Abstract: An apparatus for separating a bullet from a cartridge case, or bullet puller or extractor, comprising a frame, a cartridge hold-down fixture mounted on the frame, and a reciprocating chuck made of a pair of sleeves concentrically and slidably disposed one within the other and operated by a lever means. The inner sleeve has a contractible slitted end forming jaw surfaces engageable over the bullet, and the lever means reciprocating the chuck are arranged to first cause the chuck to grip the bullet by applying a holding force to the jaw surfaces at the end of the inner sleeve by reciprocating the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve and engaging the inner sleeve tapered end with a tapered inner surface at the end of the outer sleeve. Subsequent motion of the lever means causes the chuck to be pulled away from the cartridge hold-down, thus separating the bullet from the cartridge case.