Tumbling and lubing primed brass - yes - no?

[Lloyd Smale]

ive done THOUSANDS of 223 buy lubing then sizing and priming and trimming with the Dillon trimmer first run. then I throw them in the tumbler and tumble for a couple hours to get the lube off then back in the case feeder and ran through the powder die and bullet seating. NEVER HAD EVEN ONE MISSFIRE. If by chance a kernel of walnut gets in the primer hole im sure the primer going off blows it out without any problem what so ever. Ive tumbled load ammo MANY times too without a single problem. Much to do about nothing if you ask me.

[Castaway]

I wouldn’t do it. Besides media collecting in the flash holes, I’d be concerned with the clanging around, the priming compound would be apt to be eroded and although may go bang when fired, would not offer consistent ignition.

[Lloyd Smale]

don't know but I do know ive shot some tiny groups with ammo loaded just like that and don't see flyers from it. Its every bit as consistant across my chronograph as my bolt action ammo loaded the other way. Like is said that's my experience with THOUSANDS of rounds. Now if someone actually saw a problem, had misfires doing it or had a bunch of unexplained flyers then im all ears but all ive seen so far are unsubstantiated opinions of what could have been. Now granted im not shooting bench rest comp where .001 inch of group size matters but my ars sure don't have problems shooting moa and in a couple of them near half that. I think if you were going to have problems with flash holes it would be more likely if you tumbled with the primer out and the cornel got stuck in the primer pockets side and had to be pushed through but if its stuck in the powder side it isn't going to effect ignition one bit. It probably is out so fast it doesn't hurt a thing. If that was a problem so would powder packing in the flash hole. Keep in mind that powder isn't all powder. Some of it is filler to control burn rates. but if you want to sit there with 2000 rounds of 556 and a pick cleaning out the pockets because you tumbled them without a primer in them then I guess its your time not mine. Me? id rather be shooting.

[georgerkahn]

I would have minimal, if any, worries vis dry tumbling primed brass. As a matter of fact, not too long ago I did same with some .38 S&W primed brass, in a Thumler's Tumbler for three hours, with zero ill effects.
However, you did inquire re, "or loaded ammo for that matter", and the after-effects of the Anglo-Zulu Wars in South Africa (11 January 1879 through 4 July 1879)come to mind. The Brits -- having Martini–Henry Mk I–IV rifles -- apparently pretty much ran out of ammo for these during their defense of countless Zulu warriors. Always learning from their "errors of their ways", the Brit's vowed to not allow this paradigm to be repeated, and in addition to fortresses, all vehicles were stocked with as much ammo as could be contained. After vehicles were retired, the ammo was regulated for use, often in training, and a good many of the Martini-Henry's started blowing up. The explanation? The powder within the cartridges transport over many, many kilometers of rough, unpaved terrain caused it to be ground into a fine powder, making for pressures higher than the rifle receivers might withstand. Bear in mind this was black powder.
Nonetheless, I do keep the possible affects of vibration -- not excluding tumbling in a modern case cleaner -- in addition to storage at above-norm temperatures -- in mind re all cartridges.
geo