If I Tumble "SLOWLY" Enough... Is It Safe To Tumble Loaded Cartridges?

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Mike1234567

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** Also, If I limit how many I tumble at a time and use plenty of media.

I just bought several boxes of Silver Bear 7.62x39 Match "8M1" ammo and the zinc is oxidizing. I want to remove the oxidation before I store them in sealed ammo cans with oxygen absorbent.

Is it safe?

Again.....
1. Very slow rotation
2. Twenty cartridges at a time
3. Lots of media

ETA: Added the caliber...
 
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Why not just give them a light "wipe" with a scotch brite pad?
Yeah, tumbling is easier, but even if you have 100 cartridges, a couple dozen at a time won't take that long.


"just bought?'
1. Can't you take them back and tell the vendor the problem? If 240 rounds are corroded, chances are that his other stock is also corroded. You ought to get your money back

2. "Match"? (7.62x39 match is almost an oxymoron :) )
Are you shooting this in a precision bolt action rife? If it's an AK, I'll bet they will chamber just fine and shoot fine. There is quite a bit of tolerance in those chambers and they were meant to shoot dirty, muddy, oxidized ammo and still operate.
 
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There are two schools of thought on this:

Some people are adamantly opposed to tumbling loaded ammunition. Others say they have never encounted a problem in years and years of doing it.

There is a myriad of reasons "to" or "not to" do it.

Personal preference mostly......I doubt that you would set off a round if there is sufficient media to buffer them, but the possibility, however remote, may exist.

Do so at your own risk.
 
This question comes up about every fortnight, at least.
If you do a search, you will get pages & pages of hits on tumbling loaded ammo.

I vibrate clean everything I load after I load them.
(Except lead bullet loads. The media sticks to the bullet lube)

Not in small batches of 5, 10, or 20 at a time either.
I tumble whatever will fit in my Dillon polisher.

It is safe & it won't hurt a thing.
How do you think they get factory ammo so nice & shiny?

BTW: Your old Rusky ammo has already been vibrated and violated much more just getting it here from Russia, and from a U.S. sea port to where you got it then you can do with a case cleaner in 30 - 45 minutes.

Still not convenced?
See this:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=6210696&postcount=71

rc
 
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I suppose all you can say is, "do it at your own risk".
But you gotta figure, ammo can take a lot of thrashing around without going off.
The strike of a firing pin is an intense point of impact.
 
IMO: A vibratory tumbler would be "safer" then a rotary tumbler.
If there is a "safer".

At least rounds are not being tossed around violently on top of each other where a bullet tip "could" hit a primer with some light force in a rotary.

rc
 
Okay, folks, I'm taking the easy way out. :)

Sorry that my searches failed. Maybe I misspelled something and didn't "notis".
 
Is there any data on how much force is required to set off a primer?

Can those forces be generated w/in a tumbler?

My shoot from the hip guesstimate is that when my gun's firing pin hits the primer quite a detent is left. I really doubt in a zillion years of tumbling in any tumbler could that sort of a detent be left behind.
 
Zactly!

Friction, Heat, or Impact sets off primers.

Friction can't happen to seated primers because all the components of the primer are tightly compressed together.

Heat is a non-issue, unless your tumbler motor shorts out and it burns to the ground.

Enough impact in a tumbler to dent the primer cup and smash the compound against the anvil?
Don't think so.

rc
 
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The other myth about tumbling loaded rounds is that it will break up the powder granules and change the burning characteristics - i.e., the powder will burn faster and create dangerously high pressures. That isn't any more true than the myth about tumbling setting off the primers. I know someone who loaded up some rounds and tumbled them for a solid month - that's right, 30 days straight - and then pulled the bullets and carefully examined the powder. Absolutely no difference (and he didn't set any off during his little experiment either).
 
DickM said:
The other myth about tumbling loaded rounds is that it will break up the powder granules and change the burning characteristics - i.e., the powder will burn faster and create dangerously high pressures.
Click to expand...

This ^^^^^ is exactly what I was going to post as I read through the thread. The manual for Lyman tumblers cautions against tumbling live rounds for this very reason, powder breakdown.

My estimated guess is that Lyman inserts this information for lawyer reasons and it's probably ultra-conservative info. I also think the type of powder (ball or extruded) and the load density would play a role. I.E., I'd feel better about tumbling cases FULL of ball powder.
 
Powder is polymer, or plastic, regardless of grain type.

It doesn't break down from tumbling.

The manufacture tumbles it in huge drums to add graphite and other coatings during the powder manufacturing process.

Once again, consider military ammo that gets hauled & vibrated all over the world in cargo planes, trucks, helicopters, tanks, and hummer's for weeks or months on end with no measurable change in performance.

rc
 
rcmodel said:
Powder is polymer, or plastic, regardless of grain type.

It doesn't break down from tumbling.

The manufacture tumbles it in huge drums to add graphite and other coatings during the powder manufacturing process.

Once again, consider military ammo that gets hauled & vibrated all over the world in cargo planes, trucks, helicopters, tanks, and hummer's for weeks or months on end with no measurable change in performance.

rc
Click to expand...

RC - I happen to completely believe you, and trust you. I just thought I 'd throw out another consideration.

The notion of breakdown from tumbling sort of made me think of the beach. That is, that waves over time can turn solid rock into sand. Given enough time, I don't think any material is immune to break down. But in the sense we're discussing it here, I understand your point.
 
I agree anything will break down given enough eons to do it.

But when I talk about tumbling loaded ammo, I'm talking about 30-45 minutes or less.

Thats about all it ever takes to get off toxic finger prints or mild tarnishing.

I would not recommend leaving it go for a day or a week.
Although I don't believe it would hurt the powder if you did.

rc
 
Another Question: What do I do with the media after all the oxidized zinc is removed? Should I throw it away to avoid contaminating other brass/cartridges?
 
rcmodel said:
...I vibrate clean everything I load after I load them.
(Except lead bullet loads. The media sticks to the bullet lube)....

rc
Click to expand...

rc,
The only lead I load is what I get from MBC.
I always give it a little finishing tumble in fine walnut/cobb/NuFinish but I've never had any media stick to mine.

What am I doing differently than you?? I also like the flat matte look they take on.

Seedtick

:)
 
How many rounds are you talking about anyway?

If less then a butt load I'd just throw a couple of used dryer sheets in with them.

It will pick up most of the dust.

Cartridge brass is already 30% zinc anyway.
A little more won't hurt it.

rc
 
What am I doing differently than you??
Click to expand...
Probably using RNFP instead of SWC.

My cast & lubed SWC always seems to have a thin ring of lube around the front driving band that picks up tumbler dust and turns into hard packed gunk.

RN, RNFP, or TC don't do that.

But my last question deals with media that's been used quite a bit.
Click to expand...
If the media is already getting worn out & dirty, toss it when you get done.

Time for new media anyway.

rc
 
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