Storage question

[warhawk77]

I was able to get two tins of ammo for my mosins I have it in my basement right now but a idea came to me. If we had a fire in the house that is a lot of rounds cooking off.

I have a detached garage (not heated) so wondering the ammo should be fine out there right? The winters get to single degrees around here but I keep jugs of water in there all winter that rarely freeze. I think the garage is a safer place to keep them. Any thing I'm missing on this or reasons I shouldn't?

[Junk Yard Dog]

Shouldn't bother it any, but I wouldn't worry about keeping it in the house, ammo burning in a fire just pops like a fire cracker, the case will not explode like a bomb. If the house burns to the extent that ammo is cooking off then it's a total loss anyway, and probably your rifles with it.

[warhawk77]

I had thought about the rifles also.

Even thought about a storage unit but they could be damaged there also. And at home I have the joy of seeing them when I want

Thanks for info

[Junk Yard Dog]

A local storage unit had a huge for here last year, lot of people lost their stuff.

[warhawk77]

Yeah any place you have the risk of fire.

I know if I have one in the house I could lose the rifles but the idea of rounds firing off and going thru neighbors houses got me thinking.

[Junk Yard Dog]

The rounds do not travel unless one cooks off while chambered in the rifle, what they do is pop like popcorn, some metal bits may fly around, but not enough force to penetrate drywall, the bullet is not launched. There were a couple of good video's on the board not long ago, maybe someone can post them again for you. Someone set a stack of ammo on fire to see what it would do.

[warhawk77]

Thanks I will do some searching and see what I can find.

When I was young and dump I would spray 22lr bullets with lighter fluid and set them off. They would fire but no idea how far they went. Really hope my kids never find out about some of the junk I did.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Thanks I will do some searching and see what I can find.

When I was young and dump I would spray 22lr bullets with lighter fluid and set them off. They would fire but no idea how far they went. Really hope my kids never find out about some of the junk I did.

For ten bucks to each member they need never find out ......
With a .22 the bullet will pop out when the round bursts, but not with killing force behind it, and it would not go too far. You need a barrel and chamber to build up pressure and velocity.

[bunkysdad]

A good fire resistant safe is worth saving up for. Notice I didn't say fire proof, but the better the fire rating the more the cost. If you were a reloader with lots of powder around that might at least be a concern for the fire fighters.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I store black powder in steel ammo cans locked inside an old 1950's ice box out in the shed, enough in there for a moon launch.

[desdem12]

That video that weldon posted showed the effects of fire and it is less then you think on bullets. I would add that there are mice and rats in storage sheds and they will get into everything and maybe chew some rifle butts and other not so nice things. Add the fact of crime into it and i wouldn't use one for ammo or guns. Just take one guy watching you unload in the car or take them back in and they would be after them. Much safer in the home.

[Thib]

Yeah... the SAAMI video. I think I had nightmares for days thinking of all the ammo that was sacrificed for this test! It's 25+ mins, but a very interesting watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SlOXowwC4c

[WeldonHunter]

That video that weldon posted showed the effects of fire and it is less then you think on bullets. I would add that there are mice and rats in storage sheds and they will get into everything and maybe chew some rifle butts and other not so nice things. Add the fact of crime into it and i wouldn't use one for ammo or guns. Just take one guy watching you unload in the car or take them back in and they would be after them. Much safer in the home.

Ha! You guys beat me to it. Thib posted a link to the video. It's a must watch. I worried about all the ammo going off I have around here. After watching that video I was put at ease. I forgot how many rounds they lit off in the larger tests but I have similar amounts here and worried about it. My neighbor and a shooting buddy are both volunteer fireman here. They always joked with me about not coming near the house if they ever got a call here. This is the most comprehensive video about ammo and fires, accidental damage and different structures. One thing to note that's in the beginning of the video is though ammo is not as voliatile as you may think that's when it's not in the firearm. Remember that any firearm stored loaded with one in the chamber will fire off as if the trigger is pulled. Just the chambered round but not the ones in the magazine. Those will just pop. Good idea to not store firearms with one chambered if possible. Here's the SAAMI site with the link to the video. http://www.saami.org/videos/sporting_am ... ighter.cfm This site has a lot of interesting information that anyone who shoots should check out.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Years ago the guy next door ran a reloading operation and used to toss his errors, or extra loaded rounds into a burn can out back. They would pop like firecrackers and sometimes send brass fragments over the property line to were we were working. This led to some friction and he started to burn his trash only at night .

[Geek]

The Russians stored this stuff for decades right in the spam cans it comes in. It's pretty durable though I would not recommend using it for firewood. If you can keep it cool and dry that's best.

[Junk Yard Dog]

There is no better way to store the ammo that sealed inside the spam can unless you seal it in a USGI ammo can that you have filled with argon ( oxygen displacing gas used in welding that should be handles with extream care)

[Dragunov sniper 777]

I store black powder in steel ammo cans locked inside an old 1950's ice box out in the shed, enough in there for a moon launch.

LOL , black powder and bulk primers are the dangerous stuff that causes big exposions , i store any of this in quanity away from the house myself too , i don't want to go on any moon launches lol

[Junk Yard Dog]

Oh, that shed is more than well away from were I sleep

[Ironnewt]

I would be more concerned with the propane can that feeds your gas grill. I always wondered about "Sporting Goods" stores that sold Coleman Fuel (unleaded Gas) and filled preasurized portable propane cans but not gunpowder or primers. Their excuse was the fire hazard.