How do you clean your ammo?

Dead-Nuts-Zero · February 22, 2006, 10:41 PM

Common sense tells me NO WAY.

However, I am thinking I had read somewhere that tarnished ammo (live and fully loaded) can be placed in a vibrating style brass/case cleaner with corn cob media and cleaned like empty cases. Works great? Maybe not?

I found an old coffee can with about 3 dozen assorted pistol loads and rifled slugs. They looked like they spent about 40 years in a damp basement. The lead was white with corrosion and the brass was starting to turn green. The Nickel & plastic cases had no tarnish other than the bullet and brass .

Is this vibrating thing only done on the 4th of July?

Then when I thought about it, there is little or no way for a primer strike.

I think everyone drops a a round or two on the ground from time to time and I have never heard of any incidents.

How could this go wrong?

Do I remember this from a dream?

Yes, there is such a thing as a stupid question.....here it is.

Can this be done safely???

But NO WAY. There is not even one round in that can worth such a risk to me.

I have no intentions of doing this, but thought I would toss it out here and see what comments are generated. Has anyone heard of this?
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Smokey Joe · February 23, 2006, 01:05 AM

Dead-Nuts-Zero--We have two separate questions here. The first is, does anybody on TFL tumble live ammo and if so with what results. This question has been asked before, and the answer was (1) yes and (2) clean ammo. The rounds were tumbled mainly to remove sizing die lubricant. I have done this myself on occasion, with the same no-problem that everyone else has reported.

Yr second question is, is old tired ammo, a candidate for cleaning up and shooting. I think most shooters will agree that ammo stored properly lasts decades, with no deterioration. But that is not what you describe.

Quote:

They looked like they spent about 40 years in a damp basement. The lead was white with corrosion and the brass was starting to turn green. The Nickel & plastic cases had no tarnish other than the bullet and brass

That is hardly evidence of proper storage. I wouldn't put the stuff in any of my guns.

You need to deactivate these rounds safely, and be rid of 'em. Don't shoot 'em.

Edited to add: If any of the rounds are from an unusual cartridge, or have an old, old headstamp, a collector might be interested. If they're all just REM-UMC .30-'06 or the like, then their collector value would be about zero, and my above suggestion applies.

crashresidue · February 23, 2006, 01:22 AM

Cheers,

I believe that he specified that it is a "vibration" cleaner not a tumbler.

With a "shaker", I can see no problem with it, what ever the caliber. I vibrate my Sharps 45-110 ammo after I came home from fire-season and have never had a problem with doing it.

Just remember that it's gonna' eat you cleaning media faster than regular use.

Other than that - shake ON!

Gentle winds,
cr

Poygan · February 23, 2006, 05:54 PM

Personally, I wouldn't do it. One theory is that prolonged cleaning (as opposed to limited cleaning to remove case lube) could result in breaking down the powder into smaller sizes and therefore significantly increase the pressure. This could be a complicating factor for older ammo that may have additional problems such as bad storage conditions, aging brass, etc. If there's any doubt, DON'T DO IT!

Tom2 · February 23, 2006, 06:48 PM

If you just want to do a few rounds, maybe clean them up with 4 ought steel wool or paste metal polish. I have done that on old rounds for display. No chance of damaging the powder granules! But I would stay away from liquid polishes, or just apply that to the cleaning cloth instead of the ammo. Lot of elbow grease but the safest option. I shined up some WW2 plated steel 45 ammo by hand. The steel wool might work better on the lead bullets than polish, at first. Note you are freeing lead particles so throw away the steel wool after you are done, and don't do in the house or near food prep areas!

Smokey Joe · March 1, 2006, 09:56 PM

Poygan--This don't-tumble-live-ammo-you-will-break-down-the-powder-granules thing IS A MYTH.

Factory ammo gets tumbled from manufacture to you!

The factory tumbles it to clean it up before packaging, then it is packaged on an assembly line, then it is put on a semi truck and hauled to a warehouse (vibrating all the way) then pallets are forklifted here and there in the warehouse, then it it trucked to a distributor, then a retailer, then it is carted to the retail shelf and slammed into place by a stock clerk.

And yet some people won't tumble their own reload ammo just to clean it up!

Somebody on one of these fora did an experiment a while back--took fresh reloads, tumbled half of them for days, took them out and chrono'd the tumbled and non-tumbled rounds side-by-side. Guess what! No difference!

Some myths sure die hard!

Sport45 · March 1, 2006, 10:23 PM

I don't get major heartburn about tumbling rounds to clean lube off the cases or white oxidation off the bullets. But you said the brass is turning green. That sounds like corrosion rather than simple tarnishing. No way I'd fire one of those after cleaning. Corrosion compromises the strength of the brass and firing could prove dangerous. See if they have collector value or toss them in the dud bucket next time you go to the range.

John D · March 3, 2006, 11:44 AM

In my experience, vibrating live ammo isn't a problem. Many times I've dumped a bag of "empties" into my tumbler after a shooting session and (lo and behold) when I go to sort the brass I'll find a live round has made it's way into the "empty" bag (usually a round that didn't chamber properly in one of my revolvers and was intended for the "run it through the sizing die again" bag).

Never had any exciting moments............

caz223 · March 3, 2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

was intended for the "run it through the sizing die again" bag).

Sounds like you need a lee FC die.

Rimrock · March 3, 2006, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Personally, I wouldn't do it. One theory is that prolonged cleaning (as opposed to limited cleaning to remove case lube) could result in breaking down the powder into smaller sizes and therefore significantly increase the pressure. This could be a complicating factor for older ammo that may have additional problems such as bad storage conditions, aging brass, etc. If there's any doubt, DON'T DO IT

I don't do it but I do use a Lee Zip trim for incidental cleaning.http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...equestid=53051
The price is right and it's convenient. So far so good!

Rimrock

February 22, 2006, 10:41 PM	#1
Dead-Nuts-Zero Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2004 Posts: 579	How do you clean your ammo? Common sense tells me NO WAY. However, I am thinking I had read somewhere that tarnished ammo (live and fully loaded) can be placed in a vibrating style brass/case cleaner with corn cob media and cleaned like empty cases. Works great? Maybe not? I found an old coffee can with about 3 dozen assorted pistol loads and rifled slugs. They looked like they spent about 40 years in a damp basement. The lead was white with corrosion and the brass was starting to turn green. The Nickel & plastic cases had no tarnish other than the bullet and brass . Is this vibrating thing only done on the 4th of July? Then when I thought about it, there is little or no way for a primer strike. I think everyone drops a a round or two on the ground from time to time and I have never heard of any incidents. How could this go wrong? Do I remember this from a dream? Yes, there is such a thing as a stupid question.....here it is. Can this be done safely??? But NO WAY. There is not even one round in that can worth such a risk to me. I have *no intentions* of doing this, but thought I would toss it out here and see what comments are generated. Has anyone heard of this? . . . __________________ . . BANG------------ >>> !

February 23, 2006, 06:48 PM	#5
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	Hand labor If you just want to do a few rounds, maybe clean them up with 4 ought steel wool or paste metal polish. I have done that on old rounds for display. No chance of damaging the powder granules! But I would stay away from liquid polishes, or just apply that to the cleaning cloth instead of the ammo. Lot of elbow grease but the safest option. I shined up some WW2 plated steel 45 ammo by hand. The steel wool might work better on the lead bullets than polish, at first. Note you are freeing lead particles so throw away the steel wool after you are done, and don't do in the house or near food prep areas!

March 1, 2006, 09:56 PM	#6
Smokey Joe Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2001 Location: State of Confusion Posts: 2,106	Tumbling doesn't break down the powder!!! Poygan--This don't-tumble-live-ammo-you-will-break-down-the-powder-granules thing IS A MYTH. Factory ammo gets tumbled from manufacture to you! The factory tumbles it to clean it up before packaging, then it is packaged on an assembly line, then it is put on a semi truck and hauled to a warehouse (vibrating all the way) then pallets are forklifted here and there in the warehouse, then it it trucked to a distributor, then a retailer, then it is carted to the retail shelf and slammed into place by a stock clerk. And yet some people won't tumble their own reload ammo just to clean it up! Somebody on one of these fora did an experiment a while back--took fresh reloads, tumbled half of them for days, took them out and chrono'd the tumbled and non-tumbled rounds side-by-side. Guess what! No difference! Some myths sure die hard! __________________ God Bless America --Smokey Joe

March 1, 2006, 10:23 PM	#7
Sport45 Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 1999 Location: Too close to Houston Posts: 4,196	I don't get major heartburn about tumbling rounds to clean lube off the cases or white oxidation off the bullets. But you said the brass is turning green. That sounds like corrosion rather than simple tarnishing. No way I'd fire one of those after cleaning. Corrosion compromises the strength of the brass and firing could prove dangerous. See if they have collector value or toss them in the dud bucket next time you go to the range. __________________ Proud member of the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association. Registered and active voter.

February 23, 2006, 01:22 AM	#3
crashresidue Member Join Date: January 22, 2005 Posts: 48	Cheers, I believe that he specified that it is a "vibration" cleaner not a tumbler. With a "shaker", I can see no problem with it, what ever the caliber. I vibrate my Sharps 45-110 ammo after I came home from fire-season and have never had a problem with doing it. Just remember that it's gonna' eat you cleaning media faster than regular use. Other than that - shake ON! Gentle winds, cr

February 23, 2006, 05:54 PM	#4
Poygan Senior Member Join Date: August 28, 2004 Posts: 125	Personally, I wouldn't do it. One theory is that prolonged cleaning (as opposed to limited cleaning to remove case lube) could result in breaking down the powder into smaller sizes and therefore significantly increase the pressure. This could be a complicating factor for older ammo that may have additional problems such as bad storage conditions, aging brass, etc. If there's any doubt, DON'T DO IT!

March 3, 2006, 11:44 AM	#8
John D Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2000 Location: No. Arizona Posts: 436	In my experience, vibrating live ammo isn't a problem. Many times I've dumped a bag of "empties" into my tumbler after a shooting session and (lo and behold) when I go to sort the brass I'll find a live round has made it's way into the "empty" bag (usually a round that didn't chamber properly in one of my revolvers and was intended for the "run it through the sizing die again" bag). Never had any exciting moments............