Just wondering. Suppose you had alot of ammo in your home, and there was a fire. Would you need to be worried? What does ammo do when exposed to such high tempertures. Thanks.

can you say, "COOK-OFF"......

Mike

i beleive guns and ammo had a write up abotu this a few years back.

Ammo is more dangerous when in the barrel. It will cook off and fire as normal.

Loose ammo will cook off. However, there is no barrel to give it any velocity. many time the brass will rupture.

I would say large amounts of ammo is a concern, but not to the extent that one woudl think. Msot think firefighting garments will stop most of these low velocity projectiles.

I don't mean to sound stupid, but what exactly is "cook off?" From the previous replies, it sounds like the round ruptures in some way, either the bullet and case separates or the case splits. But with little velocity. Is that correct?

A "cook-off" is just simply a round getting so hot that it explodes. Usually it's not extremely dangerous. When a cartridge is chambered in a firearm and fired, all that pressure generated launches the bullet from the barrel. That's the only path it can take, therefore it's concentrated enough to send the projectile flying at great speed while the barrel stabilizes it. When a round is just lying out in the open and is set off, it doesn't have any of those things to support it and the energy generated from the explosion is able to disperse all around it as opposed to being forced in one direction. That's why the bullet doesn't just take off as if fired from a rifle.

I am a fireman and one time I was at a fire where many, many rounds were cooking off. A 30-30 casing came through a window about 2 feet from my head and landed about 30 feet away in the street. While it likely wasn't moving at great velocity, I still would not have wanted to been hit by it. So if you have a fire, keep a safe distance from the home and alert the firemen about the ammo as you arrive. They will likely appreciate your info even if it isn't technically all that dangerous. And if they know where it is they might even be able to cool it down with a stream of water if the home is already fully engulfed and un-savable. Again, not really all that dangerous but it would pay to keep a safe distance just in case. I have been working many fires with ammo cooking off and that one experience is the only unusual thing I have had happen.

-Charging Handle

I remember reading a story in the newspaper about a housefire where the homeowner informed the firefighters about his ammo. They immediately ceased fighting the fire, pulled back, and let the house burn to the ground.

Is there an SOP for this?

Does the same thing happen for rimfire ammunition?

Quoted: I remember reading a story in the newspaper about a housefire where the homeowner informed the firefighters about his ammo. They immediately ceased fighting the fire, pulled back, and let the house burn to the ground. Is there an SOP for this?

Sounds like BS to me. I would think the homeowner would have legal recourse against the city for a stunt like this. Just my .02 worth.

Rob

That's your typical government "Service"... can't sue them, can't stop paying your taxes.  Don't like the quality of the fire fighting?  Tough.  

Why do people put up with this kind of bullshit?

Hey, but at least they put some water on his house before stopping... in Seattle there are major parts of the city without any fire protection at all-- very near downtown.  They know about this, and get there about 90 minutes after the fact... and every fire in that area is a major catashtrophe on the news.

But nothing has been done for years... that's "Democracy" for ya.

Not a problem, unless confined - as in a chambered round.

MM419

Quoted: Does the same thing happen for rimfire ammunition?

Yup, the brass usually launches is an unpredictable way, with a nice "pop".
I never tossed any into a BBQ grill.

My department doesn't have anything in the SOP's about ammunition. My only policy is to keep putting the wet stuff on the red stuff until the fire is out. However, I am not insane either and I won't take any crazy chances and risk getting my guys hurt needlessly. But I don't consider a simple ammo cook-off any reason for pulling away from a fire unless there are many loaded guns inside the home angled toward me! LOL. That could be a different matter entirely. Otherwise my department keeps fighting the fire. After collecting the casing that came through the window beside me as a souvenir, I just stuffed the thing into the pocket on my bunker coat and continued suppression. There are many things that can cook off during house fires...items such as aerosol cans, tanks of gas and many other items. Some of these worry me far more than ammo.

-Charging Handle

RMZ ...

I'd refer you to your homeowner's insurance. Believe it or not, some insurance policys do not cover what would happen (in there eyes) any damage that may occur from an explosion resulting from ammo going off.

I have two safes both std. rated to fire, and I keep all my ammo. in one safe.