I know this section is for reloading ... but I have a question on unloading.  Over the last few months, I have gone to gun shows and estate sales and have seen a lot of reloads offered for sale in calibers where the cartridge cases / brass is hard to find (e.g. 32-40 WIN, 30-40 Krag, etc).  I would never shoot someone else's reloads because you never know how "hot" they are and there always the question of how careful were they (i.e. double-loads of powder) when loading.

How difficult is it to pull the bullets, dump the brass and start over?  Is it worth the time?  What special tools (if any) are needed?

Thank you,
Joe D

Joe, if you just want the brass, raise 'em up through the hole in your loading press and grab hold with pliers. Lower the ram and you have it out. Dump the powder and either fire the primer or kill it and decap.  If you want to save the slugs for a few just use the inertia pullers available. If it's a bunch of 'em collett pullers are out there, and may be worthwhile. 
I know what ya mean about other reloader's ammo- a couple of years back I bought a box of .32-40 and when I unloaded them, they had something like 30 gr. of powder (unknown) so I just shook my head  and wondered.

I probably shouldn't say this in public but I have decapped many live primers using the standard decapping die.  I just do it slowly.

JS

The press and dykes method has worked the best for me. I've reused almost all bullets pulled that way with pretty much zero effect on accuracy. And yes, I've deprimed more than a few un-popped primers. One tip, seat the bullets a bit deeper before pulling, I thinks it breaks whatever bond there might be between the bullet and the brass.

Quote:

An impact bullet puller is the easiest & fastest method:
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PS:  If you break the puller nose - take a picture - send by email to Bennington Industries and they will send you a new one for free
* Put a lead ingot on your work bench on top of paper towels
* Turn the collet upside down in the puller - the powder will not leak out all over on the bench
* Put a wad of paper toweling in the bottom of the puller so not to bugger the lead bullet noses
* Lossen the cap - insert loaded round - hit puller on ingot a few times - bullet ejects from case
* Lossen only the cap - turn puller sideways - tap the cap on lead ingot and the case will slide back and can be finger removed
......................... Repeat .......................................
Then with 3 bullets in the puller, dump bullets and powder into a flat container

Presently, I'm decapping the bullets in 195 gifted 32-20 reloads that I test fired one and was WAY past the maximum velocity.  For 20 rounds, takes me approximately 5 minutes after one does some practice and gets the rhythm going!