Just got a scare

[Thumbcocker]

I was sitting here checking the list when I haerd a loud bang come form my relaoding area. After checking that everyone was acounted for and ok I opend the door. A ziplock bag of .45 colt loads was on the floor with the bottom torn out. A boolit was accross the floor and part of a case was over by the door. One .45 colt round was dented. Looking at the bottom of the ruptured case I saw a groove across the primer. A .45 colt rim fit the groove exactly. Looks like the bag hit the floor with one rim in the right position to hit the primer. Primer was not high.

No damage to anyone or the room but sure did liven up the house for a few minutes.

WHEW

[1874Sharps]

I read an article several years ago about this very issue. What you describe is known to happen. The crux of the article was that it is far best to keep loaded cartridges in a proper ammo box instead of loose in a can or bag. I am glad you and your family and property are safe and sound!

[TAWILDCATT]

I have mine in MTM boxes $1.29.I dont like suprizes.

[wiersy111]

WOW! I never heard of this happening but it makes sense. I always have used MTM boxes to. I have recently started buying in bulk from Berry's Bullets, now when my wife asks why I need so many boxes I'll have some good reasoning for her.

Glad to hear all are OK.

[Uncle R.]

Well - it gives you something to think about, that's for sure.
As a guy who's been known for keeping ammo in ziplock bags - maybe I should reconsider.

[runfiverun]

if you stack the mtm type boxes back into the cardboard boxes they come in they stack nice.
but you gotta have 500 rounds to do it per box.

[rugerdude]

I have purchased a lot of ammo from Georgia Arms at gun shows over the years and they always come in little baggies or loose in ammo cans. I always worried about something like that happening and have been putting the ammo in MTM or Frankford Arsenal boxes for a while now.

Glad there were no injuries....underwear notwithstanding! :mrgreen:

[Bullshop Junior]

Sounds fun!
:mrgreen:

[mike in co]

we had the exact thing happen at a gun show back a couple weeks. i store my ammo in ammo boxes or loose in ammo cans.

mike in co

[MT Gianni]

I have had the habit of storing some loaded rounds in old bank deposit bags. It will end asap.

[Throckmorton]

Yikes

[geargnasher]

we had the exact thing happen at a gun show back a couple weeks. i store my ammo in ammo boxes or loose in ammo cans.

mike in co

That ammo can thing has always worried me. I know lots of people personally who think it's a great idea to store cheapo bulk .22 rimfire loose in ammo cans with good seals and dessicant bags thrown in. I wonder what would happen if one was accidentally dropped on concrete or tile? The temporary containment of the pressure from an exploding round(s) would create one heck of a bomb.

Just a thought.

Gear

[Captain*Kirk]

That'll make you **** your pants in a hurry! Glad nobody was hurt. Plastic ammo boxes; cheap at Midwayusa......

[Bullshop Junior]

You remind me of when I broke the frame on my snow machine, when the clutch belt broke. A very rare thing indeed. My friend told me it reminded him of the guy who got hit on the head by a UFO. You are lucky one way, a rare thing happened to you, you are unlucky, because it happened to you.

[nicholst55]

The Air Force issued a cautionary message when I was in the sandbox about this issue. It seems that one of their Security Forces troops tossed his machinegun ammo (linked inside a heavy cordura nylon bag) onto a floor, and one round detonated. They speculated that the tip of another bullet was against the primer of the effected round.

It does happen, that's for sure!

[Jim]

That's all I need to hear. I'll be checking in to Midway this afternoon.

[lwknight]

I wish 22s were cheap enough to put in a metal box and shoot (from far away) it just to see what actually would happen

[Southern Son]

I bloke I worked with up in Cairns unloaded his S & W revolver at the end of shift by dumping the 6 rounds into his left hand. He then went to put the round on a desk but he was distracted talking to someone and his hand hit the edge of the desk instead. One round hit another "just right" and it went off in his hand. A bit of brass tore up the end of one of his fingers (needed surgery to fix damaged tendon) and he had some minor burns on the palm and fingers. Livened everyone up in the day room, too.

[PepperBuddha]

Scary stuff...

[3006guns]

O.K......I'll admit to the same bad practice, even though I knew such a thing was possible. I've been known to put 100 rds. of pistol ammo in a plastic freezer bag (tastefully labled of course) and cart it off for shooting. Your post made me realize that the plastic ammo boxes may not be all that expensive after all............time to re-evaluate my loading/storage practices.

Too bad.....those bags adjusted themselves nicely to the contours of a .50 cal. ammo can.................................:oops:

[4570guy]

Of course, most bulk .22 ammo comes loose-packed in a cardboard box...

[mroliver77]

I too am guilty of this. I just cannot imagine a rim setting off a primer. This is the third time I have seen it posted so I am taking notice.
Jay

[Thumbcocker]

Here are pics of the case and the rim print on the primer

[Thumbcocker]

Try this again

[AkMike]

A good lesson for me too... I guess I'll change my ways before I have a problem..
I am glad that no one was injured!

Thanks for sharing this.

[PepperBuddha]

Wow! Thanks for posting the pics.

[beanflip]

WOW what an eye opener ....glad everyone is SAFE!!!!

Glad I have my loaded ammo boxed and in large metal ammo boxes (on the ground).

[Jon]

I can usually scrounge 3 or 4 plastic ammo trays at the range for the 9mm and 45. People just toss them. 3-4 will usually fit nicely in one of those small tupperware containers.

[buck1]

Thats a heads up for me and my gladware trays. Thanks!

[Blammer]

I wonder how many times you'd have to drop that bag of ammo to make it happen again?

There's something worth experimenting! :)

[Phat Man Mike]

I'm so cheap that while at the range I dumpster dive and collect all the empty ammo ctn's and reuse them. [smilie=s: :bigsmyl2: all my friends laugh at me for doing it! guess I'll send them this tread! :veryconfu 2nd thought better not I'll lose my supply ! LOL

[fatelk]

A friend of mine who used to shoot skeet a lot told me about dropping a 12 gauge round once. Of the tens of thousands of rounds he'd handled and hundreds that he'd seen hit the ground accidentally over the years, this one land just right on a piece of gravel and popped. He said the shot never left the hull; the plastic just blew out the side with a pop.

I've heard a number of these stories over the years, and it's interesting to me to note that little or no damage is ever done, unless the round is physically in your hand, or something gets you in the eye. How could Hollywood be so wrong?

[Ajax]

Wow I never knew that was possible. I am glad you posted this. Thank you.


Andy

[cptinjeff]

MAN!!!!!

I've carried ALL my pistol ammo in freezer bags for years (use em over and over). I must re-think this practice!!!

[Dale53]

Who wudda thunk it?

On the other hand, if the cartridge had been loaded with black powder it could have been MUCH worse! Something to think about, for sure!

Dale53

[AZ-Stew]

I wonder what kept the primer from being blown out of the case. I'd think that should have been the first thing to go.

Luckily, no serious damage done. You're gonna have to get a new bag, though. That one looks like it's done for.

Regards,

Stew

[Rockydog]

Had a friend who was filling an old style primer tube and dropped it on the basement floor. Bottom primer went off and the tube became a barrel putting a half dozen primers through his t shirt and into his belly skin. Didn't need a doctor but they were deep enough that digging them out wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. RD

[Dale53]

I had a friend who had a much worse experience with a primer tube. The tube was mounted on a CH Inline progressive press (Mark V, I believe). The whole primer tube went up and actually shot a hole through the ceiling (which was his kitchen floor). Fortunately, his wife was in the other room. Another Mark V primer tube blew up seriously damaging the hand of an Ass't State Prosecutor in a neighboring state. I believe that was the resulting lawsuit that put an end to C&H.

The Mark IV, which I had, did an excellent job of progressive loading pistol rounds. However, the primer tube was in front of the cartridge "line" and was just a bit awkward in placing the bullet on the case for seating. They "improved" it putting the entire stack of primers in line if one went off while loading (not the case with the Mark IV). Sad case of bad engineering...

FWIW
Dale53

[Southern Son]

I shot with a bloke out at Broken Hill who had a tube of Primers go off on him. It had enough force to take to top of one of his fingers and damage another couple fingers and a thumb. After hearing about that I always pay very close attention while I handle my Dillon Primer Tubes.

[Doughty]

Dale53,

That's how I got my C&H inline about 20 years ago. I've never had a problem (like that) with it, but I'm very careful not to force things either.

[watkibe]

I am reminded of a thread a while back discussing the wisdom of tumbling loaded rounds. The majority opinion there seemed to be that it was perfectly safe, and the rim of one cartridge would NEVER hit the primer of another hard enough to set it off. I was in the minority. I never do it, fearing something like this might happen. I am glad to see the responses here seem a lot more conservative and safety conscious.

[jdgabbard]

Wasn't there a thread a while back that talked about brass alone not being able to build up the pressure for that. It basically just pops the primer, since it can't really build up the pressure or heat to burn the powder...

[MakeMineA10mm]

Too bad.....those bags adjusted themselves nicely to the contours of a .50 cal. ammo can.................................:oops:
I've bought the 100 round plastic boxes for my 44, 45, 41, and 10mm ammo for years, and they fit perfectly inside a 50-cal ammo can. All my long-term storage goes into the plastic ammo boxes, which in turn go into the 50-cal-size military ammo cans along with several (3-4) dessicant packs.



Try this again

Thumbcocker, at the risk of being a smart-alec, what was the load? (It's a real question - curious about the pressure to cause the round next to the one that detonated to be dented like that.)

[9.3X62AL]

Genuine food for thought here. Over time, I've been s-l-o-w-l-y transitioning from the Mark I Series A 1# coffee can for ammo storage, and to the MTM-type ammo boxes. After reading this thread, I believe I'll expedite the change-over.

[RP]

I use range pickups to keep some 223 ammo in they are the pistol 50 round plastic inserts. Put some cardboard between stacks 50 cal box will hold 600 rounds if iam thinking right.