snuffy
Member
I initially started tumbling loaded rounds because I was loading .223 ammo with my dillon 650. Started with cleaned brass, spraying FA lube on the cases and dumping them in the case feeder.
Of course, this resulted in loaded shells with lube on them. Have you ever tried to wipe 500 or a K of .223? Boring, tiring for the hands and unless you use some sort of solvent, not too clean and dry. 20 minutes in the tumbler with new, bare corncob gets them clean and dry. And doesn't hurt a damn thing!
Some people let their imagination run away without common sense to rein it in. All sorts of doomsday scenarios, rounds detonating in the tumbler is one that those bright guys come up with.
The ever present "it'll wear the deterrent coating off the powder granules, altering the burn rate", is always mentioned. Wear? With what? Do you put abrasive in with your powder charge? Most modern powder comes coated with graphite to allow it to flow through measures easily. Graphite is a very good LUBRICANT. It allows powder to slide against itself, how is this supposed wear or abrasion supposed to happen. And if it did somehow happen, the deterrent coating would show up as a dust or fine powder in the shells that AC and I tumbled for 2 days!
And it WOULD alter the burn rate, which would have shown up as increased velocity when the shells were fired.
Don't believe what I just said? Then don't tumble your loaded ammo. Easy decision.
Of course, this resulted in loaded shells with lube on them. Have you ever tried to wipe 500 or a K of .223? Boring, tiring for the hands and unless you use some sort of solvent, not too clean and dry. 20 minutes in the tumbler with new, bare corncob gets them clean and dry. And doesn't hurt a damn thing!
Some people let their imagination run away without common sense to rein it in. All sorts of doomsday scenarios, rounds detonating in the tumbler is one that those bright guys come up with.
The ever present "it'll wear the deterrent coating off the powder granules, altering the burn rate", is always mentioned. Wear? With what? Do you put abrasive in with your powder charge? Most modern powder comes coated with graphite to allow it to flow through measures easily. Graphite is a very good LUBRICANT. It allows powder to slide against itself, how is this supposed wear or abrasion supposed to happen. And if it did somehow happen, the deterrent coating would show up as a dust or fine powder in the shells that AC and I tumbled for 2 days!
And it WOULD alter the burn rate, which would have shown up as increased velocity when the shells were fired.
Don't believe what I just said? Then don't tumble your loaded ammo. Easy decision.
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