Tumble Live Ammo ?

Plumsask said:
...with that being said I read an article not too long ago and it said vibratory tumblers when tumbling loaded ammo can over time break down the individual kernels of powder or flakes or ball or whatever you are using. In extreme cases it was stated that this may change the burn characteristics of the given propellant.
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B said:
This has been busted more than once.
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While I agree it is untrue it seems that liability fears are keeping certain parties very cautious about officially debunking the story. My tumbler came with a warning note in the bowl that said not to tumble live ammo, and I think it gave the kernel breakdown theory as a reason. Every loading manual I own also has this (mis)information in it somewhere. With such a long standing tradition, I think every manufacturer and gunwriter that is in a position to be sued keeps parroting the tale, afraid that since it is so well entrenched there must be some truth to it somewhere.
 
I see that wet tumbling isn't recommended. I have a case of brass surplus 7.62 x 25 that has seen better days. My NP 762 will fail to extract about one round every two magazines. Last weekend I tried cleaning 100 rounds with balistol and had no fte's. It's a tedious process though and tumbling would be much better. I only have a wet tumbler and I'm hoping perhaps the military crimp would be tight enough to keep the powder dry. I suppose there would be no harm in trying a handful?
 
skookumchuck said:
I see that wet tumbling isn't recommended. I have a case of brass surplus 7.62 x 25 that has seen better days. My NP 762 will fail to extract about one round every two magazines. Last weekend I tried cleaning 100 rounds with balistol and had no fte's. It's a tedious process though and tumbling would be much better. I only have a wet tumbler and I'm hoping perhaps the military crimp would be tight enough to keep the powder dry. I suppose there would be no harm in trying a handful?
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Try a handful...
 
I tumble live ammo after I reload for 30 or so mins. I don't deprime before I tumble clean my brass. So I reload using a turret press. So it will deprime, and prime in the machine. But I spay the cases with a lanolin mix. Well that gums up one of my dies. So I get gunk on the side of the cases. That the live tumbling gets rid of.
 
I tumble all my rounds after reloading ,I use walnut shells never had a problem leaving them in over night. roll them on a fleece cloth ,good to go.
 
I've only vibratory tumbled old ammo that had oxidation on them. After 30min, they looked like new. Shot fine.
 
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Does anyone thing te ammo doesn’t get shaken and bumped around more during transport to stores, or dare I say it military operations?

Also for the guy who said bench rest shooters would cringe. I dare say many of us would cringe watching one of them roll their own ammo. So it’s happily a two way street.
 
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