Bullet puller

An inertial bullet puller comprises a rigid, tough plastics material carrier tube having an opening at its upper end adapted to receive a cartridge and a head portion at its lower end adapted to be struck against a hard surface. The carrier tube is affixed to the end of a handle in a manner similar to the construction of a hammer. The upper end of the carrier tube includes a plurality of slots cut therein to receive an annular segmented support comprised of a plurality of segments interconnected with an O-ring. A cap at the upper end of the carrier tube includes a tapered inner end to provide a cam surface for positively moving the segments radially inward and holding them in position. After a cartridge is inserted through the segments, the cap is tightened to urge the segments inwardly along the slots so that they engage the cannelure and casing of the cartridge. In use the lower end of the tube is struck against a hard surface until the bullet is observed to pull free of the cartridge casing. The lower end of the tube is closed forming a pocket to receive the bullet and casing contents when the bullet is freed from the casing. The cap is then backed off to allow the O-ring to move the segments radially outward which permits the cartridge components to pass from the upper end of the carrier tube when it is inverted and shaken.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to inertial bullet pullers which are devices 
utilized to remove the bullet from the casing of cartridge type rounds of 
ammunition. Inertial bullet pullers operate by first imparting a rapid 
motion to the cartridge and then bringing the casing thereof to a quick 
stop. When the casing slows down it tries to slow down the bullet too, 
thereby imposing tension on the connection between the bullet and the 
casing. If the tension force is great enough, the connection parts which 
is the desired result. The tension force is proportional to the time rate 
of change in the momentum of the bullet and for any given bullet mass is 
proportional to the time rate of change in bullet velocity. The latter 
depends on the initial velocity of the bullet and upon the length of time 
required to stop it, which, in turn, depends on the speed of propagation 
of the elastic shock wave through the material carrying the cartridge 
casing. 
2. Discussion of the Related Art 
Inertial bullet pullers presently in use include a rigid cartridge carrier 
in the form of a transparent, plastics material tube having an opening at 
one end adapted to receive a cartridge and provided at its other end with 
a head portion adapted to be struck against a hard surface. A cartridge 
support is provided at the one end of the carrier tube for engaging the 
cannelure or other portion of the cartridge casing. The head end of the 
carrier tube extends beyond the nose of the bullet and is closed with its 
interior being tapered at the lower end. 
In use, a cartridge is placed in the carrier tube and supported therein by 
the cartridge support which engages the cannelure. A securing cap is 
provided for holding the cartridge support to the end of the carrier. The 
head portion at the end of the carrier tube is repeatedly struck against a 
hard surface such as the top of a table until the bullet pulls free of the 
casing. To facilitate both the acceleration of the carrier to a high 
velocity and the striking of it against a fixed hard surface, the carrier 
connects to a handle extending transversely from the carrier tube. The 
resulting carrier and handle combination has the overall shape of a 
hammer. 
These bullet pullers presently employ cartridge supports in the form of an 
open-sided washer which extends from the top of the cartridge carrier to 
underneath the upper side of the cannelure when the puller is in use. A 
snug-fitting polyethylene cap is slipped over the upper end of the carrier 
and frictionally engages the carrier tube and holds the washer and 
cartridge in place. Such a cartridge support is the source of some 
difficulty because a plurality of support washers having differing inner 
diameters must be employed in order to accommodate cartridges having 
different diameter cannelures. Also, after each use it is necessary to 
pull the tight-fitting cap off the end of the carrier. 
Another form of cartridge support employed by currently available bullet 
pullers consists of a U-shaped plate which has a variable width between 
its tines in order to adapt it to cannelures of different diameters. 
However, such a cartridge support has so little area of engagement with 
the cannelure that it readily shears if the carrier is struck too hard. 
An improvement over the above inertial bullet pullers is disclosed in my 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,661. According to my inertial bullet puller, an 
annular segmented support is provided at the upper end of the carrier of 
the bullet puller which is extendable into and retractable from the 
cannelure of a cartridge placed therein. Additionally, the annular 
segmented support is configured to fit a wide range of cartridges having 
cannelures of different diameters. The annular segmented support comprises 
a plurality of arcuate shape members or segments adapted to be annularly 
disposed at the upper end of a carrier. A garter spring extends around the 
segments to provide a resilient force for urging the segments radially 
inwardly to an extent limited either by engagement with a cartridge or by 
the otherwise spaced apart sides of the segments coming into engagement. A 
cam surface is provided for positively urging the segments radially 
inwardly and holding them positioned beneath the upper wall of a cartridge 
cannelure. The cam surface is carried by a cap that threadably engages the 
upper end of the carrier tube adjacent the cannelure. 
Although the inertial bullet puller disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,661 
improves over existing inertial bullet pullers, it fails to operate as 
easily and efficiently as desired. That is, once the bullet disengages 
from the case, it is necessary to remove the securing cap before the 
bullet may be retrieved from the carrier tube. Although the cartridge 
support was originally intended to part sufficiently far enough to allow 
the bullet to pass, it was discovered that no matter how much the carrier 
tube is shaken or the securing cap rapped against a hard surface, the 
bullet will not pass and cannot be removed without first removing the 
securing cap. Thus, the use of the inertial bullet puller disclosed in my 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,661 is both tedious and requires a notable time 
investment when a significant number of bullets are disengaged from their 
casings. Such performance characteristics are less than desirable to the 
ordinary shooting enthusiast. 
An improvement over the inertial bullet puller disclosed in my U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,646,661 is disclosed in my allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 
07/967,214. That inertial bullet puller improves over standard inertial 
bullet pullers including my U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,661 by employing a 
redesigned annular segmented support. A first design of the annular 
segmented support comprises three segments connected together using a 
flexible O-ring. The O-ring is permanently affixed to the three segments 
and then severed at one spot so that it no longer forms a continuous ring. 
The O-ring is permanently affixed to the plurality of segments in order to 
keep them all connected together, however, it is split to prevent the 
segments from being continuously forced radially inward. 
The second design comprises two segments, the ends of which are shaved so 
that they protrude less than the center. For use with rifle cartridges, 
the two segments are connected together with an O-ring, but for use with 
pistol cartridges, the O-ring is removed and the two segments are left 
unconnected. The segment ends are shaved so that uniform pressure in a 
radially inward direction will be applied to the segment centers by the 
securing cap as it is threadably attached to the carrier tube. A uniform 
pressure is necessary to ensure that the segments move squarely as they 
engage the casing cannelure. Square and uniform movement of the two 
segments as they engage the casing cannelure allows them to grasp the 
cannelure along the greatest surface area. If the ends of the segments 
were not reduced, the segments would engage the cannelure only at their 
ends, thereby permitting many of the cartridges to pass through the 
segments after the carrier tube was struck against a hard surface. 
Both designs improve over the above-described inertial bullet pullers 
because they permit the bullet to be extracted after separation from the 
casing without first having to remove the securing cap attached to the 
upper end of the carrier tube. The first design allows passage of the 
bullet because the segment ends which remain unconnected as a result of 
the severed O-ring open sufficiently far to allow the bullet to pass when 
the carrier tube is shaken or the securing cap is rapped against a hard 
surface. Similarly, the second design allows passage of the bullet because 
due to the use of only two segments there will always be an opening 
between the two segments, even in their most closed position, which is 
sufficiently large to allow the bullet to pass when the carrier tube is 
shaken or the securing cap is rapped against a hard surface. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, an inertial bullet puller 
includes a carrier tube which has an opening at its upper end and a closed 
lower end to provide a head portion for striking against a hard surface. A 
boss on one side of the carrier tube furnishes a connection point for 
securing the carrier tube to a shaft fitted with a handgrip to form a 
handle for the carrier tube. 
The upper end of the carrier tube includes an external helical screw thread 
correlative to an internal helical screw thread of a generally cylindrical 
cup-shaped screw cap. The upper end of the carrier tube further includes 
three slots cut therein to receive and hold an annular segmented support. 
The annular segmented support comprises three segments interconnected by 
an O-ring. The segments fit within the slots cut into the upper end of the 
carrier tube to support a cartridge within the carrier tube. 
The upper end of the cap has a cylindrical opening or bore which is of 
slightly larger diameter than cylindrical inner surface of the carrier 
tube. Furthermore, a cam surface at the upper inner surface of the cap 
provides a means for positively moving the segments of the annular 
segmented support radially inward and holding them within the slots. When 
the cap is screwed down, the cam surface of the cap moves each of the 
segments inwardly along their respective slot to a position under the 
upper side of the cannelure of the cartridge so that they fit snugly 
against the smallest diameter portion of the cannelure. Additionally, the 
lower portion of the segments engage the portion of the casing directly 
below the cannelure. The cap then retains the segments in that position on 
the upper end of the carrier tube so that the inertial bullet puller may 
be used. 
In operation, a user grasps the handle, swings the inertial bullet puller 
to impart a high speed to the carrier tube, and strikes the head portion 
at the lower end of the carrier tube against a hard surface. Consequently, 
a shock wave which traverses through the carrier tube is established as 
the carrier tube either stops at or rebounds from the hard surface. That 
resulting shock wave pulls the casing and bullet apart. That is, when the 
shock wave reaches the annular segmented support, the upwardly moving end 
of the carrier tube pushes the segments upwardly relative to the cartridge 
which allows the upper ends of the segments bearing against the upper side 
of the cannelure to pull the casing from the bullet. 
After striking the carrier tube head portion against the hard surface, the 
bullet falls free of the cartridge casing into the lower part of the 
carrier tube. The cap is then loosened so that the cam surface is spaced 
axially from the top surfaces of the segments a sufficient distance to 
permit the O-ring interconnecting the segments to expand the segments 
along their respective slots. The carrier tube is inverted and the 
cartridge casing, the bullet, and powder are shaken out of the carrier 
tube. The segments expand amply enough to allow even the largest caliber 
bullets to be removed without first completely detaching the cap because 
the O-ring forces them completely from the opening at the upper end of the 
carrier tube. 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an inertial 
bullet puller with an annular segmented support which allows a bullet 
separated from its casing to be removed from the carrier tube without 
first having to remove the securing cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6-9, inertial bullet puller 5 includes 
carrier tube 10. Carrier tube 10 is preferably constructed from a 
generally tubular plastics material member which has an opening at its 
upper end and a closed lower end 11 providing head portion 12 for striking 
against a hard surface. Boss 13 on one side of carrier tube 10 provides a 
connection point for securing carrier tube 10 to a, preferably, aluminum 
steel shaft 14. Fluted plastics material tube 15 forms a handgrip which is 
suitably secured to shaft 14. Boss 13, shaft 14, and handgrip 15 together 
form a handle for carrier tube 10. Shaft 14 may either be a straight shaft 
or angled up to 15.degree. from the horizontal plane defined by boss 13 in 
a direction away from closed lower end 11. 
The diameter of inner surface 17 of carrier tube 10 is slightly larger than 
the largest cartridge expected to be used in inertial bullet puller 5. 
Lower end 18 of inner surface 17 of carrier tube 10 is preferably tapered 
to provide a surface tangent to arcuate nose 20 of bullet 21 so as to 
slowly frictionally arrest the downward travel of bullet 21 when it is 
freed from its casing 22. 
Bullet 21 and casing 22, which are crimped thereto at 23 and 24, form part 
of cartridge 25. Cannelure or annular groove 26 separates the main 
cylindrical tubular portion of casing 22, which carries the powder charge, 
from head 27 of cartridge 25 which has a primer/detonator cap (not shown) 
disposed therein. 
The upper end of carrier tube 10 includes external helical screw thread 30 
correlative to internal helical screw thread 31 of generally cylindrical 
cup-shaped screw cap 33. The upper end of carrier tube 10 further includes 
slots 43-45 cut therein to receive and hold annular segmented support 42 
(see FIGS. 6-9). Annular segmented support 42 comprises segments 46 
interconnected by O-ring 52. Each of segments 46 fits within a respective 
one of slots 43-45 to support cartridge 25 within carrier tube 10. 
Cap 33 is preferably made of a plastics material similar to that of carrier 
tube 10. The upper end of cap 33 has a cylindrical opening or bore 34 
which is of slightly larger diameter than cylindrical inner surface 17 of 
carrier tube 10. Cam surface 35 of end 36 of cap 33 is conical and flares 
toward the open end of cap 33. Preferably the outer periphery of the 
closed end of cap 33 is provided with bevel 38. The exterior surface of 
the sides of cap 33 is knurled for easy turning. 
Cap 33 provides a means for positively moving segments 46 of annular 
segmented support 42 radially inward and holding them within slots 43-45 
at the upper end of carrier tube 10. When cap 33 is screwed down, cam 
surface 35 of cap 33 moves each of segments 46 inwardly along slots 43-45 
to a position under upper side 100 of cannelure 26 so that they fit snugly 
against the smallest diameter portion of cannelure 26. Additionally, the 
inner lower portion of segments 46 engage casing 22 along a portion 
directly below cannelure 26. Cap 33 retains segments 46 in the 
above-described position within slots 43-45 on the upper end of carrier 
tube 10 so that inertial bullet puller 5 may be used. 
Referring to FIGS. 2-5, segments 46 of annular segmented support 42 will be 
described. Although three segments are disclosed, only two segments are 
necessary, and any number of segments may actually be used. Each of 
segments 46 comprises an arcuate shell having inner and outer generally 
cylindrical surfaces 44 and 41, conical inner and near spherical curved 
outer upper surfaces 47 and 48, and a cylindrical upper edge 49. 
Segments 46 are connected together using O-ring 52 which lies within a 
groove 54 cut into each of inner surfaces 44 of segments 46. With O-ring 
52 fitted within each of grooves 54, segments 46 are circumferentially 
spaced apart as shown at 50 in FIGS. 3-5 and 9. Thus, O-ring 52 not only 
connects segments 46, but it also provides a restoring force to separate 
segments 46. 
To secure cartridge 25 within segments 46 as shown in FIG. 1, cap 33 is 
tightened until cam surface 35 of cap 33 engages outer upper surfaces 48 
of segments 46 and urges segments 46 inwardly about cartridge 25 along 
slots 43-45. Segments 46 maintain cartridge 25 at the upper end of carrier 
tube 10 due to the their edges 49 which snugly engage the smallest 
diameter part of cannelure 26 and their inner cylindrical surfaces 44 
which engage casing 22. After bullet 21 has been separated from casing 22, 
cap 33 is loosened to remove the force exerted against outer upper 
surfaces 48 of segments 46 by cam surface 35. Consequently, O-ring 52 
urges segments 46 back along slots 43-45 to release the tension applied by 
segments 46 against casing 22. By forcing segments 46 away from casing 22 
along slots 43-45, casing 22 may be easily removed from carrier tube 10, 
and, further, segments 46 no longer reside over the opening at the upper 
end of carrier tube 10 which allows bullet 21 to pass from carrier tube 10 
without first having to remove cap 33. 
In operation, a user grasps handgrip 15, swings inertial bullet puller 5 to 
impart a high speed to carrier tube 10, and strikes head portion 12 at 
lower end 11 of carrier tube 10 against a hard surface with carrier tube 
10 moving with its axis perpendicular to the surface at the moment of 
impact. Carrier tube 10 comes to rest and may bounce off of the hard 
surface. In either instance, the upper end of carrier tube 10 comes to 
rest slightly later than the lower end as determined by the speed of 
propagation of the elastic shock wave in the plastic of carrier tube 10. 
The speed of that shock wave will determine the increment of time during 
which the momentum of casing 22 is changed from its initial downwardly 
directed maximum magnitude just prior to impact of carrier tube 10 with 
the hard surface to a zero or upwardly directed magnitude. That change in 
momentum is proportional to the force exerted against cartridge 25 which 
tends to pull casing 22 and bullet 21 apart. It may be considered that 
when the shock wave reaches annular segmented support 42 the upwardly 
moving end of carrier tube 10 pushes segments 46 upward relative to 
cartridge 25, and the upper ends of segments 46 bearing against upper side 
100 of cannelure 26 pull casing 22 from bullet 21. The faster the wave 
moves the faster the upper end of carrier tube 10 moves relative to casing 
22, or otherwise expressed, the more quickly casing 22 is brought to rest. 
Thus, carrier tube 10 is preferably made of a material that transmits 
elastic waves at a high velocity but has a high impact strength so that it 
will not shatter. Suitable material may be described as being rigid and 
tough. 
After striking carrier tube head portion 12 against a hard surface, bullet 
21 falls free of cartridge casing 22 into lower end 11 of carrier tube 10. 
Preferably carrier tube 10 is made of transparent material so that this 
result can be observed, although the rattling of the loose bullet in 
carrier tube 10 will make this known by sound and shock in any event. 
Cap 33 is then loosened sufficiently so that cam surface 35 is spaced 
axially from top surfaces 48 of segments 46 an adequate distance to permit 
O-ring 52 to expand segments 46 along slots 43-45. Carrier tube 10 is 
inverted and casing 22, bullet 21, and the powder are then shaken out of 
carrier tube 10. Segments 46 expand amply enough to allow even the largest 
caliber bullets to be removed without first completely detaching cap 33 
because O-ring 52 forces them completely from the opening at the upper end 
of carrier tube 10. 
After carrier tube 10 has been emptied, another cartridge may be inserted 
into the top of carrier tube 10 through cap opening 34. Cap 33 is then 
tightened until cam surface 35 contacts outer surfaces 48 of segments 46, 
thereby, closing segments 46 about the cannelure and upper end of the 
casing. The inertial bullet puller is, thus, ready to remove the bullet 
from the casing. 
It should be apparent to one skilled in the art that the objects of the 
invention have been realized in the bullet puller embodying the present 
invention. The annular segmented support is adaptable to a larger range of 
cannelure diameters and engages the cannelure over a major portion of the 
circumference thereof. The cap does not need to be removed between each 
use of the device and is easily rotated the small amount necessary to 
tighten and free the annular segmented support. 
From the foregoing description and illustration of the present invention, 
it should be apparent that various modifications can be made by 
reconfigurations or combinations to produce similar results. It is, 
therefore, the desire of the applicant not to be bound by the description 
of the present invention contained in this specification, but to be bound 
only by the claims as appended hereto.