Tumbling loaded ammo?

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I have heard of some people tumbling loaded ammo after reloading.

My question is, how safe is this?

The reason I ask is once I am finished loading 9mm with lead some of the lead
ends up on the brass.

I have never had problems with shooting my ammo, just wondering if it is safe
to through the loaded rounds in the tumbler.

Thanks for looking
Restricted
 
Restricted said:
I have heard of some people tumbling loaded ammo after reloading.

My question is, how safe is this?

The reason I ask is once I am finished loading 9mm with lead some of the lead
ends up on the brass.

I have never had problems with shooting my ammo, just wondering if it is safe
to through the loaded rounds in the tumbler.

Thanks for looking
Restricted
Click to expand...

Tumbling loaded rounds with lead bullets sucks. Your lube turns into gritty red paste (mine did anyway :S ). I hear corncob media doesn't have the same dust problems but i'm not about to try. Jacketed/plated bullets? Totally fine, shines em up pretty nice :)
 
Some of the lead ends up on the brass? Is it the lead or the waxy lubricant?

I have loaded pails of lead bullets and never had "lead" stick or smear on the casing. I have gotten lube on them, and I use an aggressive rag (usually old towels) to wipe them clean.

I dunno about anybody else, but I would not feel to comfortable with live rounds (complete with soft primers) tumbling about in an environment which encourages collisions between masses of metal and primers designed to be set off upon satisfactory impacts. Nope...not for me.
 
I've tumbled thousands of rounds and never had any issues with rounds detonating or with pressure spikes due to powder "crumbling" like some folks claim. It just doesn't happen. Tumble with confidence.
 
Longshot said:
I've tumbled thousands of rounds and never had any issues with rounds detonating or with pressure spikes due to powder "crumbling" like some folks claim. It just doesn't happen. Tumble with confidence.
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I agree - just part of reloading folklore. I think I'll put two new (clean) cartridges with spent primers and bullet, one with extruded and one with ball, into my vibratory cleaner overnight and see what happens.
 
Andy said:
I agree - just part of reloading folklore. I think I'll put two new (clean) cartridges with spent primers and bullet, one with extruded and one with ball, into my vibratory cleaner overnight and see what happens.
Click to expand...

With spent primers? Nothing will happen, other than a nice shiny new looking casing. I routinely tumble my brass prior to reloading.

I have not researched whether anything has actually happened or not, but the risk manager in me (I have to prepare these assessments all the time as part of my work) would argue it may not be safe. As to the comment that the major manufacturers do it all the time. I have not seen their operations, so I would not know this fact for certain, but again, in undertaking a very simple risk analysis they require workers to use protective eye ware and gloves, etc., for the most mundane of duties. They mass produce ammunition (1000's in an hour). Would they take a risk of having one of those explosive little primers detonate in a tumbler full of live ammo? Not only does that mean a loss of money, but OSHA would be breathing down their necks so fast. Nope, I call BS on that statement and if it is true, I would love to see how they do it.

I know is seeing old video clips of ammunition production during the war, it was all mechanized. Everything polished and shiny BEFORE assembly of the cartridge. I would wager that is accomplished today as well. Hornady polishes first, then puts it all together: http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/03/foghorn/how-its-made-hornaday-ammunition-video/

I would not, but others report they do it all the time. Ultimately, it's your choice.
 
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By doing it with spent primers, one can refute the claim that the powder is altered and somehow becomes unstable (when fired). Examine the previously clean cases for dust and if there's none, then the powder is unchanged.

I could tumble 100 rounds of live ammo for three weeks without incident, and there would still be people who still believe it to be unsafe, because it doesn't "seem" safe, or they heard from someone who knows someone who read......that a tumbler or rifle "exploded" due to ammo being tumbled. Without a single validated instance on record, we have as much proof for that danger as for the existence of the Yeti.

As for: "explosive little primers detonate in a tumbler full of live ammo", we should all know that when loose ammo is heated, or the primer is otherwise activated, there is not a fierce explosion, simply a "pop".

Reloading folklore - tough to refute, but one can try.

sobo4303 said:
With spent primers? Nothing will happen, other than a nice shiny new looking casing. I routinely tumble my brass prior to reloading.

I have not researched whether anything has actually happened or not, but the risk manager in me (I have to prepare these assessments all the time as part of my work) would argue it may not be safe. As to the comment that the major manufacturers do it all the time. I have not seen their operations, so I would not know this fact for certain, but again, in undertaking a very simple risk analysis they require workers to use protective eye ware and gloves, etc., for the most mundane of duties. They mass produce ammunition (1000's in an hour). Would they take a risk of having one of those explosive little primers detonate in a tumbler full of live ammo? Not only does that mean a loss of money, but OSHA would be breathing down their necks so fast. Nope, I call BS on that statement and if it is true, I would love to see how they do it.

I know is seeing old video clips of ammunition production during the war, it was all mechanized. Everything polished and shiny BEFORE assembly of the cartridge. I would wager that is accomplished today as well. Hornady polishes first, then puts it all together: http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/03/foghorn/how-its-made-hornaday-ammunition-video/

I would not, but others report they do it all the time. Ultimately, it's your choice.
Click to expand...
 
For most the reason for tumbling after is to remove case lube those that do large volumes of pistol shooting generally lube their brass. Even with carbide dies. It makes loading that much smoother

I for one do not care to wipe by hand thousands of rounds of 9mm
 
Glad I read this thread... I lube my cases prior to loading and HATE how it feels after it's done and dried. now I have an extra step to make it all nice and purdy before it goes bang
 
sobo4303 said:
With spent primers? Nothing will happen, other than a nice shiny new looking casing. I routinely tumble my brass prior to reloading.

I have not researched whether anything has actually happened or not, but the risk manager in me (I have to prepare these assessments all the time as part of my work) would argue it may not be safe. As to the comment that the major manufacturers do it all the time. I have not seen their operations, so I would not know this fact for certain, but again, in undertaking a very simple risk analysis they require workers to use protective eye ware and gloves, etc., for the most mundane of duties. They mass produce ammunition (1000's in an hour). Would they take a risk of having one of those explosive little primers detonate in a tumbler full of live ammo? Not only does that mean a loss of money, but OSHA would be breathing down their necks so fast. Nope, I call BS on that statement and if it is true, I would love to see how they do it.

I know is seeing old video clips of ammunition production during the war, it was all mechanized. Everything polished and shiny BEFORE assembly of the cartridge. I would wager that is accomplished today as well. Hornady polishes first, then puts it all together: http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/03/foghorn/how-its-made-hornaday-ammunition-video/

I would not, but others report they do it all the time. Ultimately, it's your choice.
Click to expand...

Yup.... My Hazard Ident & Ctrl report would not look kindly on this procedure either... Now you have me wondering... I'm going to actively search for an Ammunition production indusrty Code Of Practice... It's gotta exist somewhere....

P.S. not quite realted but shocking... http://digitaljournal.com/article/326566
 
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