tbone Member Posts: 2 (2/20/03 6:14:03 pm) Reply | Edit | Del All primer and bullet sealer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyone have any good ideas for for the handloader to seal bullets and primers? Are any of the anaerobic adhesives ("LocTite" etc.) applicable? reload9mm Member Posts: 13 (2/21/03 12:20:39 am) Reply | Edit | Del Re: primer and bullet sealer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anaerobic adhesives? Never heard of them....Why do you want to "seal" the bullets and primers? Usually, the primers and bullets are "sealed" good enough not to use any kind of sealant. Plus you run the risk of contaminating the powder with any kind of stuff you put on there. What caliber are you reloading? If you crimp the case, that should be good enough to seal the bullet. I have seen military brass (bullets)sealed with tar and also a primer sealant, but that's because they get wet, and they want it to shoot when it gets wet. Are you planning on getting it wet? Dan tbone Member Posts: 3 (2/21/03 1:14:47 am) Reply | Edit | Del primer and bullet sealer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, I've never sealed them before, but I want them to work even if they get wet. Anaerobics are like thread sealers to lock nuts onto bolts. They only solidify in the absence of oxygen. A slight wipe on the partially inserted bullet and primer before they are completely seated should work, but it's only one idea. I was wondering if anyone had experience in sealing. MTaylor Member Posts: 49 (2/21/03 7:28:19 am) Reply | Edit | Del Re: primer and bullet sealer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uh...not sure you want to get loctite between the case and the bullet. Loctite will cause the pressure to go up. You want something that will adhere to the OUTSIDE of the case and bullet without BONDING the bullet to the case. A little dab of fingernail polish ought to do what you want. Then wipe excess with a rag. You dont want it gumming the action and the polish will drop into the minute cavities between the primer and case, and bullet and case.
Primer Sealer It is very good practice to seal primers in reloaded ammo and factory ammo that is not already sealed. A few primer sealing compounds are available in some of the better-known shooting supply catalogs. Sealed primers not only offer the highest level of waterproofing, but also provide effective protection against primer deactivation by solvents and lubricants. Penetrating lubricants can creep through incredibly small openings. Primers thus compromised will most likely not ignite when struck.
I recall seeing advertisements in the gun rags for primer/bullet sealer compounds, however, have also read the fingernail polish route is as effective as any. I've never sealed either bullets or primers in the 40 odd years of reloading and never had a problem with either, other than one time acquiring a bum lot of Remington 9 1/2 M primers. I would suppose if you intended on long term storage, shipboard storage, or extremely wet hunting conditions, the sealed cartridges would merit consideration.
I buy (cheap) clear fingernail polish, thin it 50% with acetone (not fingernail polish _remover_ ) and spray it on the primer and around the neck with my air brush. I suspect brushing it on and wiping would do just as well, but I like to fiddle with stuff and processes.
Shellac or nail polish will work. For primers, I dip the tip of a fine haired artist brush in the stuff, after thinning about 2:1, and put a small drop at the juncture of the primer and case. If it is thin enough, it runs around the primer ring under its own flow tension and you can see it if you use colored nail polish. I use different colors of nail polish to differentiate powder charges. The same can be done at the cannelure on the bullet after you crimp it in place. I only do this to ammunition I expect to use in wet conditions, but it has handled total immersion of my shells for periods of up to six hours (worst case, stuck in the bottom of a jon boat that was on the bottom of a river) at six feet. Ammo fired just fine after I dried it off and did not change point of impact according to my scope zero.
