Guns and ammo in cars

[charlessummers]

I kinda did a quick search to see if this has been beaten to death already, but did't come up with anything. However, I know I'm not the only one wondering this since the July 1 law...

 

How safe is it to leave a handgun/ammo in a hot car? Does the heat affect the ammo? I moved my Bianchi speed clip the other day and the bullets were HOT! Kinda makes me want to rethink leaving them in there.

[Wyldk2]

I'm no expert. But i don't think the heat we have around here will affect the ammo/guns. If you are worried about the heat, I would advise on keeping a blanket or a reflective wrap around the firearm/ammo.

[Oh Shoot]

Not to worry. It might melt your Glock, but the ammo won't go off.

 

- OS

[austin7.62]

Yeah your black turd might melt!

[Paladin132]

Not to worry. It might melt your Glock, but the ammo won't go off.

 

- OS

OS, that made my day!

[TMF]

You will be fine. Ammo gets left in cars for months and years in places like Iraq and Afghanistan with temps reaching in the 120s and it still goes bang when it's supposed to.

[monkeylizard]

My only concern with doing so is the reliability of the firearm cycling. I had an XD that ran perfect except for one day at the range after being left in the hot car during the day. I had a couple of FTF issues that day. Ever since then I have been wary of leaving one in the car in the summer for a while. I don't know if this was simple coincidence, something unique to the XD design, a day I hadn't lubricated the slide properly, or something else, but it is what it is. Whatever it was, it was temporary as I never had another issue with that gun. I suspected the heat caused something to expand a little causing some slight binding. When it cooled back down, it was fine.

 

+1 to no worries about the ammo. I'm guessing that the rounds stored in ammo cans stored in connex containers sitting in the sandbox over there get a lot hotter than they would in our cars.

Edited July 17, 2013 by monkeylizard

[tnhawk]

Not to worry. It might melt your Glock, but the ammo won't go off.

 

- OS

I'd think that extreme temperatures (hot or cold) could damage a tupperware gun.

[peejman]

The biggest risk is burning your hand if you grab hot metal.  If left in the sun, surface temps can exceed 150 deg F. 

[TnShooter83]

I don't think it's the heat as much as maybe the humidity. We had a neighbor pass away and he always kept a pistol in his car.

I know the ammo and pistol were left in a car for about 3 years for sure. After he passed away the family gave me the pistol as they didn't have a need or want for it.

I tried to fire the ammo and 3 of the 7 rounds were squib and stuck in the barrel. I know for sure the ammo was good when he bought it.

I was with him when he bought it and I shot the pistol and then cleaned it for him. 

The ammo was Winchester White Box 100 round value pack. I found the rest of the ammo in his house. 

I did not shoot it.

 

I would at least change ammo that was kept in a humid environment once every 6 months minimum.  

Edited July 17, 2013 by TnShooter83

[TNcitizen22]

I have a spare Glock and ammo left in my car year round and it always works fine. My only concern would be leaving kydex in direct sun in the car. Other than that it'll be fine.

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[Erik88]

I'm in Florida. I've had the same box of 9mm in my car for two years now and it looks the same as when I moved down here.

 

Do not fear.

[charlessummers]

Y'all are assuming that I leave my Glock in the car... :yuck: . Usually it's a S&W j-frame, fyi! :usa:

[monkeylizard]

In that case, car + heat = no problem

[Guest mechanically]

My only concern with doing so is the reliability of the firearm cycling. I had an XD that ran perfect except for one day at the range after being left in the hot car during the day. I had a couple of FTF issues that day. Ever since then I have been wary of leaving one in the car in the summer for a while. I don't know if this was simple coincidence, something unique to the XD design, a day I hadn't lubricated the slide properly, or something else, but it is what it is. Whatever it was, it was temporary as I never had another issue with that gun. I suspected the heat caused something to expand a little causing some slight binding. When it cooled back down, it was fine.
 
+1 to no worries about the ammo. I'm guessing that the rounds stored in ammo cans stored in connex containers sitting in the sandbox over there get a lot hotter than they would in our cars.

If indeed this was an expansion issue, which does seem plausible to me, then I wonder if it would make a strong case for a revolver as a preferred truck gun?

Or, perhaps, an all-steel semi-auto? Perhaps the expansion rates being different between metal and polymer were the issue?

I'd be very curious to hear about another attempt to replicate the issue with the same gun...

[frankmako]

i kept several boxes of duty ammo in my raid bag in the trunk of my g-ride for several years.   i think this ammo was 1990 age.  shot them last month and they all went bang.  so heat and cold temps in a car did not effect them. 

[charlessummers]

Thanks for the help! I feel somewhat better now.

[DaveTN]

I have left an M&P in my car for several years, a black car with black interior parked in the sun all day. It gets so hot it’s hard to hold onto, but hasn’t melted or went off.

 

Don’t leave a kydex holster in your car though; it won’t last one day.

 

[dlmeadows]

Ammo has to reach a temp of around 500 before it will go off, so you have nothing to worry about there. And the heat won't hurt your firearm, think about the fact that all the guns that are being shipped all over the country are in non climate controlled trucks that get very hot as well. You run a greater risk of burning yourself than anything else.