JHP Ammo Question

[Good Ol' Boy]

Might seem silly but I've never seen this on any ammo I've bought.

This is federal 115g JHP ammo.

The oddity (to me at least) is the blue dot or marking that is obvious in the photo. Whats that all about?

 

[Ironicaintit]

You’ve never seen that? Just looks like primer sealer. It’s probably applied as very thin liquid at a single point (the dot), and capillary action takes over (WAG)

 

[Steve Milbocker]

Sometimes red as well

 

[wiscoaster]

It's nanometer RFID ammo tracking!!!!

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

You’ve never seen that? Just looks like primer sealer. It’s probably applied as very thin liquid at a single point (the dot), and capillary action takes over (WAG)

I asked a question and you apparently have answered it, no need to get snarky.

I've bought thousands and thousands of ammo over the years and I've never seen that. Thats why I was asking. No big deal.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

I believe it is as the first answer, some type of sealer. Prolly because the manufacturers know that you hoarders are going to bury the ammo in your backyard.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I've bought thousands and thousands of ammo over the years and I've never seen that.

Interesting. I first came across sealed primer ammo in the late 80's as a new teenage shooter- seen and used LOTS of it since.

 

[230RN]

I sometimes use a magic marker on the primer(s) to indicate a round or rounds in a box of new or relaoded ammo has/ have been treated differently in some way.

Could have been "cycled through the action," or "bullets left over from a previous box," or "dropped in a horse's stall," or whatver.

That was my first impression from the photo, for what it's worth. Was it the whole box, and are you sure they're actually new, and not reloaded?

Nowadays you never know.

I'd pull two or three bullets to see what and how much they were loaded with. My reaction is that mfrs are more careful about applying sealant (automatically, mind you) than it looks like in that photo.

Terry, 230RN

ETA: Not saying this is the case, but search for "Project Eldest Son" just for general knowledge-expansion.

 

[Havok7416]

That's normal Federal sealant, applied by the factory. I have tons of Federal brass that still shows traces of the same blue color.

 

[DustyGmt]

Yeah sealant. Sometimes clear and you don't even see it. Sometimes blue, red, purple, green. I've seen some that's slopped right on and looks like someone took a paint roller across the cartridge bottoms.....

 

[JohnKSa]

Primer sealer. They put on just a tiny bit too much, or were a bit sloppy with the application--not that it will hurt anything, it's just normally a bit less obvious. It's supposed to seep into the groove around the primer cup to make the round waterproof. Usually seen only on military spec and self-defense ammunition. More typically, when it is colored, it is red. I've never seen the blue green color before. It doesn't have to be colored at all. I suspect that's done for the customer's benefit.

 

[Ironicaintit]

I asked a question and you apparently have answered it, no need to get snarky.

I've bought thousands and thousands of ammo over the years and I've never seen that. Thats why I was asking. No big deal.

Who got snarky?

 

[DustyGmt]

Who got snarky?

Text tones are tough. I constantly rewrite my online words and depart from how I normally talk because you can't interpret inflections with certainty in text. Been there bruv

 

[Bfh_auto]

I asked a question and you apparently have answered it, no need to get snarky.

I've bought thousands and thousands of ammo over the years and I've never seen that. Thats why I was asking. No big deal.

Probably more a surprised statement than being snarky.
Anyone who's bought much Federal ammo would see this.

 

[Ironicaintit]

Probably more a surprised statement than being snarky.
Anyone who's bought much Federal ammo would see this.

Pretty much.

 

[Ironicaintit]

I asked a question and you apparently have answered it, no need to get snarky.

I've bought thousands and thousands of ammo over the years and I've never seen that. Thats why I was asking. No big deal.

That isn’t the first time the intent of my text has been called into question. im the common denominator, so....
My apologies, it was not my intent.
I was surprised you had not come across it

 

[792mauser]

Yup sealant.
I see a lot of the blue sealer on Magtech ammo from Brazil.
Usually see red, black or occasionally green on us manufactured ammunition.

 

[Bennj]

I also notice this on most of my ammo. Was a little surprised once after shooting some remington I believe, I went to change a mag and found a thin solid red ring of the stuff in the chamber.

 

[Jim Watson]

Don't count on it. The pretty red stuff on a common import was not at all effective under harsh conditions.

 

[DustyGmt]

Don't count on it. The pretty red stuff on a common import was not at all effective under harsh conditions.

S&B? What was your experience?

 

[Skeptic13]

Have to agree. Primer sealant.

 

[MosinT53Hunter]

I have a box of 30 Carbine with that on the primers.

 

[rust collector]

I agree that it's likely primer sealant, but it also occurs to me that it's another way of insuring that the rounds are not reloaded. Note that blue dot forms a witness mark with primer. That may just be an inadvertent side effect, but in our current culture of "it must be someone else's fault" it would not be stupid to take such a precaution.

 

[Speedo66]

On many military cartridges, in addition to the primer sealer, you will also see a color at the point where the bullet enters the case, also sealer.

 

[buck460XVR]

I asked a question and you apparently have answered it, no need to get snarky.

I see no snarkiness here other than your own reply. Saw no indication of condescension, only a precise answer after a innocent question. Didn't see his question as questioning you manhood or gun savvy, just a surprise that being a gun aficionado and a member here for several years that you had not encountered it before. Should be a thank you for the reply instead of a response that seems you are peeved because he knew the answer and you didn't. I thought the same thing when I saw your question. While I have only seen this on a few pieces of ammo over the years, the amount of times I have seen it or seen it discussed here is more than I can remember. Odds are you will think this is being snarky too. But it's not, at least it's not meant to be. I just don't understand jumping all over the response like you did.

I agree that it's likely primer sealant, but it also occurs to me that it's another way of insuring that the rounds are not reloaded. Note that blue dot forms a witness mark with primer. That may just be an inadvertent side effect, but in our current culture of "it must be someone else's fault" it would not be stupid to take such a precaution.

I'm thinking it is a inadvertent side effect of machine sealing. Otherwise we would probably see it on all factory ammo. Ammo like that probably is made using a proprietary propellant which would be more accurate in determining if the ammo was reloaded, than primer sealant. But, you could be correct sir.