[4my sons]

Okay,

do you guys that tumble your brass, do it before or after de priming and or resizing.

Has anyone ever tumbled live ammo. I have some old 25-36 Marlin that has some corrosion on the outside, without a gun for it, $125 for a set of dies to reload it after cleaning the brass to check it before selling is not exactly cost effective.

Any tips?

 

[RSSZ]

I have a nifty primer pocket cleaner so I tumble first then resize/deprime. The phrase tumble does not pertain to me though, as I vibrate instead.(Dillon)

With the proper media I would not hesitate to vibrate but I would not tumble. Not sure weather it is unsafe or not but not for me. (although I have deprimed backwards seated Fed215's...Pucker factor of 8 1/2)

There's gotta be some kinda stuff you could rub the ammo with to take off the surface corrosion although nothing will help the pitting. Howz bout some very fine stainless steel wool and WD-40 ?? That might work.

Please let me know if it works or what you find as the cure. -------

 

[David III]

If you're thinking about selling that old ammo, just leave it as is. It is collectible and nobody's going to shoot it, they'll just display it. If it's artificially cleaned or altered, it won't have anything like the same value.
On tumbling/vibrating live ammo, it makes me nervous. Not because a primer might get set off or something, but because powder burn rates are based on the condition of the powder, and by vibrating it, I think it could break down (particles become smaller) and change how it burns. Might be wrong but not worth the chance to me.

 

[P95Carry]

David has a point re powder granule size - if vibration caused a change to smaller grain size the surface area goes up - and so probably burn rate.

I ''tumble'' - vibro actually - in a Midway unit - just the fired cases and then deprime after. I do sort first tho as 9mm's and 40's love to join up! In fact too IIRC 40's like to nestle inside 45's. :wink: Makes it hell after, separating them all again.

 

[RSSZ]

For smokeless powder I believe that it is not so much the size of granule but what with, and how, it's coated. But as the above states the actual breaking apart of the granules will change the shape/size of the granules.

I didn't think of this before but the above gentlemen are correct,I would not tumble/viberate the loaded ammo.--------

 

[Bud White]

I Vibrate before deprimeing then slap it in the progressive and go

 

[HotGuns]

I've been "vibrating " loaded ammo for years. I havent had a problem yet...of course I dont get crazy with it either. I usually let ot go for a couple of hours to get fingerprints, case lube, bullet lube or whatever off of them.

I used to take the time to deprime first, but there is no advantage to it, in fact I personally think its better to leave the spent primer in it. That way itty bitty specks of corn cob or walnut wont get jamed up in the primer hole.

I've pulled apart several "duds" only to find that something was jammed in the primer hole. The primer would fire and because the energy had nowhere to go it would back the primer out and lock up the gun.

The proggresive press I use would eventually have tumbling media all over it from the media in the primer holes being knocked out by the depriming pin. Apparently this dosent work all the time and some woudl be left in it...and a few would be stuck enough that the fire from the primer didnt blow it out and detonate the powder.

 

[CopperKnight]

I almost always tumble before depriming for the same reason as HotGuns. The media gets stuck in the primer hole and it's much easier just to push it out while decapping than it is to prick them out individually.