Has this happedned to anyone else? I was loading some 25-06 ammo the other day and I decided that the OAL was too short so I got my inertia puller out and started pulling bullets. On the third or fourth one I heard a loud pop, sort of like a cap gun. When I looked at the cartridge I was working on, the primer was gone. Apparently The force of banging the puller on the floor detonated the primer. Fortunately it didn't ignite the powder. After cussing myself for being a dumbass I put my safety glasses on and continued with the project. I've used this puller several times in the past. In fact I wore my first one out and bought a new one. I've never heard of this before. Anyone out there seen or heard of this?

Migra

your primer pockets are probably a little loose.
The 25 is hard on brass with max or near max loads.You will only get 2 or 3 reloads before the pockets bcecome to loose.
Were the rounds crimped?

No crimp on the rounds. I'm missing something here on the primer pocket issue. Are you suggesting that the primer was moving up and down in the pocket and that caused detonation?

The loose primer idea is the only thing that sounds plausible
I would write to RCBS or whatever company that made that puller for any advise they have. I have used kinectic pullers for years but recently switched over to the press pullers

I've never had this happen to me. However, when I got into shooting black powder cartridges a number of years ago, I decided to go with a collet style bullet puller. I now use the collet method almost exclusively & find it faster & less cumbersome than the impact style pullers. Bear in Fairbanks

What brand of primer was it? I've heard some are alittle more dangerous than others.

Reloader

If the primer went off I can't believe the powder didn't. Unless you say so, I mean.
JL

quote:

Originally posted by JAL:
If the primer went off I can't believe the powder didn't. Unless you say so, I mean.
JL

I agree,or you were very lucky...

Ok, I agree I was lucky. I don't see how the primer could go off without igniting the powder. But it did. I'm guessing that if I was somehow able to duplicate the exact conditions that I might not be so lucky again. Brass and plastic shrapnel doesn't sound like a good time to me. The primers were Winchester large rifle primers. I was about half afraid to even post this because I figured a flame job would surely be forthcoming. "Hey look, some jackass on AR says he not only set off a primer with an inertia puller but it didn't set off the powder" But in all honesty I was too curious to not not post it.

Migra

Migra, when you were reloading these rounds did you notice that some of the primers seated without much effort.
If any of them did, then the pockets are probably stretched and will not hold the primer very well.
the other thing that comes to mind is that it could be a pistol primer. they are smaller.

Every time I use an inertia puller I think about how much it looks like a pipe bomb.
I use a collet puller when ever I can.
Good Luck1!

quote:

If the primer went off I can't believe the powder did

I can. I had the displeasure of holding onto a rifle during an open breech detonation...the primer blew with a loaded cartridge 2/3 extracted (stuck firing pin...'nuther story).

The primer stayed put in the case head, but the case fragmented, embedding several scraps in the sheetrock wall several feet away.

My point is that the powder, in my case, did not ignite. I was still finding grains of fine ball powder on my sofa years later.

Luckily for lots of us, powder actually is hard to ignite, especially rifle powders at low pressure.

If you hang out on these forums long enough, you'll see someone reporting getting a "bang" out of their inertial puller about once a year.

All the reports I have seen are like this one: primer goes off (in both meanings of the word), but the powder does not ignite.

Like the others here, I went and bought a collet puller. FWIW, Dutch.

Unfortunately I had the very same thing happen a few years ago.

A friend had been working up loads for a wildcat 6.5X300 Win Mag and had gotten to the point that the pressures were too high. He had some more ammo loaded with even more powder in them.

I said I could pull them with my inertia bullet puller. My mistake was not realizing he had already shot this brass with some pretty hot loads. The primer pockets were already pretty loose.

I was banging away trying to pull a bullet when bang! the primer went off. The powder did not ignite. The primer was just blown out of the pocket and out of the top of the puller. Scared the hell out of me, though.

I did not use that puller for a long time, but eventually got so that I would try it again. I usually get it out if I only have one or two bullets to pull, but use the RCBS puller in the press if I am doing more than that.

I do not think any given brand of primer was to fault, just that the primer was sitting there bouncing up and down in the pocket till it went off. Not a good thing!

R F

Thanks guys for giving me something to ponder. Definately not going to pull bullets if the pockets on the brass weren't good and tight--and then probably short ez taps instead of whaling on my 4x4 I keep in the basement for this stuff. Also win primers do have a reputation for being easiest to seat. I STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THE POWDER DOESN'T GO OFF--the primer must shoot out before enough flame can get into the casing??

The powder does not ignite as the cap blows as the primer is backing out and the bulk of the flash is directed to pushing the primer all the way out and not directing the flame into the flash hole. Modern powders are harder to ignite than their predicessors anyway.

I believe it was the old Shooters board a few years ago where Ken Howell, the writer, had a running argument about the safety of impact pullers. He claimed they were a accident waiting to happen. Funny, no one there ever heard of such a thing, and all thought he was nuts. Seems here it`s almost common knowlage.

I`ve never had a problem with one but I changed over to a collet puller 30 yr ago when I had a boo boo and needed to pull a box or two of 44 mag rounds. The impact pullers work fine for the first two or three rds then it`s all work. The impact puller I have has a hole in side to dump the powder and bullet when pulled and likely will vent gas from it and not burst but I`ve no idea where the primer would go on ignition.

I have used the old inertia puller a long time and have had no problem with it. But I was always leary of using it. After reading about several primer detonations while using it I have decided to change puller types. What are some good pullers to use?
PS Glad everyone was very helpful on this issue and didn't junp on migra and call him a lier. We all need help at times.

quote:

I think about how much it looks like a pipe bomb

I'll buy that. It's so much easier with a collet puller.

Well guys, thanks very much for confirming that this wasn't an isolated incident and that I'm not crazy/full of it. Sounds like this has happened before and it's all too common. What's a good brand of collet puller? I've never used a collet puller. Do they damage the bullet?

Migra

One more thing. NO THEY WERE NOT PISTOL PRIMERS.

quote:

Originally posted by migra:
What's a good brand of collet puller?
Migra

I'll second that question...

The exact thing happened to my best friend two weeks ago. He cdalled me up and was quite shakne up! The powder did not igniite on him also. My advise to him and also to you is to invest in an RCBS collet bullet puller. I have one and it works great.

I also have the RCBS puller.

I have heard similar reports, including an article in Guns and Ammo? The primer always leaves, and the powder never ignites. Perhaps it would be possible with black powder.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned, is that the primer goes really fast. Somebody could get hurt that way, and in fact I read another article about a guy who wanted to make a dud primer with no firing pin mark. He clamped a .30-06 case (empty) in a vise and used a propane torch on the case head. The primer went off (that was his plan), and went halfway through his arm (not in the plan!), only stopping when it fetched up against his humerus, where it is today, because the doctors concluded there was more risk to removing it, than to leaving it where it was. ....

I use the RCBS collet puller.It works perfectly. And be sure to buy collets for all the bullet diameters you are currently using. Saves buying them one or 2 at a time later, and getting killed on the shipping. And waiting for them next time you want to pull a few bullets.

The powder in my Savage smokeless muzzleloader will not ignite unless I have a very tight fitting sabot in it. I have fired as many as five 209 shotshell primers on a loose fiting sabot and all that happens is it finally comes out the end of the barrel a few feet and the powder does not ignite at all. I too believe that the primer is being blown out the cartridge case and not lighting off the powder. Just seems improbable that the primer would blow without being crushed. Seen some strange things over the years though.

Migra;thanks.I will use a collet type puller instead of a kinetic bullet puller.

Thre people on this board have said they know someone who has set off a primer without the powder going off. That is just amazing to me. I believe all of you I would just think there is about a 100% greater chance of the powder going off than not. That is amazing.

quote:

Originally posted by migra:
I was about half afraid to even post this because I figured a flame job would surely be forthcoming. "Hey look, some jackass on AR says he not only set off a primer with an inertia puller but it didn't set off the powder" But in all honesty I was too curious to not not post it.

Migra

I don't think anyone is flameing you mate, some
of us were just amazied. In this age of ligitagion, if these things are dangerous, it's
a wonder the're still sold.
I've always wondered about these things, never
before heard of any problems, so just put my
glasses on and lit (no pun) into them.
IF all that happens is the primer flies out the
top, no worry for me, I'm off to one side.
But THANKS FOR THE INFO. Good onya.
JOhn L.

I have a Hornady cam lock collet tupe puller, and it is a little difficult to use. Certainly not as fast as the hype says. I am thinking of the RCBS as I have very good results with most of their gear.

One other thing, it seems that the powder in an inertial style puller would be forced as far forward in the case as possible at the moment of impact with the puller. I guess in less it was a compressed load that condition would make the powder as difficult ot ignite as possible--just a thought.

Regards--D

Haven't thought much about it yet, I originaly
thought of the effect of fireing a primer thru
a rifle, and really stuffed myself up by remembering an army display on the power of a .303 blank. Sure I'm getting past it, happens to us all if we're lucky.
JL

I'll just have to believe that the primer came out before it went off.
Sorry,but I just can't see the primer going off without setting off the powder.
Not calling anyone a liar,just using my own judgement.
Mike

Wait just a darn minute here. Just what would have happened if the powder HAD ignited? Everybody is scaring themselves needlessly about EXPLOSIONS! A rifle cartridge outside of a chamber, without a closed bolt or reciever is NOT a bomb! Smokeless powder is not only difficult to ignite,(retardent coatings to control burn rate), it requires confinment! As soon as the powder would ignite, if it didn't throw the primer out of the back,(which would always happen), it would move the bullet clear of the neck. With no confinement, it would just BURN!

As for the kenetic pullers, I first bought one to pull lead and jacketed bullets from handgun cases. Why? Some of the round flat nosed bullets in auto cartridges have little or no bore sized bearing surface to grip with a collet type puller. Also I use a co-ax loader that won't allow the use of my RCBS collet puller. I now have a lee challanger to use for that. AND collet pullers leave marks on bullets that don't make for re-useable bullets. Except maybe for bore foulers or case forming. Kenetic pullers usually don't damage bullets at all.

Okay flame suit on! I expect to get it now!

Wait just a darn moment; In my inertia puller, and all those I have seen the bullet and primer are enclosed in a tube of some sort. I doubt if the green plastic on my puller would protect me.
No doubt the pressure would not be max, but I"m sure pieces would fly around. Primers and powder are funny things sometimes. Once when shooting some "old" 38/40 ammo the primer pushed the bullet into the rifling, but didn't set off the primer. The powder burned when touched by a match.
Good Luck!

As turkeyhunter says in his savage muzzleloader and a loose bullet the powder won't ignite.Smokless powder has to have pressure to ignite.

interesting thread .... how hard ya gotta smack an impact puller to get the primer to go off???


SOME DAYS YOU'RE THE BUG..... SOME DAYS YOU'RE THE WINDSHIELD.....................

I have tried all three of the major makers collet bullet pullers. The Bonanza so far has worked the best, the RCBS is not as good a grip on bullets of various olgive and the newest the Hornady is hardest to use. Get a complete set of collets and go to work.

Maybe I'm just lucky. I've been using a Quinetics impact puller for years and never had a loaded round fire on me. I'm half expecting it will some day. Sometimes you have to whack it several times before it releases its grip on the bullet. Maybe I also should consider a collet puller. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Know what I use? I take a pair of those pliers that Craftsman sells that automatically adjust to size, run the round up in my press with no die in the hole, grab the bullet with the pliers, and lift the ram handle. Puts a little mark on the bullet, but I just use them for sighters after that. No powder mess, no chance of detonation. Even works on crimped loads. I tried on of those inertia pulers once and it bent the tip of the partitions that I was trying to save, plus the powder was all over. Pliers works same as a collet die and everybody already has one.