Ready for Mythbusters.......

[56Nomad]

I was cleaning up the Weekend Warrior and found (5) bullets from the 357magnum in the couch. I pocketed them planning to put them away later.

I then got distracted installing a radio and speakers in the camper and was using a 9 volt battery to run continuity tests on my speaker wires w/voltmeter. Finished that project.... and put the 9V battery in the same pocket as the bullets.

I came inside to work on the computer when I noticed that it felt like my pants pocket was on fire.........

Yup, the battery had shorted out on one of the bullets producing some very high heat. Question for the mythbusters:

Was there a chance of firing off the shell with the that 9v battery in my pants pocket?

[56Nomad]

I was cleaning up the Weekend Warrior and found (5) bullets from the 357magnum in the couch. I pocketed them planning to put them away later.

I then got distracted installing a radio and speakers in the camper and was using a 9 volt battery to run continuity tests on my speaker wires w/voltmeter. Finished that project.... and put the 9V battery in the same pocket as the bullets.

I came inside to work on the computer when I noticed that it felt like my pants pocket was on fire.........

Yup, the battery had shorted out on one of the bullets producing some very high heat. Question for the mythbusters:

Was there a chance of firing off the shell with the that 9v battery in my pants pocket?

[Don (W5IT)]

Now this ain't offical or anyting, but......

I think that there was a chance of them going off. As you know the primer being struck sends teh "Fire" to the powder charge which of course is teh propellant for teh bullet. IF teh battery shorting out would have reached the ignition point for the podwer, KABOOOM. Same as if you throw ammunition into a fire. It takes a while but eventually they do reach the temp required and you will have ignition.

Now like I said, I have not done this. (Yet) But I have seen (Well heard it) ammunition go off at a house fire. I was there for support of the fire dept. (A Deputy is usually dispatched to handle crowd or family problems the FD may encounter) I heard the ammunition start going off and man alive you ought to have seen how fast those Fireman moved. I was a LITTLE faster though....(I was ducking for cover too!)

[Bearman]

Is that a bullet in your pants, or are you just happy to see us . Ammo will definatly cook of in a fire or with heat. It just depends what the flash point of the powder or the cap is. One time a few years ago somebody threw a box of .22 rounds into the fire at a campsite. It sounded like the fourth of July all the rounds going off. The real danger of this is shrapnell from the casings. The casing has no breach to contain the explosion, so it "bells" or explodes but the projectile onley goes a few inches because the force is not directed in one direction. OK,I am done. By the way, I slaped the guy in the head that threw the .22 shells in the fire

[Grizwald2]

56 Although Mixing bullets and electrical current don't seem like a great idea, I think you had the results that I would expect. I.E you felt the heat in your pants well short of the cartridge getting hot enough to pop off.

I have had similar experiences with 9 volts in a pocket with loose change. I don't put batteries in my pocket anymore.

Griz

[Dwayne & Danette]

It could have short changed you..LOL