Kinetic Bullet Pullers

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Those collets can slip in the cap nut and release the grip on the case and allow the case & pressure to escape the hammer if a primer sets off the powder.

A standard press or Lee shell holder can't.
And the pressure can't escape through the flash hole fast enough to prevent the hammer from turning into a plastic pipe bomb.

Or so I'm told.

The other thing is what was said in post #22.
The collet gets tighter around the whole rim on impact and the grip on the rim gets greater & can't slip in the direction it is going.
A shell holder has a lot of up & down slop and is only gripping 1/2 the rim.

rc
 
This is the first I've heard of using Lee shell holders instead of the supplied collet for the kinetic puller. A shell holder has a hole in it so the depriming pin and the punched out primer can go through it. The shell holder should not be able to contact the primer.

Where is the problem then? Thanks.....Doc
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I've always wondered the same thing.
 
I've been using my RCBS model for over 35 years with no problems for both jacketed and lead bullets.
 
Or does the manufacturer not know what they're doing?
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Manufacturers are prone to use the cheapest parts that will work, not always the best.

But I'm sure that you always leave all your guns and equipment EXACTLY as it came from the factory.

I'm just saying.
 
Kinetic bullet mfr's don't want to make fixed shell holders for every size case made. That's why they make those 3 piece thingy's with a little O-ring around it. The dedicated shell holders (at least the Lee ones) work fine and they have a pretty generous notch to let the escaping gasses from an exploding shell vent although the pressure wave of a cartridge going off may cause a plastic pipe bomb anyway (I think the likelihood is very close to zero). Just be sure to point the space toward the handle and not the head or the case may slip off and bind up.

And the new RCBS pullers at least have a foam pad for the bullet to land against.
 
I prefer to use the collet. It holds the cartridge more securely than a shell holder. When the round is bouncing around in the tool it is not getting all the kinetic energy you are supplying.

Speaking of collets, does anyone know what size o-ring the RCBS untit takes? Mine broke and I've since lost it... :(

Figure its just as easy to pick one up at the hardware store for a few cents as calling RCBS.
 
I just happened to stumble across a couple of very short pieces of railroad track. I keep an 8" piece next to my reloading bench, and that's what I whack my bullet puller on. Talk about "no give"! Them boolets will pop right out with only a couple of whacks. I use a Cabela's, and the collets it came with. No problems.
 
Didn't realize we had so many product engineers here, that were also so well versed in pressure curves and blast energy.

Manufacturers are prone to use the cheapest parts that will work, not always the best.

But I'm sure that you always leave all your guns and equipment EXACTLY as it came from the factory.

I'm just saying.
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Yup, pretty much, I do!

I usually do not rebuild my firearms, even my custom made ones.

Or my reloading equipment either, for that matter. I did make a set of wind flags once tho.

Just saying!
 
At least one guy has had a round discharge in a kinetic puller. I think the consensus was a high primer and the round being able to move in the shell holder he was using. It was probably discussed here, but I couldn't find it with a search.

This was a .45acp round and the barrel of the tool did not grenade. I don't know what the outcome would have been with a different cartridge. Just the slim chance of this happening is enough to keep me using the three piece collet that came with mine.
 
I use a short section of 4X4 on my bench to rap the puller on. The block sits with the grain perpendicular to the bench for a more solid hit. Most bullets pull in a couple whacks. I reuse the powder though you do lose more powder with lubricated lead bullets when the powder gets stuck on the bullet in the head of the puller.
 
This is one possible explanation of an incident that occurred when using shellholders instead of the "rubber band collet thing" -

Inertial bullet puller warning

Apparently the shellholder has a hole, but nothing to guarantee the case stays centered under it...

Edit: Sport45 posted the same thing...late to the party.
 
What I'm getting from all this is there should not be a problem using a Lee shell holder if the primer is seated below flush other than the possibility of rim damage on small cases.

Has anyone here actually had a rim damaged using a shell holder?

It's really no big deal for me to use either one, but I tried setting a round in the puller using both the collet and the shell holder and I would prefer using the shell holder. Just sayin'.....Doc :D
 
Yup, pretty much, I do!

I usually do not rebuild my firearms, even my custom made ones.

Or my reloading equipment either, for that matter. I did make a set of wind flags once tho.

Just saying!
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That's just sad.:(
 
Has anyone here actually had a rim damaged using a shell holder?
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Not that I noticed, and I have used a shell holder a few times.

there should not be a problem using a Lee shell holder if the primer is seated below flush
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Or if a loose primer bounces up on the strike. The odds are very small that the shell will detonate no mater what kind of shell holder you use.

My odds of getting struck by lightning are better than my odds of needing a defensive handgun but I carry anyway. Why take chances you don't have to, right?

Just sayin'.....
 
Sport45 - “My odds of getting struck by lightning are better than my odds of needing a defensive handgun but I carry anyway. Why take chances you don't have to, right?”
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Our experiences differ quite a bit. I’ve shot 4 folks in this country as a LEO and quite a few more folks in Southeast Asia as a Marine and I’ve never even been close to a lightning strike - obviously! ;) In addition, I’ve captured two burglars and one car thief at my practice when they thought I wasn’t there and there wasn’t any lightning to found then either. My experiences lead me to believe that it’s not “if” but “when” I will need a gun and that’s why I carry.

I don’t mean any disrespect and I’ll admit that sometimes taking chances can be hazardous to your health. For me not taking any chances would make life very boring. I fly experimental airplanes that I’ve built as if just flying airplanes wasn’t risky enough. Just driving these days with all the dopers, drunks and insomniacs on the road is risky business not to mention a plethora of other hazards.

If I really felt that I was even at remote risk caused by a loose primer popping up, striking the shell holder and then igniting an only partially confined charge of smokeless powder I probably wouldn’t do it. A property of smokeless powder is that it has to be confined to exponentially accelerate the burning rate to cause the pressures to rise so incredibly fast and high. I’m just wondering if the case is already partially vented (primer out) that there would be a hazardous pressure spike. If done carefully, it might make for an interesting experiment…..Doc
 
“Where is the problem then? Thanks.....Doc
__________________

It started with someone pulling bullets in a crowd, he blew his thing off, the hammer off the handle, then went on to rationalize what if...?, I have no ideal what he was doing pulling bullets in a crowd, and nothing he said made sense as to how his departed hammer was configured, it was assumed he was using shell holders then someone took off with that assumption.....and I disagreed. For the shell to get over the primer the case would have to be small in diameter, for small diameter cases use ‘O’ rings to keep cases centered.

I suggested a reloader avoid pulling bullets with high primers, I suggested a reloader never seat high primers on loaded ammo, I suggested it is possible for powder to trickle down through the flash hole and fill the primer in front if the anvil, I then suggested seating the primer could disturb the anvil when hammering a concrete floor. I have used RCBS shell holder, I have used Lee Shell holders, the best shell holder to use would be the Herters shell holder, problem, they are too tall.

Again, on their advise I purchased the Hornady cam lock puller, I spent more time waiting for parts for repair than I did using it, they told me I make too many mistakes, I went to Hastings NB. and got that straightened out, they decided their third party heat treating company was at fault, I offered to visit them also, anyhow, I have the RCBS collet puller, and again, that tool; never gets tired.

Product knowledge, not all shell holders have a slot-cut for high primers, if a shell holder does not have a slot cut for high primers the shell holder could be for SA ammo, something about protecting a reloader from him/her self, a reloader does not want to chamber a round in a SA pistol with a high primer, something about ‘slam fires’ without a floating firing pin.

Then the question: How does a shell holder without a primer cut protect the reloader?

F. Guffey
 
WOW What have I Started?

Great. Many excellent reply's and my special thanks to the fact that with enough light taps I can lengthen short set rounds. I set five(under min col) and got all five back to specs. Saved me from pulling them, dumping powder etc. It did not seem to increase bullet set back under 40lbs of pressure. Thanks to all. :)
Bob 72 (about to be 73)
 
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"Where is the problem then? Thanks.....Doc "

You are fully correct, there is no such problem with shell holders in hammer pullers. There's absolutely no way for one to touch a primer nor would it contain a primer should one go off. And I can't conceive of how anyone could use an impact puller while looking down the 'breech' so as to potentially be hit by a flying cap!

Those who tout collet pullers haven't yet tried pulling short bullets. And anyone who damages lead bullets using an impact puller isn't paying attention to what he's doing.
 
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