Ammo sealing

DT741

DT741

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I dont get to shoot as much as I used to (family and work) but would like to keep a good quantity of reloaded ammo ready for the range as well as some reloaded hunting ammo handy.

My questions are:

1- is there a way to seal the primer and case mouth like we see on surplus ammo and some newly commercial hunting ammo ? (Bought some powershok 303 and the primer pocket is filled with blue stuff)

2- would there be any real benefits of this extra step ? I do store my ammo in a dry environment but I guess it wouldnt hurt.

3- what do you use and how do you proceed ?


Waiting for inputs from the reloading Gurus


Thank you very much
 
Good question! I have also been thinking of storing some of my loaded ammo long term. I was planning on tossing in one or two of those silica packs to absorb any moisture that my couse grief. Anyone else doing something like this? I also wear gloves whenever loading, I find it really reduces corrosion on the cases and projectiles. I cant seem to remove fingerprints when tumbling even if tumbled for many hours, ie 8 hours +. (Hornady Tumbler 50/50 mix of corn cob and wulnut)

Also may be a good idea to define what you are considering "long term". 1-2 years or 4-5 years or even 10 years?

I have shot some very very old stuff, probably from Canadian Tire, of my Fathers a while back from the 60s-70s era, other than the smoke smelling a little off from ussual all seemed to be funtioning and accurate. When this stuff was originally manufactured and stored, long term storage was not the first thing on guys minds at the time. My point is, ammo seems to be able to hold a long self-life naturally. There must be a few details if thought of ahead of time that can increase this even more.

Nate
 
Nate.308 said:
I get theres no experation date on metal lol but how long do you think powder stays viable for?
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I have heard of folks using powder and ammo from WW2. Also saw a documentary where a forgotten WW1 mine stuffed with powder from the era was ignited successfully. I would say that 40+ years for powder stored in cool, dry conditions would not be unrealistic. I understand that ball powders are more stable than stick powders due to the powder chemistry so the type of powder composition will make a difference.

Here is an interesting article.
http://www.rifleshootermag.com/reloading/how-to-determine-gunpowder-shelf-life/
 
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I've heard of guys using clear nail polish around the bullet-neck joint and around the primers. I don't see much of a point though. If you left unsealed ammo submerged in water for several days, it could get water inside if you had a not-so-tight fit of bullet or primer to case. Somewhat recently here on CGN guys reported that they left unsealed reloads in buckets of water for 3-5 days as a test and they all went off. With enough neck tension and good primer pocket tightness you don't need a sealant; it's just extra insurance. If you aren't leaving your ammo submerged in water, I wouldn't bother applying any sealant. I've shot unsealed civilian ammo from the 1950's without issue.
 
I have used nail polish (red or blue) to seal the primers on ammo that is to be stored or taken on an airplane.

I give the primer a heavy coat NP and make sure the edge of the primer where it meets the case is full. Let stand for an hour, then remove "most" of the NP with NP remover. It leaves a ascetically pleasing ring around the primer (similar to the blue ring on Federal ammo).

To seal the case neck, a good crimp should be all that is required.

I don't do this very often. The last time was for 150 rnds of 378 Weatherby Mag that was going to Africa. Red sealant for the 300gr solids, and blue for 300gr Partitions.

I have 243, 270, 280 & 30-06 hand loads that are over a decade old that are not sealed, that still go bang and are as accurate as they were built to be.

As far as I am concerned, if stored in a reasonable fashion (ie at home) there should be no need for any kind of sealant!
 
There is absolutely no need to seal case mouths or primers. I have used ammunition that was over 40 years old with no issues at all. Attempting to seal your loads would be a make work project with no practical benefit.
 
stubblejumper said:
There is absolutely no need to seal case mouths or primers. I have used ammunition that was over 40 years old with no issues at all. Attempting to seal your loads would be a make work project with no practical benefit.
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Once again, I must agree wholeheartedly with Stubble. Absolutely no need to seal ammo.
There are much better ways to spend time at the loading bench. Dave.
 
Seals the deal for me :p

My "long term" storage definition is like 1 or 2 years, so no need for sealing I guess.

Just curious about the nail polish application, how is it done ?
 
DT741 said:
Just curious about the nail polish application, how is it done ?
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The guys I talked to said just use the included brush in the bottle. One pass around the joint between bullet and case neck and one dab over the primer. You want full coverage but as thin as possible.
That being said, I've never done it myself and don't see myself doing it.
 
Ganderite said:
take one of your loaded rounds, put it in a pants pocket and put it through a washing machine cycle.

when it goes bang you will know they guys above were 100% correct.
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Ive done that a few times, as well as finding ammo while hunting or at the range that has been outside in the weather for at least some time.
 
There might be a benefit to sealing ammo that is to be exposed long term to a marine environment, or for use in the jungle conditions of Central and South America, but not for storage in your gun room.
 
I was thinking about sealing 303b since I dont shoot a huge volume like I do with 5.56/7.62/9mm. Not really planning any amphibious assault with the Jungle Carbine :p

I'll stick to proper storage :p
 
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