How hard is it to pull a bullet from its case?

F

Full Metal Jacket

New member
Can it be done with a pair of tweezers/screwdriver/fingers? Or is some special piece of machinery required? Are rifle bullets harder or easier to pull than handgun bullets?

Just curious. :D
 
You would tear the bullet/case up far before you actually get it out. Pulling it with your fingers is next to impossible, and rifle bullets are generally much harder to pull.

There are tools used to pull bullets, that look like a hammer, and use momentum of you striking it to pull the bullet. They can be found at most gun stores for $15-20.

Good luck! :)
 
If you aren't worried about damaging the bullet they aren't that hard to pull. But it takes pliers instead of tweezers. It helps to have something to hold the case too.

I have heard of using the muzzle of the (unloaded) gun as sort of a vise to hold the bullet while you work the case back and forth, but have never tried it.
 
Quote: "I have heard of using the muzzle of the (unloaded) gun as sort of a vise to hold the bullet while you work the case back and forth, but have never tried it."

Griz,
That sounds like a good way to risk damage to the barrel crown which is CRITICAL to accuracy of any rifle or pistol. If you want to pull a bullet, it is no problem using commercial pullers, either hammer type, collet type, etc. With care both the bullet and case are undamaged and can be re-used.

Good shooting and be safe.
 
I have used those inertial bullet pullers that look like a hammer before. If you are pulling lead bullets or reloads with a friction fit, they work pretty good. If you are trying to pull commercial stuff which is crimped, or worse yet military stuff, you can pound away all day and the bullet won't come out. Trying to pull the bullet with pliers or something usually just rips the bullet.

What did they do in "Hard Boiled"? Didn't see it.
 
The inerta (hammer) bullet hammers work very well

RCBS makes one for less than 20.
The reasion Millitary ammo bullets come out so hard is most are sealed with a sealent to make them 100% water tight, along with crimped primers
 
collet pullers work even better. They fit into your loading press, and can pull any bullet. Quick, easy, and only $14.95 from Midway.
 
To pull military ammo, set the bullet about 0.010 deeper to break the asphalt seal then use a kinetic puller.
End grain wood has the right hardness and resiliance for hammering the kinetic puller onto.
Collet pullers work quickly, but the expense can be hard to justify.
 
An afternoon with a kinetic puller can still get the job done...but at 200 rounds a collet puller might start looking more worthwhile.
I have made a set of plier type pullers that seem to get the job done very nicely.
 
Bullet puller

I have a kinetic puller, use it when I want to salvage everything possible, but if I just want the bullet out, I use the clamp used to hold copper tubing while flaring.
Just put a shell holder in the press, clamp the device on the bullet, set on the top of the press through the die hole and get the extractor in the shell holder, work the press and the bullet is out.
The tools have a bunch of holes, have always found one that fit, at least tight enough to get the bullet out
Don :cool:
 
LHB1, It was a survival fire starting trick that mentioned using the muzzle. The therory was you pulled the bullet, pour most of the powder on your tinder, put some cloth or tissue in the case, fire the case straight up, and use that to light the loose powder.

As I said I haven't tried it, but my guess is the steel barrel could handle the contact from the copper and lead bullet. After all it withstands thousands of PSI every shot. At any rate, I got the impression the question wasn't from a reloader, as he didn't post it in that forum. That's why I mentioned pliers instead of a bullet puller.

I haven't seen hard boiled., FMJ. What is the scene about?
 
Hi Griz,
OK, I understand the explanation but with respect would consider trying it ONLY in a survival situation. Thousands of pounds of gas pressure and straight forward bullet movement are not the same as wiggling the bullet and case around in the exact end of the muzzle. Still sounds like a recipe for possible crown damage. In a true survival situation, this concern would diminish greatly however. Just hope none of us ever have cause to try it!

Good shooting and be safe.
LB
 
not sure if it was from hard boiled or not, but I think it was (I was channel surfing). Anyways a guy has a wound on his face and his friend takes out a bullet, uses what looks like a pair of strong tweezers to yank the bullet out, then pours the gunpowder on his friend's face. Then he lights a match and burns the powder on his friend's face. I'm no doctor, but it looks like it wouldn't work in real life....
 
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