Primer/Case Mouth Sealer for CCW cartridges?

[TyRip]

Yes, I have used the search function, thank you for asking.

There seems to be a few companies sealing ammo from the factory (Speer I think is one) but I got to thinking about sealant for carry ammo and wondered if anyone else uses sealant on factory ammo (companies or applied by you after purchase).

In my search for sealant, etc. there are some people talking about sealant for hunting, most old time reloaders say forget it, but I didn't find anything with concealed carry at the focus.

I know that I sometimes get a little bit of powder solvent left over in the cylinder or some oil drips down from the slide rails and gets on a chambered cartridge from a semi auto, as I have felt cartridges that feel slightly slimy or oily, with either solvent or oil. What effect could this have on a cartridge with an unsealed case mouth that has had some oil around the case mouth for 1-3 months? I highly doubt it would cause a serious malfunction, but could it affect enough powder to create a drop in velocity to the point of a bullet failing to open up, etc?

Any thoughts on this or experiences with people sealing factory carry ammo after the fact would be great.

 

[DickM]

There's a thread running currently on Northeast Shooters that discusses this question: http://northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=39438

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

There seems to be a few companies sealing ammo from the factory (Speer I think is one) but I got to thinking about sealant for carry ammo and wondered if anyone else uses sealant on factory ammo (companies or applied by you after purchase).

I have some Speer Gold Dots and they have no external sealant on them. Nor do I recall any on American-made premium defensive ammo. I have seen it on European-made (e.g., S&B, Wolf) ammo. Hunters - who often expose firearms and ammo to inclement weather - may put sealant on their ammo.

I know that I sometimes get a little bit of powder solvent left over in the cylinder or some oil drips down from the slide rails and gets on a chambered cartridge from a semi auto, as I have felt cartridges that feel slightly slimy or oily, with either solvent or oil.

Firearms lubricants and powder solvents are not highly penetrative agents, and the seal between the case mouth/bullet and primer/case is already quite tight. It is almost inconceivable that a little bit is going to hurt anything.

There is of course nothing wrong with applying a little primer sealant yourself. One cannot put a price tag on peace of mind.