sealing primers

[SSN Vet]

Anybody out there using fingernail polish (AKA Laquer) to seal primers on hand loaded self defense ammo, that you want to be uber reliable and may have on the shelf for a while?

Any other recommendations?

 

[deputy bruce]

primer sealant

I have never do the sealing but it would probably be a good idea for longer shelf life

 

[mdi]

My only thought is the military does it so it may be worthwhile. FWIW, I have some .44 magnums I reloaded in '89 that still shoot fine that are stored in plastic ammo boxes and on a shelf in a cabinet. No primer seal. But, it's your ammo, your time (wouldn't be too time consuming nor too much work to dab a bit of primer sealer on the ammo) so if you feel it would benefit your ammo, do it!...

 

[Sunray]

Your storage conditions matter more than any lacquer. Cool and dry. Military sometimes seals because they have no idea where that ammo may end up. Desert conditions or very high humidity jungle.

 

[entropy]

I don't use handloads for SD ammo. I use factory ammo designed for SD or for Duty.

 

[Walkalong]

No, sealed them up in an ammo can. Too much trouble for me to fool with for the remote chance it will make a difference someday.

 

[Steve C]

Sealing primers is to prevent oil contamination esp. from penetrating oils and spray on lubricants. For anything else primers in a well fitting pocket are pretty immune.

 

[Grumulkin]

I have tried sealing primers with made for the purpose primer sealer and it's a pain. For what it't worth, I have handloads from well over a decade ago that I've used with nary a misfire and the primers weren't sealed.

 

[gamestalker]

I only carry my reloads for SD.

I don;t seal my primers, and I have some that are 1,2 decades old that always go boom. I had a box of reloads get soaked in the rain, and I didn't realize it until they had been sitting in water for several days. I dried the outside off, and every single one of them fired normal. They were all nickel plated brass, other wise I'm pretty sure the brass would have tarnished really badly, as did a box of .270 win that got wet last deer season, but even those went bang.

I've never had a reload of mine misfire, I can't say the same for factory ammunition though.

GS

 

[rcmodel]

IMO: Total waste of time.

rc

 

[cheygriz]

I use thinned, lacquer based nail polish. I put a drop on the top of the primer, give it a second to run down the sides of the primer pocket, then wipe off the top with on old rag.

 

[SSN Vet]

IMO: Total waste of time.

Well then, according to my wife, I should be very good at it

 

[homatok]

I use certain colours as load identifiers. I guess it seals them as well but I don't think that is really necessary.

 

[Garrobo]

I have some

German military 8mm cartridges for a machine gun dated 1932 which have what looks like creosote in the necks and some sort of red lacquer covering the primers which still fire. They have some sort of flake powder and 196 grain FMJ bullets. I think that they were prepared this way so as to keep water or other moisture out of the case. I've bought old rifle ammo which had to be 20-30 years old which fired OK also.

 

[MajorMagnetic]

Hello...why are you wasting your powder and time on self defense loads? The SD loads you buy are much better than what you can load yourself. Here's why:

1 The bullets have been tested to make sure they expand properly.
2 The cases are nickel coated so they don't corrode (such as from handling)
3 the cases and the primers are sealed
4 The powder is a proprietary recipe and loaded very accurately for performance
5 This type of SD ammo has a shelf life of at least ten years

Generally, you can load better ammo then factory ammo, but not when it comes to SD loads.
Spend the $20-$30 for a box of SD ammo and be done with it. Get on with making your every day ammo.

HTH
MM

 

[RainDodger]

In the interest of staying on topic, I'll say that I've never found a need to seal primers in decades of hand loading.

(In response to MajorMagnetic, pretty much every single point has an accurate counterpoint - you can do all of that with hand loads, from bullet and case type, to accurate performance and shelf life.... AND it's far cheaper. Just sayin'.)

 

[SSN Vet]

why are you wasting your powder and time on self defense loads?

I haven't bought factory ammo in (accept for 22 LR and 12 ga trap shells) in >5 years.

I don't consider cutting my ammo cost (SD or otherwise) to be a waste of time.

Debating the merits of loading ones own SD ammo is not the topic of this thread. If you like to debate that topic, please open your own thread and leave mine alone.

 

[H&R Glock]

I had to smile at this post, as I use black fingernail polish, thinned with acetone, to seal my 50 BMG loads. The mess down the cartridge head helps me identify the age of the loads as I alternate colors.
I was told that this did not lock in the primer, as I had hoped, as 55K PSI will back out the primer to the bolt head no matter what color or designer cosmetic I choose.
This is definitely not a handgun cartridge, but the post rang my bell!

 

[horseman1]

I used some of the wife's fingernail polish around the primer one time to mark brass that the primer pocket was starting to get loose. I just used it to mark the brass as "do not reload and throw in the scrap bucket". Now I use a green sharpie marker to do the same thing. Just thought I would try it for the entertainment value. Seemed to work fine and didnt make a mess in the chamber as far as I could tell. The marker is easier to see as they are laying on the ground.

H1

 

[Rule3]

When you are a SEAL or RANGER and need to go underwater with you "weapon" then worry about sealed primers. Also be sure to tar coat the bullet to seal it also.

 

[gamestalker]

Alrighty then, reloaded SD ammo is a waste of time, hmm.

I've had exactly zero misfires with any SD load, factory has failed me numerous times.

Reloaded SD ammo performance and accuracy has been stellar, because it is made to accommodate my handguns, not every handgun made.

All my SD loads have been tested extensively for expansion, penetration and velocity performance.

It's extremely cost effective, always available, thus I'm able to practice with it regularly, not so with factory.

Reloaded SD ammo is assembled with precision, one at a time, factory is mass produced.

All my SD loads are nickel plated brass, so is factory.

I haven't shot a factory loaded SD round in probably 25 to 30 years, because I trust mine more.

Sorry for getting off topic.

If sealing primers helps you sleep better, have at it, reloading allows us the freedom to do things like this if we feel it helps.

GS

 

[OYE]

Markron makes primer and bullet sealant. Cabelas still carries it. About 8.00
a bottle. Does about a thousand rounds.

Guess you can test some reloads (without powder) soaking in water for as long as you want to see how it does without sealer. Then you'll know for sure. OYE

 

[jmorris]

If stuff is going to sit in a drawer for a long time at my house it is generally in its original box or jug.

I don't load up stuff to just let it sit, I may want to use the powder, primer or bullets for something else.

That said I have some primers that are well over 20 years old that have never been sealed up and all of them still go bang.

Search for a "how to kill a primer" thread, you might not be as concerned at that point.

 

[243winxb]

Waterproof Ammo

PRIMER SEALANT: Water resistant lacquer is used by Federal on XM193 & case mouth sealant is also used . http://www.mlefiaa.org/files/ERPR/XM193.pdf Lake City Army Ammunition is also tested for waterproofing. http://www.army.mil/article/11859 If your going into the water, do seal the ammo. I dont. For long term storage, there are other things to worry about. Some powders have special additives for long term storage.

 

[Twiki357]

I don’t see any reason to seal the primers unless the ammunition is going to be exposed to severe conditions. I recently found some 38 & 357 I loaded back in the late 1960s that got buried in the back of a closet shelf. They all went bang.