impact bullet pullers

[fallout mike]

Anybody ever broke one? I was pulling some bullets from handloads I knew nothing about. I had a few that took a number of whacks. On one of them the end where the bullet collet screws in broke off with the cap still attached and flew across the room. This is a lyman puller. Is this normal?

 

[Rule3]

The screw on cap of my RCBS broke. They replaced it under forever warranty.
I am sure many pullers have broke. Folks tend to use them like a sledge or on the wrong surface but they do "take a licking" Good luck with Lyman

 

[JM Browning]

Yes

My brother cracked his computer monitor just like that

 

[Bull Nutria]

the idea is several whacks rather than a home run swing every time, call lyman they may replace it,i have a lyman andit works well,
Bull

 

[UKWildcats]

Just broke a Lyman last week -- I broke the impact end on the concrete floor I wack, I tried to hit wood but never got good results.

I had a backup (new in the box) Lyman to move to.

I contacted Lyman since mine was just over a year old and they indicated they are sending me a new one.
-- Contacted though their website
-- They replied pretty quickly
-- Hav not received yet, but should show up this week

UK

 

[Fishslayer]

the idea is several whacks rather than a home run swing every time, Bull

Yup. Home run swings are exactly how I broke mine.

Multiple moderate whacks on my concrete garage floor have actually caused 158gr cores to come out of their jackets on heavily roll crimped rounds.

Another important item is to tighten the screw cap every couple of whacks. It does back off and if it's loose you can bang the drum all day & all you'll get is a tired arm. I know...

 

[warhwkbb]

I use a piece of firewood stood up on end. 30 years and still going strong with no sign of cracking or breaking.

 

[Comrade Mike]

That whole "shatter proof" thing has a little asterisk next to it

 

[Jesse Heywood]

The screw on cap of my RCBS broke. They replaced it under forever warranty.

Which is a good reason to buy the RCBS. They take care of your problem at no cost to you.

My only problem is the one-size-fits-all collet. I bought a Frankford Arsenal for the collets. Three sizes that I have used from 32 acp to 45-70. And the fit the RCBS hammer.

 

[Catpop]

Never broke one as I do NOT make mistakes!
Haha,
no really I haven't pulled over a hundred rounds with mine so I haven't broken it yet-YET I say! I smack mine on a 50 pound steel vice as I never had any luck with wood either.
I seem to have more trouble keeping an oring on the 3 piece collet!

 

[X-Rap]

You definitely want to use wood to strike against. Use a piece of hard firewood as mentioned or else a cut 6x6 0 or bigger. Mine is about 2' long.
I think that eventually they will all break, it's a mechanical inevitability that there are only so many cycles in a tool especially a striking tool made of plastic.

 

[oneounceload]

You use wood, you let the inertial momentum of the puller do the trick, like tapping a brad into the wall, not like trying to drive a sledge hammer through the wall

 

[Robert]

Yup, I busted the threaded retaining cap off of Justin's. Bought him a new one though.

 

[HexHead]

Concrete is the best way to break them.

I had RCBS replace one, but they want the broken one, less collet and cap, back first.

 

[ranger335v]

Turn that hammer loose Leroy, you know you don't understand machinery!

 

[gamestalker]

I broke mine pulling a factory 45 ACP that had some type of adhesive, in addition to a standard factory crimp. It was no fault of the puller what so ever, I should have known something wasn't right. After having to smack it tens times as hard as I ever had to with any other round, it snapped.

GS

 

[icanthitabarn]

I keep a chunk of lead on the bench. Holding the lead works well while striking. No getting up to get to floor level.

 

[beatledog7]

My Frankford Arsenal has an aluminum shaft and is holding up well. I usually use a concrete garage floor buffered by a piece of fiberboard (think cereal box) as my whacking surface. Using several moderate strikes vice a couple of he-man strikes is the key.

 

[Hondo 60]

^^^ what he said ^^^


And yup, it's normal.
I broke a cap on mine after about 2 years of use. (RCBS)

Went cheap with a Franklin replacement (again) about 2 years ago.
So far so good.

(knocks on wooden head)