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Tumble completed rounds (coated bullets) to remove case lube?


thormx538

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If I sprayed my cases with a bit of lube (lanolin + isopropyl alcohol) to make sizing easier, can I dry tumble them after to remove the lube, or will that adversely affect the coating thickness on the bullets? I'm using Blue Bullets, in 9mm. 

 

I tumbled a test batch (vibratory tumbler, using Lizard Litter ground walnut as the media) and to me it looked like some of the bullet coating was coming off, but I wasn't seeing bare lead or anything.

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If you do a search you will find that this horse has been beat to death a million times over...

To recap; tumbling loaded rounds does nothing to the round or powder inside. People have left ammo in tumblers running for days with no repercussions, but usually only 30 minutes will do the job. Use lube for ease of loading and consistency, and tumble it off without worry.

jj

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2 minutes ago, RiggerJJ said:

If you do a search you will find that this horse has been beat to death a million times over...

To recap; tumbling loaded rounds does nothing to the round or powder inside. People have left ammo in tumblers running for days with no repercussions, but usually only 30 minutes will do the job. Use lube for ease of loading and consistency, and tumble it off without worry.

jj

 

I wasn't worried about the powder or anything -- I tumble loaded jacketed and plated rounds all the time. I was just noticing the coating beginning to come off of the Blue Bullets in this instance.

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5 hours ago, thormx538 said:

 

I wasn't worried about the powder or anything -- I tumble loaded jacketed and plated rounds all the time. I was just noticing the coating beginning to come off of the Blue Bullets in this instance.

Rgr...

 best is to run a few to see, but all you usually need is a few minutes.

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I only tumble the resized brass to remove the lube (rifle cases).

 

I did buy an appliance timer at Lowes a few weeks back.  If it will handle refrigerator's/freezers I figured it should handle vibratory brass cleaners/polishers.  I programmed the time/date in and plugged in one of the case cleaners.  I can set it for 15 minutes or for hours (I sometimes set it for 4 hours when leaving the garage so it'll clean a batch of brass that will be ready for resizing the next day) and walk away till later that day or the next day and it will run the programmed time and shut off.  I did find it turning on again the next Tuesday (seems the way I did it was having it turn on every Tuesday at 12 noon and run for 4 hours).  I unplugged it till I figure out how to remove that particular bit of programming/scheduling.  But it works great to dump in some brass, punch up 3 or 4 hours run time (or just a few minutes), press the ON button and walk out the door to go do something else.

 

Cost just under $26 but it will be worth it if it lasts a few years.

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I ran a few batches last night. 10 minutes seemed to be a good time, any longer than that and the bullets started to show the wear and tear of tumbling; ie, the coating was beginning to come off in spots. Not off the entire bullet obviously, but starting to get noticeably lighter in spots.

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For years I have used corn cob to remove the lube as it seems to absorb the lube better. I tumble the Hi-Tek super coated bullets from SNS, B&B, Bayou, or Missouri all the same. 15 to 30 minutes in corn cob without any loss of the coating.

 

I have found that sharp edges of coated bullets like semi-wad cutters will have the lead exposed when tumbled for more than 1 hour in corn cob, but that is from the bullets bumping into each other more than the rubbing aspects from the corn cob.

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22 hours ago, JD1 said:

For years I have used corn cob to remove the lube as it seems to absorb the lube better. I tumble the Hi-Tek super coated bullets from SNS, B&B, Bayou, or Missouri all the same. 15 to 30 minutes in corn cob without any loss of the coating.

 

I have found that sharp edges of coated bullets like semi-wad cutters will have the lead exposed when tumbled for more than 1 hour in corn cob, but that is from the bullets bumping into each other more than the rubbing aspects from the corn cob.

 

That's kinda what I think it is, because it's more obvious on the transition to the meplat. I think it's from the bullets vibrating against eachother causing the coating to begin to come off more than the tumbling media removing the coating.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I wouldnt use the iso/lanolin mix for straight wall pistol.  I would use OneShot for this application, and this is the only time I recommend that stuff.  Absolutely no chance of powder contamination, and you do not need to tumble it off at all.  For rifle, yes iso/lanolin mix is the best stuff going.

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9 hours ago, jwhittin said:

Ok, I have to ask. Why bother? A little dry lube on the ammo will help it chamber.  Are you doing it for looks?

This is my take on it. I dont bother because whats the point? seems to me like an added step with no real reason to do it in the first place. I try to not add mundane processes to things I do regularly. I only load 9mm though...

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2 hours ago, Shmella said:

This is my take on it. I dont bother because whats the point? seems to me like an added step with no real reason to do it in the first place. I try to not add mundane processes to things I do regularly. I only load 9mm though...

I tumble regardless of the type of lube used. Dirt and other gritty stuff really clings to ammo that is not completely clean. 

 I noticed my hands were always black after reloading mags all day before I started tumbling. Hands basically stay clean now.

 Putting two and two together tells me the insides of my polished mags are getting dirtier faster as well with uncleaned ammo.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 11:18 AM, Sarge said:

If coating comes off in a tumbler you need better bullets. Especially in only 10-15 minutes to remove lube.

 I tumble 30 minutes to remove lube and my BBI'S are still good to go

+1

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On 3/17/2017 at 8:37 AM, Kaldor said:

I wouldnt use the iso/lanolin mix for straight wall pistol.  I would use OneShot for this application, and this is the only time I recommend that stuff.  Absolutely no chance of powder contamination, and you do not need to tumble it off at all.  For rifle, yes iso/lanolin mix is the best stuff going.

This.

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On 3/17/2017 at 7:37 AM, Kaldor said:

I wouldnt use the iso/lanolin mix for straight wall pistol.  I would use OneShot for this application, and this is the only time I recommend that stuff.  Absolutely no chance of powder contamination, and you do not need to tumble it off at all.  For rifle, yes iso/lanolin mix is the best stuff going.

 

In my experience, One Shot is great for reloading pistol, but it causes the rounds to get sticky.  In 2011s, this can lead to the rounds binding in your magazine, resulting in jams.  I load all of my ammo and then spray it with electrode cleaner followed by liquid wrench dry-lube.

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3 hours ago, WYgunner said:

 

 

In my experience, One Shot is great for reloading pistol, but it causes the rounds to get sticky.  In 2011s, this can lead to the rounds binding in your magazine, resulting in jams.  I load all of my ammo and then spray it with electrode cleaner followed by liquid wrench dry-lube.

 

I agree, and thats why a light coat is all that is needed.  I fill a cake pan with cases, covering the bottom and just give them a quick once over, single pass with OneShot, and have never had an issue with any buildup or stickiness.

 

Over lubing is worse than under lubing for straight wall pistol cases. 

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  • 2 months later...

To clean lube off loaded ammo I take about 50 rds.and dump them in an old white cotton sock that had the last 2 inches soaked in paint thinner. I squeeze rds. and move them around in the sock for less than a minute.  I turn sock inside out every 200 rds. to expose a nice clean surface.  I wear  my Harb. Fr.nitrile gloves.  Thinner is used sparingly but enough to do the job. afish4570

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I threw a handful of blue bullets in a tumbler once to see what would happen. It was lighter in color but coating looked fine. I use to tumble finished ammo since I did use lanolin mix as my lube but have switched to another lube and no longer need to tumble.

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