Cleaning

[rockquarry]

Everyone should believe what they choose and practice what works well for them. This is not something that will be resolved factually on the Internet. A published report by a credible entity would be required and for whatever reason that's unlikely. This will continue, for the same reasons, with many such subjects that lack evidence-based testing and data. They surface regularly.

 

[Lance Boyle]

I once made the mistake of doing a poor job of wiping lube off and intended to finish in the RCBS tumbler. I left way too much lube on the cases and the dirt in the walnut made a sticky grunge on the shoulders and necks. A great way to clean the dirt out of your media!

I had to take a cloth with a heavy dose of rubbing alcohol to clean up the combined mess. Should have done that without the dirt!

Iirc it was the Dillon spray lube of lanaolin diluted with alcohol. Basically ordinary lanolin pad lube thinned out but the same once the evaporative carrier floated away.

 

[rockquarry]

I once made the mistake of doing a poor job of wiping lube off and intended to finish in the RCBS tumbler. I left way too much lube on the cases and the dirt in the walnut made a sticky grunge on the shoulders and necks. A great way to clean the dirt out of your media!

I had to take a cloth with a heavy dose of rubbing alcohol to clean up the combined mess. Should have done that without the dirt!

Iirc it was the Dillon spray lube of lanaolin diluted with alcohol. Basically ordinary lanolin pad lube thinned out but the same once the evaporative carrier floated away.

Many use media far beyond its useful life. It's an expendable item and should be replaced regularly. Media is cheap. It becomes discolored when dirty and doesn't clean as well. I'm guilty on this one, too.

 

[gym cat]

One word answer. NO!!!!!!

 

[venomballistics]

I've heard the tumbling of live ammo can damage the powder grains, increasing its burn rate and risking over pressure.
clean by hand if you must

 

[Raf1963]

I found some old ammo in a box. It is .308 round nose corlock and is old and cruddy. Is it safe to put in into a tumbler to clean? There are 10 rounds.

I'm thinking if you have to ask that question you should already know the answer.

 

[bph9]

It all depends how extensive the corrosion is. Myself, I have an old washer motor with a buffing wheel put on it. A wire wheel could also be substituted. I have buffed down by hand old corroded ammo and if the walls of the cartridge are not eaten through its safe enough to shoot. Probably expect a hangfire or even a dud round if the powder or primer deteriorated from water damage or other types of contamination.

 

[Warren Sear]

Once again...

 

[BarryinIN]

Personally, I'd just shoot it unless it's really crappy looking. And I'm talking so bad, no amount cleaning is going to help it enough.

About tumbling effects:
I've heard a similar story from two veterans who didn't know each other, although both were in artillery. While not exactly about tumbling, I think it applies.

Each story is similar: In the M-14 days, their crew was given a 20-rd box of M80 ball (.308), and this box rode in the cab of the deuce and a half which towed the big gun. After untold months of this, someone had to fire their M-14 for a qual or something and grabbed that box of ammo. The first shot, or one of the first shots, locked up the gun.
I only remember one of these two guys saying they pulled down the ammo for a look.
The one who did said they found the powder in some rounds varied from the original extruded (stick) shape, presumably due to the vibration of riding in a metal truck cab. Some looked OK, some looked like the kernels were snapped in two, others were really crushed, and many had a mix. This could have altered the burn rate of the powder, and by a lot I would think.

I would think tumbling could cause a similar situation with extruded powders, although it might take a longer time than I would tumble anything. I don't think you would get the same effect with flake or ball powders.

I know there is a lot of probably/assume/could have/maybe in those observations, but while I have briefly tumbled small amounts of loaded ammo in the past, I haven't since hearing this.

 

[MAUSER888]

Many years ago there was a Guy on AR15.COM that tumbled 100 handloads of .233 ammo in a Lapidary tumbler for 12 hours straight. He shot them through a chronograph with no change in velocity. No problems at all.

I tried this myself once and had the same results. Now I tumble them all after loading.

 

[MN Rifleman]

Steel wool if it's only 10 rds or so works great with a little elbow grease

 

[Lt.Donn]

Wow! I must be the ONLY handloader on this forum that has ever dropped a live round into the tumbler with my empties for cleaning! Sometimes even more than one round!! I have even done this with old CMP 30-06 ammunition! Funny thing was.....
NOTHING! The rounds didn't explode in my vibratory tumbler and they still went off properly in my firearms. Now I admit the cases weren't all tarnished and moldy looking as they had been properly stored, but the ammunition was old and yet still worked as it should after being tumbled. I even noticed no difference in speed thru a chronograph. The first time this happened many years ago I was concerned, but I didn't think the sky was falling, I just had to make a decision to take the rounds apart or shoot them. I shot them to no ill effect.

If you doubt your ammunition don't shoot it! I sometimes think we get all crazy about stuff we shouldn't worry about. Is tumbling a loaded round the end of the earth? Not in my experience, but it was only a couple of loaded rounds not a case of them. Maybe one day I will take a box of old surplus CMP ammo and dump it in the tumbler and see what happens. If my tumbler doesn't go BOOM after a few hours I will report it here. Who knows, if I survive the tumbling session I may even shoot the ammo and chronograph it just for posterity and research, if I am still here and able to type. Heck I may even go outside and take a drink of water from my garden hose!!

Rick H.

Noooo. Not the dreaded garden hose!!

 

[rockquarry]

Many years ago there was a Guy on AR15.COM that tumbled 100 handloads of .233 ammo in a Lapidary tumbler for 12 hours straight. He shot them through a chronograph with no change in velocity. No problems at all.

I tried this myself once and had the same results. Now I tumble them all after loading.

Sounds pretty scientific and in a controlled laboratory setting.

 

[rockquarry]

Noooo. Not the dreaded garden hose!!

Are you not supposed to drink from a garden hose? I thought that was okay but I also thought this thread was about tumbling ammo.

 

[Lt.Donn]

Are you not supposed to drink from a garden hose? I thought that was okay but I also thought this thread was about tumbling ammo.

I was being sarcastic...in my 72yrs I have done every single one of the things the Nanny state said we should Never let our kids do: garden hose, no seatbelts, ride in back of pickup trucks, eat homemade Halloween treats, hitchhiked all over town, made homemade fire crackers, and many more...how did we ever survive?...miracle

 

[JimFr]

I found some old ammo in a box. It is .308 round nose corlock and is old and cruddy. Is it safe to put in into a tumbler to clean? There are 10 rounds.

With only 10 rounds, #0000 steel wool and elbow grease would be my suggestion!