Exploding ammo

Tokoloshe Safaris

Sponsor
Since 2017
AH legend
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
2,488
Reaction score
8,017
Location
Mlibizi, Zimbabwe
Website
www.tokoloshesafaris.info
Deals & offers
21
Media
77
Articles
2
Member of
Life Member Safari International, Life Members Dallas Safari Club
Hunted
Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania
Leaving ammunition on the dash of a vehicle is a definite no,no, but has anyone heard of ammo exploding on the dash of a vehicle while left in the sun?

Does anyone have any data on temp required? Which ignite first primer or powder?

Just curious.

Lon
 
No info, Lon BUT I have been told by a Yank gunsmith who is resident in New Zealand, that the story about ammo exploding in vehicles comes from idiot poachers in the U.S. who accidentally discharge their .22 Rimfire rifles inside their vehicles on the public highway; and try to bullshit their way out of it. I understand that some of these people may be active during bow hunting seasons.
 
I’ve heard the story. I think they were in Deliverance.

Lon
 
While clearing a residential plot we were constantly getting “whump” and throw a bit of ash into the air. Some whumps were louder than others.

Still wondering about dashboard.
 
No info, Lon BUT I have been told by a Yank gunsmith who is resident in New Zealand, that the story about ammo exploding in vehicles comes from idiot poachers in the U.S. who accidentally discharge their .22 Rimfire rifles inside their vehicles on the public highway; and try to bullshit their way out of it. I understand that some of these people may be active during bow hunting seasons.
That’s definitely the first I’ve ever heard that story. I think that’s a tall tale only found in New Zealand now! In Pennsylvania at least, if you have a firearm while spotlighting from vehicle you are in violation of law, no excuse of an accidental discharge will help if caught.
 
No info, Lon BUT I have been told by a Yank gunsmith who is resident in New Zealand, that the story about ammo exploding in vehicles comes from idiot poachers in the U.S. who accidentally discharge their .22 Rimfire rifles inside their vehicles on the public highway; and try to bullshit their way out of it. I understand that some of these people may be active during bow hunting seasons.
Yeah, those shells can get pretty hot by the light of the moon at 3:00 a.m. That's when most deer poachers are typically doing business. Uh ... well ... so I've been told. :D
 
Leaving ammunition on the dash of a vehicle is a definite no,no, but has anyone heard of ammo exploding on the dash of a vehicle while left in the sun?
Ignition temperature for smokeless powder (depending of type) 350°F to 500°F (about 177°C to 260°C).
Ignition temperatures for primer chemicals: 250°F to 300°F (approximately 121°C to 149°C)
Unlikely, to impossible

Various armies go to extreme climates. I never heard of army ammunition self igniting on sun.
Civilian ammo, never heard of it.
 
I was on operation with the French army in East Africa where it is extremely hot. The cartridges and grenades on our belts never exploded. Aside from that, we threw as soldiers cartridges 7,5x54mm MAS into a fire to see what happened. It took some time before something happened and it was not spectacular.
 
I was on operation with the French army in East Africa where it is extremely hot. The cartridges and grenades on our belts never exploded. Aside from that, we threw as soldiers cartridges 7,5x54mm MAS into a fire to see what happened. It took some time before something happened and it was not spectacular.
Wow! What were you guys drinking? Paint thinner? :D I did some crazy stuff in the Army but nothing like that. Reminds me of the YouTube videos of kids playing with Tannerite: e.g. the bright boy who blows up a lawnmower and then laughs when the blade flies out ... and cuts his arm off! Hmmm. Actually those punks would probably make good recruits. Tabula rosa.
 
Kind of unrelated but as a kid I wanted a bullet for some reason. I knew where dad kept the ammo so I grabbed a 30-06 round and headed out back to a pile of dirt. There I dug a hole and built a small tripod to hold the cartridge. I built a small fire under it and torched it off.

Well, after quiet a while of the fire burning without no big bang like in the movies I decided to put the fire out. Now being a kit and not knowing about pouring cold water onto something hot, I grabbed the garden hose and sprayed it down into the hole onto the cartridge. I got the bang that I had expected earlier. It also scared the crap out of me. I have no idea if I got that bullet or not.

Now after saying that I would suppose that the fire that I had on that cartridge was a lot hotter than it would be if I would just leave that cartridge on the dash with the sun beating down on it.
 
When I was the DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) in charge of the Sundarban mangrove forests, each forest coupe office was supplied with four .303 British Lee Enfield rifles and 50 rounds of ammunition (174Gr army surplus spitzer tipped FMJ military ball) for the forest guards to take out during patrol. At the end of their shift, the patrol team handed over the rifles & ammunition to the next patrol team. Forest guards were made to account for every single cartridge expended (And I ordered them that I would not accept any warning shots. If they fired their service rifles while on duty, they were ordered to bring back proof of whatever/whoever they shot to the beat officer). Service ammunition was strictly rationed because it had to be shipped all the way from Gilatola Army Cantonment in Khulna (and only after the DFO made a written application to the Army Sector Commander).

In the summer of 1982 (nine months into my first term), the forest guards from the forest station in Noliyan tell me (while I had gone there on a surprise inspection visit) that all 50 rounds had exploded in the summer heat. I was appalled but calmly asked them to show me some brass fragments or such. Nobody could produce them.

Later, I ordered a formal inquiry to be launched. It quickly turned out that the crooks had sold the 50 rounds of ammunition to local pirates. Needless to say, those forest guards soon had bigger problems to worry about than accounting for missing service ammunition.

I have, however seen .300 Holland & Holland Magnum ammunition (Remington 180Gr Core Lokts) which (after many years of storage in a humid go-down) developed microscopic cracks in the brass and was "Weeping" nitroglycerine through the cracks.
 
Last edited:
When I was the DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) in charge of the Sundarban mangrove forests, each forest coupe office was supplied with four .303 British Lee Enfield rifles and 50 rounds of ammunition (174Gr army surplus spitzer tipped FMJ military ball) for the forest guards to take out during patrol. At the end of their shift, the patrol team handed over the rifles & ammunition to the next patrol team. Forest guards were made to account for every single cartridge expended (And I ordered them that I would not accept any warning shots. If they fired their service rifles while on duty, they were ordered to bring back proof of whatever/whoever they shot to the beat officer). Service ammunition was strictly rationed because it had to be shipped all the way from Gilatola Army Cantonment in Khulna (and only after the DFO made a written application to the Army Sector Commander).

In the summer of 1982 (nine months into my first term), the forest guards from the forest station in Noliyan tell me (while I had gone there on a surprise inspection visit) that all 50 rounds had exploded in the summer heat. I was appalled but calmly asked them to show me some brass fragments or such. Nobody could produce them.

Later, I ordered a formal inquiry to be launched. It quickly turned out that the crooks had sold the 50 rounds of ammunition to local pirates. Needless to say, those forest guards soon had bigger problems to worry about than accounting for missing service ammunition.

I have, however seen .300 Holland & Holland Magnum ammunition (Remington 180Gr Core Lokts) which (after many years of storage in a humid go-down) developed microscopic cracks in the brass and was "Weeping" nitroglycerine through the cracks.
Interesting. As a Canadian mining historian I knew about dynamite weaping nitroglycerin after thawing out (dynamite freezes at roughly 55 degrees F!) but this is the first I've heard of nytro weaping from gunpowder. Would that have been the old cordite loads?
 
Interesting. As a Canadian mining historian I knew about dynamite weaping nitroglycerin after thawing out (dynamite freezes at roughly 55 degrees F!) but this is the first I've heard of nytro weaping from gunpowder. Would that have been the old cordite loads?
No, Remington never used Cordite. I only saw this happen once. But every cartridge in the box was affected by this phenomenon.
 
No, Remington never used Cordite. I only saw this happen once. But every cartridge in the box was affected by this phenomenon.
Seems this can be a hazard when storing ammo over long periods in humid environments. See "characteristics" in Wikipedia "smokeless powder". I always assumed one should not use gunpowder that smells rancid simply because it has "gone bad." Well, it's really bad! As in blowing up your house bad ... while you're asleep in bed! Yikes.
 
In offshore industry lately, we are suffering of safety overkill.

Everybody has a duty to report "unsafe acts".
The risk of "Explosion on sun exposure", is getting now new levels.

The crew of lesser education, now often reports that they found "a can of WD40 spray, on the sun, with risk of explosion", and they removed it and stored in "safe place".

Never happened.
 
“I have, however seen .300 Holland & Holland Magnum ammunition (Remington 180Gr Core Lokts) which (after many years of storage in a humid go-down) developed microscopic cracks in the brass and was "Weeping" nitroglycerine through the cracks.“

I’ve seen exactly that with some Wolfgang Romney 375 Flanged Magnum ammunition! Bubbles fizzing out of tiny cracks in the shoulder.
I believe I have a video of it I’ll post if I can find it.
 
I don’t think it’s possible
I carry ammunition in a metal tool box in my truck, that tool box gets hot enough to fry eggs or scald a hand , and have never had anything cook off ammunition wise
 
There is a very interesting video from SAAMI called SPORTING AMMUNITION AND THE FIREFIGHTER. Very interesting, busts a lot of myths about ammo in fires and other things.
Now ammo and fires don't mix especially if they either cook off due to the fire or when the case gets hit with cold water.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
57,092
Messages
1,222,321
Members
100,111
Latest member
Fiona0495
 

 

 

Latest profile posts

EC HUNTING SAFARIS wrote on MarcoPani's profile.
Happy Birthday, from Grahamstown, South Africa.
I hope your day is great!
Cheers
Marius
EC HUNTING SAFARIS wrote on Ilkay Taskin's profile.
Happy Birthday from Grahamstown, South Africa! I hope you have a great day!
Cheers, Marius
idjeffp wrote on Jon R15's profile.
Hi Jon,
I saw your post for the .500 NE cases. Are these all brass or are they nickel plated? Hard for me to tell... sorry.
Thanks,
Jeff [redacted]
Boise, ID
[redacted]
 
Top