Bullet pulling

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KY DAN

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I have a friend who has 5000 41 magnum rounds and there are around 1500 he figures with no powder charge

How can we pull every bullet and not invest significant time using a kinetic bullet puller?
 
KY DAN said:
I have a friend who has 5000 41 magnum rounds and there are around 1500 he figures with no powder charge

How can we pull every bullet and not invest significant time using a kinetic bullet puller?
Click to expand...
mail them to me and I’ll dispose of them for you.

RCBS Collet pullet is about 5 seconds per bullets, so doing the math, that about a very long time
 
That's a big oops, some wire cutters can work pretty fast, pulling them on a press. Best to put on some good movies because it going to take a long time. That's if you can even grab the bullets otherwise it will take months using a Whack a mole.
 
troy fairweather said:
That's a big oops, some wire cutters can work pretty fast, pulling them on a press. Best to put on some good movies because it going to take a long time. That's if you can even grab the bullets otherwise it will take months using a Whack a mole.
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I wish they would make a gang hammer puller. like a revolver cylinder, you load 10 and bang out all at once…

wait is 41 mag Rim??? got an idea
 
troy fairweather said:
That's a big oops, some wire cutters can work pretty fast, pulling them on a press. Best to put on some good movies because it going to take a long time. That's if you can even grab the bullets otherwise it will take months using a Whack a mole.
Click to expand...
Call me cheap but that's a lot of bullets to waste using wire cutters.... on the other hand, how many inertial hammers will that go through....
 
A bullet puller like the RCBS collet puller can be pretty quick but it depends a lot on the bullet shape and how deep they are set. The collet puller can be a challenge if the bullet tapers or curves in a lot directly from the case mouth, there just isn't a lot for the collet to hold onto. If there is a good deal of flat bullet surface the collet puller works quite nicely.

Depending on the case and bullet variations it can be difficult to determine which ones have powder and which ones don't by weight.

I think every reloader has been through this once. The pulling process REALLY makes this mistake one that you don't ever want to repeat.

What press were you using? I am sure it was most likely a progressive but which brand / model?
 
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CryptKeeper5 said:
So, you gonna pull all 5k of them because you don't know which are loaded and not? Tell your "friend" to buy a fine digital scale and weigh them all and cull the 1500 to begin with. After that, it's gonna be a loooooong slog regardless of method.
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how did he end up with 1,500 out 5,000 squibs
 
Try weighing, hopefully heavy enough charge to see difference but worst case pulling is easier than hammering squibs out.
 
take a block of wood, drill press .41 mag size hole, like 50 of them. Find a way to make a back retainer plate, board with some wood screws will work. attach a broom handle. Bang away will all the bullets fall out.
 
KY DAN said:
How can we pull every bullet and not invest significant time using a kinetic bullet puller?
Click to expand...
You'll either invest significant time by pulling or you won't by trashing. RCBS collet pullers have done me well. Less noise, energy, futzing, etc.
 
I’d think if the powder charge is over 10 grains you may get lucky weighing them and culling out the light ones. It’s definitely not a full proof method, but a good start. Then depending on the bullet profile a collet puller would be your best bet, or a kid and a few bucks with a homemade hammer type puller made from black iron pipe.
 
You should also be able to shake each one and determine if there's any powder in it. Do this, find 10 of them, get the combined weight and then weigh 10 at a time. Any variation from THAT number will warrant going through that smaller group. Regardless, you and your "friend" will have to invest a number of hours just to cull the herd before even starting the pulling process.
 
Any good collet puller will be significantly faster than an inertial puller...if the weighing methods suggested don't help you narrow them down. I use a Hornady collet system and it'll cost around $35-40 to buy and set up on a press. Set up properly and it won't leave a mark on the bullets.
 
KY DAN said:
I have a friend who has 5000 41 magnum rounds and there are around 1500 he figures with no powder charge

How can we pull every bullet and not invest significant time using a kinetic bullet puller?
Click to expand...
I've been working on pulling about that same number of .357Max I was given a few years ago - 15 years or so now, I guess - that were accidentally loaded on an industrial machine with .359" jacketed 180gr. Sierra's. Somebody mixed up the .35RemMax and .35Rem brass in the hopper. Instead of wasting unsafe ammo he couldn't sell, the shop owner gave them to me with the caveat I sign a waiver. I use an RCBS collet puller, re-use the bullets in my .35Rem and load the .35RemMax with a .357" jacketed or .358" cast for my re-chambered H&R Handi-Rifle. I know the powder is H4227 and the charge is 20.2gr. so it's not a mystery load by any means.

I've only got about 6 bags of 100 left to pull. Good luck! :)
 
Mark_Mark said:
how did he end up with 1,500 out 5,000 squibs
Click to expand...

CryptKeeper5 said:
So, you gonna pull all 5k of them because you don't know which are loaded and not? Tell your "friend" to buy a fine digital scale and weigh them all and cull the 1500 to begin with. After that, it's gonna be a loooooong slog regardless of method.
Click to expand...

To address the issue of "friend", it is not me as I would simply admit I made a mistake. I AM NOT PERFECT

Now as to how the 5000 rounds were loaded with approximately 1500 no powder charges is quite simple. My friend owned a loading company in early 80s and an employee let a dillon rl1000 run dry and he has had these ever since.

I am just trying to figure out a way to pull the bullets, we have no concern for the lead bullet as it can be melted and recast.
 
If the bullets are lead than the collet type is not gonna work.

If you don't care about the bullets than the wire cutter and the press is the best way

How do you eat and elephant?

Small batches

100 a day for 50 days. Or you do 1/2 and "friend" does the other.:what:
 
Mark_Mark said:
that guy with the hammer is SLOW! I can hammer bullets out in 3-5 seconds
Click to expand...

Well it is an ad for his product.;) My kinetic is homemade out of cast iron gas pipe.....and hitting it on a flexible wood top is dumb. You need a solid hit with kinetics....concrete floor is best....but not close to an edge....ask me how I know that.....nevermind, don't ask..... The perfect strike would be on a full size blacksmith anvil....but everybody has concrete.The slowest part is unscrewing the head to dump the powder... Still with that many bullets, you may break a kinetic.

Still I like the the guys tool for uncrimped rifle, but the trick is to make a stop for the press handle so the case is raised just right and the tool is placed against the press to make things go faster....but this is crimped pistol....never tried one with that.
 
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