Dangerous Reloading Practice

[Jamie]

I just don't get it. Why tumble loaded ammo? I like clean and shiny brass, but never even considered tumbling loaded rounds. Call me cautious or scared, but I avoid poking the bear when dealing explosive materials.

It is usually done when loading large amounts on a progressive press to get the case lube off afterwards. Contrary to what some may believe, manufacturers do in fact tumble loaded rounds. That is why new ammo is clean and shiny and not covered in case lube and dirty from running through the industrial type presses.

I am using the term tumble, like most people these days, meaning use in a vibratory cleaner. Although, I know of one manufacturer the actually used a large plastic cement type tumbler.

 

[Critter Picker]

Maybe a bunch of us should get together and get a educational grant to study the effects of tumbling on different powders. See if ball or flake are more or less prone to degradation than stick powders. I can think of all kinds of experiments to try.

 

[Frog4aday]

American Hunter (NRA magazine) asked folks at Hornady & Hodgdon if tumbling loaded ammo was dangerous. They said no. Read more here:

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Is Tumbling Loaded Ammo Dangerous?

The Statement Tumbling loaded ammo will cause the powder to physically degrade and result in dangerous pressure increases.

www.americanhunter.org

Excerpt:
The Expert Deferral
Logic alone isn't enough when it comes to harnessing propellant gases mere inches from a shooter's face, so we asked experts at two of the World's leading powder and ammunition makers. I spoke to the Chief Ballistic Scientist at Hornady Manufacturing and the Head Ballistician at Hodgdon Powder and asked for their professional opinions. Both agreed that this is a myth devoid of empirical data.

"Powder is hard, it doesn't change shape from any reasonable amount of vibration," said Hornady's Dave Emary. "This notion that you can wear deterrent off of the surface of the powder is a myth, it is impregnated into the powder grains. You can't knock this stuff off."

Both scientists felt that tumbling was a safe practice within the bounds of reason.

 

[Critter Picker]

American Hunter (NRA magazine) asked folks at Hornady & Hodgdon if tumbling loaded ammo was dangerous. They said no. Read more here:

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Is Tumbling Loaded Ammo Dangerous?

The Statement Tumbling loaded ammo will cause the powder to physically degrade and result in dangerous pressure increases.

www.americanhunter.org

Excerpt:
The Expert Deferral
Logic alone isn't enough when it comes to harnessing propellant gases mere inches from a shooter's face, so we asked experts at two of the World's leading powder and ammunition makers. I spoke to the Chief Ballistic Scientist at Hornady Manufacturing and the Head Ballistician at Hodgdon Powder and asked for their professional opinions. Both agreed that this is a myth devoid of empirical data.

"Powder is hard, it doesn't change shape from any reasonable amount of vibration," said Hornady's Dave Emary. "This notion that you can wear deterrent off of the surface of the powder is a myth, it is impregnated into the powder grains. You can't knock this stuff off."

Both scientists felt that tumbling was a safe practice within the bounds of reason.

You sure shot my thought down!



Thanks for the information, still not going to tumble live ammo.

 

[Frog4aday]

I get it & I don't blame you @Critter Picker !

Why risk it if you really have no need?

I've vibratory tumbled loaded ammo for 30 min in corn cob or crushed pecan media to get leftover resizing lube off and never had an issue.

But I like that people think about potential dangers and then test the theory to see if there is a cause for worry. Helps us all stay cognizant and aware. When the ammo & powder makers say, "It's safe, within moderation" it reassures me.

 

[Jamie]

My contribution to research. These were loaded on a Dillon XL750 using Ramshot Tac, then "tumbled" 20 minutes to remove case lube. An SD of 10 is not bad for a progressive press and a gas gun.

 

[Critter Picker]

Key word here is within reason.

Good friend did that with his progressive years ago. I've thought about it,especially handgun with cast bullets before hard lube and heaters.

 

[Brathany]

You sure shot my thought down!



Thanks for the information, still not going to tumble live ammo.

Wheh! This article saved me from posting a lot of my handloading data supporting my claim. Maybe I'll need to increase my bandwidth with my internet provider with all the apologies I'll have flooding in...

 

[Teri Anne]

Teri, I'm a BR shooter also and we routinly adjust our llease to temp changes to stay in tune. That's is why very few of us preload at home.

The 270 I personally witness blow up was due to heat. The gentleman left his open plastic box open on the bench in direct sunlite on a hot day when we broke for lunch. I told him to put it away. He said it's OK. When we went back to shooting, the round he picked up was so hot he dropped it. He then picked up and tossed it in the action so it wouldn't burn his fingers. I yelled, don't shoot that. He blew me off and pulled the trigger. Gun exploded, action swelled, bulged the barrel, split the stock, blew the floor plate off. Only thing that saved his arm from the floor plate was an expensive watch that was shattered.

He gave me the left over round to pull the bullets. The ball powder was almost melted, it was gummy and sticky, never seen that with stick powder, hence I don't shoot ball powder. My choice because I don't trust it.

I've never had the chance to examine the other ammo after a rifle explodes so cannot say yeah or nay to the condition of the powder. While I have never heard of any powder melting before, "Strange things happen in this world."

 

[Ol' Red]

Maybe a bunch of us should get together and get a educational grant to study the effects of tumbling on different powders. See if ball or flake are more or less prone to degradation than stick powders. I can think of all kinds of experiments to try.

We could apply for a government grant for $135,000.00 or more for testing. Or $350,000,000.00 and say it's to test how it effects global climate change.