Tumbling after reloading ?

[amboy49]

I have been using Dillon spray case lube on 9mm cases prior to reloading which results in a small degree of lube on the case going into the gun. Someone has suggested I "tumble" the rounds after reloading. This sounds dangerous to me although I have no specific anecdotal information to the contrary. Thoughts ?

Thanks in advance.

amboy49

 

[maverick5990]

I only lube cases prior to sizing and de-priming. After I tumble the brass to clean and polish. I never touch the lube after that step. I have never lubed a case to seat the bullet.

 

[rockhopper46038]

I tumble after reloading. No issues. There are lots and lots of references out there about it, but the most "authoritative" (and oft quoted) is by a person that measured powder flake size and distribution pre-and post tumbling, as well as velocities and standard deviation of velocity. Conclusion? Tumble away.

 

[ckcollins2003]

Vibratory tumbler? Good to go. Never tried it in any other kind of tumbler, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it since handgun rounds have a pretty good crimp on them.

 

[rhino]

Every commercial ammunition manufacturer tumbles loaded ammo before packaging. That's why it's so shiny when you buy it.

 

[rvb]

1) it's fine, no problem.
2) for pistol, I use one-shot lube. it's slick enough for the press but no need to tumble. save that messy lanolin dillon lube for the rifle (where I tumble after sizing/trimming).

-rvb

 

[IndyGlockMan]

I just started using a little lube on my 9mm cases too because I like how smooth they run through the dies on my XL650.
I only spray the cases with a very light mist only. Afterwards, I dump them out on a towel and roll them around, then pour into an ammo can.
If you don't put too much on there, that works pretty good.

 

[BubbaGump]

Um I don't know if it is safe or not honestly to do but I have heard that it can mess up the round and can do something to the powder but like I said this is just hear say but I have wondered the same thing and I use Dillon Case Lube myself so what I do is tumble the brass to get clean then I spray the case's with case lube then let dry for few minutes or so then I deprime and resize the brass clean and clean the primer pockets then I Re Tumble all the brass in my tumbler to make sure all lube or anything I may have missed is gone and cleaned away then I Prime all the brass and then begin to load powder then finally the projectile till its all loaded but that's how I do it because I didn't feel safe tumbling Live ammo

 

[shibumiseeker]

Um I don't know if it is safe or not honestly to do but I have heard that it can mess up the round and can do something to the powder but like I said this is just hear say

And your hearsay is wrong. There have been more than one controlled studies on this that definitively showed zero effect on the powder for the hour to a few hours needed to clean rounds up.

 

[rhino]

Um I don't know if it is safe or not honestly to do but I have heard that it can mess up the round and can do something to the powder but like I said this is just hear say but I have wondered the same thing and I use Dillon Case Lube myself so what I do is tumble the brass to get clean then I spray the case's with case lube then let dry for few minutes or so then I deprime and resize the brass clean and clean the primer pockets then I Re Tumble all the brass in my tumbler to make sure all lube or anything I may have missed is gone and cleaned away then I Prime all the brass and then begin to load powder then finally the projectile till its all loaded but that's how I do it because I didn't feel safe tumbling Live ammo

See this:

Every commercial ammunition manufacturer tumbles loaded ammo before packaging. That's why it's so shiny when you buy it.

And this:

And your hearsay is wrong. There have been more than one controlled studies on this that definitively showed zero effect on the powder for the hour to a few hours needed to clean rounds up.

 

[rvb]

See this:
And this:

and this:

2) for pistol, I use one-shot lube.

save yourself the effort/time/electricity

afraid of lube build-up in your pistols? don't be. I litterally have gone 15-20k rounds between cleanings w/ ammo loaded using one-shot and never had a problem. Don't use it on rifle, it's not adequate lube for rifle loading, imo.

Hornady One Shot Case Lube 5oz Aerosol

I lay a bunch of brass (500-1k pieces) out on a towl or in a big box, get it all on it's side, spray it, and load. Can even wait a couple weeks to load it and no problem (unlike the lanolin stuff which gets sticky).

-rvb

 

[jblomenberg16]

I stopped using lube on straight walled pistol cases all together. It isn't needed with carbide dies, although it may make the operation a bit smoother.

I've found that if I tumble them well before putting them in the progressive, that the combination of clean brass plus the small amount of residual brass polish is more than enough to make them go through the dies smoothly.

 

[gabrigger]

Tumbling after reloading is fine, as others have stated. Are you using a carbide sizer? If you are, there is no need to lube. If you are using a steel die, then you will have to continue to lube the cases.

 

[FreeFAL]

Totally safe to tumble ammo

 

[rvb]

dont need to lube pistol brass when using carbide dies, but it makes life easier! Esp when doing hundreds/thousands in a sitting....
-rvb

 

[amboy49]

dont need to lube pistol brass when using carbide dies, but it makes life easier! Esp when doing hundreds/thousands in a sitting....
-rvb

I am using Lee four die 9mm set - with carbide depriming/resizing die. I was experiencing severe "sticking" on the up stroke of my Hornady Lock n Load that only occurred when there was a case being deprimed and resized. Hence, I started using case lube. I, too, had thought with a carbide die I wouldn't need to lubricate the cases. A friend who uses a Dillon 650 states he has fewer problems with case sticking when he uses Dillons case lube.

I do tumble the cases in a vibrating tumbler using crushed walnut medium and a little liquid polishing compound.

 

[rvb]

I am using Lee four die 9mm set - with carbide depriming/resizing die. I was experiencing severe "sticking" on the up stroke of my Hornady Lock n Load that only occurred when there was a case being deprimed and resized. Hence, I started using case lube. I, too, had thought with a carbide die I wouldn't need to lubricate the cases. A friend who uses a Dillon 650 states he has fewer problems with case sticking when he uses Dillons case lube.

I do tumble the cases in a vibrating tumbler using crushed walnut medium and a little liquid polishing compound.

that sounds like a dirty die. but again, use one-shot for your pistol brass and you won't need to tumble when you are done. I only use the dillon lube for rifle.

-rvb

 

[Leo]

While not exactly the same as a vibratory tumbler, new ammo leaves the factory all nice and sealed up in little boxes. Those boxes are transported many miles by truck. Even a what we consider a smooth road will have quite a bit of vibration make it to the cargo. Add to that mechanical vibrations, and it would seem that ALL smokeless powder cartridges endure vibration before whe get them. Most of the time this happens for many hours. If you think of military logistics, ammo may be transported and stored a couple dozen times over periods of years before it is issued. Powder we buy in jugs for our reloading purposes has the same experiences from the packaging department to our loading benches. I do not see how 1/2 and hour in a vibratory tumbler would hurt freshly reloaded rounds.

 

[mhinkle2]

I dont tumble after reloading.

 

[theslasher]

Oneshot for pistol and leave it on there... Especially 9mm. Your arm will thank you!