Case sealer

FNARSHOOTER

FNARSHOOTER

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 13, 2010
297
4
64
Ga
#1
Anybody use case sealer ?I am loading a bunch of 5.56 and 7.62 to be stored in military cans. Once I set up I like to run large lots and have enough to feed myself and 3 sons for a year but it ends up being about 6 months before we burn it up.I have had some hunting ammo sit for a few years and it seemed to not perform as well as first loaded. I have also had some fed hydro shock fail to fire after being left in a truck gun for 3 years. Sealer seem like a good idea but it might just be a P.I.T.A. for nothing.I know mil.spec is sealed in some cases .Don't know if they still do or its all old stock.
Scot
 
#2
Re: Case sealer

There are several primer and bullet sealers available. But one of my favorites is bright red fingernail polish from the sale section at WallyWorld. I use a Q-Tip and make a ring around the inside the case mouth before seating the bullet. Very little is needed to seal the bullet. But it has to be mainly at the MOUTH of the case. This way it coats any voids in the case neck / bullet joint. Putting it deep down can cause some problems with the powder getting contaminated. This also causes problems with compressed loads. Then turn the cases upside down and put a very light coat around the primer. I usually wipe off the excess on a dry paper towel. If the polish is old and thick, thin it with a few drops of acetone. Don't use the polish remover in the same store section as the polish. That stuff has a lot of soap and other stuff. I think it only has like 10% acetone.

I especially do my hunting ammo like this.

As for ammo going bad in the truck... it was probably the heat that killed it. Rotate the older ammo out of the truck at least once a month. Keep it seperate and take it to the range for practice.
 
#3
Re: Case sealer

Thanks,Victor! I try to shoot my truck guns at least once a year but the weapon in this case was a cheap 9mm that stayed in my 4x4. Your right about the heat. Do you think the guys at the range will get the wrong idea if I use pink? My wife has a bunch of that crap and I hate it when she wears it.She dose have some chrome nail polish to match my H-D.(she used it on my black pitbull bitch once) But red would be easyer to see when working with it.
Scot
 
#4
Re: Case sealer

You could also use clear nail polish (top coat) if pink/red is too much for ya
laugh.gif
 
#6
Re: Case sealer

I use the bright red on the primers so I can see that they are sealed. The color really doesn't have anything to do with it. You can use blue or black if you can find it. Just when I started doing this my wife had a dozen little bottles of different shades that she didn't like at the moment. She works in an office atmosphere and has to stay a little on the dressy side.

I'm old enough that I'm past the careing what others think of my loads. I only care about their performance.
 
#8
Re: Case sealer

Another good sealer is Loctite 290 Green Wicking. Put a drop on edge of primer and it will run all the way around the crevice. Store it bullet down till it dries.

All US military ammo is sealed. It used to be Glidden Purple Indicator which also came in red. If anyone has an "in" with Glidden they could sell it by the quart to us.

Testors Airplane Dope will do the same thing.

Storing ammo in a car is bad scene. Heat deteriorates ammo in summer. If ammo stored in car keep in styrofoam contain. Heat in car trunks can hit 170.

If you must ship ammo by air have it in ammo can. Otherwise the unpressurized cargo compartment will do a number on your ammo.
 
#10
Re: Case sealer

In the 1960s the military used lacquer to seal the primers and asphalt to seal the bullets. I'm not sure what they're doing now. I just picked up on the nail polish because it was free when my wife decided she didn't like that particular color any more. Actually I think I may have read it in one of Nonte's books.
 
#11
Re: Case sealer

That asphalt is some wicked stuff It has to increase pressures. I would think it screws with the barrel too.I am going to start sealing my cases . Nail polish is cheap enough . Thanks for everyones input.
Scot
 
#12
Re: Case sealer

Starting a little experiment with 290 Green Wicking. I took about 100 5.56 cases and applied 290 to the primer area in the form of a small drop. I next rubbed additional cases rim to rim to transfer the excess to other cases. I could do about three to five cases depending on size of the drop.
These cases have been fired unknown number of times and the primer pockets are getting loose and I wanted to see if there was any problems putting the 290 on them.
After they were wet I drug the case heads across a sheet of paper which removed the excess from the case head and all the primers examined with head loop had 360 deg seal on them. The 290 appears to drying in just a couple of minutes.
The factory guy told me it sets up quickest in the absence of air like close fitting parts. Watching it run the crevace I noted a few very tiny air bubbles appear and everything tended to set up immediately.
Will shoot these and report back how they do and if there are any problems.
 
#15
Re: Case sealer

same here.You just need it around the crevice at the edge of the primer and it needs to be continious which will take a good head loop and light to see.
I have used clear finger nail polish in the past but it is much slower (to me) as it has to be worked with brush into the crevice.
With the 290 a small drop worked fine and you can watch it run around the crevice. As indicated above it sets up very quickly.

Either way to stop it from building up on top of case head I lay on piece of paper and drag case head across wiping the case head clean. The primer needs to be below the rim so you may or may not get it all from face of primer. I have used paper towels, news print and little note pads.
 
#16
Re: Case sealer

Went out and fired 80 rounds today waterproofed with 290 Loctite Wicking Green. All rounds fired fine. Came in and decapped primers. There was no out of the ordinary force required to decap.
Primer pockets were examined. The cases with the snug primers showed penetration of the 290 about 1/4th down the side of the primer where it stopped. A couple cases (several had very loose primer pockets) showed the 290 went to the bottom of the side wall. The edge of the primers were examined prior to decapping and there was no indication of the seal deterriorating on firing.

The residue (after firing) is quite soft and will come out easily with scraper or tumbling in stainless media.
Thusly this is a excellent primer waterproofing material and easily applied.
 
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