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Tumbling loaded rounds: What they experts have to say.

12K views 27 replies 16 participants last post by  TigerLeo 
#1 ·
#3 ·
If anyone should know one would think it two gentlemen such as those. My question remains, if one is loading clean brass in the first place what is the need to tumble?
 
#4 ·
Could be something like what I have. What I have is about five boxes ( maybe more) of 30-06 ranging from 70 to 100 years old. Some of the cartridges in the boxes are starting to show case deteriation. It seems to me that it is always the first two and the last two in each box. Cleaning them up would show how bad the deteriation is , if any and not just brass tarnish.
 
#7 ·
Personally, I see no need to tumble live ammo. If you did your job of cleaning the empty cases, there is no need to do it again. As to the question of tumbling live ammo, I don't see a problem with doing it, I just don't see the need.
 
#9 ·
It seems like an extra step that is not necessary if you use a lube like the RCBS lube and a pad to roll apply it. That lube is water soluble so a damp cloth removes it.

After loading the cartridges a diligent reloader will inspect each round. During that inspection if he holds the case in the the damp cloth and rolls it with his fingers that alone removes the lube. Rolling the wiped off cases on a towel in groups of ten removes the moisture from the cases.

On the other hand if I vibratory cleaned them I would have to go out to the garage, pull the Dillon vibratory cleaner off the shelf, load it and wait for some period (maybe 15 minutes??) to dump them into the Dillon separator, put the media back in the vibrator cleaner and put everything away. This is much more effort with no real reward than wiping each case off with a damp cloth and rolling a group of them on a towel while inspecting them after loading. I have to inspect each anyway. We are talking rifle rounds with shoulder cases, not straight walled cases (like handgun cases) that is loaded with carbide dies that need no lube at all.

I will admit it is nice to know the experts' opinion, though. There might be a reason in the future to have to clean loaded ammo and knowing it is safe to vibratory clean them is good news.

LDBennett
 
#12 ·
Without the expert opinion is it not better to error on the side of safety? That is why I suggested in some of these post not to do it. In a recent magazine column a well know author had a problem during reloading that is somewhat (??) similar to loaded cartridges bouncing around in a vibratory cleaner.

He had a habit of dropping loaded cartridges into a bucket of other loaded cartridges during the reloading processes. He done it this way for years. Then bad luck struck and a dropped cartridge fell primer down, hit a bullet sitting upright and set the first round off in the bucket. Admittedly the drop was probably from bench height but is it possible that a bullet to primer hit inside an vibratory cleaner could do the same thing? Not knowing the answer is enough for me to think twice about vibratory cleaning loaded rounds. The powder may not be deteriorated but can there be a bullet to primer hit with enough force to set off a round. I don't know the answer and probably will never test it.

LDBennett
 
#13 ·
I never thought about it one way or other. My Pistol Brass don't need to be cleaned after sizing in carbide dies, my rifle brass gets the lube washed off after sizing, and dried before further processing, again no need to tumble them again.
 
#14 ·
None of my ammo sits around long enough to turn mustard brown and need to be spiffyed up to prevent being embarrassed at the range for shooting antique bullets in an antique rifle but it's good to know that if I did want to make a grungy looking cartridge look a little better before taking it out in public it won't blow up my gun or the tumbler. ;)
 
#15 ·
I've been reading this "controversy" since I started looking in reloading forums. Personally I have only needed to tumble (yes tumble as in a rotary) once. I got a bandoleer when I got my Garand and loaded it up with full clips. The bandoleer being canvas retained moisture and soon I had lightly rusted clips and tarnished rounds. I removed the rounds from the clips and tumbled them (tumbled the clips too, but separately). I believe it would be a one in 50 million chance of a primer being struck hard enough to ignite the charge tumbled in a rotary tumbler. I don't fear tumbling loaded rounds, and the answers by the experts are logical...
 
#16 ·
Here is my humble opinion

Milksnake flying snake Elapidae Snake Coral snake

The top snake in the photo is a coral snake , it's bite can easily kill you
The other two look very similar but are harmless

I don't want to get bit by ANY of them and I wouldn't pick them up if I saw them

Why play around with that ?

So ...Tumbling live rounds is harmless if you tumble them within reason according to the article

I choose to just wipe them off it needed
Get the picture?
 
#25 ·
I read one report from a trusted friend, and he forgot his ammo in the tumbler for 2 days. He pulled a couple rounds and checked the powder under a microscope and could tell no difference in powder straight out of the can. He fired some over his crony and velocities were the same as untumbled ammo.

I understand trying to be careful, but I could get hit by a falling piece of space junk, so should I never go outside?
 
#26 ·
I read one report from a trusted friend, and he forgot his ammo in the tumbler for 2 days. He pulled a couple rounds and checked the powder under a microscope and could tell no difference in powder straight out of the can. He fired some over his crony and velocities were the same as untumbled ammo.

I understand trying to be careful, but I could get hit by a falling piece of space junk, so should I never go outside?
It could go through the roof... Maybe reinforce it?
 
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