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All this talk of vibrators and frequency and intensity, where am I again?
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Your welcome.....
 
All official cautions regarding the use or handling of any explosive product are a product of the legal staff. Is it safer to avoid tumbling loaded ammunition? Of course, It is also safer not to shoot in the first place.

If I have some skanky, but otherwise good ammo, I may tumble it just enough to clean the cases. This is done in the garage, using a plastic Folger's coffee can. Should one round detonate for whatever reason, the plastic will give way before any pressure can build.
 
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What would happen if these rounds were tumbled?
 
Really? I was told a long time ago to use about a tablespoon so that's what I've done. I've never had any issues so far, but I'm not using very much or applying it directly to cases. It's a tablespoon or so soaked into a full hopper of walnut shell. I wonder how much polish gets soaked up by the 2 dryer sheets i put in with each round of brass.
What do you recommend instead?...


I wouldn't under normal circumstances, but with Ammo shortage, there is a lot of old surplus stuff showing up. I got a bunch that had so much patina, that it was no longer smooth to the touch, and a few had started corroding...
I didn't want to run anything that dirty through my semi auto's... A good tumble smoothed and shined them up, and exposed the rounds that were starting to pit.

wish I had a before, but this is a few after... most came out like the far left, but now the bad ones are easy to spot.. I'll pull the projos and scrap the rest.
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auto cleaner polish or mothers and 0000 wool .should work.if you have some.
 
Clean and corrosion free is important, shiny not so much. Corrosion can be buffed off with a "scotch brite" pad or fine steel wool but the case need not look like polished brass. If you are concerned about the shoulder and case necks color don't be, that's from annealing the brass during manufacturer and is quite normal.
 
And yet powders and loaded ammunition is transported all over the world in giant vibrators. Trucks, trains, planes, etc.

I take my powder canisters to the mall where they have those vibrating chairs for a dollar and give 'em a ride. Makes my bullets shoot happier.

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Your welcome.....

Is every one really going to leave THIS ^ alone, without comment?

We're slippin' here if so.
 
Perhaps it's the frequency and intensity of the tumbler.....
There is a vast and fundamental difference between the actions of a vibrating tumbler (which vibrates at a far higher intensity for a far more concentrated period of time) than any ammunition will receive being transported in any kind of vehicle. And, just saying, but if vehicles vibrated like a vibrating tumbler I'm thinking people wouldn't be so happy using them.

I'll not tell another that they can't treat their ammunition as they desire, but then I wouldn't do the same and claim it's perfectly safe. I know how powders are made, but I've yet to ever see any powder manufacturer put in writing that tumbling ammunition loaded was a good idea.
 
There is a vast and fundamental difference between the actions of a vibrating tumbler (which vibrates at a far higher intensity for a far more concentrated period of time) than any ammunition will receive being transported in any kind of vehicle. And, just saying, but if vehicles vibrated like a vibrating tumbler I'm thinking people wouldn't be so happy using them.

I'll not tell another that they can't treat their ammunition as they desire, but then I wouldn't do the same and claim it's perfectly safe. I know how powders are made, but I've yet to ever see any powder manufacturer put in writing that tumbling ammunition loaded was a good idea.
And yet there are ammo manufacturers that admit to tumbling loaded ammo as part of their manufacturing process.

This issue has been argued since before the internet was a gleam in al gores eye.

Life is full of risks, I've taken my share and yet I continue to leave the house.
Heck, I often even go out without a spare magazine, especially if I'm in a revolver kind of mood.

Company lawyers say things to remove risk of frivolous suits.
Lawyers be lawyers. :rolleyes:

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And yet there are ammo manufacturers that admit to tumbling loaded ammo as part of their manufacturing process.

This issue has been argued since before the internet was a gleam in al gores eye.

Life is full of risks, I've taken my share and yet I continue to leave the house.
Heck, I often even go out without a spare magazine, especially if I'm in a revolver kind of mood.

Company lawyers say things to remove risk of frivolous suits.
Lawyers be lawyers. :rolleyes:

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Buddy, you do what you want, I've already said that.
 
Is every one really going to leave THIS ^ alone, without comment?

We're slippin' here if so.
I didn't want to get banned or chip my teeth.

On the subject of tumbling live ammo, perhaps wet tumble then stick it the oven for a quicker drying. Or better yet, the microwave....DON'T DO IT!!! (the microwave and oven part.)
 
I thought this comment from Hodgdon was interesting:

RE: Tumbling Loaded Ammo
Tue, March 2, 2010 10:04:34 AMFrom: Dave Campbell Add to Contacts
To: Dave

——————————————————————————–

It is the policy of Hodgdon Powder Co. to recommend against ever tumbling or vibrating loaded or reloaded ammunition. Vibration for even short
periods of time may degrade propellants or change their burn characteristics. Vibrating propellants may cause coatings to wear off and edges or
ends to erode.

Dave Campbell
Ballistician/ Customer Service
Hodgdon Powder Company Family of Propellants:
Hodgdon Smokeless Powders, The Brand That's True
IMR Legendary Powders
Winchester Smokeless Powders, For Loading Professionals
Pyrodex
Triple7
Goex Black Powder
White Hots
http://www.hodgdon.com
913-362-9455 ext. 117
[email protected]



This from RCBS too, page 2 of their Vibratory Case Polisher manual:

DANGER! DO NOT TUMBLE/CLEAN CARTRIDGE CASES OR AMMUNITION CONTAINING LIVE PRIMERS AND/OR POWDER. The vibrating action of the Case Polisher can break down the structure of the powder kernels and priming mix. This may lead to an unsafe ignition of the cartridge or possible misfire.




From the horse's mouth, not too sure how anyone can argue this with more than "I've been doing it for years".
This subject has been beaten to death many, many times, on many forums.

The long and the short of it is that there are those who say that you shouldn't do it, and those who do it all the time with no ill effects. Yes, several reputable sources say "OMG! Thou Shalt Not!!!" and give some convincing arguments. Yet still, many people do it with no ill effects.

I won't try to tell anyone else what to do, and personally I don't tumble live ammo anymore myself, though not because I think it's harmful, but rather just because I've changed my process.

The idea that tumbling breaks down the powder sounds right, but nobody's been able to prove it. I remember one guy on another forum, must have been an engineer or scientist, who tumbled various different loads for various amounts of time (some for several days), and had controls that were not tumbled. He then pulled some apart and looked at the powder under a microscope. He fired over a chronograph and fired for accuracy, both tumbled and control batches. He did this for several calibers and loads.

The long and the short of it was that he could find no evidence of the mythical powder breakdown from tumbling, and no change in velocity or accuracy.

Now others replied that he didn't test every powder/load combination in existence, so it's possible that somewhere there exists a load that could be damaged and dangerous. Sure, you can't prove a negative...

So- there will continue to be those who say "OMG don't do it! It's dangerous!", and there will continue to be those who quietly go about their own business and do it anyhow, with no ill effects.
 

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