%%Primer Detonation with Impact Bullet Puller!%%

[rsplante]

For safety, I weight all completed rounds. Surprisingly, there is little variation since I sort my brass in .1gn lots and weight my charges with an SD503. When one of them looked suspicious (.7gn high, turns out the case dropped down from the bin above) I went to pull it apart. I placed the round in my impact bullet puller and wacked it against a rawhide mallet on the floor. Usually it takes two or three whacks, but this time four didn't do the trick (I try to keep the noise down in the house. I reload in my home office/mancave.) The fifth time I wacked it I saw a flash, heard a pop, and realized that the primer had detonated.

After verifying that my underwear was not in need of changing, I looked at the primer pocket. My first thought was that the primer had been inserted upside down. No, I would have noticed that when inserting in the puller, and in any event, there was no sign of a spent primer and the primer pocket was black. We're talking a loaded round here. I then gave thanks that I had not perforated the floor of my office (second floor), much less hit anyone downstairs. I have heard that bullets detonating outside a firearm, such as in a fire, will not really go anywhere, but I do not wish to test that theory. Somehow the load of Varget had not ignited. I am having serious reservations about using an impact bullet puller again. On the other hand, I have a collet type puller, but since the ogive starts just outside the case, I have had no luck in grabbing the bullet. Someone at my last competition suggested using a one-size smaller collet. I'll have to order one. Anyone have luck with that?

 

[bjay]

Wow thats crazy! Im glad ur ok mate..

 

[Mad_Charlie]

As my little spanish ex wife would say "Mucho be careful".

 

[Pinecone]

Case weighs how much? Bullet weighs how much?

Equal and opposite reaction, which moves more?

A a local range a number of years ago, someone loaded the wrong caliber cartridge into a rifle. Then compounded the error by pounding on the bolt handle with a piece of wood to try to get it closed (yeah, I had a LONG pause at this point). After finally figuring out that something was wrong (and their first clue was WHAT????), the person, with some help, managed to pound the bolt open, ripping the rim off the case.

So they brain trust decided to remove the round by pounding it out with a cleaning rod. The keep the muzzle downrange for "safety" while one pounded on the cleaning rod and the other held the rifle (with the bolt out) with the stock tucked under his arm. The round detonated. The bullet stayed still, but the case head was expelled from the rear of the rifle, embedding itself in the holder's shoulder.

And the powder will not generate ANYWHERE near the pressure without the chamber, the brass just splits.

 

[RHunter]

2 words: Colet puller

 

[Clusterfrack]

Yikes. This isn't the first time I've read of this happening. I prefer collet pullers too, but still use an inertial hammer type puller sometimes. They're so convenient when I need to lengthen COL by a little bit. Safety glasses on...

 

[Adam B]

I had this happen once, I switched the 3 piece with the o-ring part out to shell holders and haven't had one since

 

[TriggerPulse]

I can say that I've had a round detonate outside of the chamber and i checked my pants as well. Well...first my nuts, then my pants. I was at the range for my agency and dropped a 9mm round while loading mags. It hit the pavement, went off, and the case disappeared after nailing my shin. The intact bullet was exactly where the round hit the ground.

Ill keep this in mind while using my puller. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Rookie]

You might invest in a Grip N Pull bullet puller. Much quicker to use than collet as there is no set up, and no bullet damage. No chance of detonation like with kenetic puller.

 

[former naval person]

Can anyone of those experiencing the big bang tell what primer make was involved? Or were they random?

 

[softcock]

I had a ( .264 Win. Mag. ) Loaded Round go-off . In the Kinetic puller/hammer with the 3-piece O-ring .
Same thing as anyone. It scared shit out of me . Never found the primer but Brass & Bullet were in the Hammer Capsule .

I got to say . IT DID what it was designed to do if this happens . All Gas from powder burn was expelled Up & out top of the screw-lid, out the Gaps of 3-piece O-ring & the Primer Hole . Brass & Bullet are designed hanging/free float In Capsule by the 3-piece O-ring holder . And it keeps the bullet enclosed inside the capsule when pushed out the Brass after the .... BANG !!! .
.

 

[nuclear_shooter]

I had this happen once, I switched the 3 piece with the o-ring part out to shell holders and haven't had one since

Which make/model did you get?

 

[Ring]

Davidson Plier Style Bullet Pullers | Sinclair Intl

 

[nuclear_shooter]

Davidson Plier Style Bullet Pullers | Sinclair Intl

Looks nice, do they damage the bullet? (sorry to hijack the thread a little bit...)

 

[aur0ra145]

I had this happen once, I switched the 3 piece with the o-ring part out to shell holders and haven't had one since

That is genius.

 

[XxWoodsHunterxX]

After reading this I will be buying one of those for rifle brass. That made me nervous reading these. Thank god I have not experienced any of this in my years or reloading. And now I have started reloading rifle I'm not chancing it.


Charles

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Adam B]

Which make/model did you get?

I just use the rcbs shell holder that corresponds with whatever case I am pulling the bullet from

for example is I am pulling 243/260/308 bullets I use this one

RCBS Shellholder #3 (308 Winchester 30-06 Springfield 45 ACP)

 

[nuclear_shooter]

I just use the rcbs shell holder that corresponds with whatever case I am pulling the bullet from

for example is I am pulling 243/260/308 bullets I use this one

RCBS Shellholder #3 (308 Winchester 30-06 Springfield 45 ACP)

Damn, that works like a goddamn charm. Cool tip!

 

[Ring]

Looks nice, do they damage the bullet? (sorry to hijack the thread a little bit...)

no more then a collet puller

 

[rduckwor]

Please help me understand how using a shell holder prevents this.

It seems that the three piece/o-ring base does the very same thing.

What is igniting the primer? Inertia of the cup/anvil against the primer pocket?

Thanks,

 

[rsplante]

Can anyone of those experiencing the big bang tell what primer make was involved? Or were they random?

It was a Fed 205M. I have probably pulled 50 or so of these the same way in the past 2 years without a detonation, but once is too many for me.

 

[rsplante]

I had a ( .264 Win. Mag. ) Loaded Round go-off . In the Kinetic puller/hammer with the 3-piece O-ring .
Same thing as anyone. It scared shit out of me . Never found the primer but Brass & Bullet were in the Hammer Capsule .

I got to say . IT DID what it was designed to do if this happens . All Gas from powder burn was expelled Up & out top of the screw-lid, out the Gaps of 3-piece O-ring & the Primer Hole . Brass & Bullet are designed hanging/free float In Capsule by the 3-piece O-ring holder . And it keeps the bullet enclosed inside the capsule when pushed out the Brass after the .... BANG !!! .
.

That makes me feel better. Mine was only 5.56, and it did not ignite the main charge. If your .264 Win Mag was contained by the puller, I guess it would easily handle a 77gn SMK if the main charge had ignited.

 

[rsplante]

Please help me understand how using a shell holder prevents this.

It seems that the three piece/o-ring base does the very same thing.

What is igniting the primer? Inertia of the cup/anvil against the primer pocket?

Thanks,

I was wondering the same exact thing. Just because the shell holder does not cause a primer detonation does not necessarily mean it is any safer, I have used the original 3 piece holder that came with the inertia puller for at least 50 rounds prior to having it go bang.

 

[rsplante]

The Davidson looks like it is worth a try. I went to order one, but apparently Sinclair's site is experiencing problems. I even logged-in and the cart wouldn't register my order. I'll try from my work computer tomorrow.

 

[softcock]

Was the Blue color One .... LOL
I got a Green colored plastic Frankford Arsenal hammer puller now & had it for couple years . but is same design, & the old blue color one I had might have been one . That old Blue-color hammer went strong for several years after the BANG finally cracking the screw-Cap & I threw it away .
.

 

[ZY100]

RSPLANT....happen to tumble with stainless steel media?

I am having a hard time understanding how a primer can go off without setting off the main charge...unless there is tumbling media in the flash hole and the primer is not fully seated. When the inertia puller suddenly stops after being swung, the foreign object could drive the anvil against the cup and set the primer off.

In my experience...FWIW...slow pressure against a primer will often not make it go off, it seems to need some velocity. Dumb, but as a kid I tried to set a primer off in a vice by crushing it slowly--no go. Whack it with a hammer, and of course it goes bang.

So, an object under the primer might not detonate the primer as you seat it, but pull the trigger of whack it in a puller and you might get a bang. And again....why not ignition of the main charge?

I do SS tumble sometimes, and I have found the pins stuck sticking up from the primer flash hole in 5.56. Could this have happened and a primer pushed in on top of it?

PS...still not seeing how a using a shell holder vice the three piece o-ring collet changes anything....happy to be educated.

ZY

 

[rsplante]

RSPLANT....happen to tumble with stainless steel media?

I am having a hard time understanding how a primer can go off without setting off the main charge...unless there is tumbling media in the flash hole and the primer is not fully seated. When the inertia puller suddenly stops after being swung, the foreign object could drive the anvil against the cup and set the primer off.

In my experience...FWIW...slow pressure against a primer will often not make it go off, it seems to need some velocity. Dumb, but as a kid I tried to set a primer off in a vice by crushing it slowly--no go. Whack it with a hammer, and of course it goes bang.

So, an object under the primer might not detonate the primer as you seat it, but pull the trigger of whack it in a puller and you might get a bang. And again....why not ignition of the main charge?

I do SS tumble sometimes, and I have found the pins stuck sticking up from the primer flash hole in 5.56. Could this have happened and a primer pushed in on top of it?

PS...still not seeing how a using a shell holder vice the three piece o-ring collet changes anything....happy to be educated.

ZY

Ding, Ding, Ding, I think we have a winner! ZY, I believe you figured it out! Yes, I tumble my brass in SS media, and had noticed that a small, but regular percentage of the brass had pins stuck in the flash hole. In fact, I recently switched to a larger diameter SS media to prevent that from happening. Then I promptly forgot that some of my sorted brass was processed before I switched SS media. THAT HAS to be the reason it went off, otherwise there is nothing to hit the anvil of the primer. I must have missed the stuck pins in that round.

 

[Ring]

Ding, Ding, Ding, I think we have a winner! ZY, I believe you figured it out! Yes, I tumble my brass in SS media, and had noticed that a small, but regular percentage of the brass had pins stuck in the flash hole. In fact, I recently switched to a larger diameter SS media to prevent that from happening. Then I promptly forgot that some of my sorted brass was processed before I switched SS media. THAT HAS to be the reason it went off, otherwise there is nothing to hit the anvil of the primer. I must have missed the stuck pins in that round.

i was going to say, i have been loading since 1993, i cant tell you the amount of rounds i have pounded out with one of those puller, and until this thread, i have never heard anyone that made one go bang..

 

[rsplante]

Case weighs how much? Bullet weighs how much?

Equal and opposite reaction, which moves more?

QUOTE]
I understand what you are saying; however, since the case head is held firmly in the puller, which while it doesn't weigh much, it is still being held by my mighty hand, I figured that the bullet might have a little more impetus. I was glad to hear someone above say that the puller had contained everything when he actually had the entire round go off.

 

[softcock]

i was going to say, i have been loading since 1993, i cant tell you the amount of rounds i have pounded out with one of those puller, and until this thread, i have never heard anyone that made one go bang..

-
No Stainless Media Needed to make one go off .
It happened 10+ years before I ever started using Stainless Media for Brass prep When I had the .264wm go off . I have knocked-out bullets with the Hammer puller year after year, worn one hammer out & on my second one now . Only bullet puller I ever use since I started reloading & I started reloading 'several' years before you .
Pretty positive was a Winchester Mag. Rifle Primers as they were the only Primers was using for Mag. rifles loads then . I am also 'pounding' the Hammer Puller on the vary same 6' x 16" x 3 ft. long Laminated beam sitting on-end that I was using then when the Primer and loaded Round went-off in the Hammer Puller.
If something is possible, ' it will happen ' .
.