Ever wonder why tracer bullets start fires...

[SAnd]

Here is a video of tracer bullets burning. You can see why they can easily start a fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuRFxpNqzWs&list=TLl1dYx1-O31Af7UTJBFOnvQOwkeY39EJ7

Bigger bullets have generate bigger flares.

[rondog]

I fired some tracers from my M1 into a huge dirt cliff face once, figured that was about the safest thing I could shoot them at, it was at least 600-700 yards away and all dirt. It was cool, but then I noticed the little fireballs cartwheeling down the cliff face, so I gave that up. Damn hard to find a safe place to shoot 'em.

[drift_g35]

My cousin who was a Ranger said he would always put 1 or 2 tracers in his magazines first so he knew when he was out or ammo. Dont know how true this is but makes sense.

[OneGuy67]

While I was in Iraq, I put a tracer every 5th round and the last 3 in a mag.

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[Circuits]

Every single time I've shot tracers, they've started a small fire. I won't do it any longer unless it's raining or just stopped raining, there's snow cover on the ground, or I'm in sandy/rocky desert terrain with absolutely nothing nearby that could possibly catch fire.

That's been my experiences here in the southwest. Tracers are almost certainly not nearly as dangerous in greener and wetter climates.

[rondog]

Wheeee!!!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tyc40s3xF18

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DoQTFbPbg_g

[DocMedic]

Just like anything in the army there's FM for that :). Believe the order was 2 tracers on top 3 tracers at the bottom with a 3 bullet to 1 tracer setup. The idea behind the first 2 tracers would allow you to know if you loaded a fresh mag. Of course this was before Optics and Night vision laser's where common in the Big Army. Afghanistan I had them, Iraq they wouldn't even issue them.

[vossman]

So what ignites the burning tip as it leaves the barrel? The friction from acceleration? Is it ignited in the barrel from the gasses that pass the bullet? Stupid questions I know, sorry.

[Colorado Osprey]

The back of the bullet is hollow and filled with the tracer compound. When the cartridge is fired it ignites the compound from the powder burn. That is the reason for the long for weight bullets and the reason the military is using a 1:7 barrel to try and stabilize the 62 grain tracer round in the M4's. No other bullet in .224 requires a 1:7 twist. Even the 75 grain A-max can be stabilized in a 1:8.

[vossman]

Ah, I didn't have the sound on when I watched the video. Thanks.
The video links Rondog posted were cool. Man the bullets are moving crazy fast.

[Mick-Boy]

As a squad leader I used to carry a full magazine of tracer loaded. I used it to direct fire, instead of trying to talk my machine gunners onto a target I'd just put a couple of rounds on it and let them go to town. Worked out pretty good. Now that I'm all about supressors, lasers, and NODs I don't carry them. Tracers work both ways after all.

No one has to convince me that tracers start fires. We almost burned down Ft. AP Hill in '01 doing a machine gun range. [panic]

[GilpinGuy]

[QUOTE]Ever wonder why tracer bullets start fires...]/QUOTE]

No. The bullets are literally shooting out flames.

[Circuits]

So what ignites the burning tip as it leaves the barrel? The friction from acceleration? Is it ignited in the barrel from the gasses that pass the bullet? Stupid questions I know, sorry.
The tracer bullet is long and hollow, and basically packed full of something related to the burning compound in a highway flare.

The back is stoppered with an igniter cap, that both serves to keep the flare compound compressed inside the bullet, and which is lit by the burning powder behind it, then burns through and ignites the tracing compound somewhere downrange.

Immediate tracer, or tracer which has lost its igniter cap simply starts burning immediately.

[rondog]

Ah, I didn't have the sound on when I watched the video. Thanks.
The video links Rondog posted were cool. Man the bullets are moving crazy fast.

It's amazing how much faster the .50bmg rounds go. Those puppies just scoot right along compared to the others. Funny how some of the tracers look downright anemic. Those videos were shot at the Cheyenne Wells MG Shoot in 2007. Good times!