I think I'm screwing up

[Antoine22]

I am currently reloading 38 spl with swaged lead. The thing is, my loaded rounds are very dirty. Lead deposit are all over my brass. I thought I could clean them up with my tumbler but after 15 minutes, the media is getting gumed up and my loads are still gumed up. Should I still continue or what

 

[blacksmithden]

There's enough gunk on the brass that it's gumming up your media ??? Huh ??? I'm missing something here. Is it lube from the bullets possibly ?? Even then, there shouldn't be enough to make your media stick to the brass or itself. Can you elaborate a little more ???

 

[Antoine22]

You are correct. There is enough gunk to make the media stick inside my tumbler bowl.

 

[gallen270]

how much lube are you using? give us an example. myself, i apply it with a q-tip. i rub a bit on the tooth pick the size of a pea, and that does me for about 15-20 cases and i dont have anything gunking up.

did you cast the lead yourself?

 

[Antoine22]

I am not using any lube. I bought the bullets and they came like that when I opened the box. They are made by Remington LWD 148 grains swaged lead. They are very dirty, yuck!

 

[stocker]

They may be lubed with a graphite compound which can be a bit messy. In your first post you referred to "lead". Are you flaring your case mouths a bit before seating the soft bullet? If you don't the case mouth will shave the bullet and the lead will be compressed onto the case by the seating die.

 

[Fall Guy]

Case mouth not flared wide enough so when you're seating the bullet you're scraping off lube as it goes into the case and making a mess?

 

[Antoine22]

I am flaring enough to prevent any shaving. Yeah, it's that graphite powder that makes my cases messy. What about my tumbler? Should I keep it on until my rounds get cleaned or it will never happend?

 

[sunray]

You cleaning the case sizing lube off?

 

[Antoine22]

I will try to clarify as much as I can. I am not using any case lube, althought, the bullets are lubed with this fine graphite powder and that powder residue gets on the cases when I crimp them. It's a very sticky and messy residue. I thought I could clean that residue with my tumbler but after 20 minutes, my rounds are still covered with that crap and now, the media sticks on the side of my tumbler. Should I keep tumbling them or stop?

 

[H4831]

Wipe the cases by hand with a solvent, like kerosene, or anything else that will cut the guk, on the cloth.
I know, slow, but faster and better than what you are doing.

 

[Antoine22]

Ok thank you, I will try that.

 

[gunasauras]

You tumbled live ammo?

 

[B]

You tumbled live ammo?

There are no issues with tumbling live ammo. Outside of the internet anyway....

To the OP, don't think of it as screwing up think of it as learning. It's not hard for reloading to become a chore. Try to think positive.

 

[stocker]

Try a green Scotch Brite pad used dry. A quick twist or too of the cartridge in a folded pad. try to avoid the bullet when doing this. Also works for cleaning powder residue off case necks.

 

[gunasauras]

There are no issues with tumbling live ammo. Outside of the internet anyway....

To the OP, don't think of it as screwing up think of it as learning. It's not hard for reloading to become a chore. Try to think positive.

Well, You wouldn't catch me doing it regardless....

 

[drvrage]

Also depends on the crimping job you do. Tumbling live loads can vibrate poorly seated bullets in our out. I've never heard of detonation probs or anything silly like that, but you MAY be opening yourself up to problems if your crimps aren't secure.

Just wipe with a cloth I suspect.

 

[curtmg]

Biggest suspected problem, with tumbling live ammo, is breaking down the powder kernals. This would theoretically increase the surface area of the powder, which theoretically would increase the pressure. I'm not saying it does, or it doesn't, just this is the main reason why people say not to do it. I don't think that anyone is figuring rounds bumping into each other will start to set each other off.

ETA, use your own common sense to decide. Remembering, of course, that crates of ammo get transported in trucks and jeeps, through jungles and across deserts, in places that might not always have the smoothest roads. So perhaps, a bit of tumbling, may not be the most extreme thing you could do with it.