Marshal Jack Murphy SASS #32018 Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 Howdy, A few days ago I was recovering some bad reloads using a Frankford Arsenal Impact Bullet Puller. I did not use the provided collet, instead I used a Lee shell holder that fit the round. When I hit the cement the round discharged and blew the hammer to pieces. A piece hit me less than an inch from my eye and no I did not have on safety glasses. My daughter got hit in the finger. So be very careful using this tool and wear safety glasses. 1 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeaconKC Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 1 hour ago, Marshal Jack Murphy SASS #32018 said: Howdy, A few days ago I was recovering some bad reloads using a Frankford Arsenal Impact Bullet Puller. I did not use the provided collet, instead I used a Lee shell holder that fit the round. When I hit the cement the round discharged and blew the hammer to pieces. A piece hit me less than an inch from my eye and no I did not have on safety glasses. My daughter got hit in the finger. So be very careful using this tool and wear safety glasses. First off, thank God you are both okay. I was just getting ready to post this review, but I will include it here instead so you can evaluate this new beast. When reloading we all have made some rounds or inherited some mystery rounds that we want the brass for and have needed to safely pull components apart. I recently broke my old kinetic hammer and bought another, but doggone, if it isn't a pain to bang away on the garage floor to pull each round. So MidwayUSA give a birthday discount and mine happened to fall on an additional discount and a free shipping deal this year! So I decided to go ahead and splurge on one of these wall mounted bullet pullers. Just put it up today and tried it out. So here goes the review... First, it is extremely well packed with GREAT instructions. Not only clearly written, but with very good safety advice when mounting it. There are two ways for mounting this beast, depending on if you are putting it with a single stud behind it or a wider board. Made my marks so it would be vertical and it went up quickly and easily. You definitely want this mounted in solid wood, not drywall by itself. Operation is straightforward and well explained. You can use regular Lee shellholders instead of the collets included. As it comes, it will do one round at a time between emptying the catcher for the bullet and powder. You can run a length of 5/8" ID tubing into a container, which I will set up as soon as I run to the hardware store. AND....it works really well. Heavily crimped .45 Colt rounds popped free, most on the first pull and always on the second if needed. It is LOUD when it does it's thing, so be warned. Overall, I like it. It works and if I need to pull a bunch of shells apart, this will be a really good way to do it. 621674.avif 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 I use an ingot of lead between my vice and this puller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 Thanks, Deacon, for the report! I bought one a couple of weeks ago, but I haven’t been able to get out to the shop to put it up. I have 8”X8” posts in my shop and it will be mounted on one of those. After fighting with the impact style pullers with more aggravation than success, I decided to try one! I never had one explode! I now have another reason for making this change!! If the doctor turns me loose next week, it’ll be one of the first things I do!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jack Black Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 3 hours ago, Marshal Jack Murphy SASS #32018 said: Howdy, A few days ago I was recovering some bad reloads using a Frankford Arsenal Impact Bullet Puller. I did not use the provided collet, instead I used a Lee shell holder that fit the round. When I hit the cement the round discharged and blew the hammer to pieces. A piece hit me less than an inch from my eye and no I did not have on safety glasses. My daughter got hit in the finger. So be very careful using this tool and wear safety glasses. Are you saying you used the wrong part in order to pull the head on a LIVE round ? You also have other people with you. Nuff Said Best Wishes PS glad you both are ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 5 minutes ago, Texas Jack Black said: Are you saying you used the wrong part in order to pull the head on a LIVE round ? You also have other people with you. Nuff Said Best Wishes PS glad you both are ok A shell holder works the same as the collet without hassling with the o-ring. It would not likely be the cause of the discharge. The primer doesn't hit anything with either. JMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jack Black Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 Just now, Eyesa Horg said: A shell holder works the same as the collet without hassling with the o-ring. It would not likely be the cause of the discharge. The primer doesn't hit anything with either. JMHO Follow directions I have this puller Best Wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder SASS #13056 Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 I had one I had used for about 20 years and it broke. Now I'm more careful and lightly bounce the hammer and it works. I think I had beat on it a little too hard for many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fretless Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 With the shell holder instead of the collet, the cartridge can slide and be off center. Once it slides out of perfect center there is solid metal behind the primer. You swing the hammer. Upon impact the cartridge bounces in the shell holder slamming the primer against the back of the shell holder. I'm super glad to hear that your injuries were relatively minor. 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 (edited) +1 to Fretless. I have used a shell holder on occassion but it does NOT hold the round tightly. The round can move around quite a bit. A collet grips the round and prevents movement. These impact bullet pullers have been around for decades. If they were a hazard that hazard would have showed up 50 years ago. The hazard is not following the directions and not using the proper parts in the puller. This one is from the 1950s. Edited September 27 by Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horace Patootie, SASS #35798 Posted September 27 Share Posted September 27 (edited) Never had a problem with mine. I use a piece of wood, not concrete. No problem in 24 years. I will add that the o-rings on the collets went bad a while back so I went to the hardware store and bought some of various sizes in the plumbing section. Worked well. Horace Edited September 27 by Horace Patootie, SASS #35798 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Hochbauer, SASS #64409 Posted September 27 Share Posted September 27 I was using my inertia puller yesterday and its now in two pieces. But was not due to a round going off. Going forward will use a block of wood to hit it on and not the garage floor. Good thing I have a backup one. But will look into the F/A gadget. Sgt. H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted September 27 Share Posted September 27 I have received whole boxes of ammunition that I have no confidence in. The rounds look good, the brass is quality brand name, and the projectiles are ones that I like, but I either don’t know the person who assembled them or don’t trust their reloading skills. Seeing the Pile Driver work, I figure I can break the whole box down in a matter of minutes! No way that I could do that with the hammer style. AND I can collect all the bullets and all the powder, only handling it one time! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dapper Dave Posted September 27 Share Posted September 27 I've been using a Frankford hammer style bullet puller for years in exactly the same way, and no idea how that would happen. Glad you weren't hurt, sir, but for the life of me, I cannot see how that primer detonated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idaho Gunslinger Posted September 27 Share Posted September 27 I use a grip and pull. It works for most bullets though depending on your press it may be hard to reach pistol cartridges. https://grip-n-pull.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted September 27 Share Posted September 27 ANY round with a high primer can be set off by an impact puller INCLUDING the Frankford Arsenal one. This can happen if you are using a shell holder vice the collet. I am guilty of using a shell holder when pulling bullets. However, based on the OPs experience and my own examination I'll no longer use a shell holder with rounds that have a high primer. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dapper Dave Posted September 29 Share Posted September 29 Ah, a high primer, Marshal Murphy didn't mention that. A really high primer makes a round dangerous from any angle, truthfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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