Tumbling Live Ammo

[BOLTGUN]

Any thoughts on tumbling live 223? Some say yes...others no. Any experiences? Hazards? Can the powder actually vibrate and.crash apart due to friction causing it to act differently than engineered?

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Any thoughts on tumbling live 223? Some say yes...others no. Any experiences? Hazards? Can the powder actually vibrate and.crash apart due to friction causing it to act differently than engineered?

First question that comes to mind is why? Is it too corroded to cycle properly or just not shiny?

 

[Tydeeh22]

i tumble my .308 rounds after reloading.. no problem here..

 

[thegunshow]

Seems dangerous to me

 

[Manatee]

The major issue is breaking the powder down into smaller grains or dust which can increase the pressure. If you do it, I wouldn't leave the tumbler on for an extended amount of time.

 

[tsm]

Wouldn't be my first choice.

 

[Electronrider]

Over on ar-15.com in the reloading forum a guy had a big old write up about this very subject. he tumbles some .223 rounds for quite a while, then tore them apart to examine the powder. There was no breakdown that occured. He had pics and everything!

I do not understand why people would want to tumble a live round. I tumble in walnut pre case prep, and tumble in corncob after all processing is com-plete.

 

[Manatee]

Over on ar-15.com in the reloading forum a guy had a big old write up about this very subject. he tumbles some .223 rounds for quite a while, then tore them apart to examine the powder. There was no breakdown that occured. He had pics and everything!

I do not understand why people would want to tumble a live round. I tumble in walnut pre case prep, and tumble in corncob after all processing is com-plete.

One test is less than science since it tends to corroborate an unscientific expected result.

There are many types of poweder, tumblers, tumbling media, charge levels, etc.

It is known that certain manufacturers tumble their production.

Personally, if I'm shooting a precision load, I'm not going to introduce a tumbler into the process.

 

[Classic]

I don't like to give advice but it isn't something I would do. Don't see the need.

 

[rockhopper46038]

Haven't tried it with .223, but I am one of those that tumble all my handgun rounds after reloading them. I've experience no problems at all, and the tumbling makes them chamber very nicely, as well as knocking off the bullet parting lines sometimes left on cast bullets.

 

[ckcollins2003]

Any thoughts on tumbling live 223? Some say yes...others no. Any experiences? Hazards? Can the powder actually vibrate and.crash apart due to friction causing it to act differently than engineered?

It's fine in a vibratory tumbler. IDK about a rotary tumbler.

The powder, even after being tumbled for days on end, was examined and remained the same under a microscope. Tumble live ammo Tumbler O' thruth EXTREME edition, 200hour torture test**UPDATE**fired rounds in OP - AR15.COM

I've done it many many times with loaded .308 precision loads and have gotten no different results out of my groupings.

If people think that vibration will break down their powders, they have no idea the vibration that ammo goes through during shipping. Being thrown around, dropped, and sometimes even falling out of the trailor would have much more energy transferred to the powder than it simply sitting in a vibratory tumbler. If you've ever been in the military, you know that ammo cans full of loose 5.56 are put through hell. If it doesn't cause any problems after being in a truck hit by an IED, anyone in the right mind would know that tumbling it for a nice shine is not going to do anything worse.

If that's not scientific enough for you, then go ahead and try it once. The only difference between non-tumbled live rounds and tumbled live rounds is the shine.

Edited to add:
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-498890.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...eloading/234074-tumbling_loaded_rounds-2.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/ammunition_and_reloading/69043-live_rounds_in_a_tumbler.html

 

[Josh Ward]

I tumble my 223 load after loading, for about 20 min to take off the case lube.

 

[Menace67]

Been there done that nothing bad happened

 

[exbrit]

I like clean pretty ammo

Been tumbling finished Ammo for over 30 years. It looks really nice and I take pride in the finished product.
I load for 7 handgun calibers and 3 rifle calibers. Each type has been thoroughly tested and the chrono shows absolutely no change in velocity, its always with 20 to 30 Fps of my standards for each caliber and cases show no signs of pressure.
Is it needed NO but as I said I like my ammo to look good as well as shoot accurately.
Its an individual thing but if you want to tumble, go ahead, its safe and a high percentage of us old timers tumble loaded ammo.

 

[longbarrel]

Been tumbling finished Ammo for over 30 years. It looks really nice and I take pride in the finished product.
I load for 7 handgun calibers and 3 rifle calibers. Each type has been thoroughly tested and the chrono shows absolutely no change in velocity, its always with 20 to 30 Fps of my standards for each caliber and cases show no signs of pressure.
Is it needed NO but as I said I like my ammo to look good as well as shoot accurately.
Its an individual thing but if you want to tumble, go ahead, its safe and a high percentage of us old timers tumble loaded ammo.

Why not embrace technology and start tumbling with stainless media? It makes the worst brass look factory new. In about 4 hours

 

[gunbunnies]

I've tumbled wolf 223 ammo to get rust off the cases before... no problems...

 

[ckcollins2003]

Why not embrace technology and start tumbling with stainless media? It makes the worst brass look factory new. In about 4 hours

I know this wasn't directed at me, but I'll throw my 2 cents in.

If you're going to tumble live ammo, tumbling in a wet rotary tumbler would be the last thing I would suggest. While water (as long as you did everything right) would most likely not enter the casing and get to the powder, it wouldn't be worth the hassle for me compared to just dropping it into a vibratory tumbler with corn cob or walnut for a little bit.

Also, about 2 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaner, followed up by an hour and a half in corn cob gives you like new results as well, it's just cheaper...

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Why not embrace technology and start tumbling with stainless media? It makes the worst brass look factory new. In about 4 hours

Do you do your loaded ammo with stainless?

 

[warthog]

It never occurred to me to tumble live ammo. I have learned today. Thank you.

 

[Steve B]

I tumble all of my finished ammo in clean CC media 10-15 min to remove the lube. 2400-5k a week and no problems ever.