Cleaning loaded cartridges

It's fine. The big guys do it all the time.

I do it to remove the lube but only for about ten minutes. Been doing it for years and never had any issues.

I've always been told not to do it.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2008/09/why-you-should-not-tumble-clean-loaded-ammo/

It's a good way to remove lube.

Hornady One Shot

You can. I just use 0000 steel wool.

PWC said:

Is it ok to clean loaded ammo in a vibratory cleaner, ...

Click to expand...

Just make sure that you do not add so many that the media's toroidal current stops. When the cartridges are "swimming in the stream" they are doing very little vibrating compared to the media.

I have cleaned thousands of rounds in my vibratory case cleaners with no ill effects.

Might not want to tumble rounds loaded with sticky-lubed lead bullets.

<making sign of the cross with index fingers>

I have watched the "tumble/don't tumble live ammo" controversy since I started visiting reloading forums in 2007. Never any definitive answer/solution...

I once tumbled 200 tarnished surplus 30-06 cartridges and I still have all my fingers and my Garand is still in excellent shape (I didn't have a chrony at the time and I'm not the worlds best shot, bad eyes, so I found no difference shooting the tumbled vs. the untumbled ammo. LC?)

I agree with MDI,( I have too watched the "tumble/don't tumble live ammo" controversy since I started visiting reloading forums in 2007. Never any definitive answer/solution)
However I have been tumbling my finished live ammo since the mid 70s, I use my old crushed Walnut media after its lost effectiveness for primary case cleaning. I wont advocate either way but it sure works for me even with lead. My reloads sure look pretty too!

I tumble all my loaded rounds for 30 minutes in corncob media with a few caps of case polish to remove the lube and add a little polish to the cases to prevent them from tarnishing. Never had an issue.

Is there a major issue with leaving a thin film of the Lee dry lube on? Or is it mostly for looks. I leave it on my 45-70 cases (a very thin film left over from sizing)

Jessesky said:

Is there a major issue with leaving a thin film of the Lee dry lube on? Or is it mostly for looks. I leave it on my 45-70 cases (a very thin film left over from sizing)

Click to expand...

Not an issue

I clean my brass before I size in a wet tumbler with SS Pins , they stay clean no need to clean afterwards . How long have your rounds been laying around ?

Is there a major issue with leaving a thin film of the Lee dry lube on? Or is it mostly for looks. I leave it on my 45-70 cases (a very thin film left over from sizing)

Click to expand...

That is another issue that has not ever been resolved, like whether tumbling loaded rounds affects the deterrent on the powder.
Some say leaving the lube on will keep the case from grabbing the chamber wall when fired and keep it from impacting the bolt face, slide what ever, harder than it's supposed to and some say leaving the lube on has no affect at all. Who knows.

I tumble mine to take it off. It's just what I do.

Jessesky said:

Is there a major issue with leaving a thin film of the Lee dry lube on? Or is it mostly for looks. I leave it on my 45-70 cases (a very thin film left over from sizing)

Click to expand...

I would never leave any trace of lube on loaded ammo. Especially high pressure rifle ammo

I do it to knock off case lube.

My Grandfather post load tumbled rounds for decades behind the seat of his pickup truck.

PWC asked:
Is it ok to clean loaded ammo in a vibratory cleaner, or will it break dpwn the powder?

Click to expand...

Tumbling in a vibratory primer will NOT cause the powder to "break down". This is an "urban legend" or "old wives' tale" that has ZERO basis in reality and ZERO scientific proof.

Whoever told you this is WRONG and is disseminating information for which he/she knows nothing or has no direct knowledge.

Forgive me if this seems particularly strident, but people saying that you should not tumble loaded cartridges are ignoring the fact most every manufacturer tumbles their cartridges after final assembly. If it is okay for the manufacturers, why is it forbidden to you?

The people who proscribe tumbling assembled cartridges assert many reasons it shouldn't be done, yet none of them have even a shred of evidence to suggest that the mechanism of action they propose to damage the powder actually occurs.

Yep, lead doesn't do well in corn cob media in tumblers.

Click to expand...

Rifle rounds with soft lead tips don't do well in a rotary tumbler either, The tips get a beat up. I tried it once.
A vibratory won't hurt them at all, they just lay on bottom and while the media passes around them.

The only round you don't want to tumble are bare lead bullets. The tumbling will cause the media to stick to the bullets and you have a big mess. Which will require you to clean up afterwards.