Thread: Dropped ammo exploding

Hi guys,

One of the hats I wear is as Postmaster and today I got an interesting E-mail regarding prohibited items in the post.

NZ Post is very picky about having guns and ammo not enter the posting system - guns because gangs like to steal them and ammo due to safety concerns.

Anyway, this month someone sent a packet of 9mm ammunition via packet post, and while it was being sorted it dropped on the floor at the sorting centre and two rounds went off, one round apparently just missing a worker. Has anyone else had such a situation or been around when it happened?

I have heard of one round going off on very rare occasions but this is the first time I've heard of two rounds exploding after a fumble.

Watch this video from SAAMI regarding rifle, shotgun amd handgun ammo getting dropped....

Outside the confines of a chamber a round doesn't build up enough pressure for the bullet to travel fast enough to do any damage?

When unconfined ammo ignites it is generally a pretty feeble afair as the the pressure does not build after the projectile and case are pushed apart - there is simply no barrel for the powder to burn inside. Since the case is often lighter than the projectile it is usually the case which moves the most with the projectile barely moving at all. Both have so little energy imparted to them that a couple of layers of strong cardboard usually stop them.

I have personally witnessed tests of this happening.

Stop dropping packages.

Originally Posted by square1

Stop dropping packages.

Somebody probably put a "Fragile" sticker on it - thus guaranteeing that it would be flung forcefully down!

.22 rimfire does and he says shotgun too. 22LR in a Straw Experiment - YouTube

ok, I guess its more like thrown.

Ammo is pretty hardy stuff.

Takes a special type of mentality to even consider doing that

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

That looks kind of cool.
Guess what I'm going to try?

that's the new Zealander way!
im not going to. but by all means go for it, just don't blame me if it doesn't go to plan.

As kids we used to wack the end of a .22 on an anvil, it would go bang and the projectile would go like a bumble bee round the shed with little power, we alaways sat on the right side!

Originally Posted by Maca49

As kids we used to wack the end of a .22 on an anvil, it would go bang and the projectile would go like a bumble bee round the shed with little power, we alaways sat on the right side!

Just like I said at #10

Originally Posted by cambo

Watch this video from SAAMI regarding rifle, shotgun amd handgun ammo getting dropped....

Interesting Video, was always worried a bit about storing Ammo at home.
Cheers for that.

Originally Posted by Spook

Just like I said at #10

I got it?

Now to buy a packet of straws