Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Ammunition Storage and Fire Safey

    My search did not turn up much, so here's a question. How do you store ammo in your home safely, especially with respect to a possible house fire?

    I have read comments here (and it made sense to me) about storing ammo in a sealed container like a safe creating greater explosion potential because the container provides compression. (This would certainly make sense to me if storing reloading supplies).

    Naturally if there were a fire I don't want the poor SOBs from the local volunteer fire department going in, unaware, with rounds cooking off.

    So what measures do you take to store ammunition safely in the home?

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Ammunition Storage and Fire Safey

    None.

    I keep it all (almost all) in one place and in airtight ammo cans for the most part, but do nothing special in regards to "fire". I had wondered if it would make sense to somehow indicate that "there's a buncha' ammo in here" for the reason you mentioned, but there isn't really a way to do so discretely.

    I figure if there's a fire, and I'm there, I'll just tell the fire dept. what part of the house it's in. That said, I don't believe burning ammo is as dangerous as most of us think.
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  3. #3
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    Default Re: Ammunition Storage and Fire Safey

    Agreed- I'd say the same thing (to the respnders). I'm just curious if anyone does have any good ideas. Thanks!

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Ammunition Storage and Fire Safey

    A fire-resistant safe?

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Ammunition Storage and Fire Safey

    I don't do anything as far as fire safety is concerned. As emptymag said, the bullets are less dangerous than one might think. A bullet is really only dangerous (unless standing right next to one) in a fire if it is lodged against something solid (such as chambered in a gun). If one is to place a bullet on its side, for example, and put a torch to it (not a good idea!!!), the piece with the least mass will fly furthest, which is usually the case, but without something solid to rest against, it will not fly with much velocity. That being said, I would not want to be near any ammunition that is in a fire, but I don't think it will do much damage. Here is a youtube video of the mythbusters putting ammo in an oven:

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  6. #6
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    Default Re: Ammunition Storage and Fire Safey

    Years ago, the neighbor had a fire in his trailer. I don't know how much ammo and reloading supplies he had, but after the fire, you could see some bullet holes in the trailer walls. No firemen were injured. I think Gary said they fought the fire from across the road (75ft?)

    It was a very old trailer and probably didn't have much insulation in the walls. I wouldn't expect ammo stored in a closet to penetrate the closet walls and house walls. In addition, turnout gear is very tough material, any bullet that actually got out and hit a fireman would most likely be stopped by the gear.

    That said, I'm not willing to be a guinea pig.

    Dale

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Ammunition Storage and Fire Safey

    You're up against a lose-lose situation, due to many misconceptions.

    If you tell the fire department that you have 5,000 rounds of rifle ammo inside the burning building, they may decide to back off and let it burn, for their own safety. I'd hope that even a volunteer fire department (they train a lot, and are "real" firemen, too) would base their decision on more than old Westerns where a cartridge tossed in a fire would shoot a bullet out at lethal speeds. But maybe they wouldn't. And I'd hate to fight my insurance company if they try to deny the claim based on the ammo storage (I'd probably win, but it could be annoying.)

    On the other hand, I wouldn't keep info from men who are risking death to save my home. That seems dishonorable and wrong.

    If you're really safety conscious above all else, I've read (in "Women & Guns", I believe) that ammo stored in metal cans inside wooden crates will survive a typical fire for quite some time. Even if it cooks off, it won't go off all at once like a bomb. Individual rounds will likely dent the metal cans, but not penetrate.
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  8. #8
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    Default Re: Ammunition Storage and Fire Safey

    I thought about this. I wasn't worried about the ammo, only the 1lb containers of gun powder. I wonder if the container caught on fire inside a gun safe if enough pressure would generate to create an explosion? Mine isn't fire proof so gas could escape from the safe if the powder ignited. I don't know if it would blow or not but that's the reason I don't store it in my safe. I would like to see that on mythbusters.

    Has anyone ever heard of someone lighting one of the 1lb containers of powder? Does it explode or just blow the cap off and rupture the container. This could be really scary in a fire.
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  9. #9
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    Default Re: Ammunition Storage and Fire Safey

    Quote Originally Posted by Yoder View Post
    I thought about this. I wasn't worried about the ammo, only the 1lb containers of gun powder. I wonder if the container caught on fire inside a gun safe if enough pressure would generate to create an explosion? Mine isn't fire proof so gas could escape from the safe if the powder ignited. I don't know if it would blow or not but that's the reason I don't store it in my safe. I would like to see that on mythbusters.

    Has anyone ever heard of someone lighting one of the 1lb containers of powder? Does it explode or just blow the cap off and rupture the container. This could be really scary in a fire.
    The old metal cans of powder had the necks soldered onto the body of the can so the neck would melt off before the powder could explode.

    I'm sure there are some safeguards built into the new cans as well. Plastic would just melt first....

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Ammunition Storage and Fire Safey

    Quote Originally Posted by max384 View Post
    Here is a youtube video of the mythbusters putting ammo in an oven:

    Well that does it....I'm storing my ammo in the oven from now on. I hardly ever bake anyway.

    Here's a later clip from that same episode where they threw ammo onto a campfire.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfoJA...eature=related
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