Tumbling completed rounds

[jericho89]

I would be more concerned about setting a round off than breaking down the powder...

[dscoduc]

I used to do that when I first started loading rifle ammo. Now I Resize/Deprime, trim, chamfer, deburr, and then tumble for about an hour. Once case lube is removed via the tumbler I then proceed to reload the cases.

You resize/deprime ammo you fired and picked up before cleaning it? Doesn't that open the chance to cause fouling on your sizing die?

I've been wiping down each round after resizing to remove the lube... seems to be enough for my brass so far...

[edwardm]

I would be more concerned about setting a round off than breaking down the powder...

Neither of those things would be on my radar. I've tried to touch primers off, outside of a firearm (just the primer). It takes a good whack to do the job. Unless you have defective primers, but then all bets are off anyway.

As for powder breaking down, the stuff ships ground, and I've seen FedEx and UPS drivers drive. If that doesn't break it down, nothing will. Plus I'd imagine some of the imported stuff comes over on ships rolling in the seas. It's pre-tumbled powder! Will some graphite rub off? Sure. But, just look at my powder funnels. Graphite rubs off just from making the ammo.

FWIW, Winchester walnut tumbles some lines of pistol ammo before packaging. I know this from finding the walnut in the gap between the primer and case head. Pretty and shiny, though.

[chknlyps2]

So, I have noticed that the case lube I used during the reloading process makes for some very dirty and grimy hands when loading rounds at the range. Not a huge deal, but a bit annoying.

I know you posted to see if tumbling completed rounds was ok but I just wanted to share this post from last year about lube on bullets and the added pressure it puts on the bolt.

Below is from the British Textbook of Small Arms 1929, the British used the base crusher system where the copper crusher was located at the base of the cartridge case. The copper crusher was hollow allowing the firing pin to pass through the center of the copper crusher. When measuring chamber pressure the case had to be oiled to read true chamber pressure. As you can see below a "DRY" cartridge case would only register approximately 50% of the bolt thrust.



The above oiled cartridge case method was used with proof pressure cartridges. After proofing with two oiled cartridges the headspace was checked for lug setback meaning increased headspace. If the headspace increased over three thousandths the rifle failed proof testing.

To this day military rifles are proof tested with two oiled cartridges to simulate the worst combat conditions, meaning water in the chamber and bore.

Leaving oil or grease in the chamber or on the cartridge case is like being in the ring with Mike Tyson, closing your eyes and leaning into a right hook.

Below is from the H.P. White testing Laboratory.



Keep all oil and grease out of the chamber and bore before firing, the increased bolt thrust is dangerous to you and the firearm.

From post 20 on this thread http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...=pressure+bolt

[Noonanda]

Well having been on many a vibrating ship while deployed, the vibrating for months at a time should destroy the powders inside the casing and yet it doesnt. What about when ammo is trucked from the manufacturer? The powder is not as sensitive as some seem to think. Ever ridden for miles in the back of a 5 /7 ton truck with loaded magazines. How come that powder didnt get effected

[Enfield47]

I tumble the cases for 20 minutes after resizing to remove the lube. The cases are always clean and ready to load that way.

I wouldn't have an issue tumbling new manufactured or my reloaded ammo, it won't cause any harm to the powder. However, I wouldn't tumble any old (50+ years) surplus ammo. There is just no way to know how it has been stored all those years and some of the powder may be beginning to break down. Trap55 posted about his first hand experience with it and pulled the bullets to verify that the powder had begun to shed its hardened layer and turn into a dust like powder. I belive that someone was injured while shooting the ammo and destroyed their rifle in the process. This should only apply to old surplus ammo though.

[Bumslie]

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/989047_Tumble_live_ammo_Tumbler_Oandapos__thruth_EXTREME_edition__200hour_torture_test__UPDATE__fired_rounds_in_OP.html

[the86d]

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/989...nds_in_OP.html

Yup, I read that one too a few years back. It should really be a sticky, or something here, so it doesn't have to keep getting reposted...

[JMP]

I think folks don't really understand the nitrocellulose compounds used for modern smokeless powder. Get a stick powder and run it through a blender or coffee grinder and see what it does. That is most likely not going to do beans. It's very hard and stable to all but heat. That's why you'd generally find it to be unaffected in all solutes except ether.

I'd have only two apprehensions:
1. If you are shooting rifle with BTHP designs, you can get fine pieces of media stuck in the tips.
2. You can deform the bullets a bit and alter seating and neck tension.

They shouldn't spontaneously ignite as the primer is protected by the pocket, so the probability of primer ignition is extremely small. If a primer were to ignite, the round would not expel the bullet at high velocities since there is no chamber pressure to allow this to occur. Then, with the media separation, a chain reaction of ignited primers is also very low.

I'd suggest tumbling as you please, but it's a far better practice to tumble after sizing.

[Citadelgrad87]

I think folks don't really understand the nitrocellulose compounds used for modern smokeless powder. Get a stick powder and run it through a blender or coffee grinder and see what it does. That is most likely not going to do beans. It's very hard and stable to all but heat. That's why you'd generally find it to be unaffected in all solutes except ether.

I'd have only two apprehensions:
1. If you are shooting rifle with BTHP designs, you can get fine pieces of media stuck in the tips.
2. You can deform the bullets a bit and alter seating and neck tension.

They shouldn't spontaneously ignite as the primer is protected by the pocket, so the probability of primer ignition is extremely small. If a primer were to ignite, the round would not expel the bullet at high velocities since there is no chamber pressure to allow this to occur. Then, with the media separation, a chain reaction of ignited primers is also very low.

I'd suggest tumbling as you please, but it's a far better practice to tumble after sizing.

Ether you say? Remind me to keep my powder and my date handkerchief separated.

(This is a joke. I don't date and couldn't score even with ether, but I don't condone it.)

[stilly]

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/989...nds_in_OP.html

Hey Look who is back!

[Lead Waster]

I also use RCBS case lube, which is great but messy.

I've recently bought some Hornady one-shot which seems to be much cleaner, so using that the rounds stay less gross once loaded.

[2shotjoe]

I've done it to thousands of surplus ammo. Some of the surplus I have wasn't sealed correctly and is dirty. I toss them in the tumbler and it comes out like its factory new.

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