Can I pull lead bullets that are crimped?

[james]

I have some 45 LC with the bullets crimped but no powder in the cases.  Before I go to the expense of getting a collet bullet puller I was wondering if I can pull the bullets.  The person I got them from said the bullets were put in the cases with no powder just for show.  Possibly a stage prop.   They do appear to have good primers.    I could probably shoot them out but I might have to rod some of them out of the barrel.
Thanks in advance.

[cybin]

just use a RCBS type hammer puller--I am in the process of pulling 200 .38 specials that are crimped--no lube on the bullets--works well for me.

cybin

[Lloyd Smale]

Pretty tough to pull cast bullets and reuse them. If your just looking at useing the cases. Put the proper shell holder in a single stage press with no dies in it. Run the case up though the top and grab the bullet with some vise grips and then ease the handle up and pull the bullets. thats about the fastest way to pull bullets your not going to reuse.

[shot1]

Take a board and drill a hole in it about 3 inches from the edge that the case body will just fit into but the rim will not. Stick a round into the hole all the way down to where the rim of the case sits flush with the board. Now swing the board down hard hitting the edge closest to the shell on the edge of your work bench or something. This will work like the hammer type bullet pullers. The bullet will come out after a few tries. I would put something soft like an quilt under the area to catch the bullet so as not to mess it up.

[jlchucker]

I tried to do it once with a Whack-em style puller and failed.  Then I tried my RCBS collet style puller and the bullets stripped right out of the collet.  I ended up doing exactly what Lloyd Smale just described in his post. They come right out, but you'll need to recast them because the visegrips will mar the bullet.  I seldom have to pull any bullets, but when I do I use my RCBS collet type puller for jacketed slugs, and the Lloyd Smale method for cast ones. I've never had much luck or confidence in the hammer-type bullet pullers.

[james]

Thanks for the ideas.  I put one in the shell holder and pushed it up thru the press without a die.  The bullet was just the right height to put pliers on their end in the hole on each side of the bullet.  When the bullet was lowered the press squeezed the pliers on the bullet just like a collet.  The marks on the bullets are not very obvious and I may even shoot them. I think with grinding a raidus in the end of an old pair of pliers I can pull them with hardly any marks.   

[jhalcott]

 Just be VERY care full that you do NOT damage the threads in the top of your press. I KNOW we are talking about pulling CAST, but this method works well on jacketed also.! I use a pair of wiremans pliers that are ground to form a "hole" in the side cutter area. I grab the offending bullet/boolit and lower the ram. The pliers are laying flat on top of the press and can NOT damage the threads. A dremel tool works fine to form the "HOLE".

[jhalcott]

Just be VERY care full that you do NOT damage the threads in the top of your press. I KNOW we are talking about pulling CAST, but this method works well on jacketed also.! I use a pair of wiremans pliers that are ground to form a "hole" in the side cutter area. I grab the offending bullet/boolit and lower the ram. The pliers are laying flat on top of the press and can NOT damage the threads. A dremel tool works fine to form the "HOLE".

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[james]

Thanks jh,  I tried that first.  I gound a larger hole in some wire stripper/crimpers but didn't have a right sized stone for my dremel and I was afraid I was going to have an oval hole by the time I got it to 45 cal.   I'll finish it up when I get a bigger stone.  The bullets pulled so easy there was no danger of damaging the threads.  I only have about thirty to pull.

[Dezynco]

Even if you mark up the nose of the bullet, you can still reuse them for target practice.  Won't really hurt a thing, the base of the bullet is what does the driving anyway.

[jhalcott]

  James, I don't TRY for a specific dia when I make the "hole". As a matter of fact, I have 4 points on the hole that grab the bullet. Kind of a one size fits all thing. I use mine on calibers as small as .223 and up to 45-70 when bullets MUST be pulled.