Ammo explodes during Phoenix house fire, man found dead

[SecularMotion]

PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK) -Fire crews were called to the scene of a major house fire in which ammunition was burning and exploding near 12th Street and Peoria Avenue in Phoenix.

According to the Phoenix Fire Department, crews found the body of an 80-year-old man at home.

The man has not been identified, but according to the Phoenix Fire Department, he was a gun dealer who loaded black powder ammunition as a hobby.

In the simplest terms, loading ammunition involves priming a cartridge case, adding a powder charge to the case and then seating a bullet on that charge. The victim reportedly used black powder, which is an easy-to-ignite mixture of sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter, rather than the more powerful smokeless powder used in most modern guns and rifles.

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/31912440/ammo-explodes-at-phoenix-house-fire-man-found-dead

[ileus]

1. Reloading is a fun and relaxing hobby.

Wonder if he also cast his own boolits?

I actually enjoy casting and powder coating than reloading.

[Travis_0004]

2. Just a note, modern ammo is not dangerous in a fire

If he had some black powder in large jugs that could be dangerous but just ammo alone isnt really dangerous.

You would be completely safe in a heavy jacket and a face shield (which firefighters already wear.)

If somebody went in with no shirt they could get a few minor welts or a small cut, but no real danger (beyond a fire which you need to be much more concerned about.

[JonathanRackham]

3. My younger brother is a fire chief (volunteer fire company)

This is a training film the departments in his area use. The protective clothing firemen wear is more than adequate for fighting a fire in a gun store, Wally World ammo counter and yes the low end home ammo reloader, black powder or otherwise. What they fear is propane, spray paint cans, liquid fuels, pesticides, oxygen cylinders, meth labs and booby trapped home grow operations.

Plastic used in household products is actually more dangerous than gun powder, ammunition and black powder.

Nothing like a good cup of journalistic hype in the morning.

[melm00se]

4. Mythbusters

strikes again:

http://mythresults.com/episode85

Bullets can explode with lethal force if they are stored inside a hot oven.

busted

The MythBusters placed a .22 caliber, .44 caliber, and .50 caliber bullet inside an oven. All of the bullets exploded once the oven was hot enough, but none of them were able to penetrate the oven. Without a gun barrel to contain and direct the propellant gases, the bullets did not develop enough speed to pierce the glass or steel portions of the oven. The shell casings actually caused more damage than the bullets.

[Puha Ekapi]

5. there is no point...

...to the post other than SecMo trying to say, "Oh noes, ammunition!!11 Scary, he might have leveled the whole town!!!. See how dangerous gun owners are?"

[DonP]

6. True dat!

My SIL is a Lt on the Chicago Fire Department ... and he reloads.

He said they worry a whole lot more about the lawn mower in the garage than a reloading bench.

But I'm sure the OP knows far more than any Fireman, based on his extensive Google explorations.

After all, he's now an "expert" on clearing jams and revolver reliability too, based on his Google Fu last week.

[CompanyFirstSergeant]

10. "and revolver reliability"

Hey, we all know revolvers jam.

I looked it up.

And smart guns work perfectly.

I looked that up too.

[pablo_marmol]

7. Why all of these pro-restriction threads when you won't stand up for victims of gun violence?

When are you going to send your letter of protest to Kamala Harris?

http://213ajq29v6vk19b76q3534cx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Special-Feature-K-Harris.pdf

[DonP]

9. "When are you going to send your letter of protest to Kamala Harris?"

LoL. Probably the day after he sends a check out of his own pocket to support gun control.

In other words, don't hold your breath for any activity in the real world.

[pablo_marmol]

11. All about control, "proving" liberal bona-fides, posturing righteous etc.

Nothing AT ALL to do with actually saving lives. The assault on "assault weapons" demonstrates their culture war most clearly. Yeah.......let's ban rifles based on the way they look rather than the manner in which they function. Rifles which are rarely used to commit violence.



The stoooooopid ---- it scorches. (Scorches Democrats in competitive races!)

[Straw Man]

8. Black powder.

Unlike modern ammo, black powder is volatile. That's why there are federal regulations on its storage: how much, what conditions, etc.

The article doesn't say what started the fire, nor does is say what the man died of. Certainly firefighters would be at risk if there were still large quantities of unburned black powder on the premises -- one of the reasons for the regulation. But exploding ammo typically just sends the brass case flying a short distance and is not deadly. Cartridges must be tightly enclosed in the chamber of a gun for them to generate sufficient force to send bullets flying.

[benEzra]

12. That wasn't "ammo" exploding, that was apparently a stash of black powder exploding.

Small arms ammunition doesn't "explode" in a fire, it breaches the case and burns.