drum/barrel tumbling to remove case lube??

oley55 · November 2, 2013, 04:48 PM

I know the subject of tumbling loaded ammo has been beaten to death here a few too many times So from the outset this topic is not about whether I should or should not. thanks in advance.....

my question is directed towards those who use a drum tumbler to clean or remove case lube from loaded ammo. I neither own, nor wish to acquire a vibro tumbler. Running out of room and the more critically important; spousal tolerance.

1. do you use corncob, walnut or both?
2. do you treat the media with anything?
3. how full do you load your drum?
4. generally how long do you tumble?

and if you know
5. how fast does your drum turn?

I steel pin and water tumble my brass in a homemade barrel tumbler (8" X 22" barrel) which turns at 36/53 RPMs. When I put this rig together I had the foresight to make two drums, one with vanes/ribs and one without.

I presume I would want to use the smooth drum to prevent the rounds from tumbling around end over end and making that loud detonated ammo sound, or so me thinks.

FYI,

PA-Joe · November 3, 2013, 06:04 AM

I use walnut to clean cases and corn to remove lube.

Tony Z · November 3, 2013, 07:32 AM

In other words, you are tumbling loaded ammo to clean residual case lube? I have a Lyman "Big Orange" (or whatever it is called) tumbler, but have never used it for that. Generally, I wipe lube off after sizing.

How about a ultrasonic type cleaner? Would that be safer for loaded ammo?

Thanks,

T.

Bart B. · November 3, 2013, 09:56 AM

I wash case lube off with a terry cloth tube made from a large bath towel. Squirt a bunch of lacquer thinner on its inside, put in a bunch of cases, close the end then shush them back and forth several times. Dump the cases out and let the leftover thinner evaporate overnight.

Don't put live ammo in a sonic cleaner; it'll ruin primers and powder. Clean off the case lube before putting components in them.

buck460XVR · November 3, 2013, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PA-Joe:

I use walnut to clean cases and corn to remove lube.

same here...........

BarnardP · November 3, 2013, 03:16 PM

Forgive my ignorance but why would you tumble loaded rounds?

Why not tumble the cases once they have been re-sized?

LE-28 · November 3, 2013, 05:29 PM

I am using a rotary tumbler and do tumble my loaded pistol rounds with worn out walnut media.

I ad liquid polishing compound to it once in a while and turn it on to mix it in, but you really don't need to for the loaded rounds benefit.

I only tumble loaded rounds for about 15-20 minutes and with the extra weight of the bullets, they tumble harder in the media and this accelerates the cleaning process. It doesn't take long to get the lube off them and it doesn't hurt the ammo one bit to tumble it after it's loaded.

Don't do this with rifle loads though, it ruins the points on the bullets. Just to violent for fragile lead pointed bullets. Ask me how I know.

If you are going to use hollow point bullets you will want to tumble your cases after you resize them or your hollow points will be packed full of hard to get out media.

A plugged up hollow point won't expand any more than a solid point.

I won't add any New Finish or any other slick polymer compounds to my media because, in my mind, it negates the reason for tumbling them to clean off the lube in the first place. Put them in sealed zip lock bags and they stay bright for quite a while.

Quote:

How about a ultrasonic type cleaner? Would that be safer for loaded ammo?

No, absolutely not.

Tony Z · November 3, 2013, 05:39 PM

Thanks all.

I've been reloading for 35 to 40 years and have never tumbled loaded rounds (always wiped the lube off the cases). I don't have an ultrasonic cleaner and since I haven't found the need for one yet, I doubt I'll ever consider getting one!

Still amazed at tumbling loaded rounds-just always thought that was something you just didn't do.

T.

LE-28 · November 3, 2013, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Why not tumble the cases once they have been re-sized?

You absolutely can. I use an auto progressive press and so for me, I don't like having to dig media out of my primers holes twice. I don't like running dirty shells though my resizing dies either, so I do all my heavy duty tumbling first, clean my primer holes once and tumble again after they are loaded for a very short period of time and I'm done.

It works best that way for me for my situation.

Depending on your process, you do it any way you want.

oley55 · November 3, 2013, 10:18 PM

LE-28

I too clean my brass before sizing. Case lengths have stabilized after first reloading so trimming isn't needed allowing me to use my progressive press.

Want to try de-lubing with my rotary tumbler with 100-200 rounds of FMJ/223 at a time.

how full is your drum with media? I was thinking 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Valornor · November 3, 2013, 11:25 PM

I'll use the ultra sonic cleaner to clean off lube after I've sized and lubed the cases then dry them out and store them until I'm ready to prime and load.

Tumbling with walnut or corn cob to shine up or clean off the oil has worked for me in the past. Both on loaded rounds and with brass I've finished prepping. I don't like to tumble live rounds.

Call it unfounded but I've always been concerned that the powder could break down in the case as its being tumbled and alter the burn rate. I've talked to several people who have told me that's not true, but I guess I've never really stopped being just a little paranoid about it.

JimDandy · November 4, 2013, 02:20 AM

I like the idea of an ultrasonic for gun parts, but don't see the need for brass. I'm still putting the Upper sized Hot Tub on my christmas list.

I only tumble once. I have a universal decapping die, so I can deprime, and then wet/SS tumble. After that I run my .223 through a lube die from RCBS and the sizing die and primer on my progressive in one run through. RCBS says you don't have to remove the lube so I don't. If I did, I suppose I'd skip the priming, and wet tumble again. I am completely un-fond of walnut media. It leaves a purple film on the brass so it's not "clean" anyway. That's why I switched to Stainless Steel pins.

I would NOT run loaded rounds through my rotary drum. While the chances of one going off are slim, and without a barrel it won't pressure -up enough to penetrate the drum, it would likely cause havoc with the rubber liner and I don't see enough reward for that compared to the risk of being without a tumbler for however long it takes to either get the drum re-lined or replaced.

November 2, 2013, 04:48 PM	#1
oley55 Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2013 Location: JAX, FL Posts: 377	drum/barrel tumbling to remove case lube?? I know the subject of tumbling loaded ammo has been beaten to death here a few too many times So from the outset this topic is not about whether I should or should not. thanks in advance..... my question is directed towards those who use a drum tumbler to clean or remove case lube from loaded ammo. I neither own, nor wish to acquire a vibro tumbler. Running out of room and the more critically important; spousal tolerance. 1. do you use corncob, walnut or both? 2. do you treat the media with anything? 3. how full do you load your drum? 4. generally how long do you tumble? and if you know 5. how fast does your drum turn? I steel pin and water tumble my brass in a homemade barrel tumbler (8" X 22" barrel) which turns at 36/53 RPMs. When I put this rig together I had the foresight to make two drums, one with vanes/ribs and one without. I presume I would want to use the smooth drum to prevent the rounds from tumbling around end over end and making that loud detonated ammo sound, or so me thinks. FYI,

November 3, 2013, 09:56 AM	#4
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	I wash case lube off with a terry cloth tube made from a large bath towel. Squirt a bunch of lacquer thinner on its inside, put in a bunch of cases, close the end then shush them back and forth several times. Dump the cases out and let the leftover thinner evaporate overnight. Don't put live ammo in a sonic cleaner; it'll ruin primers and powder. Clean off the case lube before putting components in them. Last edited by Bart B.; November 3, 2013 at 10:01 AM.

November 3, 2013, 11:25 PM	#11
Valornor Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2010 Location: Orem, Utah Posts: 244	I'll use the ultra sonic cleaner to clean off lube after I've sized and lubed the cases then dry them out and store them until I'm ready to prime and load. Tumbling with walnut or corn cob to shine up or clean off the oil has worked for me in the past. Both on loaded rounds and with brass I've finished prepping. I don't like to tumble live rounds. Call it unfounded but I've always been concerned that the powder could break down in the case as its being tumbled and alter the burn rate. I've talked to several people who have told me that's not true, but I guess I've never really stopped being just a little paranoid about it. __________________ NM M1A, HK Mk 23, Benelli M4, Ar-15 Lower, CZ 2075 RAMI (P) 9mm, Barrett MRAD .338LM Looking for a new blog dealing with firearms and reloading, check out http://theheadstamp.com/

November 3, 2013, 06:04 AM	#2
PA-Joe Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: NEPA Posts: 909	I use walnut to clean cases and corn to remove lube.

November 3, 2013, 07:32 AM	#3
Tony Z Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2013 Location: North Central Pennsyltucky Posts: 749	In other words, you are tumbling loaded ammo to clean residual case lube? I have a Lyman "Big Orange" (or whatever it is called) tumbler, but have never used it for that. Generally, I wipe lube off after sizing. How about a ultrasonic type cleaner? Would that be safer for loaded ammo? Thanks, T.

November 3, 2013, 03:16 PM	#6
BarnardP Junior Member Join Date: October 13, 2013 Location: US of England Posts: 6	Forgive my ignorance but why would you tumble loaded rounds? Why not tumble the cases once they have been re-sized?

November 3, 2013, 05:39 PM	#8
Tony Z Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2013 Location: North Central Pennsyltucky Posts: 749	Thanks all. I've been reloading for 35 to 40 years and have never tumbled loaded rounds (always wiped the lube off the cases). I don't have an ultrasonic cleaner and since I haven't found the need for one yet, I doubt I'll ever consider getting one! Still amazed at tumbling loaded rounds-just always thought that was something you just didn't do. T.

November 3, 2013, 10:18 PM	#10
oley55 Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2013 Location: JAX, FL Posts: 377	LE-28 I too clean my brass before sizing. Case lengths have stabilized after first reloading so trimming isn't needed allowing me to use my progressive press. Want to try de-lubing with my rotary tumbler with 100-200 rounds of FMJ/223 at a time. how full is your drum with media? I was thinking 1/2 to 3/4 full.

November 4, 2013, 02:20 AM	#12
JimDandy Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2012 Posts: 2,556	I like the idea of an ultrasonic for gun parts, but don't see the need for brass. I'm still putting the Upper sized Hot Tub on my christmas list. I only tumble once. I have a universal decapping die, so I can deprime, and then wet/SS tumble. After that I run my .223 through a lube die from RCBS and the sizing die and primer on my progressive in one run through. RCBS says you don't have to remove the lube so I don't. If I did, I suppose I'd skip the priming, and wet tumble again. I am completely un-fond of walnut media. It leaves a purple film on the brass so it's not "clean" anyway. That's why I switched to Stainless Steel pins. I would NOT run loaded rounds through my rotary drum. While the chances of one going off are slim, and without a barrel it won't pressure -up enough to penetrate the drum, it would likely cause havoc with the rubber liner and I don't see enough reward for that compared to the risk of being without a tumbler for however long it takes to either get the drum re-lined or replaced.