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Thread: Live ammo in tumbler

  1. #1
    300winmag 300winmag's Avatar
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    Unhappy Live ammo in tumbler

    There was an add in classifieds for a 12ga mec grabber for 75$ so I went to look at it. It was a rust bucket. Did not buy so still looking.
    But I seen 2 tumblers on the bench running no lids, with live ammo, 1 had 7.62x39 the other 7mm mag. I ask him if he thought was safe. Says he does it all the time but no more than 50 pcs. at once. Not me I did not stay long.
    hope you enjoyed this one, I have never seen this before,nor have I thought about it.
    300winmag
    As I was told when I was a child; your elders will make you smarter if you listen. Then when you are older your edlers will teach you WISDOM.
    Thanks
    300winmag

  2. #2
    Grunt
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    I have never heard of them going off but have read that it can break up the powder changing the burn rate. Last year I took 20 44 magnums out of RV it had been in plastic box under a drawer for about 30000 Miles they all were a bit on the hot side first 6 stuck in S&W ended up shooting them in contender lead seemed soft as they leaded badly also. they did not show pressure signs in contender Or I would have pulled bullets. I am not sure if heat or vibration caused change and I forgot they were there for 8 years.

  3. #3
    GunLoad Trainee Merlin43's Avatar
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    I almost always tumble reloads for 15 minutes or so to remove case lube. Never had any problems or deviations from chrono'd history. Only thing I ever saw was that the lead looked more like the drawings in magazines (dark grey) than shiny. Pistol chambers seemed to be happier when the case was uttlerly non-slippery.

  4. #4
    Great Master kodiak1's Avatar
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    I have done it for years and never had a problem.
    Even pulled apart after tumbling and powder looks the same as when she went in the case.
    Do a lot more damage to powder with a compressed load I would think.
    Maybe I just have been lucky but it doesn't bother me at all.

    Ken
    Ken.

    Love to Live, Live to Shoot!
    Live by the Gun...Die by the Gun...

  5. #5
    GunLoad Trainee
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    I have never thumbed but have tossed them in the Vibrator type.
    I am not being funny about calling it what it is I am doing so since that is what they do with factory ammo tumbler.
    They tumble end over end like a rock polisher.
    The only types of powders that are broken up are the kind that look like a tiny straw Ball types are OK.
    The 2 i have lyman 1200 turbo and RCBS have had loaded ammo in them with Crushed Nut and dryer sheets to get any lube off them ect.
    The sheets that come with them say do not use for loaded ammo. But lawyers write the sheets and would state like in the Christmas story

  6. #6
    GunLoad Trainee Merlin43's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 340six View Post
    ... But lawyers write the sheets a...
    Yep - same dang reason I can't get anybody to mount perfectly good tires on my truck!

  7. #7
    GunLoad Trainee
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    i have used the vibrating type tumblers for dirty pulled brass with live primers and have 2-3 hours in there and tested primers... all worked ... had no problems .....i wouldnt use loaded though

  8. #8
    GunLoad Trainee
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    I have done it on occasion, but I prefer to wipe the lube off mine. I have also used NeverDull on them too, but that is a manual process...
    I look at the danger of doing this about the same as loading pointed soft point bullets in a tubular magazine. Lead isn't hard enough to put a mark in the primers (CCI). I have used lead round nose in them all my life.. and have had no problems.. I don't slam my rifles on anything either... and it would take one hell of an impact to get any primer to go in a tubular magazine, unless you are using primers made from a soft material..

  9. #9
    GunLoad Trainee
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    Been doing it for years and never a problem. On another forum the argument went as far as someone loading up a bunch and tumbled them. He then took several out at set times, knocked one apart to check the powder and shot the rest over a chrony. After a 24 hr period, they showed no signs of powder breakdown or velocity spikes or high pressure signs.

  10. #10
    Great Master kodiak1's Avatar
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    Wow that is taking it to the extreme to prove a point!

    It would be also the only way to know for sure.

    Ken.
    Ken.

    Love to Live, Live to Shoot!
    Live by the Gun...Die by the Gun...

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check        

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