A WEIRD thing while tumbling ......

Bruce from West Oz · July 25, 1999, 08:21 AM

Here's the scenario:

Friend gave me a heap (200+) fired Hornet brass (W/W). All still had the primers.

I deprimed them, sorted the crap, and dumped the rest into the tumbler for a few hours.

Now -- when I take 'em outta the tumbler, I give 'em a tap on the central post, primer end, then neck-end. This dislodges most of the tumbler medium.

With three separate cases, a caked mass of what looked like propellant came out -- about 2 to 3 grains (weight) in each instance.

It was dark (almost jet black) and clumped.

I asked the guy who had given them to me, and he said all had fired normally.

Questions:

1. If this is unfired powder, anyone have any theories as to why it didn't fire and why it should look the way it did?

2. Do you feel as I do, that if I had tipped a full load in the case and reloaded it, I might have had big problems?

3. Anyone ever heard of anything similar?

Cheers

Bruce

Patrick Graham · July 25, 1999, 08:39 AM

Bruce,
I've had dried mud and crap come out of 30-06 and 308 brass after tumbling. This was brass that I had picked up off the ground at the shooting range. The brass had been laying there long enough to get rained on a couple of times. Maybe dried mud and crap might account for what saw .. maybe..

Rob62 · July 25, 1999, 03:11 PM

Bruce,
By any chance did you just prior to putting the cases into the tumbler refresh your media with a liquid polish ? I did this once and not all of the polish was evenly distributed. It clumped up, worked its way into the case mouths and I had dirty clumps of media/fouling/polish in the bottom of my cases. Just a thought.
Rob

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It's amazing what a large group of stupid people can accomplish.
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HS · July 26, 1999, 05:58 AM

Could it be sizing liquid that found it's way in when loading ?
Happened with some 9mm I bought once....

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"The Gun from Down Under !"
http://www.para1911fanclub.w3.to/

Bruce from West Oz · July 26, 1999, 06:00 AM

Thanks for the replies, guys.

It was definitely powder -- although it was clumped, you could still see the small "disks" (best descriptor I can think of).

Anyway, it doesn't matter -- I'll check the interiors of each case under a strong light.

And no, they hadn't been in the mud, and I hadn't used a liquid in the tumbler -- it's just Hornady polishing medium.

Thanks again for your help

Bruce

David's USP · July 26, 1999, 10:07 PM

Kinda reminds me of when I first started loading. I had some unsorted .45 and 9mm in one bag. Threw it all in the tumbler at once. WHAT_A_PAIN_IN_THE_#!& ! Those 9's were REALLY wedged in there tight!

David

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NRA Life Member
It ain't my grammer, it's me tpyign!
Sometimes it is eaiser to apologize than ask permission

[This message has been edited by David's USP (edited July 26, 1999).]

HS · July 28, 1999, 08:01 AM

Bruce, what i meant was that the sizing liquid had "glued" the powder together in a clump.
It did happen to me this way....
Not my fault though, 1500 came with my 1st gun a CZ-75.
About 20 were clumped up inside.
How do I know ?
One bullet got stuck in my mates Hi Power & then one shunted up behind it.
Not a Ka-Boom but a Ka-BULGE right on the end of the bbl.

The 1st bullet's cae did eject...grrrrrr
After that we emptied the remaining cases & figured out what had happened.

------------------
"The Gun from Down Under !"
http://www.para1911fanclub.w3.to/

July 25, 1999, 08:21 AM	#1
Bruce from West Oz Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 1999 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 274	Here's the scenario: Friend gave me a heap (200+) fired Hornet brass (W/W). All still had the primers. I deprimed them, sorted the crap, and dumped the rest into the tumbler for a few hours. Now -- when I take 'em outta the tumbler, I give 'em a tap on the central post, primer end, then neck-end. This dislodges most of the tumbler medium. With three separate cases, a caked mass of what looked like propellant came out -- about 2 to 3 grains (weight) in each instance. It was dark (almost jet black) and clumped. I asked the guy who had given them to me, and he said all had fired normally. Questions: 1. If this is unfired powder, anyone have any theories as to why it didn't fire and why it should look the way it did? 2. Do you feel as I do, that if I had tipped a full load in the case and reloaded it, I might have had big problems? 3. Anyone ever heard of anything similar? Cheers Bruce

July 25, 1999, 08:39 AM	#2
Patrick Graham Junior member Join Date: January 18, 1999 Location: Kokomo, Indiana USA Posts: 674	Bruce, I've had dried mud and crap come out of 30-06 and 308 brass after tumbling. This was brass that I had picked up off the ground at the shooting range. The brass had been laying there long enough to get rained on a couple of times. Maybe dried mud and crap might account for what saw .. maybe..

July 25, 1999, 03:11 PM	#3
Rob62 Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 1999 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 560	Bruce, By any chance did you just prior to putting the cases into the tumbler refresh your media with a liquid polish ? I did this once and not all of the polish was evenly distributed. It clumped up, worked its way into the case mouths and I had dirty clumps of media/fouling/polish in the bottom of my cases. Just a thought. Rob ------------------ It's amazing what a large group of stupid people can accomplish. -----------------

July 26, 1999, 05:58 AM	#4
HS Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 1998 Location: Brisbane.....Australia Posts: 1,258	Could it be sizing liquid that found it's way in when loading ? Happened with some 9mm I bought once.... ------------------ "The Gun from Down Under !" http://www.para1911fanclub.w3.to/

July 26, 1999, 06:00 AM	#5
Bruce from West Oz Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 1999 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 274	Thanks for the replies, guys. It was definitely powder -- although it was clumped, you could still see the small "disks" (best descriptor I can think of). Anyway, it doesn't matter -- I'll check the interiors of each case under a strong light. And no, they hadn't been in the mud, and I hadn't used a liquid in the tumbler -- it's just Hornady polishing medium. Thanks again for your help Bruce

July 26, 1999, 10:07 PM	#6
David's USP Member Join Date: May 24, 1999 Posts: 29	Kinda reminds me of when I first started loading. I had some unsorted .45 and 9mm in one bag. Threw it all in the tumbler at once. WHAT_A_PAIN_IN_THE_#!& ! Those 9's were REALLY wedged in there tight! David ------------------ NRA Life Member It ain't my grammer, it's me tpyign! Sometimes it is eaiser to apologize than ask permission [This message has been edited by David's USP (edited July 26, 1999).]

July 28, 1999, 08:01 AM	#7
HS Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 1998 Location: Brisbane.....Australia Posts: 1,258	Bruce, what i meant was that the sizing liquid had "glued" the powder together in a clump. It did happen to me this way.... Not my fault though, 1500 came with my 1st gun a CZ-75. About 20 were clumped up inside. How do I know ? One bullet got stuck in my mates Hi Power & then one shunted up behind it. Not a Ka-Boom but a Ka-BULGE right on the end of the bbl. The 1st bullet's cae did eject...grrrrrr After that we emptied the remaining cases & figured out what had happened. ------------------ "The Gun from Down Under !" http://www.para1911fanclub.w3.to/