Cast boolits in tumbler

[Dogs_of_War]

How do you guys clean your boolits after loading them up?
Can you throw them in a tumbler with crush corncob or will that be to rough?

[Jim]

Forgive my confusion, I'm old. What exactly are you trying to clean off the rounds?

[Dogs_of_War]

Forgive my confusion, I'm old. What exactly are you trying to clean off the rounds?

Extra lube on the boolits.
Also with jackets rounds I always throw them in the tumbler to give the overall bullet a nice shiny clean look.
Im just wondering If it is a good idea to throw a cast boolit in the tumbler.

edit: Im talking about the entire cartridge.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

I don't do it.
May be urban ledgend, but I have sen post where people claim to have had a round go off in the tumbler, maybe static. Don't know.
I do beleive that to much vibration will change the burn rate of powder, probably take serious tumbling to wear powder to smaller granulation, but why take chance. Don't leave ammo on dash of truck for 2 years.
If my finished rounds look to ugly, I just wipe them off with an gun cleaning patch.
CF

[Jim]

I understand you're talking about complete cartridges.

There are those that will condemn tumbling loaded ammunition. Personally, I HAVE done it, but find no obvious advantage. Physically, powder is plastic in nature and does not crumble or disintegrate from vibration.

If you find the appearance of your cartridges to be pleasing with a nice shine, there should be no problem in doing so. I would suggest you monitor the progression of shining the rounds and pull them as soon as you find the results you desire. Personally, I'm happy with the appearance of tumbling before loading.

As for lube left on the noses of the boolits, to the best of my knowledge, this is not an issue unless the lube is attracting and gathering grit. Again, if the appearance does not suit you, tumble them and keep checking. When the appearance suits you, pull them.

[Wayne Smith]

I wipe them off with a paper towel - typically a shop towel.

[old turtle]

I agree with Jim. When it comes to brass, I kind of like that OD color or patina they get. Also removes the temptation to tumble them as I am lazy..

[snuffy]

Yeah, tumbling loaded ammo does no harm. BUT if you're trying to remove lee liquid alox from the noses of boolits, tumbling is NOT the answer. What you'll get is a boolit that looks like it has caught a disease!:o:( Or has a growth on them. The tumbler media sticks to the lube, doesn't remove it.

I just put a little odorless paint thinner,(mineral spirits), on a rag, polish the boolit to remove the lube. Boolits shine like a new car!:grin:

I'm not sure about other lubes, but I'd bet they would also attract media and dust in the media, making the boolit dirty.

[JJC]

Never heard of tumbling loaded rounds. Never thought of it actually, I tumble then load them. Wipe after sizing and a final wipe before putting them away.

[Dogs_of_War]

Yeah, tumbling loaded ammo does no harm. BUT if you're trying to remove lee liquid alox from the noses of boolits, tumbling is NOT the answer. What you'll get is a boolit that looks like it has caught a disease!:o:( Or has a growth on them. The tumbler media sticks to the lube, doesn't remove it.

I just put a little odorless paint thinner,(mineral spirits), on a rag, polish the boolit to remove the lube. Boolits shine like a new car!:grin:

I'm not sure about other lubes, but I'd bet they would also attract media and dust in the media, making the boolit dirty.

Never thought of that.......:-|
And I will be using alox so it looks like that will be the best route to go.
Ill just have to get my brass super shiny before I finish loading them.

[Jim]

I quit using alox. However, I still have a couple hunnerd rounds of .38 special that I tumble lubed in alox. I just put them in a closed container and let it go at that. Never saw a need to wipe off the noses of the boolits.

[dragonrider]

What Snuffy said

[Echo]

I dump the loaded rounds onto an old towel that has been dampened with a blurk or two of mineral spirits. Then I grab the ends, fold things up, lift and see-saw back and forth for a minute or so, and, VOILA! Clean rounds. Think I learned that from Dean G.

[44man]

My boolits have lube on them. Felix by the way and I never wipe boolits, only the brass. Boolits are in a box or the gun so they are kept clean, never in a pocket.
Tumbling loaded rounds can break up the powder into smaller particles. You can also ruin the deterrent coating. Who knows what change in pressures you can get?
Leave the lube on the boolits and just keep them clean.

[clintsfolly]

IF i clean i use a old towel and set in front of the tv and wipe and box. Clint

[prickett]

Yeah, tumbling loaded ammo does no harm. BUT if you're trying to remove lee liquid alox from the noses of boolits, tumbling is NOT the answer. What you'll get is a boolit that looks like it has caught a disease!:o:( Or has a growth on them. The tumbler media sticks to the lube, doesn't remove it.


The good news is you only make that mistake once! Been there, done that.

[frkelly74]

I dump the loaded rounds onto an old towel that has been dampened with a blurk or two of mineral spirits. Then I grab the ends, fold things up, lift and see-saw back and forth for a minute or so, and, VOILA! Clean rounds. Think I learned that from Dean G.


My Grandma used to put a blurk of milk in her mashed potatoes. God rest her.

[white eagle]

we used bacon grease to fry potatoes

[stubert]

I put boolits in a vibrator before loading to take off the frosted look. Never done a loaded round.

[gwilliams2]

Usually just send them down range the way they are, but upon occasion I have cleaned them up with a little brake parts cleaner or other solvents on a rag.

[dale2242]

I don`t tumble lube. I use alox 50/50 in my Lyman 450. Some lube will migrate out side the case.
I keep 12"X12" pieces of discarded sheets under my bench to wipe the resizing and bullet lube from my cases....dale

[Swede44mag]

How do you guys clean your boolits after loading them up?
Can you throw them in a tumbler with crush corncob or will that be to rough?

I have tumbled loaded factory rounds that have gotten nasty (green) after sitting in the boxes on the shelf for years.

Any lube left on the boolit after loading I wipe off with a paper towel. That is one reason I went with hard lube it aint so messy.

[white eagle]

just wipe'm and shoot...repeat