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Posted: 3/12/2010 11:48:50 AM EDT
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Sorry for the dumb question, however, my wife asked me about reloading for the 50, and what happens in the event of a fire with loaded 50 rounds. I told her it would be noisy, and would definitely cause the fire to accelerate, but, she wouldn't have to worry about 50 caliber bullets flying through the air. My question is, what would happen to a 50 BMG loaded round that was subjected to a fire?
Thank you for the response, appreciate it. |
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Well, in MY fire, there were about 300 rounds of .50bmg involved.
The pistol brass was unruptured but the bullet was gone. Same with most of the rifle brass. But the .50bmg had many of the cases ruptured as well. Even in turnout gear I wouldn't want to be right next to one when it went off, but I doubt there was much danger outside the house, and inside the house once it was hot enough to cook off the ammo it was too hot for a person even in turnout gear. I did find a few odd things (happens when there's many tens of K of ammo in a housefire). Downstairs had a can of soup that was unruptured because at some point a bullet entered the can of soup and relieved it so the can didn't explode. Either it was a loose round, or more likely a round from one in the chamber of a pistol or rifle that had gone through the floor first. I still have the can with the round in it rattling around. |
The powder would burn but the brass will not blow up. Since there is no chamber to contain the bullet and brass it's not a big deal. Major General Hatcher who was in charge of the Federal Armory back in the early 1900's proved that ti's not dangerious. He was used as a professional witness in a trial where a guy murdered his wife but blamed his child for throwing a handful of .45 ACP loaded rounds into a pot belly stove. He said she opened the door and caught a bullet between the eyes. General Hatcher put several rounds on a hot plate and covered them with a box. Not one pentrated the box. I'm sure a piece of brass might come lose and hurt an eye and a person could get a burn from the flash but it won't explode with much or any force. I would think the face plate and bunker gear would protect a fireman from damage. 
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none cooked off in my house fire...$112K damage to a $125K house but all the ammo was on the floor in ammo cans...didn't get hot enough. All powder was also within 18" of the floor and it didn't catch either. At 4.5 ft up the wall, it got to 1200+ based upon melted light switches (according to investigator)... but being close to the ground kept ammo and powder from cooking off.
Now I store all my powder in a pin box lined with 5/8" sheetrock. Same with the primers, only a separate box. Ammo remains on floor, as low as possible. -David Edgewood, NM |
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Quoted:
none cooked off in my house fire...$112K damage to a $125K house but all the ammo was on the floor in ammo cans...didn't get hot enough. All powder was also within 18" of the floor and it didn't catch either. At 4.5 ft up the wall, it got to 1200+ based upon melted light switches (according to investigator)... but being close to the ground kept ammo and powder from cooking off. Now I store all my powder in a pin box lined with 5/8" sheetrock. Same with the primers, only a separate box. Ammo remains on floor, as low as possible. -David Edgewood, NM Really? That's good to know. I would have thought a fire to cause so much damage would have gotten it hot enough to cook it off. |
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Quoted:
Now I store all my powder in a pin box lined with 5/8" sheetrock. Same with the primers, only a separate box. Ammo remains on floor, as low as possible. -David Edgewood, NM pin(e) box on the outside, sheetrock on the inside? Try adding Hardi-Panel to the outside so the wood can't catch fire easily. |
My house burned, all the ammo that was loaded in mags cooked off, and ammo on bottom of case did not............wood gun case. It was like the brass popped. I don't know where the bullets went, but there were two with loaded chambers, and when they cooked off, they went straight through the ceiling. (30-06) I had a .44mag super red hawk that was even on top of the case, loaded with all six and none popped....I don't know any real rhyme or reason except don't leave guns loaded in a fire!  .........I have seen a truck fire where the 22LRs would zip away, you could hear the high pitch whir.
Oh, I got screwed by ALLSTATE and they can go to hell. lol Had to throw that in there. |
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