How do I clean up old ammo?

[HSMaxim]

Like Xring said, I use a vibratory case cleaner with corncob media.

An unchambered round that would go off in a tumbler would just make a mess IMO.
As a former firefighter of 16 years, I actually took an industrial safety class where live rounds of .22, 12 ga and .308 were subject to fire and being put in a vise and set off with a hammer and punch. Nothing but slightly loud pops and smoke.
If they are not chambered, they are just firecrackers.

I once bought 10,000 rounds of .30 carbine ammo from a local place that was old US military ammo from WWII sold to Columbia and probably stored in a cave for 40+ years. I "tumbled" all of it over a few month period in an old Lyman cleaner, never had a problem.

[kevindsingleton]

An unchambered round that would go off in a tumbler would just make a mess IMO.

That's what I meant: it could make a mess. A really bad, wet, stinking, charred, can't-believe-it-happened-to-me, so-much-that-we'll-never-be-able-to-repace mess.

Launching rounds from a vise is nothing at all like burying a live round in combustible material and then igniting the thoroughly mixed gunpowder.

If you're going to do it, do it outside, on pavement, well away from the house and shop. Why take the chance on burning down your home? Call your favorite tumbler manufacturer and ask their opinion. Better yet, call your homeowner's insurance carrier and ask if you're covered. You know, just in case?

[762xIan]

Call your favorite tumbler manufacturer and ask their opinion

The manufacturer is going to cover his butt and say no, for liability reasons.

To each his own, I tumble live ammo.

I have heard of the concern of a possible primer strike while tumbling (unfounded...its a vibratory tumbler...not a clothes dryer) also the degraded powder concern (also disproven by many tests...the manufacturers even "tumble") first I heard of being concerned over bullets falling out though. I'll keep an eye on my crimps.

Biggest recurring problem I know of when tumbling live ammo is getting pieces of media out of hollow point pistol ammo.