I saw that when people thought (some still) that Obama was going to ban guns and ammo there was a run on the ammunition. People buying as much as they can as the trucks deliver it. My question is first is this legal ? It doesn't seem safe to me because of the event of a fire. Second question, what do most hunters keep their ammo in if they are going to have more than a couple of boxes. For example do they use a metal chest?
Bonus question how dangerous is a round in a fire? Like because of the way its being ignited is it significantly less force? Theres no barrel or chamber for example to help direct the force.
 1994 SIMON DUPLEX FIRE PUMPER TRUCK OBO US $39,995.00 |
 Dodge 1924 Dodge Fire Truck US $14,351.00 |
 2000 Ford F350 Fire Rescue Command Truck  US $5,000.00
|
 1955 GENERAL EXIBITION FIRE TRUCK OPEN CAB LK US $5,350.00 |
 1982 FORD F700 FIRE TRUCK US $1,925.00
|
 1938 DIAMOND T DELUXE FIRE TRUCK PUMPER S1938 DIAMOND T FIRE TRUCK US $2,849.00
|
it is totally legal to have huge amounts of ammo. ultimately, the "limit" is up to the city and the neighbors, if its a bunch of liberal anti-gunners anything over a box of 20 would be too much. One can never have too much ammo, although I would say a "sane" amount is 30,000 rounds per caliber or rifle with a maximum of 500,000 rounds total. Any more than that without a class 3 machine gun no individual can possibly use all that in 25 years. There would be enough to supply an army.
Most people put their ammo in sealable military surplus ammo cans. Generally with desiccant gel packs so moisture doesn’t build up in them and destroy the ammo. Some ammo people buy is already sealed in a military ammo can (a spam can) so it requires no further storage steps besides stick it in a cool dry closet.
I use .30 cal ammo cans, I find they can hold a reasonable amount of ammo without being impractically heavy. Some of my ammo came in sealed spam cans, I just stick that in a closet that’s cool and dry. Sealed spam cans’ ammo storage time is in the centuries, provided its stored properly. regular new manufacture ammo stored in sealed mil surp ammo cans has a shelf life of about 25 years.
ammo in a fire isn’t very dangerous provided someone isn’t stupid enough to hang onto it while it goes off. they are like firecrackers- makes a loud bang and generally the bullet doesn’t go far and outside of 3 feet they are not hazardous. without a barrel to direct a bullet’s path it is not dangerous more than 3-5 feet. Movies have it all wrong, if ammo is cooking off in a fire you’d hear them go off but no rounds will fly out and kill anyone.
as for stockpiling ammo goes, there’s a common saying: buy it cheap, stack it deep. Ammo is a consumable, tit will be consumed, one reason why people have alot is because they bought it cheap while they can, so for future decades they have cheap ammo while everyone else has to pay outrageously inflated prices.
"My question is first is this legal ?" That depends on where you live and if there is an fire ordinances against have X number of rounds in a dwelling/building.
"what do most hunters keep their ammo in?" Don’t know what most hunters do know what I do. I keep extra bulk ammunition either in military ammunition cans or generic ice coolers.
"how dangerous is a round in a fire?" About as dangerous as a firecracker. The ammunition, hot enough cooks off, but outside of a barrel either the case ruptures or the primer blows out of it’s pocket and then the gas from the gunpowder is vented into the open.
I’d worry more about the gallon of gas in that can in your garage. A LOT more. Small arms ammunition burns rather intensely in a fire but isn’t explosive and does not throw projectiles or shards of cases with great force. They burst and make scary noises and bright little fireballs but that’s about it.
First off, despite the Dem’s efforts, this is still America and gun/ammo sales are perfectly legal no matter what the quantity. As far as a fire hazard is concerned, I have 2 different 5′ solid metal cases to house my guns and ammo (except for the .357 I keep inside in the event of a break-in). They have a 2 hour burn resistance, so my collection would be fine. However, the majority of folks keep their ammo in a basement or a garage where at the right heat for the right length of time, they would absolutely explode. And finally, even without the barrel, the rounds would still fire in the direction they were aimed. Not with the same velocity, but still deadly to several hundred feet. Hope this helps you out.
1. It’s legal.
2. Small arms ammo is actually safer in a fire if just sitting on a shelf.
If you put it in a can, safe, or tight container,
there’s a change of simultaneous ignition.
Just left on it’s own, each cartridge would go off separately, and unconfined, that’s not too serious a threat.
They go ‘pop’, about like those small firecrackers we used to call
‘ladyfingers’.
The powders used do not burn with real rapidity until pressures get above 10K psi or so, and in
an unsupported cartrige, this just can’t happen.
It’s legal, at least as far as my state goes (Texas) to buy all you can find and afford. I keep my ammo in a metal box in the safe, so it should be OK, no matter what happens.
As far as your question about ammo in a fire, when i was a kid , a neighbor’s house caught on fire and the owner had a lot of rifle and shotgun shells in the closet. When the fire burned into the closet, the paper bodies of a few of the shotgun shells burned off, and the powder flashed, and a few of the rifle cartridges popped, but the casings flew farther than the bullets. I talked to a fireman who said that even if you threw the bullets in a campfire, they simply pop, and since the bullet is a lot heavier than the casing, the casing is the part that flies farther.
I remember years ago there was an article in (I think) Popular Science magazine that said basically the same thing.
it is legal and safe even in a fire the casing goes further than the bullet and the worst thing that could happen is your out the money you spend on the ammo
I dont see why it wouldnt be legal to by lots of ammo but by lots of ammo do you mean thousands upon thousands or couple hundred. You can buy single cases of 880 rounds for the 7.62x54r for the mosin nagant. I would say thats a bunch of ammo but it is only one case.
The bullets wouldnt be very dangerous in a fire, the temperature of the fire would, weaken the brass and the cases would probably split from pressure inside (simple physics) and unless its a full metal jacket the lead would melt out so without the added weight the kinetic energy behind the metal jacket would be significantly less and not threatening either (more simple physics), if they do explode rather than split and pop they may throw some debris a few feet. I still would not want to hang around it though. It would probably be about the same as a bunch of fireworks in a fire, can be dangerous but not exactly life threatening unless that one in a million chance happens.
It would probably be more dangerous to have a gas can full of gas in your garage then having a lot of bullets. It could spill out and spread the fire more easily and if it explodes it would throw more debris that the bullets would.
Bulk Ammo is legal in most places but,some cities have restrictions. In a house fire I’d worry more about the gas in the cars,lawnmower or heating fuel tank or propane tank than I would some ammo which has Been proven by firefighters to not be a issue…..I think most most people put ammo in steel cans.
Yes, it is still legal to purchase and own ammunition.
People store ammunition in whatever manner and whichever location they deem suitable. A common practice is to purchase surplus military ammo cans and store boxes of ammunition inside them.
The Mythbusters television show did an episode involving a myth about people forgetting they stored a firearm inside their kitchen oven and then turning the oven on. The Mythbusters cast & crew tested "cook-offs" of ammunition inside firearms and ammunition not contained inside a firearm.
Ammunition not chambered in a firearm was not a serious problem. The un-chambered ammo would go "bang", but the bullet and brass case were unable to generate enough velocity escape the oven.
Chambered ammunition "cooked-off" would generate potentially lethal consequences though.
"Cooking-off" ammunition isn’t a good idea. At close proximity, someone could get injured from a projectile hitting a vulnerable part of their body. And, why waste good ammunition?
There are no federal limits on the amount of ammo an individual may possess. Some states or cities may have limits. Smokeless powder must be under pressure to develop high pressure such as when fired in a gun’s chamber with barrel attached, other wise, it burns slowly and only produces light pressure. My brother in law in his young and dumb days, used to camp out a lot. Someone in the group would usually bring some .22lr that would end up in the camp fire. The worst that ever happened when the rounds ignited would be a slight bruise. All of my ammo is stored in my son’s room. Either in magazines and speed loaders in the gun safe, in factory boxes sitting on the safe, or in plastic or metal ammo boxes sitting on the safe or in the closet.
Here’s the answer
It doesn’t matter if its legal Cuz people already have it many many thousands or rounds for each person.
It doesn’t matter how they store it cuz they already have it.
It is safe in a fire (compared to combustible or highly flammable liquids or gases)
You shouldn’t be worried because if your an American you can go get your OWN and store it however you want (leaving me to mine).