Dumb question: How fragile are cartridges?

[Guest confidence]

I feel dumb asking, but I had someone (non-gun person) freak recently because I dropped a 9mm cartridge on the table from like 6 inches high. How fragile is a cartridge? I mean like I know you shouldn't hit it with a hammer or anything, but like how unstable is it exactly?

[Spots]

If you didn't hit the primer, you could probably hit it with a hammer with no ill effects other than denting and warping it. The only time I've ever heard of a round going off from being dropped is a .22 rimfire. And Ive never seen that in person.

[2.ooohhh]

Even if you set off the primer of a loose round the case would likely split or the bullet would be blown out of the case if not supported by a chamber. 

 

A chamber and barrel to support the round and direct the explosion/projectile are pretty much required to make the round dangerous.

 

That said I wouldn't go trying it b/c a round splitting it's case could still put your eye out if it spit in the wrong direction. ;)

 

When I was younger a friend nearly lost his eye trying to melt the lead out of .22LR rounds with a torch. Yeah . .  that didn't end well, but aside from a small scar just above his eye you wouldn't know today.

Edited April 2, 2013 by 2.ooohhh

[Jonnin]

Most primer take 10+ pounds of impact in the exact center to fire.  Lacking any containment, a bullet going off from being dropped would lack the energy to do serious harm, most likely injury is shrapnel if the case shreds, minor burns.  I do not see it having enough energy to do more than leave a nasty bruise for most pistol calibers.

 

I suspect you would have to drop most bullets from several stories up to get the required impact.

[Guest K7Sparky]

As spots says if you don't crush the primer you can whack the S*** out of it.

 

That goes for smokeless powder only.  Smokeless is a flammable solid.

 

I would guess a Black powder cartridge might blow if smacked hard enough with a hammer.  It is classed as an explosive.  I looked at a few black powder cans as far back as an old Dupont Wilmington Deleware before zip codes.  A sorta modern "80th Anniversary" Goex can is the only one that mentions "Avoid Impact and Friction"

 

Don't put loaded cartridges in a polisher.  You bust up the powder or at a minimum the retardant coating can be thinned or removed.  Whole different burning / pressure curve.  My guess is you would be VARY unhappy.

[Dolomite_supafly]

As spots says if you don't crush the primer you can whack the S*** out of it.

 

That goes for smokeless powder only.  Smokeless is a flammable solid.

 

I would guess a Black powder cartridge might blow if smacked hard enough with a hammer.  It is classed as an explosive.  I looked at a few black powder cans as far back as an old Dupont Wilmington Deleware before zip codes.  A sorta modern "80th Anniversary" Goex can is the only one that mentions "Avoid Impact and Friction"

 

Don't put loaded cartridges in a polisher.  You bust up the powder or at a minimum the retardant coating can be thinned or removed.  Whole different burning / pressure curve.  My guess is you would be VARY unhappy.

 

Not true.

 

There have been several people that have proven this to be false. One tumbled loaded bullets for a week then compared the powder in the cases to the powder out of the jug. He compared them under a microscope and could not see a difference. He shot them across a chronograph and there was virtually no difference in velocity between tumbled bullets and just loaded bullets using the same powder.

 

Also, loaded bullets get jostled and tumbled a lot during transport and if this was the case then they would be shipped differently. And the powder itself in jugs gets thrown around during shipment.

 

I have personally tumbled loaded bullets for a couple of days when I forgot about them. I shot them without issue.

[Dolomite_supafly]

One more thing. When I used to load jacketed bullets I always tumbled them after the loading process. I tumbled pistol as well as rifle and never had an issue.

[bvarnell]

Here is a SAAMI video showing how safe modern cartridges really are.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3SlOXowwC4c#

[Guest K7Sparky]

Dolomite_supafly

Interesting.  I have read that so many times, but never tested it.

 

Lota difference in the amount of vibration in a polisher and shipping, but riding in a saddle bag is a lot like a polisher.

 

Makes sense though when you think on it.  Next load of brass I'm going to toss in a few vials of different powders and run them for several batches.

 

Reading 2.ooohhh reply makes me wounder how any of us made it past childhood.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Everythign you need to know about tumbling loaded ammo:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/303242_.html&page=1

[gregintenn]

ON a centerfire, about all you can do is to set the bullet back into the case far enough to increase pressure, or dent the case bad enough so that it will not chamber in your gun. If the primer is ignited, which takes extreme heat or a hard, concentrated blow to the center of the primer, the ignition will cause the primer to come out of the case, with little movement of the case or bullet. The primer, in that instance, can be a dangerous projectile. Don't ask me how I know this. :ugh:

[bikertrash2001]

Here is a SAAMI video showing how safe modern cartridges really are.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3SlOXowwC4c#

That was a very enlightening video. I had no idea they were that tough.

[Guest K7Sparky]

Everythign you need to know about tumbling loaded ammo:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/303242_.html&page=1

 

Thanks

Saved me a bunch of effort and time :cheers:  :hat: 

[Guest Nunya]

That was a very enlightening video. I had no idea they were that tough.

 

Same here.  I've heard anecdotes, but never seen scientific research.

[Guest Nunya]

Sure is hard to see all that ammo destroyed, though  :stunned:    :puke:    :rant:    :squint:

[Poor_Dog]

Here is a SAAMI video showing how safe modern cartridges really are.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3SlOXowwC4c#

 

That was an atrocity  :rant:

[Guest K7Sparky]

Everythign you need to know about tumbling loaded ammo:

http://www.ar15.com/...42_.html&page=1

 

 

confidence: I am not trying to hijack your thread.  My apologies in advance if it appears that I am! :surrender: :hijack:

Reading all 5 pages brings to mind several things:

Foremost: Don't confuse me with facts my mind is made up. :slapfight:

Great reading for a Phyc 101 class project

 

I was not really delivered by Gods Grace for my occasional tumbling and shooting of ammo before I was enlightened about the dangers of tumbling. :death:

 

Last but not least, looking out the window:  Those damn white tails are eating on my trees again and it is out of season.  Where are the coyotes when you ?need? them.

[mikegideon]

Last but not least, looking out the window:  Those damn white tails are eating on my trees again and it is out of season.  Where are the coyotes when you ?need? them.

 

Burn their ass with some bird shot.

[Major Kong]

Sure is hard to see all that ammo destroyed, though  :stunned:    :puke:    :rant:    :squint:

Yeah, that was millions of dollars worth of ammo in today's free market (not gouging) prices.

[itchytriggerfinger]

When they got to 18:20 with the simulated ammo shop fire, I was thinking about our TGO buddy who posted pics of his stash.

[Guest confidence]

So they dropped it from 65 foot in that video and a few went off. But I wonder how high you really have to be? Could it go off at 30 feet?