Tumbling Reloaded Rounds?

[snuffy]

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.

 

[EddieNFL]

Older manuals warned against tumbling loaded rounds because of the possibility of degrading powder. Not so in newer versions.

I've long forgotten, but one ammo manufacturer said they tumbled loaded ammo far beyond what the average handloader ever would. They did warn against it (for liability reasons).

 

[Barrymon]

Just my 2 cents. I wiped and inspected every round I made to get the lube off and make them pretty. That lasted about 200 rounds until my wrists got gimpy from all the wiping. Now I tumble the loaded rounds for about 20 minutes and they look excellent and don't have any icky case-lube residue on them. They're so pretty I almost hate to shoot them...almost.

 

[Hondo 60]

I was told the problem wasn't the round going off but the constant vibrating will cause the powder to break down & can cause pressure problems so i stopped & haven't done any live rounds since

This is my reason for not tumbling loaded ammunition.
It may or may not be true.
I'm not an expert in this area.

I tumble BEFORE resizing/depriming & again after trimming & chamfering.
I just see no need in inviting a possible disaster.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Why do you feel you need to tumble loaded rounds?

Because I'm vain and I like em pretty. Also, good shiny brass is easy to see glinting in the sunlight, and I don't leave any of my precious brass behind when I leave.

I don't however recommend that anyone else tumble theirs. That way they will miss it and I may find it.

 

[FROGO207]

I feel the need to make them shine really pretty and as an added bonus the Nu Finish will seal the surface keeping my fingerprints/grease off them and prevent corrosion for long term storage. So there are many things I do, don't do, with my reloads that you all will do differently. Am I doing it better? Worse?? Does it matter?? All part of being human and wanting to be unique.

 

[trapper500]

Tumbling Loaded Rounds

Now many of you fellas tumble loaded rounds i read that the powder breakdown proved to be false i hope it is because i like to have a good shine & neatness thats the only reason i stopped when i kept on hearing about the powder breaking down so i stopped & haven't tumbleed one loaded round untilli started reading the posts & saw where a good bunch still do i t so let me know i would like to give them a good shine :d