Tumbling loaded ammo question

[1-12 INF (M)]

i reloaded a bunch of .45 ACP loaded with 230g cast bullets. There's lube all over the outside of the cartridge casings. Can I tumble (vibrate-clean) the finished ammo? Or is there a risk of making the powder charge inside finer and changing the burn characteristics of it?

[Major Tom]

Personally I wouldn't. I'd be afraid of a round detonating. I size my 45acp cases using a carbide die. No lube to bother with.

[S.A. Boggs]

No problem, been doing it for years. Will not affect powder size or anything else as 10-15 minutes is all that is required. I have loaded over a million rounds in 45 odd years and have tumbled the majority, especially 5.56 or 7.62
Sam

[1-12 INF (M)]

The lube I mean was the smears of red sticky stuff from cast bullets. I haven't tried the powder coat method yet - have quite a stockpile of the traditional lubed cast on hand.

Thanks! After posting this question I found a nice analysis on AR15.com, where a guy used a microscope to examine the grains of several powders. Science!

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/989047_Tumble_live_ammo_Tumbler_Oandapos__thruth_E XTREME_edition__200hour_torture_test__UPDATE__fire d_rounds_in_OP.html

[Sunray]

Tumbling doesn't change powder burn rates. Burn rates are determined by the chemicals in the powder not the size of the granules.
"...sticky stuff from cast bullets..." Been keeping cast bullets in my refrigerator to stop the lube doing that for eons. The answer to, "Why do you have bullets in your 'frig'?" is "Keeps 'em fresh." snicker.

[1-12 INF (M)]

I like that idea about keeping them cold. I'll try it.

[free1954]

I like that idea about keeping them cold. I'll try it.



me too.

[1-12 INF (M)]

What I also did was set up a head with a spare set of 45 ACP dies - this one for cast bullets only set to bell the case mouth a little more. With FMJ's, only a minimum amount is needed to work the brass less. But I noticed I don't have lube smears on my .45 Colt loads that are all cast, since those case mouths are belled quite a bit.

[milboltnut]

I know a guy that vacuumed up a shotgun primer... it blew up in the vac bag.

You don't need to lube those cases... if you use carbide dies.

http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/779320/rcbs-carbide-3-die-set-45-colt-long-colt?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Reloading+-+Dies+%26+Shellholders-_-RCBS-_-779320&gclid=Cj0KEQiAxeTFBRCGmIq_7rGt_r8BEiQANdPqUpvCwUGQ 1I934ssW40TUeQoiQ2_TGLos3_G-6Hvqgu8aAknA8P8HAQ

[Tuna]

By rights even carbine dies need some case lube just not as much. They can become covered in carbon inside and carbon can cause scratches on cases and will finally imbed itself in the dies. Oh and tumbling loaded ammo does nothing to it. The factories do it to clean the loaded ammo before packaging.

[milboltnut]

By rights even carbine dies need some case lube just not as much. They can become covered in carbon inside and carbon can cause scratches on cases and will finally imbed itself in the dies. Oh and tumbling loaded ammo does nothing to it. The factories do it to clean the loaded ammo before packaging.


By rights even carbine dies need some case lube just not as much.

No it does not, that is purely your opinion. Only on larger cases such as 460, 480, 500 or long cases


They can become covered in carbon inside and carbon can cause scratches on cases and will finally imbed itself in the dies.

And what are you supposed to do to the brass before sizing??? Clean them.

[1-12 INF (M)]

The lube I was talking about isn't case sizing lube, it's the sticky stuff in the lube groove of the cast bullet.

Anyhow, I set the case mouth belling a little bigger and the problem went away. I had it set for minimum expansion so as not to work the brass too much, which was fine for jacketed, but too tight for cast.

[milboltnut]

Is the mess that bad? Just wipe off the case with a rag.

Does the round chamber? Cast bullets bulge the brass and has trouble chambering.

[PWC]

i reloaded a bunch of .45 ACP loaded with 230g cast bullets. There's lube all over the outside of the cartridge casings. Can I tumble (vibrate-clean) the finished ammo? Or is there a risk of making the powder charge inside finer and changing the burn characteristics of it?

I know lots of people tumble loaded ammo; however, I have a question about vibrating and ultrasonic cleaning. Wouldn't / couldn't either one possibly damage the primer pellet? I only have a single stage and after each bullet seating, I have a rag over my knee and use it to wipe each and every round before it goes into the loading block. If I put a clock on it, it would take several thousand rounds before the 'wipe' time became significant.

Everything is a process, all you have to do is recognize it and then put it in order.

[1-12 INF (M)]

They're the same diameter as the jacketed, so don't bulge cases, especially after taper crimping. Once I adjusted the expander die to open the case mouths a little more, the problem of smearing waxy bullet lube on the cases went away. There's some residual 'stickiness' on the ogive of the bullet remaining, about 90 min of tumbling smoothed that out nicely and we're good to go. Shot about 50 as a test and all ran fine.

[Tuna]

[QUOTE=milboltnut;489137]No it does not, that is purely your opinion. Only on larger cases such as 460, 480, 500 or long cases

It would seem you do not read the manufactures instructions as the ones I have all said "To lightly lubricate cases" and yes I do agree with you about cleaning them before sizing BUT many do not do this step and think because it's carbide that it won't
matter.

[milboltnut]

sorry tuna.. thought you said carbide, not carbine.

[1-12 INF (M)]

I have since learned that a standard flaring-type expander die is not the way to go with cast bullets, if you want best accuracy. A Lyman M two-step expander allows the projectile to align best with the case, with no distortion. Now, there's no way to do this on a 550, but it too will eliminate any slop from bullet (not case prep) lube on the outside of the case. My cast loads routinely exceed my jacked loads for accuracy - and stuff smeared outside the cases just show that the lubed projectile isn't entering the case concentrically. Problem solved!