Bullets discharging?

[abcxyz]

Sorry, got another kind of stupid question.  Was wondering if it's ok, to keep bullets in a car or does it get to hot in there and there is a chance the bullet will discharge?  

Also, is there any 'danger' of a bullet going of if you have it lying around and it falls to a hard floor or if it's in a little container and you shake it or something?  I don't think so, but was just wondering...I'm a little ignorant here, so please bear with me....thanks!

[BSeevers]

I wouldnt worry about the car I would carry rounds or leave them in car in the desert, in fact if you think about it right now there are soldiers in the Middle East with hundreds of rounds in 100+ heat.  Although a box of 1000 primers could be lethal. They are much more dangerous in quantity.

With a loose round it would be a freak mishap maybe damaging your eye if it went off. Rounds need the "restriction" of a chamber to develop pressure. Pressure equals force. A round going off from a drop would more than likely just scare the stuff out of you. No reason to be careless though. These are not toys and should always be treated so.

[Ron Ankeny]

But...if you are loading near maximum (or over) if you shoot an extremely hot round that has been on the dash board, well...

[Carlos]

I hear your concern and don't worry about asking a question here; I doubt you would get flamed from fellow BE folks. Patience is valued here.

In general, direct sun and car heat will not set off rounds nor will dropping them while boxed or individually. If we consider all the posters here at BE, we have cumulativly watched literally millions of rounds hit the ground upon the command "unload and show clear". In a metaphysical sense, I suppose such a round "could" go off although they don't.

One note of caution as to hot car trunks though - some powders, including my personal favorite for .45 , straight Hodgdon Clays, exhibits very high pressure if its allowed to get very hot prior to firing. Its not something you want to take out of an Arizona trunk and go fire.  Best keep reloads with my beloved Clays in a cool place before firing.

Welcome to USPSA/IDPA competition and to BE. Look forward to seeing you at the range!. D.

[BSeevers]

PS I meant it could go off in theory. That's what I meant by freak. No worry needed Again it would probably go "pffoogh" and not be unsafe. Don't feel bad asking questions, Everyone here didn't know this at one time.

Ditto on the Clays or any sensitive powder.

[DogmaDog]

It is possible for rounds to "cook off", but I've only ever heard serious warnings about it when handling machineguns that have fired several hundred rounds in a short time.  

I'm reminded of the time, as a young Lance Corporal, I was introduced to the artillery by a Sergeant who noticed my squeamishness around the artillery shells.  He screwed a point detonating fuze onto the 100 lb shell, and proceded to beat the tip of it with a hard rubber mallet as hard as he could.  I winced, but the shell didn't explode.

So anyway, I think as long as you don't TRY to get your ammo to "accidentaly" ignite, you probably won't succeed.

Semper Fi,

DogmaDog

[Detlef]

but the question was whether bullets, not loaded rounds would go off if exposed to extreme heat. Personally, I doubt it, sure have never seen it happen. Maybe tracers? Or the exploding type?

--D.

[bonedaddy]

    Good question abc.    You don't have to worry about them cooking off in the car.  But there are alot of good reasons I wouldn't leave them on the dashboard.                                                                                      When a cartridge does explode outside of the chamber,(like when your huntin' buddy accidentally drops a .300 Win Mag in the campfire) the bullet pretty much stays put.  The brass case becomes several very dangerous flying objects.  

   The campfire gets blown six feet in the air, the horses go looney, and everybody's ears ring for a long, long, time.  But the bullet doesn't go far.  

[JFD]

As long as the inside of your car stays under 600 or so degrees there's little chance of the bullets melting.  That's about all a bullet can do by itself.

A loaded round is pretty safe stored in a car from my experience, but I wouldn't make a habit out of shooting overly hot ammo due to pressure concerns.

I was around a loaded round when it exploded (my fault due to gross stupidity).  My white t-short had all kinds of red spots on it due to pieces of the case sticking in my chest.  Very shallow wounds, but nothing I want to see repeated.

[BSeevers]

Bonedaddy

Next time just take some fireworks. Ammo is expensive

[bonedaddy]

Yeah, fireworks!  Just like ice cream, the homemade kind was always the best.

[NoTenX]

i have had problems with bullet lube on cast lead but could not quite say they don't work, just not the accuracy i wanted compared to rest of batch kept cool.

[Flexmoney]

The only way I have seen rounds "cook off" is to throw them in the barrel that we burn trash in after the match. When the fire gets hot enough the rounds will "pop".

Pistol ammo isn't nearly as dangerous as cans of spray paint.