Wet Powder - Reloads

[DRNewcomb]

Since the surface contact area of the neck is much greater than the surface contact area of the primer, I'll go out on a limb and bet that the water got in through the neck. My next bet is that the primer was the major failure component, although a weak primer coupled with damp powder could also combine to cause a failure. When priming compound is wet, it will not explode. That's how they handle it safely in the factory; as a paste. Damp powder will still burn.

 

[nmkid]

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 ?

Google Rifle Primer sealer. It can be had most everywhere. The brand I have used is...Makron? Not sure on the spelling

 

[rogn]

Some moisture in the case and around the powder, may dampen ignition enogh to mildly affect the powder charge and cause a missfire. Or if the primer became wetted after being expose to moisture for a prolonged period it may have failed all together. On the other hand my wife has cleaned some of my ammo with a trip thru a full cycle of the washer, cold water. This has occurred at least 6 times. I have fired these rounds successfully in every case. 9mm, 45C, 308 and 7mm WSM. Neck tension, and primer fit are obviously factors.

 

[DRNewcomb]

Google Rifle Primer sealer. It can be had most everywhere. The brand I have used is...Makron? Not sure on the spelling

According to Ammuntion Making by George Frost, (p. 24) the primer sealant is just a drop of diluted lacquer deposited in the annulus between the primer and case, after priming, and allowed to dry. It's normally colored red or green so that it can be easily seen. The neck sealant is an "asphaltic type material" that's applied several hours before loading and allowed to dry to a "slightly sticky" consistency. I assume this is done before the powder charge is loaded. Maybe the charging tubes used get the powder beyond the neck or maybe it's not "sticky" enough for the power to adhere.

 

[Flouncer]

Thanks All for your time and input. Strangely enough my casual search here did not turn up a similar thread. Surely someone else has boogered their ammunition. I have reloaded since 97 and never corrupted my loads this way. A tiny quantity of some dilute lacquer around the primer sounds right. I will be sure to test before I take the ammo out for show time . . ...

 

[cdparker]

Much of the time here, I referred to our Fall moose season as armed camping in the rain. Before the hunt our trick was to get a bottle of clear nail polish and give the primer and around the bullet at the case mouth a coating. Now there is a commercial product sold in most of the gun shops here. Look at this.

When I got back from our hunt, I made it a practice to take any ammunition that I had left and pull it apart. I would put the bullets back in a box on the bench. Dump the powder in a jar and decap the case. When the powder got dumped, check the case with a piece of copper wire to make sure that the case was really empty. I did notice after a particular wet hunt that the powder was a lighter gray color than that in the can. That stuff went on the flowers. I didn't try to use the primers either. That's been my experience.
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