Noob ? - Primer sealer?

[Newtosavage]

Started handloading recently with a Lee Loader in .308. Been successful so far (save a few detonated primers, but I have a hand primer now). Haven't blown myself up and the rounds are shooting at least as good as any of 5 factory rounds I've tried in my gun.

What I'm wondering is whether it's necessary to seal the primers. I could tell that my Federal ammo had blue primer sealer. Couldn't tell about the other brands. I saw some sealer at Cabelas when I was picking out my hand primer but wasn't sure if it is really necessary.

Thanks.

 

[westy39]

A primer sealer? Well I am no where near what one would consider an expert reloader. I have only been reloading for almost 3 years. I don't use`anything like a primer sealer, now keep in mind that I live in Montana. Montana isn't know for high humidity. I would check the forum often as I am sure that someone with much more knowledge will give you sound and sage advice. Just my thoughts from the big sky country,

 

[taliv]

it's necessary if you want to keep water out, but i'd be surprised if even 1 reloader in 1000 do it regularly.

i bought some primer sealer and tried it. looks and smells suspiciously like finger nail polish. i never use it, though i might if i had a stage in my dillon to apply it automagically.

 

[rcmodel]

Not necessary.

Don't waste your time & money.

Military ammo is sealed, because it might live in a foxhole full of water at some point.
You probably aren't that hard core with your reloads.

rc

 

[.452]

Primer sealer not needed for hobby shooting. Extra material to gunk up a gun in my opinion. I do use a red paint pen on +P+ loads in a circle around the primer, to alert me that the round is higher than normal pressure (so it goes only into the right gun)

 

[Newtosavage]

You probably aren't that hard core with your reloads.

You can say that.

Not looking to add another step for no reason. Sounds like I'm fine without it. Thanks. Just trying to confirm what I already suspected.

 

[exbrit49]

Never sealed a primer in 30 years and .........

Never used a primer sealer in over 30 years of reloading. Had a lot of .38s accidentally go through the washing machine. Other half complains loudly!!! ( I forget about them and they get left in the pockets of my jeans).
Most of them get thrown in my junk box and invariably get shot off at the range, I bet i have had this happen to 50 rounds over the years and there was probably only one fail to fire.
One thing I have always done is to check my brass for loose primer pockets and I can very definitely feel a loose primer, and if I come across a loose one, it goes in a plastic bag and will eventually get shot and then the brass is discarded.
So from my washing machine experience I would say sealing is not needed for regular storage and shooting.

 

[BigBore45]

I use it on my carry rounds mostly to show there +p. Same for my 3rd tier .45 colt loads

 

[SuperNaut]

Once I've worked up a load to what I think is optimum I'll pick 10 or so of the best examples out a batch, seal the primers and stash them away. Over time I've ended up with a good collection of premium sealed ammo in all of my favorite calibers.

 

[Shootshellz]

I have used clear nail polish to seal the primers on reloaded hunting shotshells but never rifle reloads.

 

[rcmodel]

I have dropped reloaded shot shells in a flooded duck blind.

Then found them a week later when the water went down.

They were not sealed.

They all fired.

Again.
Sealing primers with nail polish or commercial sealer is a waste of time & money.

rc

 

[Jim K]

Most factory commercial and all military ammunition has sealed primers not so much to keep out moisture but to keep out oil and cleaning solvents, especially for those who have a habit of hosing a loaded gun down with a spray cleaner/solvent.

If you want to seal primers, fingernail polish does the job and different colors can be used to mark different loads or to distinguish your brass at the local range.

Jim

 

[rcmodel]

Magic Markers work just as well, and is much easier to mark your brass at the range.

rc

 

[hdwhit]

Sealing Primers

Sealing primers is not necessary. The fit between the case's primer pocket and the primer is tight enough to keep out moisture.

I have seen where penetrating oil has contaminated rounds and caused problems with the primers, but as long as you don't to soak your ammunition in WD40, that's probably not much of a worry.

Still, I DO seal the primers.

I use fingernail polish. I put 25 primed cases mouth down in a reloading block and then dab a little fingernail polish on the end. By the time I get to the 25th case, the excess polish is ready to be wiped off the first case with a kleenex. It takes just a little practice to get just the colorful ring around the primer and not just paint the primer.

I have never had any problem with nail polish reside getting on the bolt or around the firing pin. There is sometimes a faint red mark on the bolt face but normal cleaning takes it right off.

I started out just using black nail polish because I thought it looked nice, but now I let the black nail polish mark first reloading, red for second, blue for the third, white for the fourth, and so on (I haven't gotten to fifth on my brass and color choices are limited so I don't know if I'll have the nerve to use something like hot pink). If a cartridge ever gets away from its storage box with the loading data label on it, I at least know how many times it has been fired.

Cheap nail polishes seem to work just as well as the expensive ones. You might want to have your wife or girlfriend buy it for you. In the small town I lived when I did most of my reloading, I got funny looks from the girls behind the cosmetic counter.

 

[Shootshellz]

rcmodel: Just because YOUR reloaded shotguns shells went 'boom' after being underwater without a sealed primer does not mean MINE would do the same (especially underneath saltwater). Kind of like claiming you don't need tire chains when it snows. Depends if you are in Kansas (no mountains) vs. Washington (lots of mountains).