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Posted: 1/13/2012 6:05:53 AM EDT
| As I understand it, small arms ammo, i.e., pistol and rifle, is not explosive when exposed to fire, although there is danger from rounds as they cook off. What type of storage locker is required to prevent injury (typically to firemen) in the event of a fire. I have a lot of ammo in a metal box with 1/8" steel construction. The box is well vented, and a fmj 9mm did not penetrate the box when fired from about 15 yards. The venting should prevent an explosive atmosphere from developing. Most of my rifle ammo is in this box. I also have several thousand rounds of pistol ammo that is stored in surplus ammo cans. Is this considered safe storage. I keep all ammo in my detached garage, but the garage is only 25 feet from my house. I don't intend to dig an underground bunker for storage, so what's a safe container for my garage? |
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You are overthinking this. Ammo cans will be fine. without being in a chamber, there isnt going to be enough force behind a bullet to penetrate much of anything. If you shot the box you have with a 9mm and it didnt go through, thats plenty safe enough for storage. If you are really concerned about it, do what my uncle does: He stores his ammo in ammo cans, and then stores those cans inside an old truck toolbox in his garage.
Personally, I wouldn't be sticking around a burning house long enough to find out, and I cant think of any reasonable person who would. If you are concerned about firemen, then tell them there is ammo in the house when you call or when they show up. That would be the better thing to do than hoping for the best with your ammo storage. |
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Quoted: open storage would be fine, see mythbusters and anyone that has throw ammo in a fire. ie ammo that splods will not kill yaAs I understand it, small arms ammo, i.e., pistol and rifle, is not explosive when exposed to fire, although there is danger from rounds as they cook off. What type of storage locker is required to prevent injury (typically to firemen) in the event of a fire (no such thing). I have a lot of ammo in a metal box with 1/8" steel construction. The box is well vented, and a fmj 9mm did not penetrate the box when fired from about 15 yards. The venting should prevent an explosive atmosphere from developing. Most of my rifle ammo is in this box. I also have several thousand rounds of pistol ammo that is stored in surplus ammo cans. Is this considered safe storage. I keep all ammo in my detached garage, but the garage is only 25 feet from my house. I don't intend to dig an underground bunker for storage, so what's a safe container for my garage? Ammo cans are more than enough "protection" |
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This video is made by SAAMI, it explains how safe modern ammo really in in all types of situations.
SAAMI - Ammo and Firefighting |
| I found a book once that detailed experiments done where they electrically fired rounds inside of pants pockets to see if they could cause injury. Now that I write that I wonder "why?" but, in any case, they found that they did nothing but cause scorch marks. Without a barrel to create the high pressures necessary to launch a bullet ammunition is pretty safe. |
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Does anyone know what temps a ammo can can resist against? They are just big metal boxes so I assume they can withstand quite a bit of heat for a period of time. not sure what you're asking. an ammo can is a pretty good conductor so i doubt that there would be much temperature variation inside / outside. the weak point in a fire would probably be the rubber gasket. |
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I found a book once that detailed experiments done where they electrically fired rounds inside of pants pockets to see if they could cause injury. Now that I write that I wonder "why?" but, in any case, they found that they did nothing but cause scorch marks. Without a barrel to create the high pressures necessary to launch a bullet ammunition is pretty safe. Loose live rounds that cook off, as in a fire, are DANGEROUS. When they go off, the bullet goes one way, the case (and maybe fragments of the case) goes some other way. While not traveling at rifle bullet velocities, all these components CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. The "pants pocket" experiment doesn't really simulate a cook off, it was more like "firing a round in your pocket." It isn't terribly realistic to think about a cook off in one's pants pocket anyway. I have been "locked down" for hours because a grass fire was cooking off thousands of discarded blank rounds at the gate to my facility (Ft. Kobbe Transmitter Site). The results were pretty amazing - case fragments embedded in trees and pavement, debris blown dozens of feet from the fire, etc. Do not underestimate the potential for damage and injury from uncontainable cook offs. |
| In my experience, a 20lb LP tank or a couple gallons of gasoline in a garage is more dangerous in a fire than a hoard of ammo, especially if the guys are inside fighting the fire. If you are there during your fire let them know there's some ammo and where, it wont make too much difference to most firefighters anyway. |
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http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-ammunition-explosion,0,5091373.story
[email protected] (Oakland, TN 1/5/2011) One person is dead after an explosion at an ammunitions plant near Oakland, TN. The Kinematics Research plant is located on Bowers Road. The victim is 34-year-old Murray Clifford Davis Jr. of Somerville who worked for the plant. He was one of five employees inside the building at the time of the explosion, about 1:45 p.m. A firefighter suffered a cut above one of his eyes while on the scene, possibly from a piece of flying shrapnel. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working with the Oakland Fire Department to investigate the cause of the explosion. "They think it may have had something to do with the packing, the ammunition that they were going to ship. They think it might have happened in that area somewhere," said Ed Gaugh, the Fayette County emergency management director. Gaugh added that the owner of Kinematics told him he was in the office at the time, with another employee. "He opened the door, he heard the explosion, it blew his cap off. He saw two of his employees down there. He said they were running towards the front of the building, and the fireball was chasing them." People working and living near the plant said they could see that fire in the sky. They said they could hear bullets flying and small explosions.[red] [red]"It almost sounded like a fireworks display. Just pop, pop, pop, pop, pop," said Kim Wyatt, who rushed to the scene from her nearby house to see what was happening. Wyatt caught some of the explosions on her camera. She described continuous explosions. "There were like, three back to back within seconds of each other, each one progressing to the big one, with the bright, white light," she said. The Oakland Police Chief, Rick Jewell said that this type of disaster is something he's never faced before. "We had a lot of gunpowder, explosives, and ammunition that went off for one solid hour. Half the front of the building actually blew out," he said. The blasts were so intense that firefighters and policemen had to stay behind their vehicles until the explosions quieted down. Gaugh said the fire was controlled some 90 minutes later. The company, which has been in business since 1992, makes new and remanufactured ammunition for firearms. Oakland is located in Fayette County. ************************************************************************************************************************************************* My son was working 2 doors down from this place and said the same thing about the fragments or bullets wizzing by. I have wondered about the same thing, but like was said about the garage, mine is full of things that will go boom and especially the mini torch kit. I have been told that firemen already know about garages, but should be informed atleast about any other possible explosive materials when called to a fire. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I found a book once that detailed experiments done where they electrically fired rounds inside of pants pockets to see if they could cause injury. Now that I write that I wonder "why?" but, in any case, they found that they did nothing but cause scorch marks. Without a barrel to create the high pressures necessary to launch a bullet ammunition is pretty safe. Loose live rounds that cook off, as in a fire, are DANGEROUS. When they go off, the bullet goes one way, the case (and maybe fragments of the case) goes some other way. While not traveling at rifle bullet velocities, all these components CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. The "pants pocket" experiment doesn't really simulate a cook off, it was more like "firing a round in your pocket." It isn't terribly realistic to think about a cook off in one's pants pocket anyway. I have been "locked down" for hours because a grass fire was cooking off thousands of discarded blank rounds at the gate to my facility (Ft. Kobbe Transmitter Site). The results were pretty amazing - case fragments embedded in trees and pavement, debris blown dozens of feet from the fire, etc. Do not underestimate the potential for damage and injury from uncontainable cook offs. I believe the experiment had its origin in a story involving a hunter who had batteries in his pocket along with loose ammo. Apparently both contacts of a 9-volt battery came in contact with a cartridge and the ammo detonated causing a minor flesh wound. |
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Quoted:
In my experience, a 20lb LP tank or a couple gallons of gasoline in a garage is more dangerous in a fire than a hoard of ammo, especially if the guys are inside fighting the fire. If you are there during your fire let them know there's some ammo and where, it wont make too much difference to most firefighters anyway. I'll respectfully disagree. Ammunition is like any hazard associated with a fire (hazardous materials, structural integrity, ect.) and I hope it is a tactical consideration for any Incident Commander when surveying your scene regardless of offensive or defensive mode. Additional lines may be stretched to the area where the ammunition is located in an attempt to reduce the heat in that compartment. |
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