primer pocket sealant
How does a ammo manufacturer apply primer pocket sealant? I would assume after the primer is in place...is it something the average guy can do assuming you can get the sealant...any ideas where you can buy the sealant? Thanks.
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I think you can get it at Brownels but why ? 0 -
unless you are planning on storing ammo under water I don,t think you will have a need for sealant. I would not buy up a big bunch of reloading supplies TODAY or the near future I think price a year from now will be lower . 0 -
5mmgunguy,
Primer sealant is available through many sources labeled as such. In reality, you can use your wife's or daughter's finger nail polish at a greatly reduced cost. Besides, it becomes a method of color coding when testing if so desired.
Do you really need it?
In most cases, probably not. But you can test the need by making a few cartridges complete and submerging them under water for a few days to see if there is any adverse effect. Remember that there are two ways into a cartridge case:
The primer pocket/flash hole
The neck
If you feel the need to seal one, you should probably consider sealing the other. The military used a petroleum distillate product, in my opinion, very similar to tar, to seal the necks of ammunition.
Under normal and even some exceptionally adverse conditions including being submerged in a river for a bit, I've never needed to seal any ammunition.
Best.0 -
I've used fingernail polish for years with no problem. It also helps me keep track of how many times a case has been loaded and to sort them. As a test I put some 45 ACP cartridges in water for a week the took them out and fired them still wet, no problem. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by edharold
As a test I put some 45 ACP cartridges in water for a week the took them out and fired them still wet, no problem.
But did you do a control test with unsealed ones to see if they worked too? Without that there really was no test to prove if it was the polish that made it work.0 -
A long time ago we had a wringer washing machine (remember those?). When the washing was finished the water had to be emptied into a pail and then dumped outside so that became my job. Since it was my job, I put it off as long as possible. Once when I emptied the water, I found a .220 Swift cartridge in the bottom that had been in the pocket of my jeans and had laid in the origionally hot, soapy water for several days. The next time I was at the range, I fired that cartridge and it went right into the group with the others. No sealant. 0 -
My understanding is that this sealant is applied after the rounds are primed and loaded at the factory.
The quick answer to the question is that you can use ordinary nail-polish as a reasonably good sealant at home. Just brush on a thin layer around the primer pocket and case mouth and let dry.
Other lacquers could work as well, but the nail polish is used most frequently because its so inexpensive, readily available, and relatively fast drying.
Personally, I've never deliberately "kerplunked" a round into a bucket of water to test it, but I have shot a few rounds wet from rain and whatnot over the years, and never had an issue.
Having pretty tight neck and primer crimps, I bet lots of unsealed factory ammo *could* in fact, be entirely immersed in shallow water without being affected.
Rimfire ammo, obviously, has no primer pocket to let in water, plus lots of the .22s use wax-coated bullets, with the wax potentially acting as a seal.
Really deep water would be a different story, as the water pressure would be much higher.
And to be fair, reloaded ammo may use brass that has been reworked multiple times. Priming and depriming multiple times can stretch the primer pocket, making the primer fit less tight. Also, home reloaders may not use quite as uniform or tight a crimp on their rounds as the factory does with its professional machines and brand new cases. So reloads might be a little more susceptible to water damage.
I could see trying to waterproof reloads or even ordinary loads, *IF* they were for a critical application where you think there is some chance they could get wet (eg a hunt, for example).
But in general, if this is a real issue, its probably best to just store the ammo in a waterproof container until it needs to be used.0 -
Thanks guys, appreciate the help! 0 -
Let me add to this, Most primers today are somewhat waterproof even out of the case. Most priming compounds used are not water soluble. To you hand loaders, try this little test. Put five of your new primers in a glass of water for about 2 hours, then let then air dry for a short time, load them up in your shells....I bet they ALL fire fine, The only common solvent I found that kills primers is WD 40 or similar agents. bob 0
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