What happens when bulk ammo catches fire?

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Idk why I was thinking about this yesterday... but hypothetically say my house burned down and the 5kish rounds of gold...I mean 9mm were to start cooking off. Is it going to be a big boom? Or will they cook off a few at a time. All of them stored loose in a Plano case
 
But that's in loose boxes I mean just sitting In a big crate what happens

With loose like that you get different heat disbursement...blah blah
Watch until the end. They burn a truck and a "store" filled with ammo.

In short, unless you have your stuff in rigid, air-tight boxes, it's angry popcorn. NB ammo cans are not "rigid and air-tight" for the purpose of this conversation.
 
you think a metal can like this
View: https://www.amazon.com/Solid-Tactical-Cal-Ammo-Can/dp/B01M0XEJBM?th=1
is not going to blast into pieces when a whole content inside detonates?
You're begging the question.

The answer is no. And the reason is simple - the content inside doesn't detonate. The cartridges explode individually. They will expand the walls and destroy the hinges. If this were note true, we would not have been using exactly that device to transport ammo for decades.
 
Idk why I was thinking about this yesterday... but hypothetically say my house burned down and the 5kish rounds of gold...I mean 9mm were to start cooking off. Is it going to be a big boom? Or will they cook off a few at a time. All of them stored loose in a Plano case
Had this happen to me in 87, it just pops, now the pound of black powder was another story, also those decorative aftershave decanters that were so popular from Avon back in the day make beautiful fireballs
 
There’s a couple million of those cans in civilian use. How many news reports have you heard of some massive explosion from them in a fire? If it was a major issue the Liberal Donks would be regardless trying to outlaw civilian use of an incindeary device.
Dude don't even start my blood pressure may just have returned to normal after buying those stupid f****ing gas cans this past weekend.
 
I thought in MA, if you don't keep ammo "locked up", the fire dept frowns at you. Stash your ammo in a fully wooden/particle board cabinet and a dinky little padlock, all good!
 
It's sad that when I saw 5k this was my first thought as well.

She sure left her mark on this forum.
If nothing else, we now all "think twice."
This doesn't count what's in mags... its probably 6 total damn u guys make me feel inadequate lol...this is only my 9mm stash too
 
There’s a couple million of those cans in civilian use. How many news reports have you heard of some massive explosion from them in a fire? If it was a major issue the Liberal Donks would be retardedly trying to outlaw civilian use of an incindeary device.
And our military has been shipping them around the world for, what 80+ years? I find it unimaginable that nobody ever said "hey boss, let's see what happens if we burn one of those." In fact, I'd find it hard to believe that someone wasn't charged with running that test and writing a 20'page report on their findings...that was immediately filed away.
 
There’s a couple million of those cans in civilian use. How many news reports have you heard of some massive explosion from them in a fire? If it was a major issue the Liberal Donks would be retardedly trying to outlaw civilian use of an incindeary device.
i never saw .50 cal cans to burn. but i saw those to burn, below. when stacked up they may go boom just fine. not like a grenade, but, was loud enough.
1620754466558.png
 
you think a metal can like this
View: https://www.amazon.com/Solid-Tactical-Cal-Ammo-Can/dp/B01M0XEJBM?th=1
is not going to blast into pieces when a whole content inside detonates?
Not a chance. Take all the rounds out. Then empty all the powder from the rounds into the can and ask yourself the same question. While looking at maybe 1 inch of powder in the bottom. The existence of the cases and bullets in the same space as the powder means it could never expand quickly or uniformly enough to pop the can. First the force would try to dislodge the bullets and primers, then try to rip open the cases, all while having those same bullets and cases tamp what would be a series of small explosions. Not one big simultaneous pop.

Not to mention that the weak point on that can is the small rolled lip of metal that holds the top of the latch. If anything in the can generated enough force, that lip would unroll and the top would fly off long before it ripped apart the can's body.

Over simplified explanation? Yes, but I don't feel like typing out what would essentially amount to a physics lesson right now. [laugh]
 
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I thought in MA, if you don't keep ammo "locked up", the fire dept frowns at you. Stash your ammo in a fully wooden/particle board cabinet and a dinky little padlock, all good!

It's a fire safety CMR That basically nobody ever obeys because its garbage.

The only reason to lock up ammo in MA is because you have unwashed people in your house and you don't want a situation where someone can be potentially enrobed in some kind of
constructive possession deal with the ammo.
i never saw .50 cal cans to burn. but i saw those to burn, below. when stacked up they may go boom just fine. not like a grenade, but, was loud enough.
View attachment 481729

Those f***ing things could be dropped out of an aircraft and probably not break open unless they hit cement or asphalt on the way down though.... [rofl]

The seal on those things is serious business. Someone once told me you could open those with a P38 , once I found out what a P38 was I really wanted to go back and tell the guy to go f*** himself. [rofl] He knew he was trolling me.
 
those f***ing things could be dropped out of an aircraft and probably not break open unless they hit cement or asphalt on the way down though.... [rofl]
the seal on those things is serious business. Someone once told me you could open those with a P38 , once I found out what a P38 was I really wanted to go back and tell the guy to go f*** himself. [rofl] He knew he was trolling me.
they are sturdy, but, you can open it with an akm bayonet. just need to hit it along the wall properly. it is doable.
not quite different from surplus cans with 'tushonka'. you learn how to deal with stuff like that. :) military ones were quite thick.
like image below - only a fork is a luxury of imperialists, all you have on you is usually a knife.


1620755377660.png

PS. with small opener like p38 you bend wall outward, starting from the middle, it will go. a first bend is difficult, then it will go fine.
 
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Ammo cans are designed to vent, rather than explode. No one wants their people to be in their own burning vehicle sharing space with burning ammo that's now a bomb. Well, maybe the combloc didn't care - those soldered or crimped ammo tins can retain pressure to the point that they will explode. The .mil ammo can we're familiar with is only required to hold pressure up to 3psi, per MIL-DTL-3060G. After that, pressure's venting. I'd like to get a look at the original requirements document for the current ammo cans - watertight, can be treated as nice as a cinderblock and still function, but will vent dangerous pressure buildup and be cheap enough they can be treated as disposable. DoD cheap, not regular people cheap. ;) The Harbor Freight cans are even lighter construction, as they don't have to meet the milspec.

MIL-DTL-3060 G BOXES SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION M19A1 M2A1
 
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Lol exploding ammo containers is a product of hollywood, or for that matter.... Pinewood Studios...


View: https://youtu.be/FWrecLbn4KE?t=291

ha.
well, one i had to witness was nowhere even remotely close to the one below, but, it was, well, entertaining enough. ammo cans went when barrels with diesel fuel popped. heat from just burning walls of the storage did not really set it off. one of soldiers was stealing gas while smoking, and, well, it started. :)

the one below is better.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK_WDxjhu0Y
 
I assume rubber seal on the ammo can will be the first thing to fail in a fire so at the point the ammo starts to cook off the can is already unable to hold pressure.
 
Those f***ing things could be dropped out of an aircraft and probably not break open unless they hit cement or asphalt on the way down though.... [rofl]
I wouldn't want to be in the sub-basement, though.


It is believed one person was​
killed in the explosions and​
seven people were injured.​

Based on statistical analysis of the rain of limbs...
 
Idk why I was thinking about this yesterday... but hypothetically say my house burned down and the 5kish rounds of gold...I mean 9mm were to start cooking off. Is it going to be a big boom? Or will they cook off a few at a time. All of them stored loose in a Plano case
Its really un eventful once tou get used to the noise.
 
Lol exploding ammo containers is a product of hollywood, or for that matter.... Pinewood Studios...


View: https://youtu.be/FWrecLbn4KE?t=291


I was going to say, that burning/exploding ammo goes "pew pew pew!", and shoots "three-stooges" type flee-ers in the a**, as they get out of Dodge. [laugh]

As for Bond: Roger Moore once said that the best part of the pre-movie action segment, is that, the Bond actor didn't have to be there for the action shots! [rofl]
 
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