How safe is your stored ammo ??

Turns out...


pretty darn safe even for the firefighters having to save your house


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SlOXowwC4c

Good to know. Thx for the post.

Thats pretty interesting for sure

Will be showing this to the wife. Having been in the fire protection business in the past she has always been pretty fearful of storing any bulk ammo in the house outside the safes. Good to know that we should be able to contain and minimize the danger without having to spend boatloads of money.

Yeah, without a barrel there is almost nothing gained in velocity. In addition to what is showed in the video the cases themselves will also move, further removing potency from the projectile or case. My personal concern is that if I hear ammo going off from outside its gonna be hot as hell inside(ammo cooks off at something like 300 degrees F). And some idiot may have left ammo in a gun's chamber, which would be deadly if it gets cooked off by a fire.

This plus the fact that if a department policy is that ammo + fire = stay outside, then nobody will go inside regardless.

There are far worse dangers to firefighters in a home fire than ammunition. 28k rounds of ammo burned...brought a tear to my eye.

BTW: The coolest thing is this video was the Constellation in the background while doing the drop test.

Great info. Thanks for sharing.

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Originally Posted by Bailey Guns

There are far worse dangers to firefighters in a home fire than ammunition.

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ever seen what happens to a gallon of bleach at 300f ?
Aerosol cans
stuff people store is insane

Cool video, thanks for posting

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Originally Posted by Flatline

Yeah, without a barrel there is almost nothing gained in velocity. In addition to what is showed in the video the cases themselves will also move, further removing potency from the projectile or case. My personal concern is that if I hear ammo going off from outside its gonna be hot as hell inside(ammo cooks off at something like 300 degrees F). And some idiot may have left ammo in a gun's chamber, which would be deadly if it gets cooked off by a fire.

This plus the fact that if a department policy is that ammo + fire = stay outside, then nobody will go inside regardless.

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I must be an Idiot seeing how any firearm i have available IS LOADED. What's the point of having an accessible gun IF it's Not Loaded. For all the hand wringers on line, NO we do Not have Any Children.

Outstanding video. Those demo's cost some big bucks but sure got the point across. I'd like to have seen a bunch of RIM FIRE ammo included in those tests especially with the CAT driving over them.
Many thanks for posting!!
[blaster]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jim

I must be an Idiot seeing how any firearm i have available IS LOADED. What's the point of having an accessible gun IF it's Not Loaded. For all the hand wringers on line, NO we do Not have Any Children.

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You have time to get to a gun that is not on you but you don't have half a second to rack the slide?

Thanks for the post really informative!!! It was sad seeing all those rounds burned!

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Originally Posted by Flatline

You have time to get to a gun that is not on you but you don't have half a second to rack the slide?

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It happens that quick. Each to his or her own, me they are loaded. I do not need to justify my actions to you or anyone else. You prefer unloaded good for you.
FWIW: i also carry hot too.

delete

Couple on the nightstand, along w/ loaded REM870 and AR-15 under the heavenly sleep number bed. [M2]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jim

I must be an Idiot seeing how any firearm i have available IS LOADED. What's the point of having an accessible gun IF it's Not Loaded. For all the hand wringers on line, NO we do Not have Any Children.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jim

It happens that quick. Each to his or her own, me they are loaded. I do not need to justify my actions to you or anyone else. You prefer unloaded good for you.
FWIW: i also carry hot too.

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I guess I'm a fellow idiot as well since I keep all my defensive firearms loaded and ready to go at a moments notice. The difference being I do have "children" in the house (14 & 18 yrs), but my guns are either on me or locked up in the safe.

fellow idiot here. Mine remain loaded at the ready, unless they're going in to long term storage.

Count me as an idiot as well. If it's not in the safe, it's loaded and ready to go.

Yup, loaded here. Good video to the OP, we were just having a talk about this at work this week.

It's nice to know that if you wanted to build an "ammo bunker" basically all you need is two layers of 5/8" sheetrock to contain projectiles ( tho in most cases 1 would do .. the second is the backup)

I knew that they would not shoot of like inside of a chamber of a weapon but I didn't think they would still be so weak as to not even punch thru bunker gear at 15 feet.

Really makes me feel better living in an apartment knowing that it's rather unlikey to harm others. now I can up my ammo supply here [word]

I wonder if the ammo is stored in a " standard" ammo can and subjected to fire what would happen ?

Would the contained primer ignitions just blow the seals out on the ammo or would it blow a hole in the side ? ( would the mythbusters take this on to test?)

As to the loaded weapon and cook off.. the first warning in the video says it will fire as if you pulled the trigger. I don't think many of us keep more then one or two loaded and ready so the safety is a factor but I think that the ammo in the mag would cook off first ( the chamber providing a bit insulation to slow down the cook off) preventing the weapon from cycling (in an semi/full auto I suppose a revolver has X number of chambers but only one barrel could make for an interesting test .. what abotu the other X number of chambers not inline with the barrel at that moment) so that only one round would be a danger ( per weapon). I'm ok with one round being a danger compared to a couple thousand rounds in storage ( pretty good odds I say)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jim

It happens that quick. Each to his or her own, me they are loaded. I do not need to justify my actions to you or anyone else. You prefer unloaded good for you.
FWIW: i also carry hot too.

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Count me in as an idiot! locked and loaded through out the house. I have an 18 yo. although he has more guns than some adults I know. NO Worries!

Carry Hot, Carry Often!

I would like to see that done with powders in different sized units, 1#,4# and 8#, stored in the open on shelving and in different containers from ammo cans to locking cabinets.

And yes, I cried watching all that ammunition being destroyed. [Cry]

sadly all my ammo is at the bottom of that crazy gun eating lake [Coffee]

Had a neighbor's house burn down a few years back. I helped the VFD run hose. We dodged a lot of .45acp casings that were flying through the air. Some went 30'.

I guess that I'm an idiot too!! Having a readily available firearm unloaded is like installing a screen-door on a submarine...it just doesn't make sense!!

BTW I'm weeping about all of the 400,000 rounds that were use during the test. They should've gave it all to me.

To start off, I watched the entire video and tried counting the rounds they destroyed, but then got too sad so I stopped. Very informative video and definitely worth the 25min to watch it.

Not sure why we're counting idiots here. I think the risk of a fire is less than the risk of someone breaking into the house while I'm there. If everyone is worried about the firearm shooting the chambered cartridge, why not just mount/store the loaded firearm pointing in a safe direction. After all, that is one of the firearm laws (always keep it pointed in a safe direction)...

Better yet, why not just get a revolver and keep an empty cylinder over the barrel. In self-defense, pulling the trigger in DA mode would advance the cartridge and fire it. Although with that line of thought, the rounds in a revolver are constricted by the cylinder and could therefore go off, not necessarily shooting down the barrel, but they would destroy the revolver in the process. So maybe a revolver isn't a good idea.

I keep my bedside pistol mounted in a CQC holster that I have rigged to hang off the side of my nightstand, pointing downwards. If my house caught fire and it discharged, it would shoot into the concrete slab, I guess risking a ricochet, but thats better than it resting on a table and shooting off in a random direction, possibly through the house.

Perhaps I'm totally missing the point of what people are talking about, and if so feel free to enlighten me.

eta: I did forward this to my sister who is a Paramedic Firefighter. Not sure if she's aware of the truth behind this or not, but its a commonly believed myth by the vast majority of people (or so it seems).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BuffCyclist

Not sure why we're counting idiots here. I think the risk of a fire is less than the risk of someone breaking into the house while I'm there. If everyone is worried about the firearm shooting the chambered cartridge, why not just mount/store the loaded firearm pointing in a safe direction. After all, that is one of the firearm laws (always keep it pointed in a safe direction)...

Better yet, why not just get a revolver and keep an empty cylinder over the barrel. In self-defense, pulling the trigger in DA mode would advance the cartridge and fire it. Although with that line of thought, the rounds in a revolver are constricted by the cylinder and could therefore go off, not necessarily shooting down the barrel, but they would destroy the revolver in the process. So maybe a revolver isn't a good idea.

I keep my bedside pistol mounted in a CQC holster that I have rigged to hang off the side of my nightstand, pointing downwards. If my house caught fire and it discharged, it would shoot into the concrete slab, I guess risking a ricochet, but thats better than it resting on a table and shooting off in a random direction, possibly through the house.

Perhaps I'm totally missing the point of what people are talking about, and if so feel free to enlighten me.

eta: I did forward this to my sister who is a Paramedic Firefighter. Not sure if she's aware of the truth behind this or not, but its a commonly believed myth by the vast majority of people (or so it seems).

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Yes & No. I replied in my normal congenial & courteous way to this sentence by another member (Flatline) You will also see i said i choose to keep one loaded, a personal choice. Not one that is or should be gospel for gun owners (loosely interpreted)
And some idiot may have left ammo in a gun's chamber, which would be deadly if it gets cooked off by a fire.

To date i have and never will understand WHY IF you own a gun for PP / defensive tool you would not have one in the chamber. His sentence could have been worded differently to something like IF you had a loaded gun AND there was a fire it might become deadly, instead of SOME IDIOT.
Obviously other posted agree with this IDIOT(me), that they too keep a loaded gun in the home. The up side to all this is no one has (yet) stooped low and started name calling.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ah Pook

Had a neighbor's house burn down a few years back. I helped the VFD run hose. We dodged a lot of .45acp casings that were flying through the air. Some went 30'.

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Exactly. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the fact that the casings, being much lighter than the actual bullets, would be what becomes the projectile in this situation. When a primer ignites on an unencumbered round, the actual bullet will move a heck of a lot less than the brass will, simply based on weight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BuffCyclist

Not sure why we're counting idiots here. I think the risk of a fire is less than the risk of someone breaking into the house while I'm there. If everyone is worried about the firearm shooting the chambered cartridge, why not just mount/store the loaded firearm pointing in a safe direction. After all, that is one of the firearm laws (always keep it pointed in a safe direction)...

Better yet, why not just get a revolver and keep an empty cylinder over the barrel. In self-defense, pulling the trigger in DA mode would advance the cartridge and fire it. Although with that line of thought, the rounds in a revolver are constricted by the cylinder and could therefore go off, not necessarily shooting down the barrel, but they would destroy the revolver in the process. So maybe a revolver isn't a good idea.

I keep my bedside pistol mounted in a CQC holster that I have rigged to hang off the side of my nightstand, pointing downwards. If my house caught fire and it discharged, it would shoot into the concrete slab, I guess risking a ricochet, but thats better than it resting on a table and shooting off in a random direction, possibly through the house.

Perhaps I'm totally missing the point of what people are talking about, and if so feel free to enlighten me.

eta: I did forward this to my sister who is a Paramedic Firefighter. Not sure if she's aware of the truth behind this or not, but its a commonly believed myth by the vast majority of people (or so it seems).

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I keep some firearms in strategic places for our protection. They are loaded and ready to go in case of a house invasion. Just in case that you weren't tracking, during the 2 wars that we were fighting in Iraq and Asscrackistan many undesirables were able to join in, get the training, and get out (trust me, I was a Drill Sergeant during those times). Now those same undesirables have the skills to enter a house and clear it with the same speed as our troops.

Now the question is, do you want to be a victim? If not, keep your firearms loaded and within arms reach and when you carry, carry on red!!

SR

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jim

Yes & No. I replied in my normal congenial & courteous way to this sentence by another member (Flatline) You will also see i said i choose to keep one loaded, a personal choice. Not one that is or should be gospel for gun owners (loosely interpreted)
And some idiot may have left ammo in a gun's chamber, which would be deadly if it gets cooked off by a fire.

To date i have and never will understand WHY IF you own a gun for PP / defensive tool you would not have one in the chamber. His sentence could have been worded differently to something like IF you had a loaded gun AND there was a fire it might become deadly, instead of SOME IDIOT.
Obviously other posted agree with this IDIOT(me), that they too keep a loaded gun in the home. The up side to all this is no one has (yet) stooped low and started name calling.

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Ah, gotcha! Its my last night on a 4 night shift (around 15hr nights) and I'm incredibly exhausted, not reading sentences clearly lol. I need sarcasm signs for clarity.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sabot_round

I keep some firearms in strategic places for our protection. They are loaded and ready to go in case of a house invasion. Just in case that you weren't tracking, during the 2 wars that we were fighting in Iraq and Asscrackistan many undesirables were able to join in, get the training, and get out (trust me, I was a Drill Sergeant during those times). Now those same undesirables have the skills to enter a house and clear it with the same speed as our troops.

Now the question is, do you want to be a victim? If not, keep your firearms loaded and within arms reach and when you carry, carry on red!!

SR

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No, I do not want to be a victim, hence why I have a ccw, taught the fiancee to shoot (she loves it and is getting me to the range more often too), getting her a pistol of her choice eventually and her ccw soon, have an alarm system in our house and a dog that will alert us to any strange noises outside (which she does on a daily basis) and is aggressive enough to protect us with her life.

I was reading the thread that everyone was saying "i'm another idiot" and that they were changing their HD choices and no longer keeping chambered rounds in their HD guns.

Thanks for the clarifications! [Tooth]

wow, I am extremely saddened at the number of rounds used in this test! Great to know those. I always kind of knew this after tossing some .22's into a fire as a kid while camping. Guess I am pretty safe with my ammo in metal or wood storage cabinets!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BuffCyclist

Ah, gotcha! Last night on a 4 night shift and I'm incredibly exhausted, not reading sentences clearly lol. I need sarcasm signs.



No, I do not want to be a victim, hence why I have a ccw, taught the fiancee to shoot (she loves it and is getting me to the range more often too), have an alarm system in our house and a dog that will alert us to any strange noises outside (which she does on a daily basis) and is aggressive enough to protect us with her life.

I was reading the thread that everyone was saying "i'm another idiot" and that they were changing their HD choices and no longer keeping chambered rounds in their HD guns.

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Ahh very good!! My wife shoots a 44 Magnum very accurately (of course with my special loads[Muaha]) and she can put six rounds within 4" from 15 feet. That's not to bad for a 5'4" petite female.

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Originally Posted by sabot_round

Ahh very good!! My wife shoots a 44 Magnum very accurately (of course with my special loads[Muaha]) and she can put six rounds within 4" from 15 feet. That's not to bad for a 5'4" petite female.

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Not to threadjack anymore, but there was a huge thread on here about how to introduce her to shooting. She shot my Glock 23 with a 9mm conversion barrel and loved it. She is an excellent shot too! The last time we went, I took some 1" pasters (the freebies they give to patch the holes on the big targets) and put those in random spots on the target and we made a game to see who could get the closest to them. She won, even shot one dead center at about 7yds. She wants to go again this weekend, and you won't see me complaining!

She's very open to the idea of getting her CCW and I think we may sign her up for the class in a few months (after holidays etc). Then we'll go shopping for her, but I think sh'd enjoy it more if she had a pistol that fit her perfectly now. The last trip she commented a lot about how big the G23 was in her hands.

Oh yea, did i mention that she also does jui jitsu? So thats more security for her too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Flatline

You have time to get to a gun that is not on you but you don't have half a second to rack the slide?

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Maybe...maybe not. Why in the name of all that is holy would you have an unloaded, defensive gun? Count me in the IDIOT category. Any gun I plan to use defensively is ready to go.

Are you going to be able to "rack" the slide when your weak-side hand is injured? Or when it's busy keeping you from being stabbed or otherwise injured? That 1/2 second might be a lifetime. Alternatively you could train yourself so you feel more comfortable with a loaded gun.

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Originally Posted by alxone

sadly all my ammo is at the bottom of that crazy gun eating lake [Coffee]

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Alright...that's it. I'm taking scuba lessons. Then I'm gonna find this mystical gun/ammo eating lake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bailey Guns

Maybe...maybe not. Why in the name of all that is holy would you have an unloaded, defensive gun? Count me in the IDIOT category. Any gun I plan to use defensively is ready to go.

Are you going to be able to "rack" the slide when your weak-side hand is injured? Or when it's busy keeping you from being stabbed or otherwise injured? That 1/2 second might be a lifetime. Alternatively you could train yourself so you feel more comfortable with a loaded gun.

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Along those lines, my CCW instructor showed us several ways of racking the slide without the use of one hand. Its VERY difficult!

Well, I guess that all this answers the question as to who the idiot is??

Yes, it is. Not impossible, but difficult. Especially when you're fighting for your life.

When I was young our house caught fire, and we had an ammo stash, it was really loud, I mean REALLY loud, but none of the firefighters were hurt, or even worried about it.