Clean loaded ammo?

[Guest KCSTEVE]

Has anybody ever cleaned loaded ammo in a vibratory case cleaner?

[dlm37015]

yes i have done it all the mfg.do it when there done to get them clean .lake city does it just dont do it too long

[Guest KCSTEVE]

Thanks. I worried about the ammo hitting a primer until I saw this video from Lake City.

[Guest spoolie]

I do it all the time...no problem.

[LngRngShtr]

I do it with rifle ammo,.. you don't want ANY case lube on those or in the chambers not only do you pick up dust and dirt before chambering...it also does funky things with pressure on your bolt face and has broken bolt lugs in some cases

I have even polished up some that have "aged" on the shelf,.. 30 mins. or so and look like new..

John

[gregintenn]

I wouldn't want exposed lead in there, but wouldn't think anything else would hurt.

[Guest sneakboxer]

This maybe a stretch but. Could the vibration break-up or alter the coating of the powder and affect its burn rate/pressure.

I would think you be fine for a little bit. Maybe the smarter guys could dismiss this thought.

[gregintenn]

This maybe a stretch but. Could the vibration break-up or alter the coating of the powder and affect its burn rate/pressure.

I would think you be fine for a little bit. Maybe the smarter guys could dismiss this thought.

Shouldn't be any different than walking around with ammo in your pocket.

[Guest sneakboxer]

Shouldn't be any different than walking around with ammo in your pocket.

That's what i thought but hours in a treestand can make you dream up some crazy ideas.

[Guest BungieCord]

This maybe a stretch but. Could the vibration break-up or alter the coating of the powder and affect its burn rate/pressure....

It can. The problem isn't the primers, it's fracturing the individual granules and leaving uncoated surface exposed.

[Garufa]

Why?

[I_Like_Pie]

Why would you do this!?!?

Depending on the powder type you could cause some major problems. Ball and similar powder may cause no problems, but flake or extruded powder could break it up, increase surface area, and thus increase burn rate.

[DWARREN123]

I have done it with the only problem being crud in the hollow point ammo.

[Dolomite_supafly]

It can. The problem isn't the primers, it's fracturing the individual granules and leaving uncoated surface exposed.

I'll try to dig it up when I get home but there was a guy who did a very detailed study to confirm or deny this. It turned out to be a myth after microscopic examination of the powder after days and I believe weeks in a tumbler.

And as far as leaving the surface uncoated, where does the coating go? It would seem any coating that rubbed off would just reattache to the powder after all the coating is nothing more than graphite to make it easier to work with.

Dolomite

[Worriedman]

Wonder how much vibration a plane trip to the Sand Box from the US imparts to loaded ammo?

[gregintenn]

Upon further looking, I found that most powder manufacturers warn agains this practice.

[Garufa]

Upon further looking, I found that most powder manufacturers warn agains this practice.

Regardless, I'm still curious to know why one would need to put loaded ammo in a tumbler or what not. Just shoot it. Ugly rounds work just as well as pretty ones.

[Guest canebreaker]

Well in the past, shooting a 5 and 6 shot 38, we have had some rounds not fired when we get home. Not checking, they get tumbled. next trip to the range, they fired good.

[gregintenn]

Well in the past, shooting a 5 and 6 shot 38, we have had some rounds not fired when we get home. Not checking, they get tumbled. next trip to the range, they fired good.

Huh?

[Dolomite_supafly]

Huh?

I think he was saying he tumbled the loaded ammo with fired brass then took the loaded stuff after realizing they had been tumbled and they still fired.

He made it sound like tumbling fixed a dead primer.

[Worriedman]

I have been tumbling loaded rounds coming out of the Dillon to get the sizing lube off the rounds for years, just like the major manufacturers do. Seriously, loaded ammo gets a lot of vibration in shipping. Ever run I-55, think the ammo shipped up and down the road does not get jostled pretty good?

A pain on hollow points, but nothing a dental pic and scrutiny does not cure.