when to tumble

[bullet_man1]

i would like to her your thoughts on when to tumble brass .i hear some people say before you load .and some say to tumble after you load your shells.

 

[BCWILL]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-08-03 AT 03:08PM (MST)[p] Howdy,
I "tumble" clean my brass BEFORE I reload them. I want the outside to be clean so the resizing process is a little easier on the dies( less grit etc.)
I also want the inside of the brass to be as clean as possible before reloading (consistent case capacities?)
I too, have also heard of people tumbling the loaded rounds, I'm not sure if I like this process nor would recommend it(possibly dangerous???)Not too sure that in "loose" powder loadings the practise of tumbling them loaded would not alter the properties/granulation of the powder? Maybe/maybe not?
If you tumble after you load it would be a purely cosmetic thing so why bother ???
Cleaning your brass BEFORE you reload them is the way to go !
My two bits.

RICK, aka "BCWill"

 

[bullet_man1]

i talked to some of my freinds and also said to tumble before .so thank you for your in sight

 

[wilecoyote76]

I, too, tumble my brass before I start reloading mainly to get rid of any excessive carbon build up, dirt, grime, or whatever else collects inside and out. After I lube the brass and size, deprime, and finally trim, I throw them back in the tumbler to get off the leftover residue from the case lube and trim particles. Sometimes I will have a piece of the media in the flash hole but those are easy to remove. I know it is a bit much but this just gives me the assurance that everything is spic and span before I prime and load for good.

I know I wouldn't tumble live rounds...too much at risk!!

Wilecoyote76

 

[RELH]

Bullet-Man 1;
I would never tumble loaded ammo. I have heard that it can break down the powder granules and cause it to act more like a faster burning powder, which may cause alot higher pressures when fired. Always tumble the cases prior to reloading. It cleans the brass and makes it easier to spot defects in the brass.
RELH

 

[gunnut]

I tumble my brass to clean it before I start the loading process. Then I also tumble to polish after I size to get all lub off and to clean out the primer pockets after the primes are removed. I do also use a primer pocket cleaner but its nice to get the brass as clean as possible. Jovan

 

[Coach Hunt]

Howdy,

Tumble before you load!!! Tumbling loaded rounds is like playing tennis in the middle of the freeway; you are just inviting an accident.

BTW, I also clean the inside of the necks with a tight brass brush on a drill after tumbling. That sure makes for easier sizing and bullet seating.

Best to you.

Coach