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Sporting Ammunition and the FireFighter

nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
edited January 2016 in Ask the Experts
Several years ago there was a thread about this which became contentious as well as awkward. Here is a lengthy video presentation by SAAMI regarding the burning of ammunition under varying circumstances. It also includes running over ammunition and other commodities with a bulldozer. It is an excellent treatment of an oft misunderstood event but I still don't advocate throwing old ammunition into a burn barrel or campfire...

https://youtu.be/3SlOXowwC4c

I found this on another website which has more description of the video so e-mail and I'll send you the URL.

Best.
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Comments

  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,572 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Wow ammo to burn. I would have liked to see some rimfire in the tests.
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  • XXCrossXXCross Member Posts: 1,379 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    These videos should be required viewing (with a test afterward) for every firefighter in the country. Those that fail to get the message should be looking at another line of work. We had a fire station commander that allowed his men to stand down at a house hire because one of the neighbors told them that there was AMMUNITION in that house.
    The house burnt to the ground...along with the two boxes of hunting ammo.
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  • TxsTxs Member Posts: 17,809 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Several years ago I read an account of a seriously freak incident involving a firefighter and cooked off ammunition, I believe in Florida.

    A volunteer firefighter out in the front yard at a house fire scene suddenly went down and was found to have suffered a single, fatal gunshot wound.

    On autopsy the bullet was recovered and it was found to have rifling marks. WTH?

    Investigation revealed the homeowner had left a rifle with a round in the chamber propped in the corner of a room. The remnants of this rifle were examined and it was found to have an empty case in the chamber. Ballistics comparison was conducted and it was determined that the fatal bullet had passed down the bore of this rifle.
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  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by XXCross

    These videos should be required viewing (with a test afterward) for every firefighter in the country. Those that fail to get the message should be looking at another line of work. We had a fire station commander that allowed his men to stand down at a house hire because one of the neighbors told them that there was AMMUNITION in that house.
    The house burnt to the ground...along with the two boxes of hunting ammo.





    Many times in house fires. Similar stupid stuff, to the above. That creates these old wives tails, about "exploding" ammunition. Is attributable to aersoil/spray cans. The ninnies in the news media, will try to make you believe that a house is packed with ammo. When it's moms hair spray, or the bug spray under the sink, blasting off because of the fire.
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  • Horse Plains DrifterHorse Plains Drifter Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 40,095 ***** Forums Admin
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by XXCross

    These videos should be required viewing (with a test afterward) for every firefighter in the country. Those that fail to get the message should be looking at another line of work. We had a fire station commander that allowed his men to stand down at a house hire because one of the neighbors told them that there was AMMUNITION in that house.
    The house burnt to the ground...along with the two boxes of hunting ammo.

    I hope the home owner sued the hell out of that fire dep't.
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  • mmppresmmppres Member Posts: 3,177 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I went thru a house fire in 2005 had lots of ammo going off lost 30 firearms in it. most ammo that was burned did just that burned an went off like a firecracker, Had some loaded pistols from big bores to 22. only one 9mm blew up but only side ways. Have a smith 629 that was burned on out side an none of the 22 went off. Had 50 cal ammo cans full of shot shells an most made it thru ok just burned paint off cans. had more damage done from aerosol paint cans. an some fire works i was not supposed to have. even my torch tanks only blew tops off but nothing else. best advice i can tell any one is what ever fire insurance you double it at least.
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  • sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not sure if I'm the "contentious" guy,[:D][}:)][:D] but my house caught fire in 2009, in MN when my daughter put a box spring mattress up against it. The box spring had a cigarrette thrown (accidentally) into it while they were bringing out to give to my youngest son. They thought they put it out by water hose. Apparently, not so. Smoke was coming off the side of the house while both neighbors were having grad parties for their youngest kids. It burned the siding off and that was about it.

    The kicker was I had purchased/stored a large volume of smokeless powder (180-ish lbs. total) as I was doing a lot of shooting at that time. And the mattress was leaned up on the outside of that room.

    Had that powder gone up while they were upstairs it could have been one very hot fire. I used to joke, "Mama's lilly white @$$ flyin' through the air..." Later that summer the firefighters came out and paid a tribute for block parties on Labor Day. They thought it was funny as nothing more than siding was involved.

    I'm glad it never came to anything serious.
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