Pulling surplus ammo

[meles meles]

oomans: your opinions please.

We're pondering the pros and cons of pulling and rebuilding military surplus ammunition. We use a lot of milsurp 7.62, in both its x54R and x39 incarnations. We're contemplating the potential benefits of pulling the ammo (with a press tool rather than a hammer), then tipping out the powder, weighing it and refilling the cartridges with a uniform quantity. A worthwhile undertaking ?

[ovenpaa]

Worth a try, I use a Hornady tool collet puller however even that damages some bullets when pulled from military loads.

[bnz41]

I did when I used MEN & DAG 7.62x51 Nato ammo would weigh the powder as you said to get a even charge, then change the bullet for a 155gr/168gr SMK. Now I use 7.62x51 Nato GGG which I find more consistent so no need for the extra work, and is reloadable.

As Ovenpaa said some bullets will not pull without damage..

Not tried it with x39 or 54r, milsurp ammo works ok for my needs.

[Andy632]

I've done a lot, pulled the bullets and fitted better ones.
I use a Hornady Camlock puller..

[meles meles]

We've heard good things about those Hornady pullers. They seem safer to us than the mallet whacky things....

[ovenpaa]

I use a Hornady Camlock puller..

Ah, that is the name I was hunting for :)

I did manage to reduce some of the bullet damage I was seeing by running the collets up in a lathe and gently radiusing the edge of the inside of the mouth to remove that sharp edge, it only needs a tiny amount removing and can be done with some decent wet and dry on a stick.

[meles meles]

And where might be a good place to acquire such a thing as a Hornady Camlock and some collets ?

[Sim G]

oomans: your opinions please.

We're pondering the pros and cons of pulling and rebuilding military surplus ammunition. We use a lot of milsurp 7.62, in both its x54R and x39 incarnations. We're contemplating the potential benefits of pulling the ammo (with a press tool rather than a hammer), then tipping out the powder, weighing it and refilling the cartridges with a uniform quantity. A worthwhile undertaking ?

I think you'd find that the powder charges in Soviet surplus will probably be very uniform, certainly to the point where the measuring and weighing equipment available to us would make neither here nor there difference.

Where you might benefit from the exercise would be in weighing and batching the bullets. Heskith-Pritchard described this in his account, "Sniping in France", where if memory serves, he opined that components in military manufacture will be sourced from numerous places, where as assembly occurs in only a few, by comparison...

[Alpha1]

I have done a lot of bullet pulling along the way. 7.62x54 for one because I don't like using corrosive primers. I once bought a boat load of 8mm military surplus for £6 a hundred it was in a terrible state I pulled them and compared the powder charges they differed a lot. I batched the bullets and used new cases and primers then re loaded the powder in uniform weights and shot the stuff. I was young and keen then. But I learnt a lot by my fumblings. I use a RCBS collet puller and a kinetic hammer depending on how many I have to do. The collet puller can mark the bullet but I don't care I shoot them any way.

[ovenpaa]

And where might be a good place to acquire such a thing as a Hornady Camlock and some collets ?

Ours come via http://www.cdsgltd.co.uk/reloading