Primer/bullet sealer

[PO2Hammer]

I was shooting some Blazer aluminum .40/180 FMJ when I got caught in a downpour. I spilled the box of ammo on the wet bench, so I scooped it all into a plastic bag and threw it in the van. Found it a week later and about half of the first magazine failed to fire when I tried them. Threw out the rest because I didn't want to risk a squib.
Maybe the aluminum cases had something to do with it, but it does happen.

I do make 'premium' .357 handloads for long term storage where I seal the primer, but not the case mouth. I figure crimping into the side of a knurled, swaged lead bullet coated with liquid Alox should seal the front pretty well.

 

[blarby]

I have 10 in the water sealed, and ten unsealed.

@ DBR : Thats a REALLY good idea, I never would have thought of that. Loctite goes A LONG WAY and it's pretty cheap ! I must say it'll probably smell better than the lacquer combo....... thats a real heady mix.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Maybe the aluminum cases had something to do with it, but it does happen

I've no doubt that it could happen and will. What happened to PO2hammer sounds right to me.

I would think that with a moisture problem that the velocities would be all over the place, not slowly rise from putting cold ammo in a hotter and hotter barrel like was happening in the chart that smitty linked to.

Blarby, I hope your concoction works for you, it's something we all could use when hunting in an ass soaking cold rain.

 

[Hondo 60]

I had a round go through 4 cycles in the washing machine.
(I know for a fact it went through 4 cuz I did the laundry, and I know what pants it was in.)

About 4 days later I went to the range & it fired just fine.
I didn't chrono it, so I can't say it had the same velocity as the other rounds, but it felt & sounded fine.

 

[PO2Hammer]

I wonder if my Blazer rounds would have fired if they had a week to dry instead of a week sitting inside a wet plastic bag.

 

[blarby]

Ok, kinda forgot about 'em.

Went and pulled 'em out.

Pulled two- powder wet.

Ok, that didn't work.


I guess its on to green loctite !

 

[Bull Nutria]

regarding picking up 22LR bullets out of a mud puddle good luck! I had about 250 REM HP "golden Bullets" in a plastic peanut jar that fell into the bottom of a boat and got wet. only about 1 in 15 would shoot!! don't depend on 22's being water proof!!

Bull

 

[x_wrench]

i use it. good accurate hand-load hunting ammo is expensive, and i pull out ALL the stops to make the very best ammo i can for hunting. i do not make a lot of it, and i do not shoot it up after season so i can make more next season. i want it to last indefinitely. i also hunt in any weather, and while rain is not my favorite, i will not go home because of it. critters still have to go about their every day activities, rain, snow, sleet, or sunshine. i have seen non sealed ammo loose velocity and accuracy as it gets old. we still have some of the yellow box 300 H&H magnum shells our father bought 30+ years ago. it has slowed considerably with age. to less than 30-06 velocities, and the accuracy is not so good either. in the off season, all the hunting ammo goes into mil surplus steel ammo cans with good seals. betwee that, and sealing the primers and bullets with the sealer should keep them fit for more years than i will be able to hunt. so my son will have good ammo for many years to come. some people scoff at it as a waste of time and money. but i scoff at wasting good hunting ammo every year for the sake of buying or making new next year. every batch of components has the possibility of being just enough different to need minor tweaks to get the most out of it. this way, i do not have to worry about it.