Cleaning loaded ammo

[PWC]

Is it ok tp clean loaded ammo in a vibratory cleaner or will it break down the stick powder (4064)?

[Tuna]

This question may bring a ton of responses both ways. But for myself I have cleaned many many rounds of loaded ammo mostly military surplus. I have never had any of the powders break down. I have had rounds that no matter how long there were in the cleaner just did not clean up enough after hours of cleaning. Those I have pulled and used in reloading the powder and bullets with no ill effects what so ever. When a round of ammo is made it is dumped into a container with many others. Then it goes into a cleaner and vibrates from what I was told. Then it's dumped into a hopper to go and get loaded into a carton. Then it's loaded into an ammo can. Then stacked onto a pallet, then onto the warehouse. From there it is placed onto trucks which take it a long ways off to a military storage location. Then it is issued and taken to who knows where over any kind of terrain and finally a solder takes the can and then carriers it to where it is opened and the boxes opened and the rounds taken out and loaded into magazines or belts. Then it goes into a pouch and who knows how long it just sits in the pouch till finally used. So ammo in general gets banged around a lot. Vibrated on trucks and sitting in a magazine moving on a solders hip. If this didn't break down the powder then nothing will. So go ahead and vibrate it. That's my 2 cents worth.

[lyman]

rule of thumb I was told is it is ok for a short period, like a few minutes, not hrs,

I have cleaned up some , but honestly, if it has issues I need to tumble to eliminate, then I usually pull it,

not talking stains, those get wiped with a rag to see how deep the stain may go, and shot,

[Sunray]

"...a ton of responses both ways..." Mostly arguments. snicker. The length of the granules doesn't have anything to do with anything. Burn rates are determined chemically.
Stains on cases don't bother anything either. Brass needs to be clean, not shiney. However, tumbling loaded ammo won't bother it. There isn't enough whack to set off a primer and the agitation isn't enough to do anything anyway.