facts about sporting ammunition fires

8/9/2019 Facts About Sporting Ammunition Fires

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tFiresBy Harry Hampton

"- ,..11 MileHili Road . NewtoVln, CT 06470-2359


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T HE SPORTSMEN AND HUNTERSOF North America shoot billions ofcartridges and shotshells with theirfirearms annually. To enjoy hunting, marksmanship competition, trap and skeet shooting, and other recreational activities involving lawful 'use of rifles, shotguns, and handguns, the sportsman-shooter must be able topurchase ammunition of the particular typeneeded for his gun and the sport tha t he ispursuing.To supply his requirements for ammunition, a sizable distribution system is necessary to provide transportation, warehousestorage, and retail stocking of ammunition.Currently there are more than 450 differentammunition items that the shooter can buy,depending on his needs and preferences. TIlisdiversity obliges the channels of trade tocarry a relatively large supply of ammunitionto satisfy their customers' needs.Is there a fire hazard posed by these la rgesupplies of sporting ammunition in warehouses .and retail stores? What, if any, danger dothese stocks of ammunition pose to the publicand to fire-fighting personnel in the event of afire in these establishments? Should municipal fire prevention ordinances limit quantitiesof ammunition that may be stored in a singlestmcture in the interest of public safety?Experience and tests over the last halfcentury clearly demonstrate that sportingarms ammunition stocks do not constitute afire hazard of any great significance.Cartridges are considerably less combustiblethan many retail items, including dry goods,wooden articles, oil and alkyd-base paintsand their thinners, and aerosol preparations.TIle ignition point of ammunition is muchhigher than that of these items and mosttypes of ammunition will not even maintaincombustion if ignited. To burn them requireshelp from adjacent combustibles.But what if the structure containingammunition burns and the ammunition supplies burn along with it? Are the effects ofsuch a fire similar to the effects of hundredsof shotguns and rifles discharged in all direc-

tions as fast as their triggers can be pulled?The answer is an emphatic NO!Ammunition fired in the open, notenclosed in a gun's chamber, discharges withsuch inefficiency that the projectile will noteven penetrate an ordinary fiberboard shipping container panel at very close range. Whennot strongly and tightly confined, smokelesspropellant powders burn relatively slowly anddo not explode as we know they do when firedin a gun. Pressure within a cartridge case mustbuild up to several thousand pounds pel'squme inch to cause tlle carh'idge to dischargeas it does in a gun. Unless it is tightly confined, as in a gun chamber, no ammunitionshell case will withstand the growing pressureof gases generated by burning propellant powder WitllOut bursting before the bullet 01 ' shotis expelled with violence or velocity.Newspaper accounts of fires in hardwareand sporting goods stores often tell of"whizzing" bullets or ammunition flyingfrom the store windows, spraying the areawith a devastating barrage. Yet miraculously,no one is ever seriously wounded or killed bytlle spray of bullets and shot. The fact is thatbullets and shot are not projected at velocitieshigher than you could throw them by hand.The whizzing sounds that are reported are,for the most part, primer cups being poppedfrom shells. Because they are of relatively lowmass; they have very little energy, shortrange, and practically no penetrating power.

In 1974, the City of Chicago contemplateda fire protection ordinance to limit severely thestores of sporting 8Inmunition pennitted incommercial establishments. Local wholesale8Ild retail outlets challenged tlle proposal, andtlle Court asked tlle Fire Prevention Bureau todetelmine what degree of haz8I'd is involved ina shuctural fire involving ammunition. TheSporting Arms and AnmlUnitionMmufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) volunteeredto help tllC Chicago Fire Prevention Bureauobtain factual data to present to tlle Court.SAAMI technical experts met witll ChicagoFire Prevention Bureau engineers and a testpl'Ogr8In was developed. A location for the

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tests was selected on abandoned powder mill,property of the Olin Corporation's WinchesterWestern Ammunition Works neru' East Alton,nIinois. TIle test program agreed upon is summarized as follows:1. Burn a frame structure containing packedsporting ru1Ullunition and obselve theeffects of the burning ammunition on theoverall intensity of the fire and judge as tohazru'ds to personnel and adjacent property.2. Burn packed ammunition in an open areato assess missile hazard.3. Burn packed sporting ammunition in afire-resistant structure that provides closeconfinement and determine if build-tip ofheat and pressure in the close confinement

increases the rate and intensity of burning,or possibly causes mass explosion.4. Subject packed ammunition to severeshock to determine if any cartridges inthe pacl


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was no audible evidence of ammunitionexploding en masse during the fire. The din ofthe "popping" was quite loud from a distanceof approximately 100 feet, where most of theobservers stood. Relatively few projectiles(bullets) were observed or found at distancesof more than 40 or 50 feet from the fire's site.Open Burning of Ammunitionto Assess Missile EffectsTIus experiment was conducted to determine the extent of nussile projection and thepenetration effects from a fire involving sporting ammUlution.Cased ammutution was stacked on woodenpallets supported about tlu'ee feet above groundlevel by concrete blocks. A large amount of oil-soaked scrap lumber was placed under andaround tile pallets to provide a hot fire. TIle areawas flat and open, encircled on about half itsperimeter by a wooded embankment 20 yards ormore from tile fire. The following stores ofanununition were consumed in tllis test:22cascs shotshells11 cases centerfirc rifle cartridges3 cases cCllterfirc pistol or

11,000 rounds11,000 rounds

revolver cartridges 6,000 rounds6 cases 22 rimfire cartridges 30,000 rounds

42 cases TOTAL: 58,000 roundsTo assess missile effects from the fire, sixwitness screens were deployed at various distances, facing tile fire in a semicirculararrangement. Eight-foot-square frames oftwo-by-fours were covered on one side by

tent canvas (15.7 oz/yd.) with the backs covered by 'I, inch Cellotex0 insulation board.The canvas simulated protective outer clothing ordinarily worn by fire service personnel.The insulation board was used to show bydepth of penetration of the missiles the i'elative velocity or wounding power of projectedmissiles tlmt might puncture the canvas.After ignition by tile same procedure usedin the building-burning experiment, the fireproceeded rapidly and burned for 23 minutes,after which the smoldering remains wereextinguished by Olin Fire Protection

FiKure I

Department personnel. Cartridges started popping one minute after ignition and poppedsteadily until the fire was extinguished. Thepopping created considerable din during theapex of the fire. Some observers standingabout 150 feet away reported that a few missiles dropped in their vicinity, and at leastone observer standing about 75 to 100 feetfrom the blaze said that he was hi t harmlesslyby a missile.The witness screens were located at distances from the fire that varied from 22'/,feet to 38'/, feet, as shown in Figure l .After tile fire subsided, tI1e observers examined tI1e witness screens. A more tllOroUgh.assessment was made a few days later; tI1eresults are tabulated in Table l .Nearly all punctures of the canvas weremade by primer cups. A few punctures werecaused by small flying shards from rupturedcases of metallic cartridges. One "spitzer"type small caliber bullet pierced the canvasand was "trapped" in the fabric. No otherbullets penetrated the canvas or the Cellotex@boards. Penetration depths recorded in theboards and observation of the canvas punctures lead observers to the conclusion that noserious wounds would have been sustainedby fire-fighting personnel struck by missiles

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from a fire involving sporting ammunition atdistances beyond SO feet, if standard protectivegarments and face ma sks were worn. Thisob se rvation is substantiated by the experienceof sporting-ammunition manufacturers overthe pas t half-century and more. It reflects precisely the industry 's knowledge concerningfires involving military stores of small al111Sammunition.Table IScreen #1 23 ' 9" from fire centcrPunctures ill canvas upper half - 4lower half - 6

Dep th of penetration in Ccllotcx0

Screen #2 23 ' 3" from fire cen ter

Max. 'Ill"Min. '/l6"

Punctures in ca nvas upper half - 6lower half - 14Dep th of penetration in C e l l o t e x ~

Min. 1/16"Two large rine primer cups and one sma ll pistol prim ercup stuck in the in sulation board to it depth of I/a".Screen #3 28' 4" from fire centerPunctures in canvas upper half - 47lower half - 25

Dep th of penetration in Cellotcx0Min. l/l S "

One shot shell primer cup stuck in the Cellotcx0which h ad pene trated to a dep th ol/3Z",Screen #4 38' 6" from fire centerPunctu res in canvas upp er half - 6lower half - 4

Depth of penetration in C e l l c x ~

Screen #5 22 ' G" from fire centcr

Max. '/:uuMin. 1/32"

Punctures in canvas upper half - 11lower half - 7

Depth of penctration il l Cellotex0 Min. lin"One shot shell primer cup and Qlle small rifle primercup s tuck in th e Cellotex0 to a depth o f Sill" .Scrceu #6 26' 8" frolll firc centerPuncturcs in canvas upper half - 3Slower half - 17

Depth of pcnctTa tion in Cellotex0 Ma x. 'It"Min. 'I,,"

Two shot shell primer cups and one large rifle primercup stuck in Cellotex0 to depth of 3/32". One sliver ofmetal penetrated 'I.".

Burning Ammunition in CloseConfinementTo simulate an ammunition fire in relatively close confinement, as might be encountered in a small basement storage room, acubical concrete block structure six feetsqu are and five feet high was constructed. Aheavy steelme sh grille was supported by concrete blocks about two feet off the concretefloor. Cased ammunition was stacked on thegrille. Oil-soaked scrap lumber beneath thegrille provided a hot ignition fire.Quarter-inch-thick flat boiler plates wereplaced over the top of the structure. Onemi ssing concrete block at the bottom-centerof the structure provided necessary air draftto support combustion The leakage aroundthe edges of the boiler plate "lid" providedthe only exit for the products-of-combustion.The ammunition of various types and brandsconsumed in this test is listed below.20 cases shotshells

3 cases ccnterfire rifle cartridges3 cases centcrfire pistol

01' revo lvcr cartridges3 cases 22 rimfire cartridges

10,000 rounds3,000 roumisG,OOO rounds

15,000 rounds29 cases TOTAL: 34,000 roundsIgnition was provided by the method used

on the frame building. C3Itridges started "popping" three minutes after ignition and continued a steady popping for 36 minutes. Densegray smoke curled out of the structure, and"puffs" or minor gas explosions wereobserved, resulting from the ignition of accumulations of combustible gases above the firein the relatively tight structure. The combustible gases were probably produced becauseinsufficient air was provided to support complete oxidation of the combustibles. TIle heatof this fire was intense enough to cause thesteel grille to collapse, and several small cracksdeveloped in the mortar joints between someof the concrete blocks. Some missiles were projected from the fire through the opening at thebottom of the structure. A few of these wereprojected approximately 100 feet from thestructure. There was no evidence of ma ss. propagation of the ammunition in this fire.

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Experiments of Severe Shockto Packed AnUllunitionThese experiments were conducted todetermine the capabilities of packed ammunition to sustain severe shock without cartridges firing, and to determine if one shellfiring in a container will "propagate" orcause others in the container to fire, whichmight cause mass explosion of the contents.Three types of experiments were conductedto investigate these phenomena: drop tests,rifle bullet impact tests, and firing a cartridgeby remote control while it is in normal position within a container.One case of 500 12-gauge shotshells, onecase of 5,000 22-caliber long rifle rimfire cartridges, and one case of 1,00030-30 centerfire rifle shells were raised in a derrick'sclamshell to 30 feet above a concrete pad anddropped. The impact on the concrete causedthe containers to break open and some of thecontents to scatter, but no cartridges fired.A much more severe experiment to determine the possibility of mass propagation wasconducted by shooting highpower rifle bulletsinto cases of ammunition. One case each of1,000 30-06 centerfire rifle cartridges, 500 12-gauge shotshells, and 5,000 22 long rifle rimfire cartridges were used in these experiments.308 Winchester ISO-grain soft point ammunition was fired from a rifle into each case at arange of 3S YaIds.

The case of rifle cartridges was strucktwice, once on case-end center and again oncase-end off-center. A puff of smoke wasemitted fmm the case on each shot; on thesecond shot, a top flap of the case was jarredopen. TIle bullet exits at opposite ends of thecase produced a tear. Observers opening thiscase found that considerable damage wasdone to the, cartridges by the two expandingbullets, and that several cartridges within theshipping container had indeed fired, but therewas no evidence of propagation - i.e., thedischarge of one cartridge did not cause anyof the adjacent munds to fire.

The case of shotshells was hi t three timeson the case-end and on the side, a puff ofsmoke resulting on each impact. A corner of

the case was torn off by the exit of one of theexpanding bullets on the opposite end . Again,damage to the contents was extreme, causedby the expanding bullets' shock waves of energy. Several rounds within the case did fire, butagain, there was no evidence of propagation.The case of 22 long rifle rimfire cartridgeswas hit at the case-end centrally and again onthe bottom. The exit of the bullets from theopposite side of the case produced a hole inthe container about two inches square. Puffs ofsmoke were emitted on each impact. Inspectionof the contents revealed considerable damage tothe contents and several caI'Iridges fired. TIlerewas no evidence of propagation.A test critetion has been established forpacked sporting ammunition by the UnitedNations Committee on Transport ofDangerous Goods. In order that the productmay be classified as "safety explosives" and betransported without resh'iction as to quantity,it must meet a test whereby the firing of a single cartridge located centrally within the sealedshipping container results in total confinementof any explosion occnrring within the container. The codes of this international body applyto international shipment of dangerous goods.

This test was performed on a case ofshotshells, using elech'ic ignition to fire shellslocated near the center of a regular case containing 500 rounds. Primers were speciallyprepared with a small hole in the center ofthe crown of each primer cup through whichthe priming charge was exposed. Shotshellswere loaded with these special primers.Electric squibs were taped to each shell headso that on firing, the flash would impinge onthe exposed priming mixture. This in turnfired the propellant powder in each shell.Two shells so prepared were placed in abox of 2S shells in the nonnal position, witha regular shell between the two. The wires tothe squibs were led out of the box throughpunctured holes in the inner case wall andthrough the top flaps of the case. The box wasin the bottom layer, placed so that the testshells would be centrally located in the case.Nineteen more boxes of regular ammunitionwere packed and sealed to simulate a factory-



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packed container (case) of shotshell ammunition ready for shipment.When the electrically ignited squibs fired,there was a muffled repor t, and a puff ofwhite smoke was obse rved_The caseremained intact and was not punctured byexplos ion or debris from the firing_Examination of the contents showed that bothshotshells had fired as they would be expectedto fire without confinement in a gun chamb er.No other she lls had been caused to dischargeby the two squib-ignited shells. Thus, the testwould have qual ified the commodity as "safety explos ives" under the United Nations code.COJllments and Conclusions1. This se ries of experiments co nfirmed the

assertion that ma ss detonation of sportingammunition in a fire is extremely unlikely, an assertion substantiated by all previous experience of the sporting ammunition industlY. This characteristic resultsfro m the dilution effect of inert portionsof sporting ammunition cartridges thatsepara te the propellant and ignitioncharges into small increments, coupledwith the fact that smo keless pro pellantsburn relatively slo wly and inefficiently atthe low pressure levels ge nerated beforeshell case fa ilures occur. Eve n underextreme conditions of heat and co nfine-ment created in the close co nfinementburn ing test, there was no indication ofeither ma ss detonation or explosion.

2. Ammunition fires are noisy, generatingthe amplified sound of "popping corn."Confronted by such sound levels, firepro tection personnel understandablycould be unnerved if they were notaccurately in formed of the nature of thefire being fought. .

3. Mi ss ile hazard is minimal even at relatively short di stances from a fire invo lving sporting ammunition. The missiles ofhighes t velocity are the primer cups which,because of their poor aerodynamic shapeand light weight, lose velocity rapidly. Atve ry close distances they could cause

supe rficial flesh wound s. T he heavier bullets, shot charges, and shell cases are notejected fro m an ammunition fi re at ve loci-ties sufficient to ca use them to penetrateca nvas screens within 2S fee t of a fire.It is obvious, however, that the face andex posed portions of the body must be protect-ed. This protec tion is usually provided byface masks and protec ti ve clo thing normallyworn by fire protec tion perso nnel.

This article wa s prepared by the staffof the Sporting Arms and AmmunitionManufacturers' Institute based on the testsdescribed, the present state of knowledgeand experience, and observations in theindustry that span four decades. It is beingpublished in the interests of safety, but is notintended to be comprehensive or to modifyor supersede safety suggestions, standards,or regulations made by competent authori-ties, public or private. The Institute expresslydisclaims any warranty, obligation or liabilitywhatsoever in connection with the informa-tion contained herein or its use.It should be noted that the testsdescribed in this article involved factory -loaded ammunition, manufactured by mem-bers of the Institute and packed in contain -ers approved by the Department ofTransportation. In none of the tests wereseparate stores of ammunition componentssuch as primers, smokeless powder, andblack powder present. Likewise, there wereno stocks of other flammable or hazardouscommodities ordinarily sold by hardwareand sporting goods distributors, such aspropane tanks, paints, solvents, thinners,and products in aerosol cans.

Chapter 11 of NFPA 495-1996,Explosive Materials Code, details recom-mendations that should be followed pre-cisely for storage and handling of smallarms ammunition, small arms primers, andpropellant powders. As a matter of normaloperating procedure, fire protection unitsare advised to acquaint themselves with thestorage and sales facilities of distributorsand retailers of these commodities.


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