Author Topic: Tumbled Cartridge  (Read 378 times)

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Offline SR James

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Tumbled Cartridge
« on: March 06, 2005, 04:28:19 PM »
I was dumping brass out of my vibratory case cleaner today and discovered I'd accidently tumbled a live round.  I'd never done that before and it made me curious.  I'm sure we've all heard that its dangerous to tumble live rounds because the powder breaks down/loses its coatings, etc. and produces dangerously high pressures.  Well, I pulled the bullet and compared the powder (H4832SC) to some fresh out of the can and there was absolutely no apparent difference.  That's after over 6 hours in the vibratory cleaner.  I had no intention of firing the round nor do I recommend tumbling loaded rounds.  But maybe the old powder breakdown story is...just a story?

Offline Chuck White

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Tumbled Cartridge
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2005, 03:53:27 AM »
You have a PM!
Chuck White
USAF Retired, Life Member, NRA & NAHC
Don't matter what gun you use,
just get good with it!

Offline Ramrod

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Tumbled Cartridge
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2005, 05:04:26 AM »
Lot's of guys do it to remove case lube. And I have a case of old .223 ammo that is dirty and starting to corrode. I throw a hundred or so rounds in the tumbler the day before I want to shoot it. Never a problem. I do it outdoors on the million to one chance the FMJ bullets could set off a primer.
I once read that this old wives tale started years ago, after someone fired a round that had been rolling around in a toolbox in the back of his pickup for a few years. Story goes, the gun blew up due to powder grains turning to dust. So everyone said "don't tumble live rounds." I think the consensus now is " don't tumble live rounds for a couple of years!" :lol:
"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Patti Smith