Water proof ammo jhp?

S

Super-Dave

New member
What companies make pistol self defense jhp that is laquered or treated to make it semi water proof?

In some places it rains alot and can be heavy. What companies pistol ammo can stand up to some serious rain and water now and then?
 
It's all essentially waterproof. Rain isn't going to do a thing to it. Think for a moment, how many people do you know have had failures to fire from moisture issues? Hunting ammo is also not laquered and holds up fine. If it were any type of issue them ammo company Z would have a heck of an advertising coup on their hands by simply pointing out that their ammo will fire all of the time because the cases are sealed, while ammo company X might get you killed. Really, it is a non issue.
 
Admittedly I have not bought any new in a long while, but I still have one box of Winchester 145gr .357Magnum silvertips with lacquered primers. I also just bought some Remington Ultimate Home Defense 102gr .380acp with lacquered primers (otherwise, it clearly is just the same old Golden Sabers they've always sold - guess they just decided to change the name and the box).
 
As stated, most commercial ammo is water proof, to a point. If you fell out of your boat and swam to shore your firearm would be good to go. The military seals the primers " just in case ". Once on a bet I placed 7 rounds of ball .45 ACP ( Winchester non military ) in a quart jar of water for a week, even letting the know it all co-worker hang on to the jar, all seven rounds fired flawlessly. How ever, how long could ammo stay submerged in fresh water with out failing, don't know, long time but maybe not for ever. Normal every day even in a wet environment I don't thing you have to worry. If you are worried, then clear nail polish is cheap.
 
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I had three "speed strips" of Speer .38 Gold Dots go through the wash on three separate occasions, and all of them fired when shot later.
 
I guess the OP is luckier than most, the majority of people seem to lose their guns on boating trips.
 
Suppose you fell out of your fishing boat and swam to shore. Would most pistol ammo be good to go?
Click to expand...

Ask a Navy SEAL. Way back in the late 1980s they were using commercial Winchester Silver Tip because when they swam to an objective it was waterproof as it came from the factory.

They were more concerned about the guns; they used S&W 686 revolvers in lieu of semi autos for swim missions because they were concerned about the lubricants in the semis being washed out on the way into the objective. They felt the revolvers would work better sans lube. Ammo was not an issue.

Last winter I was shooting my AR in my back yard range. I ejected a live 556mm round out into the snow. Four months later I found it in a puddle under 2 inches of water. Wiped it off and loaded it. Shot fine.
 
I know US military ammo is good to go. I have experience with that. I am curious if every day self defense ammo will stand up to submerging to water.


Dont plan on swimming 3 miles to a beach head to assault a meth lab. But I am concerned about ammo reliability if it is submerged.
 
It's fine. You can always test some of your favorite ammo at home you know. Get some wet and then take it to the range.
 
cabelas has a sealer in their reload area that you could use,if need be?
it is green and looks like its in a finger nail polish bottle.
 
very difficult to get water contamination from any normal accidents, (falling out of the boat, runi=ning through the washer, leaving a box of ammo on the shooting bench in the rain for a couple of weeks.
 
a primer is pressed into a case with a fit so tight that it is compressed. A bullet is pressed into a case with a fit so tight that it stretches the shell, and then it's crimped.

You realize that a beer can isn't sealed or welded, it's just pressed, metal to metal, just like a cartridge. The beer can doesn't allow high pressure gasses to escape, and it doesn't allow seepage.

NO factory loaded shell should leak under even bizarre circumstances. You should be able to drop them into a 100 meters of water, bring them back up years later, and fire them.

The military seals and crimps and takes a lot of extra steps, because that is what they do. They don't allow for failures.

When you see the pretty red spots of lacquer on a commercial primer, it is only because the factory wants you to see how seriously they take their work. That dab with a red sharpie adds a couple bucks to the perceived value of a box of ammunition.
 
The military seals and crimps and takes a lot of extra steps, because that is what they do. They don't allow for failures


Should not we as well?
 
Dave,
You've gotten good answers.
While I can understand your original concern, it's been explained to you. It is not a problem.
You DON'T need to worry about it.
Denis
 
I bought a batch of gold dot 45 that sat under water for 2 weeks. Got it very cheap to use as range ammo. So far a couple hundred rounds without failures.
 
I've been told many times not to get ammunition wet, but I've fallen out of boats, washed ammo in the washing machine. Usually the cheapest hollowpoints I can get. I've never had a failure of any ammo that's been wet.
 
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