Originally posted by Benny Moore
Gasoline in liquid form does not explode. Nor does gunpowder combust violently unless it is in the barrel. Does anyone know what a cookoff is? The only thing that should go boom is explosive ordnance, like cannon rounds, rockets, and bombs. Yes, aluminum can burn, although I imagine the pilot would die before the wing burned off.
Gun powder does "combust violently". It generates gas rapidly, but it takes a very strong, restricted volume to allow pressures to rise sufficiently to impart a high velocity on a projectile. If a round cooks off in the chamber, the bullet will exit at normal velocity. If a round cooks off simply sitting in a fire, there is little velocity on the projectile because the thin-walled case will not allow significant pressure to build before the case splits under the pressure or the bullet pops out.
A firearm restricts volume to that of the cartridge case, hence high pressures, usually between 15,000 and 70,000 CUP depending of the weapon and cartridge. A round cooking off in a fire (typical brass case rilfe caliber type), generates less than 300 CUP (copper units of pressure).
A few years ago, a local gun owners house caught fire due to an electrical fault in the wall. The owner made the mistake of telling the volunteer fire chief that he had a few thousand rounds of ammo in the house, in a gun safe. So, instead of extinguishing the fire, they remained outside and just contained it to the house itself. It burned nearly to the ground. So, ignorance cost this man his entire home and all his personal property.
1) The ammo was in a safe.
2) Even if it wasn't, there was no significant risk.
When the safe was later opened, a plastic bottle of gun lube wasn't even melted. He sued the town and fire district for his personal loss and after 7 years of litigation, collected 2.7 million dollars...
My regards,
Widewing
