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Cleaning Ammo
- Thread starter bpo157
- Start date
It does not matter. Just a little extra lube.
If the bullets are clean before you load them, than you should take the seating die apart and clean the lube build up out. This happens.
If the bullets are clean before you load them, than you should take the seating die apart and clean the lube build up out. This happens.
The trouble with that extra lube is that it can be a magnet for picking up stuff that you really don't want zipping down your bore.
You can get it off simply by spinning the round with the fingers of one hand and smothering the slug with a paper towel with the other. However, this gets tedious pretty quickly.
Another solution that works pretty well for me is to mount a fabric buffer on one side of a grinder and lightly buff each slug. A couple of hundred rounds takes only a few minutes. The slugs are not only shiny, but also cleaned of sticky stuff.
You can get it off simply by spinning the round with the fingers of one hand and smothering the slug with a paper towel with the other. However, this gets tedious pretty quickly.
Another solution that works pretty well for me is to mount a fabric buffer on one side of a grinder and lightly buff each slug. A couple of hundred rounds takes only a few minutes. The slugs are not only shiny, but also cleaned of sticky stuff.
I've never been comfortable tumbling loaded rounds. In effect, you are tumbling the powder inside the case, and I don't know what effect that might have on the physical construction of some powders.
My buffing wheel solution is fast and easy; indeed, it takes far longer to swap the wheels than to buff off the excess lube, which is one of the reasons, I guess, why I tend to load a few hundred (or thousand) rounds in a batch.
When I first made the decision to tumble, I read on several forums tons of posts pro, and con about the practice. The 2 things that kept coming up on the cons list was effects on powder, and detonation. I didn't see how detonation was a possibility, as the rounds actually move rather slowly through the tumbler so dismissed that. Next was the powder. It seemed logical that the vibrating could do some damage, thus effecting the powder burn rate. So, I did the logical thing, and setup a test with pistol, and rifle rounds, with flake, ball, and stick powders in non compressed charges so the powder could move around inside the case, added corn cob media, turned the tumbler on, and forgot about it for over 6 hours. Then I pulled the rounds apart, and compared the powder with fresh powder out of the jug. I couldn't see a noticeable difference between the two, and seeing how I only tumble long enough to clean any crap off the round, I concluded that it wouldn't be an issue.
One step further
Good test Adam but I would have been more interested to see the chrono results of a side by side comparision of tumbled rounds vs non-tumbled. I have read a lot about this as well and what I have gathered is that the coating on the powder can break down and change the burning rate. The effect would most likely not be much after a short ride in the tumbler.
Bottom line; a short ride in the tumbler to clean off the lube should not cause a problem. Prolonged tumbling of loaded rounds COULD cause problems and should be avoided.
I use a simple light timer to allow my tumbler to run for only a couple of hours and at night when I can't hear it.
Good test Adam but I would have been more interested to see the chrono results of a side by side comparision of tumbled rounds vs non-tumbled. I have read a lot about this as well and what I have gathered is that the coating on the powder can break down and change the burning rate. The effect would most likely not be much after a short ride in the tumbler.
Bottom line; a short ride in the tumbler to clean off the lube should not cause a problem. Prolonged tumbling of loaded rounds COULD cause problems and should be avoided.
I use a simple light timer to allow my tumbler to run for only a couple of hours and at night when I can't hear it.
I would not tumble them, I meant to put them in the vibrating cleaner and with the walnut shell media. I don't have the wet lube it is the wax ring that comes with the SWC. It's not that bad. I just started reloading and noticed it on this batch. It is from a different bullet company. So far the Lee pro 1000 has been great. Brian
cleaning
except for military rds how do you think the factories get the cart clean?all the commercial reloaders vibrate clean.the coating is graphite to lube the grains has nothing to do with burn rate.![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
except for military rds how do you think the factories get the cart clean?all the commercial reloaders vibrate clean.the coating is graphite to lube the grains has nothing to do with burn rate.
When I say tumble, I truly meant putting them in my vibratory case cleaner, and the only way to tell if it will clean the wax lube from your rounds is to try, I know it worked for mine.
Also, I love my Lee pro 1000 presses... Best money I spent regarding shooting!
If one wonders about a short time in the tumbler,vibrator,think about how the powder got to you..How many miles and hours in the back of a tractor trailer..Can't imagine that is a smooth ride and that causes no problem with the powder..
I think that about half an hour max will cause nothing but clean ammo..
I think that about half an hour max will cause nothing but clean ammo..
