I've been reloading for over 30 years and have never sealed a primer. I understand that the military does it because of battlefield conditions and long term storage. Do any of you seal primers? If so, what do you use? Are there any cautions that apply?

Thanks.

Only for my SCUBA loads. And, I use the cheapest red fingernail polish I can find.

ricciardelli,

Thanks for the reply. I really enjoyed your website. Great history and lots of lessons learned which I likewise experienced. I will give the nail polish a try.

Thanks.

What is it that you would hope to accomplish by sealing primers that you have so far been unable to accomplish in 30 years of reloading?

My wife had a bunch of old purple nail polish she never uses.....sooooo, I am stuck with the purple. I usually seal only my hunting ammo, in case I accidentally drop it in the creek or the swamp near my blind.

Stonecreek,

Long term storage. I am finding that I have loaded shells that didn't get used for many years. Mostly because I forget which box they are in. Of course you are right. It would be better to just put the stuff in an ammo can and label it.

Henly, Texas! I had forgotten about Henly, Texas. Do you happen to know the Reimers next door to the Old Hamilton Pool? (They used to own it before it was made into a park). Very old friends.

SD/S:

I've had reloads over 40 yrs old and they shot just fine. The only problems I've ever had with misfire's and hangfire's could always be traced back to when I was just beginning and used engine oil for case lube and never cleaned the cases out afterwards. Most of those didn't fire at all as the primers were dead. Including one that's still on the hillside after that loud: "SNAP!" when aiming at a big bull elk in the moonlite so close his body filled my K4 so much I had to look to the side to tell what part of him I was pointed at. In feet in other words! I'd walked into a herd somehow. IT's a wonder I didn't get run over as they ran all around me for half a minute it seemed. Couldn't have been that long as I didn't get a shot off at all, only that dud.

Another time an uncle gave me some really old military 06 shells with 240gr steel jacketed RN's. Must have been near 200 of them in all. Hell, whoever heard of 240gr bullets in 06??? 220's sure. But, not 240's.

Do wish I still had some so I could inspect to make sure they didn't come in the original '03 rounds. Which would be real collectors items.

Anyway, shooting them at big rocks making little rocks they seemed to fire fine. Til one just hissed long and loud out the gas port. Knowing it hadn't gone off. Pulled the bolt and the slug was jammed about 3/4 up the bore.

Gunsmith had hell over three days with an electric hammer trying to drive it out and was just about to give up on a lost barrel when it finally started moving and got it out.

He told me those shells were no less than 50 yrs old. That was about 1959-60. They'd been stored in an unheated block garage in a coffee can under the bench most of those yrs.

After that one failed I pulled them all down and replaced the powder and primers. In those days that was a major expense as primers were 35 cents/100 and powder was 50 cents a pound, wages about 90 cents/hr.

But, I did finish up shooting all the bullets.

It don't take much to seal primers and bullets. Something thin that will penetrate is what I'd use. Say, thinned nail polish, or thinned LocTite maybe, hahaha! Nah, wouldn't go that far. But, most any real thin penetrating liquid that dries quickly should work. Believe I'd use a toothpick to apply a tiny drop to the groove.

Though I'd bet because primers left in their 100 pc boxes for 32 yrs worked fine. Doubt any of us would live long enough to find our reloads had died from age. Once I found a couple shells I'd dropped in a creek crossing the yr before and they fired ok the next season.

Do it right, not the way I've tried things a few times, stay safe,

George

I did a test once, left a reloaded round in a glass of water overnight. It did NOT go bang the day after. So if you'r hunting for under very wet conditions, why not seal?

georgeld,

One of the greatest things about this forum is the personal histories that folks take the time to share. And your response is wonderful. Thanks for sharing those learning experiences.


beefeater2,

I agree, why not! I probably won't seal all of them, but whatever might be used on a major hunt certainly justifies the time.

Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by SD Shooter:
georgeld,

One of the greatest things about this forum is the personal histories that folks take the time to share. And your response is wonderful. Thanks for sharing those learning experiences...

Yes indeed, fine stories!

I seal my hunting loads. The rest I shoot as soon as I load them. I have the advantage of having my shooting bench about 30 paces from my loading bench, so I don't keep any loaded ammo on hand, except what I use hunting, and maybe 15 to 20 rounds left over from the last hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by ricciardelli:
Only for my SCUBA loads. And, I use the cheapest red fingernail polish I can find.

Ricciardelli,

Sorry to bother, but I can't find your notes on the polish. Could you narrow it down for me?

Thanks!

friar

In my experiment, I loaded 20 rounds of 270 Win without any primer sealer. I put 10 rounds in a container of very hot tap water and left them to soak for a week. After that, I took all 20 rounds to the range and fired 4 five-round groups in an accurate rifle. All rounds fired and there was no appreciable difference in the groups.

It was just one of those things I had to check out for myself.

SD/S: Hell of a deal!

Most times I catch shit for my SOB opinions!!

Thanks, appreciate a good word now and then.

George

I seal my duck and goose loads. In the excitement things start sloshing around in the bottom of the canoe, or even fall out into the water.

I thin plain translucent nail polish with (ta da!) nail polish thinner. "Streetwalker Red" and other loud nail polishes have a lot of solids in them, and don't thin too well.

I use clear TRV silicone sealant (made by Permatex/Loctite) for the mouths of the shells. System works great.

I seal all my wet weather center fire ammunition around the primer. Easier to explain to myself why I did it and didn't need too, than the converse.

I spent some time walking through streams and shallow rivers for my uncle during my misspent youth. All that stuff was sealed. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Any hunting ammo that I sell will be sealed around the primer. If a customer wants, I'll be happy to seal around the mouth with an asphalt type compound just like the military MG ammo.

Use belts & suspenders, and hold up the waist line, why not???

LD

I seal, not only to keep moisture out, but also to color code different loads. I use nail polish that I get from "everything for a dollar store". After I finish loading, I put some nail polish on the primer and then swipe it over a paper napkin. This leaves a ring of sealer around the primer.Works for me.