Forgot to clear tumbling media from flash holes

[radford56]

So, I normally size my brass and then tumble it for an hour or so in corn cob media to remove the lube. I usually follow a checklist to make sure I don't miss a step, but I was making up a small batch of 25 rounds to have for match spares and didn't follow the checklist. After I loaded the rounds I realized that I'd neglected to check the flash holes for any media lodged there.

Based on what I normally see, I expect that around 50% are likely to have a grain of corn cob media lodged in the flash hole. So what would you do with these? I hate pulling down loads so I'm tempted to just shoot them for practice - definitely won't shoot them in competition. Any risk to doing it?

 

[justpassinthru]

I'd pull em and never give it a second thought.

 

[timeout]

Pull em down and start over. You won't forget the next time.

 

[Charliephoo]

I usually wash the brass after tumbling and before primer them, check the flash hole again.

 

[Chuck G]

I have done the same thing and they still shoot.

 

[M-61]

25 rounds is not a lot to break down especially with supplies hard to get. I just wouldn't waste them. And should you shoot the smallest group you ever did with them you'll be driven nuts wondering if the piece of media helped! LOL

 

[timeout]

Any job worth doing is worth doing right. That's especially true when it comes to reloading. Be safe.

 

[radford56]

Any job worth doing is worth doing right. That's especially true when it comes to reloading. Be safe.

I totally agree - and I've always prided myself on being extremely careful. That's why I usually have a checklist and actually check off the steps as I complete them. Definitely a lesson learned.

 

[Ccrider]

They will shoot but not necessarily the same velocity. I would not waste time shooting them if I was shooting in a match. I have also found that every once I a while tumbling media will stick inside the case. If I clean with media I check for this also.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I use corn cob that is small enough not to get caught in flash holes, even small Lapua flash holes. And yet it does as good cleaning as the larger grit. Pull them down.

 

[K22]

How I avoid mistakes - lessons learned the hard way.

I have a card posted on my reloading table in a conspicuous location that contains every step in the reloading sequence including the checks that need to be made. As you get older you'll find this invaluable.

The more painful the mistake the least likely you'll repeat it so make this mistake painful and pull the affected rounds.

 

[skeeljc]

+1 for another good reason to not clean brass (unless it is from an AR-15). Just wipe the carbon from the necks and clean the primer pockets.

If you really have to clean brass do it before you size and de-prime. That way you protect your sizing die and punch out anything that is in the flash holes. Corn cob media will not clean the primer pockets anyway. As far as the sizing lube goes just wipe it off with a rag.

 

[Bottom Fodder]

I now use Lizard litter and I now don’t have a problem with lodging in the flash hole

 

[Mad_Charlie]

25 rounds is not a lot to break down especially with supplies hard to get. I just wouldn't waste them. And should you shoot the smallest group you ever did with them you'll be driven nuts wondering if the piece of media helped! LOL

Yeah, that would be my luck, then I would wind up weighing pieces of media and trying to figure out how to jab them in the flash hole consistently

 

[DRNewcomb]

I don't see any risk in shooting them, other than risk to your score. It will be a huge PITA but I'd probably either do-over or just shoot them at the gong for fun. Maybe through the chronograph, just to find out the difference and post the results back here.

 

[divingin]

A friend of mine had a shot that delayed firing for about a third of a second. Just long enough to register as a misfire before it went off. Shot impacted normally. All we could figure is poor powder ignition from tumbling media blocking the flash hole (this is, of course, just a guess, but all other rounds were fine, which tends to suggest powder and primer were OK.)

I'd expect media stuck from the inside of the flash hole would be blown clear at primer ignition; stuff stuck from the base side will jam in harder and may or may not get blown through (depending on your media size, of course.)

 

[marchboom]

Since I have started using this media I have had no problems at all...ever.
Instead of fighting the problem, eliminate it.

Zilla Ground English Walnut Shells Desert Blend from Amazon.

 

[Artisan]

So, I normally size my brass and then tumble it for an hour or so in corn cob media to remove the lube. I usually follow a checklist to make sure I don't miss a step, but I was making up a small batch of 25 rounds to have for match spares and didn't follow the checklist. After I loaded the rounds I realized that I'd neglected to check the flash holes for any media lodged there.

Based on what I normally see, I expect that around 50% are likely to have a grain of corn cob media lodged in the flash hole. So what would you do with these? I hate pulling down loads so I'm tempted to just shoot them for practice - definitely won't shoot them in competition. Any risk to doing it?

The primer in theory, should burn the corn-cob out of the way. The delay should be in milliseconds. Look at a piece of corn-cob with a magnifier, then look at a primers flash, with the same magnifier. If you get your eye-sight back let me know.
Walnut would give me concern, but the size I use never gets stuck. That said, I just dug out some corn-cob, used a Bic lighter (burned up in less than a second). With the force a primer has over a Bic lighter, I can't see how the powder would not ignite. Test this for yourself, but use a flame more consistent with a primer. Wasn't corn-cob used at one time, for making fires?

 

[bobm]

A single kernel of corncob lodged in a flash hole will in no way have any negative effect on powder ignition. The cob is highly porous and will vaporize with the hot burning primer blast. The resulting minuscule amount cob dust carbon will be consumed by hot gasses before even leaving the brass case. Not worth tearing down loaded ammo or even worrying about.

 

[GotRDid]

Just something to consider, if a small rifle primer can drive a 75 gr Hornady bullet into the lands of an AR requiring a rod to to pop it back out through the chamber, I’m not convinced that a tiny kernel of corncob (that won’t even register on my digital scale) will offer any quantifiable resistance to ignition.
In this particular incident I was a a spectator at a reduced distance HP match. The Gentleman was an accomplished Handloader/Shooter, but somehow missed adding propellant to this cartridge. First shot of the Match in Offhand and a “pop”, called RSO over and they made rifle safe and withdrew from the line to evaluate the situation.
With no confidence in his ammunition, he called it a day and assisted with range duties.
As DivingIn states, a small concretion of corncob (or even walnut) and polish stuck inside a case can indeed impede/prevent ignition. I failed to run my vibratory tumbler for at least 5 minutes once when refreshing the polish prior to adding the cases. My haste cost me the onerous task of digging out the compacted media/polish “clumps” with a dental pick from my .218 Bee cases.
I wonder, has anyone tested just firing a primed case with said cob kernel in place in such a way as to try to “recover” or discover if said kernel would/could survive (intact or otherwise)?
GotRDid.