Topic: Tumbling Sinterfire rounds after loading?

[TrooperBrian]

I understand due to the frail nature of the bullets you're not supposed to crimp very tightly. After loading on a progressive, can I throw these into the tumbler like any other round to clean off the case lube, or will I come out with a bunch of broken off bullets?

[High Wall]

Try a few to see what happens, then let us know.

[Grumblecakes]

i barely crimp mine, just enough to prevent set back and have never had a problem tumbling them after loading. Assuming 308 only put 20 in at a time, you only need to run it for 10min to get the lube off. If you want to be sure, do a batch and check the oal after tumbling, if it changes then pull and reload.

Thinking about amount of force it takes to pull a bullet i dont think a tumbler will do a whole lot in a short time frame.

[Idaho_Gun_Nut]

Although I am guilty of tumbling loaded ammunition in the past I was warned by a gunsmith not to do so as it can cause the powder to breakdown and you could potentially have a detonation when firing it, (read as your gun is scrap metal).

[Farlo]

When we were loading Sinterfires en masse, we didn't have any trouble running them through a short pass (5-10 minutes) in the tumbler to clean off the lube.  If your bullets are breaking in the tumbler, they were already fractured and were going to break when feeding or under recoil.

Be *very* careful crimping Sinterfires.  In my experience, they do need a crimp.  I'd stay away from a roll crimper, however.  Use a taper crimp on them.  Check the docs that came with your dyes.  There is a very fine line between too little crimp (and having the bullet sink into the case when feeding) and putting a tiny fracture in them.  If you think your crimp is too heavy, just try snapping the bullet with your hands.  It takes a little strength, but you can break a fractured bullet with your fingers.  Better in your hand than in your chamber.

[TrooperBrian]

Although I am guilty of tumbling loaded ammunition in the past I was warned by a gunsmith not to do so as it can cause the powder to breakdown and you could potentially have a detonation when firing it, (read as your gun is scrap metal).

I've heard that before too, but I think its complete nonsense. The air volume inside a properly loaded round is already minimal enough as it is. The powder has probably been bumped around upwards of thousands of times from the factory, loading unloading, freight for a few thousand miles, and then bumped around a few hundred more times before it got to you. But yet when you empty out your powder container, you don't see any finer particles at the bottom than at the top.

Bunch of garbage passed around from person to person. Like...the 1911 is the best gun ever. 

[Precise]

I've heard that before too, but I think its complete nonsense. The air volume inside a properly loaded round is already minimal enough as it is. The powder has probably been bumped around upwards of thousands of times from the factory, loading unloading, freight for a few thousand miles, and then bumped around a few hundred more times before it got to you. But yet when you empty out your powder container, you don't see any finer particles at the bottom than at the top.

Bunch of garbage passed around from person to person. Like...the 1911 is the best gun ever.  

Farlo and I NEVER had a problem with any tumbling of any ammo after loading. If anyone is concerned with time in the tumbler, have clean media (corn Cob cleaned the best) and a good polish. This reduces the tumbling time. If you examine the Black Hills jacked hollow points (.223), sometimes you'll see bits of paper in the bullet tip cavity. I believe they tumble their cartridges in cardboard to clean them during production prior to packaging. This could even be more dangerous if there was any real risk.

Precise

[egress81]

there was a thread on AR15.com where a guy took up close pics of powder before and after a excessive amount of tumbling and it showed little if any signs on the powder.

I wouldn't hesitate to tumble live ammo.

[Grumblecakes]

There is also a thread on the saw a while back where a guy tumbled rounds for up to a few days firing some at se intervals and found little deviation in velocity.

[luvmy45]

There is a thread on a guy that talks about how bad it is to tumble media as well, I'm sure you have heard of it. It's bad he says, something about breaking down the integrity of the powder and making it unreliable. So he says.

Of course, I just heard it on the interent so it must be true. Wait, maybe that was in a video I saw recently?