Bullets in fires

[Hanu]

Pardon my ignorance on this. After reading a recent news article about a house fire during which the firefights had to dodge bullets that were stored in the garage, I wondered about how bullets react in fire. Do they actually "fire" (the lead exits the brass) or do they explode sending shrapnel everywhere?

 

[lizerdking]

There's been a few good posts on here regarding that, there was a youtube video showing the tests done by a fire dept, and Mythbusters covered it as well.


Any rounds not in a chamber: Brass flies off the lead, lead stays put, barely enough force to dent some drywall.

If a round is chambered it will fire as a normal round when cooked off.

 

[Hanu]

There's been a few good posts on here regarding that, there was a youtube video showing the tests done by a fire dept, and Mythbusters covered it as well.


Any rounds not in a chamber: Brass flies off the lead, lead stays put, barely enough force to dent some drywall.

If a round is chambered it will fire as a normal round when cooked off.

Thanks for your response. I'll look for the other threads.

 

[Tommy2Tone]

I saw the same article. And they made it seem as though bullets were flying everywhere like a ware zone. It would have been no threat to the fire fighters.

 

[in625shooter]

I saw the same article. And they made it seem as though bullets were flying everywhere like a ware zone. It would have been no threat to the fire fighters.

Well normally no threat however, how many here have a nightstand gun etc with a loaded chamber? Don't really answer that but if so there is at least 1 round that when cooked off could leave a mark!

 

[Bmrdude]

Ammunition in a fire link

This video link was shared at work (fire dept.) regarding ammunition in a fire situation. I think it is well done and pretty informative! Obviously if there is a round in a chamber... it will fire as if you pulled the trigger.

SAAMI

 

[lizerdking]

[ame]http://youtu.be/OAK2dDQ-S4Q[/ame]

 

[Bigtanker]

This post was changed because it is the same as ^^^^^ABOVE^^^^^^. Post at the same time.

 

[Dorky_D]

Yeah, I heard about that, and I said "Busted".

 

[Bunnykid68]

We used to throw .38's in a coke can and chuck it in a fire, can blows up like it would with a good firecracker.

 

[pudly]

This video link was shared at work (fire dept.) regarding ammunition in a fire situation. I think it is well done and pretty informative! Obviously if there is a round in a chamber... it will fire as if you pulled the trigger.

SAAMI

Fairly long video (26 min), but very good info. Bottom line, cartridges are amazingly safe to deal with from a firefighter perspective. They really ran a lot of scenarios (shooting at ammo, dropping, crushing, fires) to check out different possibilities. Even in the worst cases, the fire fighters could approach fairly close with a hose and the low-energy shrapnel could not penetrate their suits.

 

[JB357Mag]

I would never do something so irresponsible,

Jimmy

 

[Rhino12]

This video link was shared at work (fire dept.) regarding ammunition in a fire situation. I think it is well done and pretty informative! Obviously if there is a round in a chamber... it will fire as if you pulled the trigger.

SAAMI

Darn you...25 minutes of footage that I just couldn't look away from. Guess the shoveling of snow can wait until tomorrow morning.

Thanks for that really informative video link! I'd never seen that before

-Rhino12

 

[Firefighter56]

The biggest issue we have is not knowing how many rounds are actually chambered into firearms. Other than that, like stated above several times, loose ammo won't penetrate our turnout gear.

 

[usaf64]

I was on IFD for over 30 years and never heard of anyone being injured from exploding ammunition until about the time I retired.

A guy who shall remain nameless was shot by a round in a house fire. This happened on the west side of Indianapolis. As several people stated before, if the round is in a chamber it will act as a chambered round.

BTW, this is my 50th post. The lid's off baby!!!!

 

[Bmrdude]

USAF64, thanks for your years of service at IFD. I've got 24 yrs. in and plan on 8 more to max the pension.

 

[Snavelybob]

Mythbusters did two shows, on you tube.. Very informative they even blew up a 50cal!!!

 

[bft131]

As Bmrdude said...the SAMMI video is a great educator....

 

[bft131]

I was on IFD for over 30 years and never heard of anyone being injured from exploding ammunition until about the time I retired.

A guy who shall remain nameless was shot by a round in a house fire. This happened on the west side of Indianapolis. As several people stated before, if the round is in a chamber it will act as a chambered round.

BTW, this is my 50th post. The lid's off baby!!!!

Welcome aboard Brother !!

 

[Mgderf]

That's the trick. No containment, no real explosion. More of a "slow-burn". Contain any explosion and you multiply it exponentially.

I watched some old English guy (crazy old fart) using water to make shaped charges around det. cord. He was doing work for law enforcement and military applications.

He used a plastic man-shaped target with a channel molded into the back of it. He filled the channel with det. cord, and filled the plastic target with water.
Next he stood this plastic target against a concrete block wall, and leaned a stick against it to hold it upright.
Hooked up the wires, stretched them back behind a ballistic wall, and set it off.

The results was a man-shaped and sized hole blown cleanly through the concrete wall.
Contain the charge and...BOOM!