Are Military Surplus Ammo Cans Currently Being Sold To Civilians Contaminated With DU

[10TH AMENDMENT]

I asked this question over at ARFCOM and got my arse handed to me. (All in good fun, of course!) Oh well, I'll give it a shot here at the old home base and see what happens...

There are quite a number of these ammo cans coming back from the Middle East right now and being sold to civilians in retail gun stores and at gun shows. Is there any significant risk that these items are contaminated with Depleted Uranium dust or other dangerous substances???

[Deamer]

A co-worker that just got back from a deployment said they are destroying all cans used overseas. It is not cost effective to ship them back and decontaminate them for possible hazards.

[PolishMike]

I hope so, otherwise all my time cuddling with my ammo cans was in vein.

[audihenry]

With the older cans, your bigger problems should deal with the chemical used in the paint (lead and others) and potential cuts, where applicable.

[sorensen440]

stop licking the cans and you should be ok

[PonchoTA]

The rounds being used in the LPWS systems in country are the MK940 MPT-SD rounds (http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...tions/m940.htm) which do NOT have any DU in them.

The Navy hasn't used DU ammo in many, many years. The only rounds even going out to fleet units are either MK149 or MK244 rounds which are Tungsten rounds (Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot-APDS) rounds.

I test this stuff for a living. NO DU!!!!!

.

[PolishMike]

The rounds being used in the LPWS systems in country are the MK940 MPT-SD rounds (http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...tions/m940.htm) which do NOT have any DU in them.

The Navy hasn't used DU ammo in many, many years. The only rounds even going out to fleet units are either MK149 or MK244 rounds which are Tungsten rounds (Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot-APDS) rounds.

I test this stuff for a living. NO DU!!!!!

.

How exactly do they "Self Destruct"? $27 a pop

[HCz]

DU is the least of worries when there is a photo of a soldier pooping in one...

[Czechsix]

A co-worker that just got back from a deployment said they are destroying all cans used overseas. It is not cost effective to ship them back and decontaminate them for possible hazards.

It's not even cost effective to ship back some complete vehicles - no way I can see cans coming back.

[Snapping Twig]

Please correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't ALL lead DU?

[sorensen440]

Please correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't ALL lead DU?

DU = Depleted Uranium

[vlsgmc]

"The Navy hasn't used DU ammo in many, many years. The only rounds even going out to fleet units are either MK149 or MK244 rounds which are Tungsten rounds (Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot-APDS) rounds."




Last ship I was on, 3 years ago, we had DU for the CIWS. We could only use it for training. When firing a PAC fire, we had to download the tungsten and upload the DU. Wasn't that long ago.

[Scratch705]

It's not even cost effective to ship back some complete vehicles - no way I can see cans coming back.

err.... does this mean we are leaving whole operable vehicles in former battlezones? wtf....

[chris]

DU is the least of worries when there is a photo of a soldier pooping in one...

now that is some hazmat that should worry everyone.

[PonchoTA]

How exactly do they "Self Destruct"? $27 a pop

Self-igniting fuse (tracer) that causes the round to self-destruct roughly 1500 yds downrange (timed delay). Frangible round. Reason is for "fall of shot". Nothing but dust falls downrange. Don't want to hurt local population.
(and $27 a pop is nothing! Especially at 4500 rds/min!)

"The Navy hasn't used DU ammo in many, many years. The only rounds even going out to fleet units are either MK149 or MK244 rounds which are Tungsten rounds (Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot-APDS) rounds."

Last ship I was on, 3 years ago, we had DU for the CIWS. We could only use it for training. When firing a PAC fire, we had to download the tungsten and upload the DU. Wasn't that long ago.

That is the last of the DU still in Navy inventory, only to be used for training/PAC's. Not to be used for actual fire engagement. It's too costly to dispose of it on shore, best way is to download it through the barrels
Brass and sabot's swept overboard, end of problem. Those rounds can't be turned back in, and they are no longer being issued. I say again, the only rounds going out to the fleet are MK149 and MK244 Tungsten rounds.