Sealing?

[Shihan]

I have some ammo I would like to seal. I have some primer sealer, do you use the same thing to seal the bullet?

[jmart]

Just apply the sealer around the mouth.

But I've got to ask, "Why"?

If anything, just store regular rounds in ammo cans with a dessicant pack or two in them, and store them on a raised shelf so water won't penetrate.

True story -- reloading session gone awry. Loaded some pistol rounds that ended up being too hot, so I disassembled the rounds and recovered the powder and bullets. But now I have a case that needs resized, and the thought of depriming live primers didn't sit too well with me. So I dumped the 20 cases or so in a can of Ed's Red (Acetone/Mineral Spirits/ATF fluid/Kerosene) and let them soak for a day or two.

Now I don't know if you reload, but every piece of literature I've read suggests you must approach primer handling with a surgeon's level of cleanliness. You wash your hands and damn near "scrub in" prior to reloading.

Anyway, just on a lark, I dumped the Ed's Red solution out of the case, and then I chambered the case and pulled the trigger. The primer went off. And realize, this case no sealant or protection of any kind -- the Ed's Red was free to come in contact with the priming compound via the unprotected flash hole.

Needless to say, I still wash my hands prior to a primer-handling session, but I don't obsess about this crap anymore.

That's not to say you shouldn't worry about powder deterioration, but I still contend if you store ammo in the proverbial "cool/dry place", you won't have any issues. JMHO.

[markm]

Now I don't know if you reload, but every piece of literature I've read suggests you must approach primer handling with a surgeon's level of cleanliness. You wash your hands and damn near "scrub in" prior to reloading.

:p

I've never heard of this. Is this supposed to protect the loader or the primers?

Shit! I've picked up individual primers that have fallen on the ground and tossed them back into the primer seating cup.

The only thing I watch out for with primers is keeping them away from penetrating oil. I decap live primers ALL THE TIME. I've never had an issue.

[jmart]

:p

I've never heard of this. Is this supposed to protect the loader or the primers?

Shit! I've picked up individual primers that have fallen on the ground and tossed them back into the primer seating cup.

The only thing I watch out for with primers is keeping them away from penetrating oil. I decap live primers ALL THE TIME. I've never had an issue.

No, it's to keep the primers safe from you. Keeps contaminants from your hands from killing the primers. I started reloading 20 years ago and the conventional wisdom was to scrub your hands and get every last bit of oil, dirt, etc. off of them. let's just say I took this to heart and really went to town scrubbing my hands before a relaoding session.

But when you can soak a primed case for a couple of days in solvents and petroleum-based liquids, and the primer still fires, then let's just say I'm not so anal anymore about scrubbing my hands so robustly.

[ToddG]

Oil vs. Primers (http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot39.htm) at Box of Truth.

Synopsis:


Lessons learned:
1. Was this test "fair"? No, absolutely not.

It was about ten times more severe than any normal situation, where oil might come into casual contact with a cartridge. No one puddles oil on the primers of their ammunition for 6 weeks at a time. This test was a Worse Case Scenario.

Might different ammunition and different oils react differently than those in this test? Yes, that is possible.

2. Will casual oil likely invade and "kill" primers in cartridges? No. This rumor is greatly exaggerated.

3. Is it possible that in some case, under special circumstances, that oil might kill a primer in loaded ammo? Maybe. But it would have to be a worse scenario than this one.

4. Should we then just get oil all over our ammunition? No, of course not. There is no need to court disaster. I will continue to keep my ammunition as dry as possible.

[Shihan]

Just apply the sealer around the mouth.

But I've got to ask, "Why"?

If anything, just store regular rounds in ammo cans with a dessicant pack or two in them, and store them on a raised shelf so water won't penetrate.

True story -- reloading session gone awry. Loaded some pistol rounds that ended up being too hot, so I disassembled the rounds and recovered the powder and bullets. But now I have a case that needs resized, and the thought of depriming live primers didn't sit too well with me. So I dumped the 20 cases or so in a can of Ed's Red (Acetone/Mineral Spirits/ATF fluid/Kerosene) and let them soak for a day or two.

Now I don't know if you reload, but every piece of literature I've read suggests you must approach primer handling with a surgeon's level of cleanliness. You wash your hands and damn near "scrub in" prior to reloading.

Anyway, just on a lark, I dumped the Ed's Red solution out of the case, and then I chambered the case and pulled the trigger. The primer went off. And realize, this case no sealant or protection of any kind -- the Ed's Red was free to come in contact with the priming compound via the unprotected flash hole.

Needless to say, I still wash my hands prior to a primer-handling session, but I don't obsess about this crap anymore.

That's not to say you shouldn't worry about powder deterioration, but I still contend if you store ammo in the proverbial "cool/dry place", you won't have any issues. JMHO.

I dont like having any ammo that is unsealed that will be used as carry ammo.

[markm]

No, it's to keep the primers safe from you. Keeps contaminants from your hands from killing the primers. I started reloading 20 years ago and the conventional wisdom was to scrub your hands and get every last bit of oil, dirt, etc. off of them. let's just say I took this to heart and really went to town scrubbing my hands before a relaoding session.

But when you can soak a primed case for a couple of days in solvents and petroleum-based liquids, and the primer still fires, then let's just say I'm not so anal anymore about scrubbing my hands so robustly.

Even if this notion held any water at all... the ideal choice would be to use latex gloves. I do this sometimes when cleaning brass. I've read that brass tumbling is a high risk area of exposure to lead.

I'm living proof that half assed handling of primers doesn't affect their performance.

[markm]

I dont like having any ammo that is unsealed that will be used as carry ammo.

I tend to agree. But since I don't find that any home method of sealing is worth the effort... I just carry factory ammo.

[Shihan]

I tend to agree. But since I don't find that any home method of sealing is worth the effort... I just carry factory ammo.

Is it that much trouble to do? BTW the stuff im sealing is factory:eek:

[chadbag]

Shooting Illustrated (or whatever that NRA magazine is called -- not the member magazine) recently had an article on sealing primers. They had some interesting conclusions (like if you don't do it right the reliability goes way down and also it is not necessary -- non sealed rounds soaked in water had no problem going bang)

See if you can find it. I sometimes get copies of this magazine from Dillon in my boxes of goodies and it was sometime in the last couple months that I saw it

Chad

[markm]

Is it that much trouble to do? BTW the stuff im sealing is factory:eek:

If it's already assembled there's no effective way to seal the case neck. I don't know how effective primer sealing would be. But I tend to agree with e-guns post.

[Shihan]

Shooting Illustrated (or whatever that NRA magazine is called -- not the member magazine) recently had an article on sealing primers. They had some interesting conclusions (like if you don't do it right the reliability goes way down and also it is not necessary -- non sealed rounds soaked in water had no problem going bang)

See if you can find it. I sometimes get copies of this magazine from Dillon in my boxes of goodies and it was sometime in the last couple months that I saw it

Chad


If you locate which issue and what mag it was in that would be great.

Thanks

[Shihan]

If it's already assembled there's no effective way to seal the case neck. I don't know how effective primer sealing would be. But I tend to agree with e-guns post.

Oh well :D