light a bullet perhaps?
FROGO207
Member
Well I was thinking if the OP had 10 or so of each headstamp to compare that were empty and primed that might be enough of a sample along with bullet weight that some rounds could be eliminated from the problem lot.
Blue68f100
Member
Some powders you can hear when you shake them, if your in a quite environment. If your bullets are the most consistent weight you may try setting up a balance beam to measure the nose with the powder forward. Suspend the base with some thread, having the bullet level.
OK! Thanks to all for your thoughts. Here is where I am currently.
1) I am not too sold on the hammer puller, especially for 1000 rounds! Quit casting bullets long ago and would like to save these bullets if possible.
2) Thought about trying to make a puller that would catch the SWK bullets flush with the case neck. I could live with a some of bullet deformation, as I don't think it would detract from my pistol marksmanship much if any. ( Side note: I once bought an ammo can full of 30 M2 ball bullets at a gun show, which had been pulled with wire cutters. All bullets were "dinged", some worse than others. 100 yd accuracy was no worse than expected w/M2 ball ammo and the few bullets I recovered in a sand bank revealed that the cutter marks were ironed smooth by rifling.)
3) This didn't work out as planned; marked bullets worse than just using the #10 wire stripper slot.
4) Had not considered using a collet puller since bullet shank not exposed, but decided to try a .308 RCBS puller in hopes it might grip the SWC ogive sufficiently to pull the bullet. I accidentally bumped the bullet when inserting in the die and felt it push bullet about .005-.010" which I felt might help unseat the bullet. Was really surprised that the first one pulled beautifully, was sure I was onn a roll !....but then it didn't. Once the 2nd bullet slipped, I think it coated the collet w/lead, I think the lead acted as a lubricant and it never pulled a second bullet, no matter how much I tightened the collet (1st pulled bullet, shown on right, all subsequent attempts shown on left...Darn!
5) Head on my old Herters press is too thick to use stripper on the short .38 case, so made a jig to do so:
6) Next, sorted a couple of boxes of the batch in question and found the vast majority are Western (will sort all and see if possible to check weight of loaded cases based on data from the few I have broken down).
Extreme spread on 3 Western cases: ....... .9 gr
Extreme spread on 3 Winchester cases:... .4 gr
Extreme spread on 3 R-P cases:............... .8 gr
Extreme spread on 3 Rem-UMC cases:.... .4 gr
(As would be expected, all pulled cases contained 5.3 gr. of #5)
ES of the 12 pulled bullets was 1.9 gr. and with case ES of .9 should not have a variance of more than 2.8 gr.????
Looks like I will probably weight a large quantity of Western loaded rounds and see what ES is on them.
Some of you statisticians out there tell me if I'm missing anything.
As they say in the old blacksmith shop, "two heads is better than mine."
Regrds,
hps
1) I am not too sold on the hammer puller, especially for 1000 rounds! Quit casting bullets long ago and would like to save these bullets if possible.
2) Thought about trying to make a puller that would catch the SWK bullets flush with the case neck. I could live with a some of bullet deformation, as I don't think it would detract from my pistol marksmanship much if any. ( Side note: I once bought an ammo can full of 30 M2 ball bullets at a gun show, which had been pulled with wire cutters. All bullets were "dinged", some worse than others. 100 yd accuracy was no worse than expected w/M2 ball ammo and the few bullets I recovered in a sand bank revealed that the cutter marks were ironed smooth by rifling.)
3) This didn't work out as planned; marked bullets worse than just using the #10 wire stripper slot.
4) Had not considered using a collet puller since bullet shank not exposed, but decided to try a .308 RCBS puller in hopes it might grip the SWC ogive sufficiently to pull the bullet. I accidentally bumped the bullet when inserting in the die and felt it push bullet about .005-.010" which I felt might help unseat the bullet. Was really surprised that the first one pulled beautifully, was sure I was onn a roll !....but then it didn't. Once the 2nd bullet slipped, I think it coated the collet w/lead, I think the lead acted as a lubricant and it never pulled a second bullet, no matter how much I tightened the collet (1st pulled bullet, shown on right, all subsequent attempts shown on left...Darn!
5) Head on my old Herters press is too thick to use stripper on the short .38 case, so made a jig to do so:
6) Next, sorted a couple of boxes of the batch in question and found the vast majority are Western (will sort all and see if possible to check weight of loaded cases based on data from the few I have broken down).
Extreme spread on 3 Western cases: ....... .9 gr
Extreme spread on 3 Winchester cases:... .4 gr
Extreme spread on 3 R-P cases:............... .8 gr
Extreme spread on 3 Rem-UMC cases:.... .4 gr
(As would be expected, all pulled cases contained 5.3 gr. of #5)
ES of the 12 pulled bullets was 1.9 gr. and with case ES of .9 should not have a variance of more than 2.8 gr.????
Looks like I will probably weight a large quantity of Western loaded rounds and see what ES is on them.
Some of you statisticians out there tell me if I'm missing anything.
As they say in the old blacksmith shop, "two heads is better than mine."
Regrds,
hps
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