Exploding ammo

[Tbitty]

It's not ammunition, but Mythbusters once did an episode on exploding disposable lighters on the dash of a vehicle. They had to create extreme conditions (not possible in any normal use situation) that really took effort to make them go bang. Basically, it was impossible to happen unless you wanted it to.

 

[Daniel Cary]

It's not ammunition, but Mythbusters once did an episode on exploding disposable lighters on the dash of a vehicle. They had to create extreme conditions (not possible in any normal use situation) that really took effort to make them go bang. Basically, it was impossible to happen unless you wanted it to.

 

[Daniel Cary]

Lon, I am sorry. However, there is a 500 in the car, i suppose should be moved .. if I ever clean the car out?

 

[poco]

It's not ammunition, but Mythbusters once did an episode on exploding disposable lighters on the dash of a vehicle. They had to create extreme conditions (not possible in any normal use situation) that really took effort to make them go bang. Basically, it was impossible to happen unless you wanted it to.

I have about 20 lighters blow up in my truck during the hot Texas summer
No flames but lots of little pieces of plastic
The ambient heat melts my lip balm also, having a lighter blow where I keep my balm
Makes a huge mess
Also don’t leave a 12 pack of canned coke’s in a car they will explode too and make a sticky mess

 

[BryceM]

Even if you could get it to ignite (maybe a magnifying glass would work??), it won't be all that impressive. In a loaded round, the bullet usually weighs as much or more than the case and primer. The bullet will slowly move one direction and the case/primer will move slightly faster in the other direction. There will be a bit of flame, but certainly no explosion. Smokeless powder doesn't explode anyhow..... just deflagrates (ignites at subsonic speeds).

 

[RR 314]

Never heard of such in the Texas heat. I did, however, know a guy who left a four pack or six pack of compressed air (dust/keyboard aerosol) in his truck in El Paso, and it looked like a couple pounds of tannerite exploded. His interior was destroyed and windshield shattered and at least one window blown out. I think ammo is likely safer than compressed air.

 

[wesheltonj]

I doubt just the heat would in a vehicle would do anything. However my father and this brother were both in the Merchant Marines in WW2 and brought back several “souvenirs” and ammo. His brother stored this stuff at his parents house, and had a house fire, that was enough heat to set off the ammo. My father said the firefighters would not get near the house as the ammo was exploding.

 

[CZDiesel]

In Phoenix the temps can run up to the 120s and in direct sunlight through the front windshield can generate over 250° in the car and I’m sure much higher there at or close to that windshield!!!
I for one would not want to have ammunition sitting there!!!

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

In Phoenix the temps can run up to the 120s and in direct sunlight through the front windshield can generate over 250° in the car and I’m sure much higher there at or close to that windshield!!!
I for one would not want to have ammunition sitting there!!!

Hi CZ

You are describing typical sub saharan temps with vehicles that have a dash board shelf. I never have had it happen nor do I know of anyone who has, cigarette lighter yes (to a friend.

On military dashboards almost all light cargo personnel carriers have a vehicle dash board with one cubby hole.

I mentioned sub saharan temps if it would happen anywhere Sahara Africa would be a great place to start.

When a “cook off” is referred to in a military automatic weapon what temps are being encountered?

Lon

 

[CoElkHunter]

It's not ammunition, but Mythbusters once did an episode on exploding disposable lighters on the dash of a vehicle. They had to create extreme conditions (not possible in any normal use situation) that really took effort to make them go bang. Basically, it was impossible to happen unless you wanted it to.

Good to know because I always keep a couple of lighters handy in a pouch below the dash in the event I get stranded somewhere in the winter and need to light stuff on fire to keep warm.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Lon, I am sorry. However, there is a 500 in the car, i suppose should be moved .. if I ever clean the car out?

500 Hemi engine? LOL

 

[CZDiesel]

Hi CZ

You are describing typical sub saharan temps with vehicles that have a dash board shelf. I never have had it happen nor do I know of anyone who has, cigarette lighter yes (to a friend.

On military dashboards almost all light cargo personnel carriers have a vehicle dash board with one cubby hole.

I mentioned sub saharan temps if it would happen anywhere Sahara Africa would be a great place to start.

When a “cook off” is referred to in a military automatic weapon what temps are being encountered?

Lon

I agree! But I still wouldn’t want to do it! I sure wouldn’t want to put ammunition in that type of circumstance and stand in front of it lol
And to answer your question on military cookoffs I’d have to think that the barrel temp can get up to and over 1000° when heavy and rapid machine gun firing is happening…
But Cookoffs can happen I’d think much lower than that if let sit but during firing the firing pin prohibits that!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I doubt just the heat would in a vehicle would do anything. However my father and this brother were both in the Merchant Marines in WW2 and brought back several “souvenirs” and ammo. His brother stored this stuff at his parents house, and had a house fire, that was enough heat to set off the ammo. My father said the firefighters would not get near the house as the ammo was exploding.

Maybe they had some artillery shells in their arsenal. Those typically contain gun cotton. Very different stuff from smokeless gunpowder! Kaboom!

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Maybe they had some artillery shells in their arsenal. Those typically contain gun cotton. Very different stuff from smokeless gunpowder! Kaboom!

Artillery shells are to big to lay on the dash of the cruiser, I think.

One time Liesl and I was driving thru Gweru as we came arounf a rising curve. Laying in the center of the road was a rifle grenade. Fortunately we made no contact. I was wondering why all of the people at the buss stop were staring at. We caught up with a army truck about 5 minutes later.

Lon

 

[ZG47]

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.

A departed gunsmith friend told me that the myth of cartridges going off in a fire and the bullets creating holes in things; started with … a scene in a Tom Mix movie. Tom dumps some cartridges in a fireplace and the cartridges supposedly go off, making holes in the weatherboard cladding and, presumably, the bad guys. We get to blame Hollywood again!

 

[Firebird]

I’ve been on several home and automobile fires where ammunition was involved but never due to dashboard heat. In a fire ammunition will explode, resembling popcorn kernels popping. The rounds will hit randomly and scare the devil out of you but none punctured my turn out gear. Maybe if you got too close and would certainly do damage to bare skin and typical civilian clothing. It takes a hot fire to ignite ammunition stored in a trunk but in direct fire impingement, ammunition will over pressure and rupture violently.

 

[Tbitty]

Good to know because I always keep a couple of lighters handy in a pouch below the dash in the event I get stranded somewhere in the winter and need to light stuff on fire to keep warm.

I keep one in my console for those just in case moments, too. Never had an issue even in the sweltering TX heat.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

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

When I was much younger, my friends and I hunted in Northern California. We often used small trucks as hunting vehicles. There was not much room and temperatures often were over 100 degrees F, not sure what that equals in C, but it is hot. A box of cartridges was in often left on the dash. I just do not believe that ammunition can detonate under any normal environmental conditions. I think the idea is a myth.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Artillery shells are to big to lay on the dash of the cruiser, I think.

One time Liesl and I was driving thru Gweru as we came arounf a rising curve. Laying in the center of the road was a rifle grenade. Fortunately we made no contact. I was wondering why all of the people at the buss stop were staring at. We caught up with a army truck about 5 minutes later.

Lon

It was a housefire that consumed the stockpile. Not on a dashboard.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

When I was much younger, my friends and I hunted in Northern California. We often used small trucks as hunting vehicles. There was not much room and temperatures often were over 100 degrees F, not sure what that equals in C, but it is hot. A box of cartridges was in often left on the dash. I just do not believe that ammunition can detonate under any normal environmental conditions. I think the idea is a myth.

100F is about 38.5C. I have a photo of the thermometer at my place showing 51*C at 11:00 in the morning, I then went out cleaning sheep troughs and it got hotter, my ammo didn’t explode and I wasn’t using A/C in the cruiser as too many start/stops. Cartridges need to be contained (think barrel) for them to propel a projectile anywhere
Gumpy