Best way to waterproof cartridges?

R

rauke

New member
Tried to do a search on how to waterproof cartridges for use in foul weather/wet environments, but didn’t turn up much. (May have used the wrong key words.)

Is it true that you can waterproof cartridges by painting them with clear nail polish around the primer area, and around the point where the bullet meets the shell casing?

(Just wondering if the nail polish can cause feeding or fouling issues in semi-autos when the combusting powder finally burns it. Also, how durable would this method be?)

How do you keep carry ammo from going bad when regularly exposed to water?
 
nail polish works, it helps if you dilute it to 50% strength with acetone or remover. I'd want to use polish with a tint to regulate the coverage.

It's over kill unless you carry in severely adverse conditions (ie underwater) but won't hurt anything.

They make a special sealant that accomplishes the same thing, but why spend all that extra money.
 
Unnecessary. I have carried plain old factory stuff (do not carry handloads) in a marine environment for years. Only effect is that sometimes brass cases turn a tad green. (Sometimes happens to human passengers, too, but that is a different story.) All carry rounds are rotated periodically and fired as practice rounds, and have yet to have one fail to fire.
 
+1 on the nail polish, a very tiny amount around the edges of the primer and around the mouth of the case will do the trick.

As ISC said, unless you are planning to submerge them, I would not worry.

Brgds,
Danny
 
Thank you, gentlemen!

The amount and the quality of expertise in these Forums never cease to amaze (and comfort) me.

ISC, thanks for pointing out that the nail polish has to be diluted 50% with acetone or polish remover, and recommending that it be slightly tinted to better monitor coverage.

RKG and Dannyl, thank you for your reassurances that factory ammo will stand up to occasional water logging.

As you may have noticed from another thread, I just lost a few rounds of good ammo after getting caught in bad weather and having two of my carry pieces (and holsters) soaked.

Much as the majority opinion at this point says that it shouldn’t be an issue with factory cartridges, I believe that prudence is the better part of valor, and have consigned the affected ammo to my practice pile, as a few others recommended.

What I plan to do next is to have a batch of 250 factory-spec reloads made up. I will then waterproof them using the recommended method and fire them to see if any sign of unusual fouling develops in a semi-auto (probably 9mm --- the smaller caliber should be more prone to fouling than a .40 or .45 ACP).
This will be to find out what happens to the nail polish when it burns, NOT to find out if reloads can be waterproofed.

Will keep you posted on the results.
 
I believe Brownell's sell a sealant for ammo use but it is best used when loading to seal the primer when put in and around the bullet when seated. Trying to seal after loaded is mostly a waste of time.
Sealants are really only needed/used for military ammo for lomg term storage and combat use.
 
As you may have noticed from another thread, I just lost a few rounds of good ammo after getting caught in bad weather and having two of my carry pieces (and holsters) soaked.
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A dab of nail polish on the primer and around the mouth wouldn't make me trust them any more. I would have still relegated those to practice use. How will you know you didn't put too much on and have now affected the primer or powder with acetone?
 
Cabelas among others carries two different kinds, George & Roy's and Markrons. I bought the Markron because it was cheaper ($6 something) and is endorsed by all sorts of professionals.
 
Factory ammo primers are sealed and in normal loadings the case mouth is sealed as well. Military ammo has visible primer sealant and has a seal inside the case neck, but that is not normal for civilian ammo.

For handloads, the suggestions on using nail polish or something similar are fine, but cases can also be sprayed with a polyurethane if desired. Just make sure it is not thick enough to keep the round from chambering.

Jim
 
Jim, are you SURE you would spray cases with poly spray? Then they would be like that Russian ammo with the poly coating, that everyone complains gums up their chambers? And how about putting sealant on the mouths of the carts-seems to me that if the case is undersized a little except at the very edge, when you load a bullet into the case, it acts like the worlds snuggest cork, more or less. Seems to me that only water under great pressure could get past the bullet in a snug fitting case that is tight enough to keep the bullet from moving in normal handling and loading. I have determined that some non mil. ammo I have owned has sealant, but it is transparent, not tinted like mil. ammo, so you might have some sealed ammo and not even realise it. But probably not used on high production cheap white box stuff. Actually I thought the sealant was to keep out oil, as some oils have much better penetrating abilities than water.
 
I seal my hunting handloads with diluted nail polish around the primer and neck. Some of them went under water, with me, but still shot fine.
 
My friend at work told me about how he put nail polish over his primers before he poured powder and seated the bullets. His OAL was messed up so he recommends against it. Just a hint for the weirdos out there!
 
He doesn't recommend it because he messed up his loads? :confused:
Bullets aren't toenails. Just a thin layer "around" the primer and bullet is all you need.
 
Jim, are you SURE you would spray cases with poly spray? Then they would be like that Russian ammo with the poly coating, that everyone complains gums up their chambers? And how about putting sealant on the mouths of the carts-seems to me that if the case is undersized a little except at the very edge, when you load a bullet into the case, it acts like the worlds snuggest cork, more or less. Seems to me that only water under great pressure could get past the bullet in a snug fitting case that is tight enough to keep the bullet from moving in normal handling and loading. I have determined that some non mil. ammo I have owned has sealant, but it is transparent, not tinted like mil. ammo, so you might have some sealed ammo and not even realise it. But probably not used on high production cheap white box stuff. Actually I thought the sealant was to keep out oil, as some oils have much better penetrating abilities than water.
Click to expand...

Nobody complains about the poly. They complain about the lacquered cases.
 
Just for grins, I might mention that during the monsoon season in the jungles of Vietnam, we did nothing to "water proof" the ammo. We crawled thru rice paddies and waded across streams with the ammo getting about as wet as anything could get. It alway worked. Never gave it further thought until reading this thread. I can't say that I ever had been as wet for as long as I was since then. I usually try to get out of the rain. Can't think of a single reason to be carrying my CCW and be subjected to such wetness that I would have to worry if my ammo wouldn't fire.
 
If you are concerned about it, just pick up some S&B ammo. The primer has already been waterproofed:

493px-45_ACP_-_FMJ_-_SB_-_3.jpg


clip3tg.jpg
 
So, the RWS ammo I have is also coated on the primers, some GECO 32 ACP I have is laquered, then I have some Federal ammo that is also laquered. I still think it is as much oilproofing as waterproofing. So think of what happens if there is too much loose lube oil in the gun and the ammo sets in the chamber for a long time.
 
It is completely unnecessary. Ease your mind and take a few rounds of the ammo you want to protect and drop them in a glass of water. Leave them for a week, and go fire them. You can stop worrying after that. If you really want to ease your mind, take a few and drop them into some WD40, Kroil, or some other penetrating oil that is supposedly able to kill primers. Leave the rounds for a few days. They will fire just fine. I expect to be challenged on this, but not by anyone who tries it.
 
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