Dumb question I am sure, but have to ask

[Mike450r]

I have loaded literally millions of rounds of ammunition.  And every single round was vibrated in a corn cob media for final cleaning/polishing without a single problem.  I would go out on a limb and say that major manufacturers don't hand polish every single round and they also don't go straight from the press to the box.  Draw your own conclusions here. 
 
I would not do this with primed brass, the only reason though would be that the media would get in the flash hole.  I see no safety issues other than that.

The only tumbling that was done was with dirty fired brass in a converted concrete mixer, then put in a smaller tumbler with a shop rag sprayed with lube (high production)

[JoshT]

all it takes is one time to ruin your day, or a little kids life 

Physics man... physics.

[ICEMAN]

If a live round goes off outside the gun... it's the brass that goes flying... not the projectile. Not typically a dangerous situation (might shoot yer' eye out though)... let alone life threatening.

I would say this is a dangerous situation.

I know that projectiles can and do "go flying" and I have stopped tossing ammo into the camp fire. Not a good idea.

[littlebuf]

all it takes is one time to ruin your day, or a little kids life 

Physics man... physics.

im not sure i understand your "physics" comment. i do on the other hand under stand physics. all im saying is it worth taking the chance so you can have some shiny ammo? i didnt realize id get flamed for saying i wouldn't want 44 mags going off in my tumbler. i hope a round never goes off while your tumbling it, but all it takes is that primer getting hit just right ( or wrong ) and it could happen. im not sure why you would argue that this is a possibility? and if its a possibility why do it?

[tbotts]

I wouldn't tumble your cases as they are, due to pieces of grit getting stuck in the flash hole on top of your primer.  Load them first, then tumble them for appx 10-15 min.  I tumble loaded rounds all the time after loading to remove the lube.

[JoshT]

I'm just saying it wouldn't exactly ruin anyone's day... or hurt/kill anyone.

Several years back Rifle magazine did an experiment where they set off a number of rounds inside a cardboard box... none even made a dent in the box.... there were some areas that were slightly scorched... but nothing that would require a trip to the emergency room. They also did it with several rounds in a tubular magazine... and only minor damage was done to the rifle. I also saw an episode of Mythbusters where they were trying to set off primed brass using the butt end of a pistol by hammering on it... none went off... even though they beat them severely. Just because it happened on an episode of McGyver... doesn't mean it'll happen in real life. In fact, the converse is often true.

The only way I've ever seen rounds go off... is by exposure to high heat/electricity... or by striking the primer with a firing pin (or something shaped like one).

[WDFW-SUX]

Primers are alot harder to set off than people think I have dented a ton of them and not set them off..........blasting caps are a different animal...I threw one in a trash can and in put a hole in the side of it

[yorketransport]

I would go out on a limb and say that major manufacturers don't hand polish every single round and they also don't go straight from the press to the box.  Draw your own conclusions here. 

This was my logic. I've never tumbled loaded ammo, but would feel safe doing it. I can see it being a bad idea with rimfires, but not centerfire.

Andrew

[littlebuf]

I'm just saying it wouldn't exactly ruin anyone's day... or hurt/kill anyone.

Several years back Rifle magazine did an experiment where they set off a number of rounds inside a cardboard box... none even made a dent in the box.... there were some areas that were slightly scorched... but nothing that would require a trip to the emergency room. They also did it with several rounds in a tubular magazine... and only minor damage was done to the rifle. I also saw an episode of Mythbusters where they were trying to set off primed brass using the butt end of a pistol by hammering on it... none went off... even though they beat them severely. Just because it happened on an episode of McGyver... doesn't mean it'll happen in real life. In fact, the converse is often t
The only way I've ever seen rounds go off... is by exposure to high heat/electricity... or by striking the primer with a firing pin (or something shaped like one).

so you would say there is ZERO possibility of a round going off and injuring some one? im not saying theirs a boogy man in the tumbler and it will kill you with your own loaded ammo, im just saying there IS a possibility of a round going off so why do it. i don't reload for convenience and if your doing it to see how fast you can get it done your going to get hurt one day. tumble your cases empty and remove lube with a rag, if you don't have the time to do this wait to reload until you have the time.  ok flame away

[JoshT]

What I'm saying is there zero possibility of a round going off and killing someone... and if the lid is on the tumbler there's zero chance of a round going off and doing anything thing but scaring the bejesus out of you... the physics simply don't allow it.

In order to generate any type of velocity the combustion must take place in a closed (or severely restricted) environment... a round that's set off in open air will simply come apart when there's enough pressure to push the brass off the bullet... then the remainder of the gas is simply released into the air.

There really is no possibility of a round going off... unless there's a short in the tumbler that causes a significant amount of heat. No round in the tumbler is going to hit another round with enough force to set the primer off. If you think it will... you've never seen a poorly headspaced rifle fired. I've seen direct strikes... from the firing pin... inside a restricted environment... that don't allow the round to go off because it can slide forward a couple thousandths of an inch. In a tumbler the rounds are free to move several inches... and there's nothing in there that can generate the kind of force or direct hit that a firing pin can. I think the odds of something happening with the tumbler (like shorting out and causing a fire) are much higher than the odds of a live round going off in one... and even if one does... it is highly unlikely that it will even hurt... let alone injure or kill anyone.

[Huntbear]

Wow, been away from the computer a couple of days, and I find that I started a firestorm... 

I think I will finish the loading process and just shoot them.  There is no damage to the cases, other than some light corrosion, and if the primers do not go off, I can pull the bullets, and dump the powder and start em over.