Wet Powder - Reloads

[Flouncer]

Had a "click" at the range this AM, third time in about about 20 years. I never F-up !!
Chambered another and click. So I stopped. Nice primer strike. Same loads I started last year for my hunt. After swearing and finally finding my inertia hammer and about 15 solid raps, Tah Dah. Out dropped my little precious 200g Partition and some RL-17 but it was adhering to itself, kinda like static electricity. Maybe maybe damp to touch, but the flat base bullet with exposed lead is definitely discolored, like oxidized lead. Thinking back one cardboard box came back from Idaho in a friend's open pick up bed, within a cheap cooler. The cooler lid got pinched when he strapped it down and water got in, probably flooded and box may have sat in 1/2 inch of H2O or so. Long story.

Did the water enter from the bullet end or the primer end ? - thanks

and lesson learned. Since my ammo got mixed, Now I get to go pull 27 bullets . . . .. . . .%^$#

 

[alb]

Did the water enter from the bullet end or the primer end ?

I would say....yes, definitely.

 

[alb]

Ok, so yes, I'm a smartass. Couldn't resist; it's a character flaw.

Could be either. However, consider that while you can seat a primer by hand, with minimal leverage, that's not true of a bullet; additionally, comparing the relative bearing surfaces, I think you'll agree that the bullet wins in that respect. So, while it's not possible to know for certain, the primer end is probably the more likely of the two.

 

[NorCalMikie]

I think ALL military loads are sealed at both ends. Looks like black tar. Chambered a couple of rounds for fit one evening. One got left out over night. Found it in the grass in the AM, all wet. Pulled the bullets and the powder was wet. Doesn't take much to get a wet round.

 

[Flouncer]

I think ALL military loads are sealed at both ends. Looks like black tar. Chambered a couple of rounds for fit one evening. One got left out over night. Found it in the grass in the AM, all wet. Pulled the bullets and the powder was wet. Doesn't take much to get a wet round.

Yes. Agreed. I thought my reloads were invincible. Just sharing my misery. Here's what it looks like:

My bullets are well seated !!!

 

[SheepDog]

That is strange. I have lit powder standing in water and it burns just fine. I wonder if the primer was damaged and it did not ignite. I know water is the best thing you can use to deactivate a primer so maybe that is what happened. The powder I lit in standing water was H414 - it is denser than water and a double base powder. I don't know about Re 17. I have more questions than answers on this one, sorry.

 

[Flouncer]

That is strange. I have lit powder standing in water and it burns just fine. I wonder if the primer was damaged and it did not ignite. I know water is the best thing you can use to deactivate a primer so maybe that is what happened. The powder I lit in standing water was H414 - it is denser than water and a double base powder. I don't know about Re 17. I have more questions than answers on this one, sorry.

The powder from the two mis-fires or non-fires is tacky and adheres to itself. I have beat out four more bullets and powder all dry as a bone with no oxidation on the bullet base. I am resolved to bite the bullet (%$#) and dump the remaining five. The other box of 20 traveled seperate with me and didn't get wet, I can verify by carefully looking at the exposed soft lead bullet nose or tip. I will practice with those, nothing lost if they fail at the range. All new for the hunt.

Is there a reliable way to seal and moisture proof the primer without risk of contaminating it or the powder ?

 

[T-shooter]

Had a "click" at the range this AM, third time in about about 20 years. I never F-up !!
Chambered another and click. So I stopped. Nice primer strike. Same loads I started last year for my hunt. After swearing and finally finding my inertia hammer and about 15 solid raps, Tah Dah. Out dropped my little precious 200g Partition and some RL-17 but it was adhering to itself, kinda like static electricity. Maybe maybe damp to touch, but the flat base bullet with exposed lead is definitely discolored, like oxidized lead. Thinking back one cardboard box came back from Idaho in a friend's open pick up bed, within a cheap cooler. The cooler lid got pinched when he strapped it down and water got in, probably flooded and box may have sat in 1/2 inch of H2O or so. Long story.

Did the water enter from the bullet end or the primer end ? - thanks

and lesson learned. Since my ammo got mixed, Now I get to go pull 27 bullets . . . .. . . .%^$#

You may be lucky. I washed some cases in water after resizing them, then tumbled in walnut media . I thought I had all the water out before tumbling. NOPE! I had several that showed pressure signs on the cases and others that didn't. They even felt different. Evidently the water turned to steam and increased the chamber pressure and/or the cleaning media decreased the case capacities. I broke the rest down and found some small clumps of wet walnut shells inside. Once I did try to see if water damaged primers. I soaked a couple for 24 hours and made sure there were no air bubbles. Blew the water out, installed them in a case and they fired fine.

 

[snert]

I once tried to chill a box of rounds while on a chuck hunt. Sat them in cooler with ice. Forgot them. later discovered water in the blue flip-top. Yep...contaminated thru the base...primers toast. Lost 50 ish 6BR loads. Just a dumb move on my part.

 

[Homerange]

The powder from the two mis-fires or non-fires is tacky and adheres to itself. I have beat out four more bullets and powder all dry as a bone with no oxidation on the bullet base. I am resolved to bite the bullet (%$#) and dump the remaining five. The other box of 20 traveled seperate with me and didn't get wet, I can verify by carefully looking at the exposed soft lead bullet nose or tip. I will practice with those, nothing lost if they fail at the range. All new for the hunt.

Is there a reliable way to seal and moisture proof the primer without risk of contaminating it or the powder ?

A soft sealer/threadlock like Loctite 290 should work.
Some are specified as thread sealers or "wick in's".

 

[expiper]

Yes. Agreed. I thought my reloads were invincible. Just sharing my misery. Here's what it looks like:-----Flouncer,,,,if you keep pulling bullets with the collet backwards your gona tear it up,,,Roger

My bullets are well seated !!!

 

[Macropod]

A soft sealer/threadlock like Loctite 290 should work.
Some are specified as thread sealers or "wick in's".

Wife's nail varnish?

 

[timeout]

Is there a reliable way to seal and moisture proof the primer without risk of contaminating it or the powder ?

I have some from Herter's that is probably close to 50 years old. Haven't used it in decades, so may be dried up. The jar has to be a collectors item though!

 

[Monte F]

Wife's nail varnish?

That was what I thought too.

 

[jlow]

You may be lucky. I washed some cases in water after resizing them, then tumbled in walnut media . I thought I had all the water out before tumbling. NOPE! I had several that showed pressure signs on the cases and others that didn't. They even felt different. Evidently the water turned to steam and increased the chamber pressure and/or the cleaning media decreased the case capacities. I broke the rest down and found some small clumps of wet walnut shells inside. Once I did try to see if water damaged primers. I soaked a couple for 24 hours and made sure there were no air bubbles. Blew the water out, installed them in a case and they fired fine.

Lots of people brag about this method of drying the case by tumbling - bad idea. I dry my case by flicking them and then drying the outside with a towel and then blow dry the internals with an air compressor. You will be surprised by how much water comes out when I hit it with the compress air....

 

[Flouncer]

Expiper, good catch. I occasionally flip it the wrong way. The rubber ring only lasts a year or two . . .. .

So I still don't know if the primer failed or the powder. I will be depriming later this eve. Will it be evident if the primer fired by comparing it to a new one ?

 

[NorCalMikie]

If the primer tried to fire, it will looked burnt. Plus, you can punch the primers out of the case and do the "hammer thing" to then to see if they go BANG!!

 

[Homerange]

If the primer tried to fire, it will looked burnt. Plus, you can punch the primers out of the case and do the "hammer thing" to then to see if they go BANG!!

No don't.
Just put the bullet pulled and emptied cases in the rifle and dry fire them.

I once saw a guy get some brass in his knee after playing silly buggers with a hammer and .22 blanks.

 

[SheepDog]

Yes, it will be readily apparent if the primers fired. If they didn't and you dry them real well you have about a 50/50 chance that they will fire when struck with a firing pin. The problem is when the compound is wet and you hit it with the firing pin it pushes all or most of the compound to the sides and it doesn't get hit the next time. Just dispose of them and don't fiddle.

 

[T-shooter]

Lots of people brag about this method of drying the case by tumbling - bad idea. I dry my case by flicking them and then drying the outside with a towel and then blow dry the internals with an air compressor. You will be surprised by how much water comes out when I hit it with the compress air....

That was a mistake and I got in a hurry. Normally, if I use soap and water, I tap the cases neck down several times on a hard surface, blow out the primer pockets, and let them sit, necks up, for 24 hours or more before sticking them in the tumbler. Then the tumbling media all falls out except for the few stuck in the primer holes.