Author Topic: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?  (Read 1661 times)

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Offline Chicago Dude

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Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« on: January 24, 2018, 01:45:00 PM »
Got question for people here that know about ammo more than me.
How safe is to live one or two magazines in the car on hot summer day ?
When you do that, where do you leave it ? Glove comp. ? Under the seat ?
Thanks in advance.

Offline FireMoose

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2018, 04:04:40 PM »
I'd go under the seat to get more air around it. I'm in Phoenix and have never had a problem.

Offline 1SOW

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2018, 04:20:09 PM »
I wouldn't leave an exposed cartridge on the dash under the windshield in South Texas.
Research said it depends on the specific powder blend,  it can ignite at approximately 160-170 degs F..
Manyyyyy folks including me leave guns/cartridges in the vehicle "out of the direct sun" and casual view.

Just thinking about it:  exposed gunpowder "Could" reach that temperature in the vehicle exposed to the sun,  but enclosed in a case, in a magazine and in the pistol would make that unlikely.  If you could pick up the pistol without screaming,  your safe.  O0
« Last Edit: January 24, 2018, 11:41:05 PM by 1SOW, Reason: Phone-itis »

Offline Chicago Dude

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2018, 04:21:58 PM »
I wouldn't leave an exposed cartridge on the dash under the windshield in South Texas.
Research said it depends on the specific powder blend,  bit approximately 160-170 degs F..
Manyyyyy folks including me leave guns/cartridges in the vehicle "out of the direct sun" and casual view.

Thanks guys !
So, as long it's under the seat and not on direct sun, one should be safe.

Offline Grendel

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2018, 04:35:43 PM »
I carry a shotgun in the front of my squad car, year round, with 7 shells exposed in a sidesaddle to outside temperatures ranging from -40 to 110F. It has never entered my mind to be concerned about one 'cooking off'.
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Offline tdogg

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2018, 07:13:01 PM »
I've never considered ammo in a hot car but SAAMI did do a burn test to see what happens when it's burned.  If your gun is chambered it will shoot if burned!



If it is a +P/max load I would be a little leary of shooting it when at elevated temperatures due to potential for increased pressure upon firing.  Not concerned about spontaneous ignition though.

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Offline SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2018, 07:51:27 PM »
It's going to need much more heat than will be naturally generated in the interior of a vehicle even in the hottest climates. Yes a round of ammo exposed to fire can detonate but unless it's chambered it won't gain any deadly velocity.

Offline Chicago Dude

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2018, 10:07:25 PM »
I've never considered ammo in a hot car but SAAMI did do a burn test to see what happens when it's burned.  If your gun is chambered it will shoot if burned!



If it is a +P/max load I would be a little leary of shooting it when at elevated temperatures due to potential for increased pressure upon firing.  Not concerned about spontaneous ignition though.


Cheers,
Toby

Very informative.
Thank you.

Offline Wobbly

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2018, 11:15:19 PM »
Don't think you'll have any issues at all, but then no one wants to get burned sliding a hot gun into a close-fitting concealed holster either. So let's consider the sources of heat so that we can find cooler storage areas...

Radiant Heat. In this case, all radiant heat comes from the sun. So any storage place out of the direct rays of the sun will eliminate this possibility.

Conducted Heat. The gun would need to be in direct contact with a hot surface, such as the top of the dash, console, or seat. I seriously anyone is going to leave a gun unattended in those places, so this is not really realistic.

Convection Heating. A locked and sealed car can get very hot in the summertime, but the still air quickly stratifies into thermal layers. The hottest of these is near the roof; the coolest near the floor. While the upper middle interior could easily go to 50?F higher than ambient, the floor could easily be 10-20? cooler.

If you have a sun roof that pops up leaving a small gap, a truck with a sliding window, or opening the rear side windows even 1/4 inch, then the air inside begins to circulate and vent. In this case the temperatures will not be able to build much above ambient.

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Offline 1SOW

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2018, 11:46:48 PM »
A little more research:   "http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=92943&page=1"  and others
Quote
When temperatures outside range from 80 degrees to 100 degrees, the temperature inside a car parked in direct sunlight can quickly climb to between 130 to 172, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The temperature inside a closed car rises most quickly during the first 15 minutes that it is left in the sun, according to the CDC.

This concerned a child's death being in the car with windows up.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2018, 11:50:13 PM by 1SOW, Reason: Sad addition as to source of search »

Offline K31Scout

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2018, 06:22:15 AM »
I don't know about ammo but I did drop a Bic lighter down my defrost vent once and forgot about it until it blew up.  I thought I was being shot at until I saw little colorful Bic pieces on the floor mat. 
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Offline Wobbly

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2018, 07:44:50 AM »
BIC lighters are a big issue for welders too. All those flying sparks and a front pocket full of pressurized liquid butane. That's a bigger issue than ammo.
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Offline armoredman

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2018, 10:46:45 PM »
I had a buddy in high school leave a shotgun shell on his dash in July, Tucson, AZ. The plastic melted - the round did not detonate. I've been carrying a sidearm for 35 years down here, and I have never, ever had anything detonate. I HAVE had pistols that were too hot to hold! One day doing deliveries I found my Taurus 85CH was too hot to keep a hand on, so I drove with one hand on the wheel, and the other hand holding that hot piece of steel in front of the AC vent!
Long story short, keep it out of view and locked, and unless you live 10 minutes north of Hades, you should be good.

Offline recoilguy

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2018, 10:12:41 AM »
I agree with armoredman, I too have come back to my car after being in a school or some similar place that frowns heavily on guns only to find my gun too hot to touch. I am not sure what temp a primer detonates or powder in a 9mm shell but I have to say it has to be super pretty dang hot because the rounds in my gun those days were just pretty dang hot.
 
I always keep it out of direct sunlight, and prying eyes, when ever I am forced to leave it behind. I have a small safe that fits under the seat now that it goes into if I ever have to leave it which adds an extra bit of prtection.
I used to just take one of thos cheesy cable locks you get with a gun and run it around the bracket that clamps the seat to the floor then run the cable through the trigger gaurd and slide the gun under the seat and the floor mat back a bit to cover it.

I think you will be safe, from AD of rounds, if you leave a couple mags in your auto.

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Offline noway

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Re: Ammo in the car on super hot day ?
« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2018, 07:19:21 AM »
What about shooting said rounds before they've cooled down. Could this not affect chamber pressure? (Depending on the powder.)

 

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