Cleaning/tumbling FMJ projectiles?(bullets)

[Rule3]

I have a bulk box of Remington 180 gr JHP flat, enclosed based 40SW/10MM

I go them long ago at a pawn shop and they have been sitting in my garage. They are tarnished to looking like Bronze, really dark. No crud or corrosion, just dark patina if you will.. I took one and a little Flitz and it shined right up.

They are fine as is but would look nicer if cleaned up, with of course shiny brass.

Anyway, will tumbling damage them (dings, dents) or will they just sink to the bottom of the tumbler, OR should I just wash them in citric acid or vinegar and water,? I just do not want to damage them from banging around in the tumbler.

Really no reason to do so as they are just gonna end up in a berm but it would only take a few minutes and I am a tad OCD.

 

[FROGO207]

If they were lead bullets this could be a problem with media sticking to the lube. Tumbling them is how the factory polishes jacketed bullets up before they sell them. The only thing would be if the media gets stuck in the front cavity but a tooth pick or paper clip will sort that out in short order. Bring on the bling.

Heck I tumble finished rounds all the time and have never had any problems other than the HP cavity getting some stuff in it on occasion.

 

[Rule3]

Bring on the bling.[/B]

.

And Bling there shall be!

 

[hollywood63]

Tumble

I just run about 250 pulled Ranger T's through water and pins turned out great

 

[Walkalong]

Load them then tumble the ammo for 30 minutes or so.

 

[rcmodel]

Or, tumble them, and pick the media out of the HP's before loading.

Won't hurt a thing.
I've done it for many years.

I would be hesitant to liquid tumble them, as you could get moisture between the jacket & core and cause corrosion on down the road.

rc

 

[Bula]

I'd load then tumble in cob and nufinish. If the media is small enough you shouldn't have much build up in the cavity. As RC has stated many times, all commercial loaders tumble finished rounds. I trust RC.

 

[gamestalker]

I did that with a box of soft point bullets that had been sitting on my shelf for a couple years, and they came out looking really good, no flattened tips or any other distortions. So I would imagine a FMJ should easily handle the vibrating action and bumping together.

Even though it has no effect on how they shoot, I'm the same way Rule3, I like my components looking good. And I would bet the paper target will thank you also, or not?

Depending on the tumbler, they should cascade much like brass does. But not all tumblers produce the same type of action, which might cause them to lay on the bottom of the tumbler bowel. If they do, it might cause some dinged up tips of they're lead soft points. But FMJ's, I doubt they'll suffer any damage, even if they sit on the bottom of the tumbler.

GS

 

[Rule3]

Or, tumble them, and pick the media out of the HP's before loading.

Won't hurt a thing.
I've done it for many years.

I would be hesitant to liquid tumble them, as you could get moisture between the jacket & core and cause corrosion on down the road.

rc

I do not own a wet tumbler, I was thinking like I clean dirty range brass, just in a bucket with citric acid or vinegar and swoosh them around.

Liquid can get between the jacket and the inner lead core??

I can put them on the driveway in the Fl Sun then can bake until they are to hot to handle.

Guess I will try the Ultra Vibe Thumler

 

[Sunray]

Just dark patina isn't going to do anything to 'em. Neither will the HP cavity getting some stuff in it. Just load 'em.
"...put them on the driveway in the Fl Sun..." I can just see that. A police report about some guy trying to grow bullets on his driveway. HAHAHAHA.

 

[gamestalker]

Wow, I definitely missed something in your post Rule3, like the fact that they are JHP's, not FMJ's. Still though, I doubt tumbling will distort them.

I've never been a fan of exposing my components to water though, never have. But if I did, I would just wipe them dry with a towel, verses letting them air dry. A couple years ago I had a box of rifle ammo get damp, and even though it was only wet for a day or two at most, the brass and bullets had badly corroded. I tried to remove the corrosion, but it was more than just cosmetic, so I ended up having to dump them.

GS

 

[Rule3]

I put around 1/2 (500) bullets in the tumbler. Watched it for a while they pretty much stayed on the bottom a few cascaded to the top. Ran for my usual timed 2 hours.

Look like new (better in person than the picture) Took of the bronze tarnish

Ya, old ,anal and OCD. No damage and no stuck media. I use a 50;50 mix of fine and medium corn cob blast media

 

[rcmodel]

Well, imagine that!!

rc

 

[FROGO207]

Better load em quick and choot-em or they might tarnish again.

 

[Rule3]

Better load em quick and choot-em or they might tarnish again.

I don't have time to load anything, I am to busy making my brass and bullets look pretty.

Now I need to move on to primer pocket cleaning and trimming handgun brass.