Pulling wadcutters

[Boogsawaste]

I acquired around 100 38’s loaded with some button nose wadcutters that are of unknown components that I would like to pull and save the brass.

I’ve pulled wadcutters before (checking on a possible mistake I thought I made when I started loading), and that was not fun to say the least using an inertia puller!

I remember someone saying once that running the cases through a sizing die with the recapping pin removed would swage down the bullet and the brass springs back more allowing easier removal. Anyone done this?

I was seriously thinking about putting screws into the bullets and using a press with the die removed to grab the screw with a pliers and lower the ram.

I don’t mind ruining the bullets as I’ve measured cast after pulling and a lot of times they come out .357” or less.

 

[Rule3]

You don't want to save the "bullets"??


Is it worth the effort for 100 pieces of 38 special brass???????????????

 

[OKFC05]

My "secret trick" for any unwanted .38 is to shoot it in a .357, usually my 4" Model 686. Good practice, no extra work.

 

[glenwolde]

Eh, probably more work than just whack-a-mole. I've done this before, I just did like 10-15 a day until they were done. No hurry.

 

[muddocktor]

Boogsawaste, I would say to give it a try and see how it goes. In theory that should work and make it easier to whack the bullets out after running them through the sizer die and resize those bullets.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Why don't you shoot them (or at least a few) in a 357? A bad 38 wadcutter load is still a very mild 357 load! I always used a S&W 28 or Ruger SBH. I still have those options but now I simply test 5 or 6 in a Contender in a hurry, if that is fine I start working for groups. If that is good I take the last few apart to figure out what that loading is.

Back in the late 70's (when I was newly married) It was at least an hour round trip to my folks or brother's farms. So I shot into a banana box full of phone books, down in the basement. Now days, nobody knows what a phone book is, or a banana box for that matter!

The basement was 50' long. Shooting handgun and 22's wasn't bad, but shooting the 303 British rifle really made the dust fall from the ceiling! ( I always waited until the wife went somewhere before touching off anything but a 22. Thus avoiding "The Look"!)

Ivan

 

[Old_Cop]

Choot 'em out of a 357.

 

[Boogsawaste]

I’m a brass hog so maybe worth it? I don’t know how to dispose of live ammo otherwise.

I have a pile of lead I’ve been saving for when I finally start casting so they wouldn’t totally go to waste if I trashed the bullets. The one I measured came out at .357” so it was swaged down a little anyway.

About firing them in a 357, I thought about it. My concern is I don’t know what powder is in them. I pulled one and it appears to be 231/hp38. I weighed it and it was 3.4 grains which would fall in line with one of those powders. I don’t have any data on a 357 hot loaded with one of those powders however I’d assume around 7 grains with a wadcutter might be a lot if there were a double charge hidden in one!

I guess I could bring out the whack a mole and try a few at a time too.

 

[Kurusu]

I’m a brass hog so maybe worth it? I don’t know how to dispose of live ammo otherwise.

I have a pile of lead I’ve been saving for when I finally start casting so they wouldn’t totally go to waste if I trashed the bullets. The one I measured came out at .357” so it was swaged down a little anyway.

About firing them in a 357, I thought about it. My concern is I don’t know what powder is in them. I pulled one and it appears to be 231/hp38. I weighed it and it was 3.4 grains which would fall in line with one of those powders. I don’t have any data on a 357 hot loaded with one of those powders however I’d assume around 7 grains with a wadcutter might be a lot if there were a double charge hidden in one!

I guess I could bring out the whack a mole and try a few at a time too.

I understand there are people that used as much as 7.8 gr of 231 in .357 Mag. But that is in a .357 case and not with wadcutter bullets. If you fear double charges in the lot better go the safe way and pull those bullets out.

But one thing is for sure. I would never get in my hands reloads other than my own.

 

[OKFC05]

"I don’t have any data on a 357 hot loaded with one of those powders however I’d assume around 7 grains with a wadcutter might be a lot if there were a double charge hidden in one!"

7 grains is a NORMAL load for 158gr in a .357! Stop assuming and RTFM!
(read the factory manual..) There might be some exotic powder that could make a bomb, but a double charge of either HP38 or Bullseye
is still within .357 limits.

I respect anyone who states "I don't shoot anybody else's reloads" ; their choice.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

3.4 of WW231 is a little light! Try 1, Then try 2. if nothing got stuck fire away!

You are making a mountain out of a mole hill!

It is you gun and your ammo do as you please, but our time can never be returned to us, use it a little more wisely.

 

[typetwelve]

Man...I'd love to know how to pull some.

I have a good 175 rounds loaded with some Oregon double end WC's that are so hard, they lead my barrel to extreme amounts.

Long story short it was a beginner's mistake, and I'd like to have that brass back. The problem is, a hammer puller will not extract them, I'll break the thing before I get one bullet out.

I'm about to just chuck them in the trash or something, I have no clue what to do with them.

 

[Boogsawaste]

7 grains is a NORMAL load for 158gr in a .357! Stop assuming and RTFM!
(read the factory manual..) There might be some exotic powder that could make a bomb, but a double charge of either HP38 or Bullseye
is still within .357 limits.

I respect anyone who states "I don't shoot anybody else's reloads" ; their choice.

These are loaded in 38 cases and NOT 158. They’re 148 wadcutters which sit even deeper. I have checked a few manuals including some older ones I have but wadcutters are either loaded with hollow back and therefore light loads or none for 357 magnum. If anyone has a full power wadcutter load with 231 in a manual I’d love to see what it says. If there’s anything remotely close to 6.8 (a double of these) I’d probably shoot them.

Again I’m not 100% what the powder even is in them but I have hp38 and it looks identical. I mean exactly the same.

The final thing is I am don’t usually shoot others reloads. In fact I don’t even shoot factory ammo these days any more!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

While I usually don't shoot anything I don't load myself if all you say is true I would probably shoot that ammo in a .357 if I just had to have the brass.

Who gave you the ammo?

 

[Krogen]

I acquired around 100 38’s loaded with some button nose wadcutters that are of unknown components that I would like to pull and save the brass.

I’ve pulled wadcutters before (checking on a possible mistake I thought I made when I started loading), and that was not fun to say the least using an inertia puller!

I remember someone saying once that running the cases through a sizing die with the recapping pin removed would swage down the bullet and the brass springs back more allowing easier removal. Anyone done this?

I was seriously thinking about putting screws into the bullets and using a press with the die removed to grab the screw with a pliers and lower the ram.

I don’t mind ruining the bullets as I’ve measured cast after pulling and a lot of times they come out .357” or less.

Lots of comments in this thread about just shooting the rounds. To do so, one would be making a lot of assumptions. I think your plan to pull the bullets is good.

Now, about the inertial puller. I've learned that breaking loose the bullet by seating it a smidge deeper can help. Also, be sure to whack the puller on something unyielding. I hit a bench vise with mine. Something that moves or is soft like wood, just kills the effectiveness. A bench vise does neither. I you're making so much noise you're looking for your hearing protection, then you got it right!

 

[Eddietruett]

Is it worth the trouble to save the components unless you shoot them? Gun show once fired .38 brass is $40-50 per 1000 so you have $5 worth of brass, about the same value for lead wad cutters and $3-4 worth of primers. That’s a lot of work to save $15

 

[Boogsawaste]

Is it worth the trouble to save the components unless you shoot them? Gun show once fired .38 brass is $40-50 per 1000 so you have $5 worth of brass, about the same value for lead wad cutters and $3-4 worth of primers. That’s a lot of work to save $15

It has crossed my mind to just toss them. However how does one dispose of live ammo? I counted them, there’s only 70 so I don’t think it’s even worth it at this point.

They were from a yard sale that had reloading equipment. I saw reloading stuff and asked if there was anything else. They were thrown in for free. The person who loaded them is no longer with us so I couldn’t ask any questions.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Loaded ammo is not dangerous, even if the primer is struck and the round goes off the bullet will go nowhere without a barrel to contain and direct the pressure.

If it were dangerous would the postal service deliver it without a hazmat warning like with powder or primers?

 

[muddocktor]

It has crossed my mind to just toss them. However how does one dispose of live ammo? I counted them, there’s only 70 so I don’t think it’s even worth it at this point.

They were from a yard sale that had reloading equipment. I saw reloading stuff and asked if there was anything else. They were thrown in for free. The person who loaded them is no longer with us so I couldn’t ask any questions.

Pull the primer punch out of your sizing die and give resizing them a try. Do 1 or 2 and then put them in your whack-a-mole and see if they pull easier. I bet they will pull pretty easy once you've run them in the sizing die, which will squish down the lead more than the case, which should spring back some.

 

[Boogsawaste]

Loaded ammo is not dangerous, even if the primer is struck and the round goes off the bullet will go nowhere without a barrel to contain and direct the pressure.

If it were dangerous would the postal service deliver it without a hazmat warning like with powder or primers?

That works for me.