Pulling it the Culpeper way

[Culpeper]

It being bullets from cartridges that are suspect due to poor annealing and powder choices by the ammo maker. It's easy. It's fun. Impress your friends on how cheap you are. All you need is your press, appropriate shell holder, a vice grip type of pliers and a secret ingredient. This works best for small batches under a 100 or so since the process is slow as old Joe Biden.

But back to the ingredient. What is the secret ingredient you ask anxious to know what it might be? Why it is nothing but a strip of leather. It serves as a cushion between the cold hard steel of the evil pliers and gentle caring copper bullet. Scrap leather can be found just about any where. Such as an Amish harness shop or the tongue out of pair of worn out work shoes or, stay with me, a pair of the wife's high heels that she hasn't worn since 1974. [Ed. Do so at your peril. Wives don't give up shoes readily no matter how old.]

Step one. Set up the press.

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Step two. Get the leather ready.

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Step three. Wrap the leather around the bullet just ahead of the case mouth.

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Step four. Clamp the vice grip around the leather using the front pads of the pliers. Apply the correct amount of compression. Too loose and the bullet slips out. Too tight and you cannot clamp the pliers or you risk deforming the bullet.

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Step five. Give the cartridge quick jerk and presto! The bullet is is free and clear. (Dentist says he is going to use a similar technique on my last tooth.)

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When you are done sit back and enjoy a box of Milk Duds and a glass of fine Madeira in peace and solitude.

[Dick Hosmer]

Inertia puller? NOT expensive, and ZERO bullet damage (also quicker?). Sooner you're done, the sooner to the candy & wine...

[Culpeper]

Your observation is accurate as usual. However for those who have not had to break down loaded ammo buying even a cheap kinetic puller is fifteen to twenty-five bucks they may not have in their moment of need. Heck, I bet I could substitute dense card board like that from shoe or cereal boxes in place of the leather.

I checked and the time is about the same for both ways since I am not in any particular hurry these days. Got my first SSA check recently. Plus I have already replaced the aluminium collet pieces in my RCBS puller three times. Like I told a buddy of mine no one way is better than another. This is just the way I do it now.

(And just between you, me, and the internet I was drinking scotch while I was writing this article.)