Waterproofing handloads??
- Thread starter SA85M1
- Start date
- Location
- St. Paul AB
Clear nail polish around the primer pocket. The neck tension between the bullet and case neck should be sufficient to repel water, but you could dab some there too if you like.
You can use coloured stuff, but don't use too much. Your ammo will look cheap and trashy.
You can use coloured stuff, but don't use too much. Your ammo will look cheap and trashy.
- Location
- St. Paul AB
The Neighbour of the Beast comes up with a zinger.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
It's true you can use nail polish. But, as a guy who has taken the odd unintended swim in a beaver pond with his ammo in his pocket I can tell you it takes a lot to make reloaded ammo wet through.
I have walked for miles with soaked pants, from the above, and from rain and snow, never had an issue with the ammo in my pockets.
As I was using a 94 Winchester, the ammo, a few extra rounds, was loose in my pocket.
I have walked for miles with soaked pants, from the above, and from rain and snow, never had an issue with the ammo in my pockets.
As I was using a 94 Winchester, the ammo, a few extra rounds, was loose in my pocket.
blacksmithden
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
It's not something you really have to worry about. See John Y's post above and add my name to it. Change "beaver pond" to "Georgian Bay" or "Spectical Lake".
nail polish 'eh...I can raid the wife's stock for somethin there....heh,.. I'd like to see the internet commando take his pretty red umbrella through a stand of scrub spruce....
I have had reloads go through the washer and dryer and still fire! Soap decreases the surface tension, so if the soap and water mix won't get through, it is unlikely that water ever would.
Interesting ! Also, in the absence of some pressure differential, water doesn't just "go" into an enclosed space.
I expect this whole nail polish thing originated with some guy needing a quick excuse for having his wife's nail polish out. Kinda like when your wife finds the "panties" in the glove box you have to start wearing em,,
.
Ditto, and mine was a cast bullet, black powder .32WCF load!
I tried it next day, and it went off with the usual (SNAP)! I do seat a very thin wad of beeswax over the powder, so maybe that helped.
troutseeker
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Prince George, BC
I dropped a handloaded cartridge in a glass of water for 10 days,went outside and BOOM!
I did the same but only for a week, BOOM!
I sincerely doubt that leakage will be a problem with any modern ammunition. Hand loaded or not. The swaging effect of pressing the primer and bullet into the case will give you a far more effective seal than anything you could add.
The so called sealants we sometimes see on milsurp ammunition, isn't a sealant. It's there to keep the bullets in place under harsh conditions, that may create internal gasses and high heat from rapid fire. Remember, anything you seal the cartridge with, around the bullet and case neck area, will increase pressures. Probably not a real problem in most case scenarios but if you're loading to near max pressures already, could easily be a cause of case failure.
I have a hundred or so 1930s dated 303Brit that I found at the bottom of a well. That was in the late 60s, so they were there for at least 10 years before I found them. That's how long we owned the place before hand. They were covered in grime but cleaned up like new. Apparently, in deeper water corrosion isn't much of a factor. There were also several dozen bottles of beer as well. The lables were still intact and the caps had a bit of rust but that's it. The beer was skunky but clear.
Those cartridges all hang fire. Not because of moisture intrusion though but because of primer deterioration. I suspect that's why they were down there in the first place. The well is long gone by the way. It was wooden cribbed and deteriorating. That's why we explored it in the first place. I know this stuff is off topic but the fact that the ammunition was submerged for that length of time and still dry inside is relavent.
The so called sealants we sometimes see on milsurp ammunition, isn't a sealant. It's there to keep the bullets in place under harsh conditions, that may create internal gasses and high heat from rapid fire. Remember, anything you seal the cartridge with, around the bullet and case neck area, will increase pressures. Probably not a real problem in most case scenarios but if you're loading to near max pressures already, could easily be a cause of case failure.
I have a hundred or so 1930s dated 303Brit that I found at the bottom of a well. That was in the late 60s, so they were there for at least 10 years before I found them. That's how long we owned the place before hand. They were covered in grime but cleaned up like new. Apparently, in deeper water corrosion isn't much of a factor. There were also several dozen bottles of beer as well. The lables were still intact and the caps had a bit of rust but that's it. The beer was skunky but clear.
Those cartridges all hang fire. Not because of moisture intrusion though but because of primer deterioration. I suspect that's why they were down there in the first place. The well is long gone by the way. It was wooden cribbed and deteriorating. That's why we explored it in the first place. I know this stuff is off topic but the fact that the ammunition was submerged for that length of time and still dry inside is relavent.
