Page 1 of 1

Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 1:36 pm
by MoJo
The title says it all. This video may surprise you. From SAAMI>

http://www.saami.org/videos/sporting_am ... ighter.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Edited to embed the SAAMI video:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=3SlOXowwC4c[/youtube]

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 1:49 pm
by recaffeination
If it cooks off, the brass can go zipping around. Basic Newtonian physics. The real danger is chambered rounds.

Next question?

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 1:57 pm
by MoJo
recaffeination wrote:If it cooks off, the brass can go zipping around. Basic Newtonian physics. The real danger is chambered rounds.

Next question?
Did you watch the video? Lots more stuff than just fires covered.

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 9:33 pm
by Chris
I was at a fire where ammo started going off. We fought it from a distance after that.

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 1:20 am
by Dreamliner
I'd like to see what it would look like for ammo stored in a 50 cal ammo can. Does it stay contained in the can or blow the lid off?

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:20 am
by jimlongley
Chris wrote:I was at a fire where ammo started going off. We fought it from a distance after that.
Were you scared of the noise?

In my FD we settled this question back in the 60s by simply putting some of our deer hunting rounds in a fire surrounded by a plywood enclosure. The damage was so small, although the fireworks were impressive, that we established a policy of fighting fires with ammo in them with the same level of caution that we used for any other fire.

There is a large differential in mass between the case and the projectile, which means that loose ammo will have a tendency for the case to become the projectile, and a fairly low velocity and low energy one at that, so injuries to exposed flesh might result, but the rubber coats we wore then, and today's bunker suits, would easily withstand penetration, the only thing to worry about would be the facial area.

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:48 am
by jimlongley
Very salient points germane to the issue: At 14:36, 19, and 22 minutes, as well as the conclusions at 23:30.

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:57 am
by RoyGBiv
It's only 07:57 and I've already learned something today.

Thanks for the informative post. :tiphat:

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:05 am
by ffemt300
Great video. I cried when they destroyed all that ammo though. :eek6

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:08 am
by MoJo
ffemt300 wrote:Great video. I cried when they destroyed all that ammo though. :eek6
It was for science :smilelol5:

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:23 am
by knotquiteawake
Mythbusters tested the same thing too.
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=OAK2dDQ-S4Q[/youtube]

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:26 am
by canvasbck
knotquiteawake wrote:Mythbusters tested the same thing too.
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=OAK2dDQ-S4Q[/youtube]
I barely made it through that one. Not one time did they refer to it as "ammo" or ammunition. It was "booolets" the whole way through. DROVE ME NUTS :banghead:

Re: Ammo in a fire? What happens?

Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:40 pm
by preyn2
I've been hit by casings that cooked off in a burning garage. Getting hit by the casings was less of a problem than bowel control at that point.