What happens when ammo burns in a fire?

[Cyberion]

Good to know. If there's a fire in my home, my ammo stock is less of a neighborhood hazard than I thought.

Quite an interesting video from SAAMI and the International Association of Fire Chiefs on the real risks associated with fighting a fire along with large amounts of ammo stored inside.
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This is a 25 min video originally found at http://www.recoilweb.com/the-truth-a...ion-34867.html

Also from RecoilWeb.com is a summary of video events:

"Note: ammunition chambered in a firearm will fire as though the trigger was pulled.

Sadly, much ammunition was harmed in the making of this movie.

02:06 Single Cartridge Impact (fire)

03:41 Effect of impact from a 65′ drop

05:09 Bullet ignition propagation via impact

08:00 Blasting cap effect on ammunition

09:59 Compression and friction: forklift and bulldozer impact

12:22 Effect of fire on ammunition: bonfire on ammunition in packaging

15:39 Effect of fire on ammunition: bonfire on ammunition without packaging

17:24 Ammunition retail store fire simulation (115,000 rounds of various calibers set on fire in a confined space)

21:00 Semi-trailer fire simulation (252,000 rounds of ammunition on pallets in a truck trailer)

23:30 Overall conclusion of over 400,000 rounds of ammunition subjected to extreme stimuli"

[JagerDog]

I've cooked off a few 22LR's. The brass case goes flying a bit and the bullet basically stays where it was.

[Jester3]

Surprising what happens to ammo when it lacks containment and direction.

[sghart]

I hope I never find out.

[Pardini]

I unknowingly cooked off a 9mm in my lead pot. Molten lead flying in all directions.

[stilly]

IF that is the same video taht I saw from another link from CG about 9 months ago, then you should be banned for posting such a hideous waste of ammo that someone thought was funny to film and educate...

We do not put people to death by setting them on fire. We gas or electrocute or SHOOT them. And thus all 100k+ rounds of this ammo should have been SHOT, not burned alive! Some of that ammo probably had family ya know...

shame shame shame on ALL of those involved!


Oh yes, and it is very educational too...

[hermosabeach]

Dupe but a worthy dupe

[8541marine]

Here is my experience, not from what "some guy said"
All ammo was placed in a metal coffee can on top of direct fire

Ammo Cooked off, dented can, but did not penetrate through:
22lr
380
9mm


Ammo cooked off, penetrated thru can:
.300 win mag (perfect hole, as if it had been shot right through)
45-70
.308 (keyhole)
12 gauge slug
.45 acp

These are the results that I have personally witnessed/obtained. Feel free to do your own tests tho...lol. Don't ask me how I got these either. ha

After doing this, it did make me think. A lot of guys pack ammo, and powder into their safes. I know that safes have fire ratings, but eventually, they will burn (mine was completely melted in the Cedar Fires). When they heat up, the contents will eventually "cook off". So storing ammo/powder in a safe is a BIG bad idea. The safe will pressurize and eventually explode. Yes, I tested this as well, and it DID explode.
Hope this helps.

[RR.44]

Throwing ammo in to a fire is a bad idea, whether it is on purpose or on accident, if you don't hurt yourself you may hurt someone nearby, not to mention it is a total waste of ammo.

Rich

[sl0re10]

Here is my experience, not from what "some guy said"
All ammo was placed in a metal coffee can on top of direct fire

Ammo Cooked off, dented can, but did not penetrate through:
22lr
380
9mm


Ammo cooked off, penetrated thru can:
.300 win mag (perfect hole, as if it had been shot right through)
45-70
.308 (keyhole)
12 gauge slug
.45 acp

These are the results that I have personally witnessed/obtained. Feel free to do your own tests tho...lol. Don't ask me how I got these either. ha

After doing this, it did make me think. A lot of guys pack ammo, and powder into their safes. I know that safes have fire ratings, but eventually, they will burn (mine was completely melted in the Cedar Fires). When they heat up, the contents will eventually "cook off". So storing ammo/powder in a safe is a BIG bad idea. The safe will pressurize and eventually explode. Yes, I tested this as well, and it DID explode.
Hope this helps.

myth busters did something similar and found the same things. Some of the larger cartridges can do some damage.

[NytWolf]

myth busters did something similar and found the same things. Some of the larger cartridges can do some damage.

Beat me to it.

[krwada]

Just so long as it is in the open ... It mainly pops the brass off, (at considerable speed) and melts the lead.

Now ... if you hit the loaded round with vigor and much force with a hammer ... It will go bang. Curiously, it is not the lead that will get you ... It is the brass shrapnel that will get you in this case.

I have seen this 1st hand. When I was a child ... my older brothers decided it would be a great idea to hammer some pistol rounds, (.38 spl) with a hammer.

Needless to say ... they only did this once.

Me? I was hiding behind some cover, and peering through a crack ... I was very scared ... but wanted to see what would happen to my older brothers!

[Victor Cachat]

Oh, the horror!
So many rounds sacrificed!
(I wish I had been there to help clean up.)

[TexasJackKin]

very interesting, no wonder there is an ammo shortage