Does anyone "seal" their cartridge primers after they are loaded. If so what is the best sealer to use, I have a couple of shooting friends that use a clear lacquer, again they only do this to the ammo that would use for hunting.

I don't do it but I've heared that a thin coat of nail polish works.

I tried this once. I saw a product (forget the name) specifically for primer sealing at one of the major shooting (web based) suppliers. Well, it was an unmitigated failure. Using the same batch of primers (CCI 200 - if memory serves), the same cases (Remington - except I used new cases in the hunting loads and reloaded cases in my test loads), the same bullets, same powder, same load, for some reason the primers that been sealed tended to pierce. It happened on multiple primers out of the 20 rounds I had brought hunting. Fortunately it happened while I was checking my zero, and I was able to switch to my other rifle. When I came back home, I tried out my test loads again (remember: same everything as in the hunting loads, except the unsealed primers). No primer problems. I have since used that bunch of primers and never had another problem. Needless to say I was less than impressed and never bothered with primer sealants again. Naturally I can't say whether it was only the specific product I used, or whether I made a mistake applying the product... The military seems to seal their primers, so it must be possible to do right...

FWIW - mike

Sealing of primers is not necessary unless you are hunting, during monsoon season, in the South Pacific.

The only time I ever seald primers and bullets is when I was in florida and was loading for a BangStick. Then I used the cheapest and brightest red fingernail polish I could get.

Worked just fine down to 150 feet...

[ 06-19-2003, 00:38: Message edited by: ricciardelli ]

Have sealed them on my rifle to see what they might do ballistically and did not see any significant difference. I do seal the primers and bullets (wait a day for any compressed air to escape so you don't blow bubbles in the sealant) for my .44Mag since I carry it fishing and want the ammo to still be as good as possible if it goes swimming. I use "George & Roy's" (probably glorified nail polish) that I think I ordered from Cabellas, Midway, or Cheaper Than Dirt.

Deke.

You would be surprised at how water tight your handloads are.

Several years ago during the prep period on the 900 yard line, a hailstorm hit, then it rained hard. When the lightning started, decided to retreat to the van and dumped my ammo in the saddlebag on my shooting stool. Carried all my gear back behind the 1000 yd. line and waited out the storm. When called back to the 900 yd. line, decided I didn't have sufficient time to make it and get my breath, so scratched the 900 yd. match but fell in on the 1000 yd.

When I reached into the saddlebag, I found the ammo had been submerged in 6" of cold water (the temperature had dropped 15-20* during the storm) and had been there for well over an hour. All 17 rounds fired normally and grouped well, much to my surprise.

Regards,
hm

I tried primer sealer once and didn't like the mess. I decided to find out if I really needed it. I loaded 20 rounds of 270 Winchester with CCI 200 BR primers. I put 10 loaded rounds in (initially) very hot tap water and left them there for a week. Then, I took all 20 rounds to the range and shot groups. There was no difference between the 4 5-shot groups as to size or POI.

I quit using the primer sealer.

When we first moved to Montana we loaded 500 rnds before we left. We stored our stuff in a tent and it didn't last through the winter and all of our bullets were under water and ice most of the winter and spring. That summer afer things dried out we chot those up for practice, only 4 rnds didn't fire. I really don't think the it's necessarry unless you're going to store them in a cellar for 50 years or so.

I often hunt under the rain, so I seal the primers of my hunting loads. Nail polish works for me . I brush minimum amount of polish around the groove between the primer and case, and I do this after seating the bullet.

The idea is to only seal the small groove or ring around the primer, and not to cover the primer itself.

I seal priers with nail polish. I get it from the dollar store or thrift store. I put a dab on the primer and while still wet lightly wipe the base of the cartidge across a paper napkin. Seems to work well for me. My hunting partner tried nail polish on his pistol primers and didnt wipe it off...stopped the cylinder from turning.