Years ago I read Stephen King’s epic Dark Tower series. Right at the start of the second book the antihero, Roland the gunslinger, is sleeping on a beach when a rogue wave hits him, splashing his ammunition belts.
For the rest of the novel, a major plot element is how few rounds he has left that didn’t get splashed, and the unreliability of the ones that did. Of course, if you’re familiar with Stephen King’s work you’ll have realized that he doesn’t actually know very much about guns.
Giving ammunition a quick dip, even in seawater, won’t do it any harm as long as it doesn’t stay wet for a long time. I’ve used ammo that had spent three or four days in a rain-soaked pouch; it still worked fine.
When it comes to long-term storage of ammunition, though, moisture does become a problem. Over time, dampness can make its way into the primer pocket and through the neck of the case.
