RCBS Pow'r Pull Impact Bullet Puller vs Puller Kit?

[Matt 357]

Anyone know the difference between the "RCBS Pow'r Pull Impact Bullet Puller" for $17.99 and the "RCBS Pow'r Pull Impact Bullet Puller Kit" for $21.99?

Not too clear on the MidwayUSA site. It seems like the kit includes extra collets. I am only going to be doing 357 magnums. Only a $4 difference, but I was curious.

 

[ReloaderEd]

If you look at the Midway page: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=685703 you will see the kit includes three puller collets which is good if you damge a set or collet. I have had to replace several in my impact puller. This is the newer rcbs impact puller, heavy duty and improved. They work well on a solid surface like a vise anvil flat.

 

[Matt 357]

I know the kit includes extra collets. I was wondering if the non-kit puller had everything I need or if I had to buy collets separately. Guess I'll have to buy the kit to be on the safe side.

 

[ranger335v]

Collet pullers only work on bullets that have enough exposed to get a grip on, mostly that means rifle ammo. And the collets are extra cost, caliper specific extras.

Inertia pullers work on anything and don't need caliber specific extras. They work great for handgun ammo.

 

[wrangler5]

I've been using an RCBS impact puller for 25+ years and have never replaced anything except the tiny little spring they used to use to hold the 3 parts of the collet together when it was out of the tool. Finally replaced that with a rubber O-ring.

I can't imagine what you'd need spare collets for (AFAIK there's only one size, that fits most all cases) unless you plan to lose one.

 

[jhansman]

Keep in mind that you can also use an inverted RCBS or Lee shellholder in place of the o-ringed collet in this puller. Works perfectly.

 

[DANNY-L]

For crimped ammo mainly pistol round I use the hammer type and for uncrimped rifle rounds I use the collet puller.

 

[rcmodel]

Keep in mind that you can also use an inverted RCBS or Lee shellholder in place of the o-ringed collet in this puller. Works perfectly.

Some would contend that makes a pipe bomb out of the hammer head.

In the event a round goes off in the hammer, the o-ring collet allows the case to slip back and break the seal.
A shell holder won't let go!

rc

 

[mmorris]

1. Do Not use shell holders in impact bullet pullers.

2. Do Not use shell holders in impact bullet pullers.

3. Do Not use shell holders in impact bullet pullers.

You may ignore #1 & #2 if you strictly observe #3.

 

[wrangler5]

Apart from the risk of explosion mentioned by rcmodel, the one time I tried the shell holder trick it seemed to me that I didn't get as solid an impact as far as bullet extraction was concerned. The shell holder will indeed keep the cartridge from falling into the hollow hammer head, but it does not hold the case head rigidly, so when the hammer hits the anvil (or whatever you pound on) I could feel the case bouncing around a bit. By comparison, the o-ringed collet locks solidly under the case rim, and then is itself locked solidly to the hammer body. When you smack the anvil, all the energy feels like it goes straight into the bullet, pushing it out.

 

[ranger335v]

"You may ignore #1 & #2 if you strictly observe #3."

Understand that I make no recommendation to anyone, we all select our methods and live with the results don't we?

That said, I've broken all three of those rules for a lot of years and will continue to do so, those split collets are too clumsy to use. (And I see no difference in how my puller works with either the collet or a shell holder.) There is a lot more about that than we've been told, IMHO. Meaning, I seriously doubt the story as it was told.

Yeah, I read the original post and saw the photos that was said to show what happened; it did go off but it's not plausable - to me - that a shell holder could possibly cause a primer to detonate in an impact puller! So, why it happened I don't know but but I just don't believe the use of a shell holder, per se, had anything to do with it. And I really doubt that the end results would have been much different if that dude had been using the three piece collet device.