[Ed]

Can you tumble bullets that you have already loaded? And I mean like 45acp or other round nosed bullets. I have lots loaded and am about to buy a tumbler. Just wondered. Thanks

[scalinghammer]

I have had people go both ways on this. I would say yes but not too much. There is an issuse that has been brought up as the powder would break down into small pieces and therby change the burning rate. I don't know about that but if you just tumble enough to clean the crud off it should be OK.
Ed

[BluesBear]

Some people recommend a light tumbling in corn cob media for final polishing of loaded rounds.
I have never found this necessary. But then I always wear those thin white gloves like they use in photo labs to keep the lead and crud away from my skin.

As for the powder breaking down. If bumping across country in a truck doesn't hurt it a few hours in a tumbler won't either.


I would strongly advise against using any sort of vibrating cleaner because of the dangers of bullets vibrating against primers!

[Peter M. Eick]

I admit it. I tumble my 357sig rounds for 11 minutes to take off the one shot lube I use when I make them on my progressive. The rest never. I would not do it unless I had to.

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

I have tumbled millions of rounds after loading in corncobs without any problems to make my ammo beautiful for my customers.

I would not consider doing this in a vibratory tumbler under any circumstances and will never own a vibratory machine. I have a single barrel, a triple barrel tumbler and have used a cement mixer to do the job.

I have turned some batches of empty GI 45 brass into commercial metal cleaning and deburring companies and that is fine.

John Paul

[Jeeper]

Tumbling being bad is just another urban legend. The breaking down of the powder is the most comical. Talk to someone who works at a powder company and ask about our vibrating tumblers affecting the powder. When they stop laughing they will tell you that the powder is tumbled is enormously powerful machines for a long time to get it correct. There is no way that a normal tumbler will hurt anything. This has been brought up on every gun board multiple times and no one could ever even point to enem a rumor that something bad happened much less an actual event. My only caution is to watch out when tumbling hollowpoints since the media might get stuck in it and affect accuracy.

[Standing Wolf]

I've been tumbling finished cartridges for decades without problem.

[Watchman]

Same here.

Ive been tumbling for 25 years or so without a problem.

Everything from .380 to .50 BMG.

I dont get crazy with it, but it does remove any left over lube. I personally think that having bright shiny reloaded bullets looks better than dull ugly reloaded bullets.

Think about first impressions.

Would you be more willing to shoot shiny realoded bullets that loooked like the owner took a little pride in his work or would you rather shoot ugly bullets?:scrutiny:

[oscar]

I tumble 223 for a brief time to get the lube off in my Midway. Have never had any problems.

[The Tourist]

In the early 1970's we had a professional reloader in the Madison area who cast his own bullets for reloading, and sold .45 ACP's by the thousands.

He told me that he had purchased an old dryer from a washer/dryer set and tumbled 1,000's of loaded cartridges in a bushel or two of walnut husks.

I'm sure it was safe, but I couldn't help but imagine that dryer bouncing around his shop being shot apart from the inside by a few thousand combat rounds!

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

I tumbled Live in corn cobs with a shot of kerosene on the cobs in my cement mixer.

I think the belief of powder breakdown in vibration came from the dish shape of bullseye powder that is more delicate than current spherical powders and is also dependent on the age and heat the powder has been exposed to.
I have seen powders that have become broken down with age.

It took less weight of bullseye than WW231 for my police ammo but I liked the more accurate metering of the 231 so used in in my business. When the spherical pistol powder was first invented for civilians as WW230 it was within a tenth of a grain in wt/volume of Bullseye but the powers decided it was too hot and weakened it to WW231

JP

[bp_cowboy]

and man those 357 and 06 loads looked great. Never had a problem.