Kinetic Bullet Pullers

[Bucksnort1]

Has anyone ever had an explosion or flame from using these pullers? A couple of years ago, I pulled some FMJ .357 bullets with an RCBS puller. When I dumped the bullet and powder into a container, I noticed an odor of burnt powder. In the container and in the bottom of the puller I could see burnt powder residue. Not all the powder burned, if I remember correctly. I neither heard anything nor saw flame.

Comments?

 

[Nick_C_S]

I have an RCBS kinetic bullet puller. Had it 30 years. Fortunately, I haven't had to pull a lot of bullets - maybe a couple hundred or so.

Never have I experienced an ignition of any kind. It's a pretty simple and safe device. I'm hard pressed to think of how anything of the sort could occur.

 

[44 AMP]

When I dumped the bullet and powder into a container, I noticed an odor of burnt powder. In the container and in the bottom of the puller I could see burnt powder residue. Not all the powder burned, if I remember correctly. I neither heard anything nor saw flame.

Comments?

What did the primer look like?

 

[oldandslow]

pb,

Yes, I've had a 9mm cartridge go off while using a kinetic bullet puller. It really tightens the sphincters.

I had a few hundred 9mm cases which I had to disassemble. It was taking too many whacks (5 or 6) using my RCBS kinetic puller on a concrete floor. I then used a 2" steel bar and it only took 2-3 whacks but the plastic head broke about #180. So I welded up some half inch steel pipe nipples into a T-shape and made a collet for one end under a steel endcap. I left the far end open so in case of a detonation there would be somewhere for the pressure to flow. About cartridge number 500, while hitting the metal kinetic puller forcefully on the steel bar there was a loud bang. I pulled the case out of the puller and the primer was still flat and untouched. It appears the anvil inside the primer decelerated quickly enough to touch-off the primer compound. I found the 124 grain bullet close by with a dent in the front where it had contacted the metal bar. As I had eye and ear protection there was no damage to myself.

So it's back to the plastic kinetic pullers on a non-steel surface (a bowling ball works really well).

best wishes- oldandslow

 

[Nick_C_S]

It really tightens the sphincter

At least it didn't have the opposite effect.

 

[Bucksnort1]

44 AMP,

I believe the primer was intact.

As I said, there was no bang, explosion, or flame and nothing to indicate there was a problem.

I have a theory. First, let me lay a little ground work. A diesel engine does not have spark plugs. The explosion is created by the piston placing the fuel mixture under pressure. The higher pressure creates heat. I believe the same thing happens when the firing pin or striker hits a primer. The anvil plays a role in this.

So, my theory is, the bullet could have been dislodged from the case during one of the three or four blows and I did not know it was free. Thinking the bullet was still seated in the case, I gave an extra un-needed blow. Perhaps when I raised the puller for the final blow, the bullet was resting near the case then when I hit the concrete, the bullet was able to travel fast enough to create enough pressure/heat on the powder at the bottom of the puller.

I apologize fore the layman's version of this but I'm not an engineer and I don't play one on television.

 

[F. Guffey]

I do not deal in tensions, I find it awkward when making any attempt at measuring tensions. I have deflection gages, when using one it would sound appropriate for someone to ask "How much tension on the cable".

When using a kinetic puller there is no compression, if any thing there is a vacuum being created behind the bullet. Then there is the primer, The primer is exposed, nothing is retaining the primer, if the powder ignited due to compression the compression would have sent the primer out through the 'shell holder?' and or the heat would have ignited it.

I would consider the burnt powder was in the case before loading. Primed cases with bullets and no powder when fired launch the bullet out of the case and into the barrel/forcing cone, and on the other end the primer unseats.

F. Guffey

 

[Reloader270]

I am using mine for 30 years and never had any problems with it. Only thing I do is to put a small sponge at the bottom to prevent the bullet from being deformed.

 

[serf 'rett]

No problems. I can't imagine only part of the power burning. Should have burnt all unless you had a prevoiusly fired bad cartridge.