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Fires
By Harry Hampton

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11 Mile Hili Road . NewtoVln, CT 06470-2359
tions as fast as their triggers can be pulled?

T
HE SPORTSMEN AND HUNTERS
OF North America shoot billions of The answer is an emphatic NO!
cartridges and shotshells with their Ammunition fired in the open, not
firearms annually. To enjoy hunting, marks- enclosed in a gun's chamber, discharges with
manship competition, trap and skeet shoot- such inefficiency that the projectile will not
ing, and other recreational activities involv- even penetrate an ordinary fiberboard ship-
ing lawful 'use of rifles, shotguns, and hand- ping container panel at very close range. When
guns, the sportsman-shooter must be able to not strongly and tightly confined, smokeless
purchase ammunition of the particular type propellant powders burn relatively slowly and
needed for his gun and the sport tha t he is do not explode as we know they do when fired
pursuing. in a gun. Pressure within a cartridge case must
To supply his requirements for ammuni- build up to several thousand pounds pel'
tion, a sizable distribution system is neces- squme inch to cause tlle carh'idge to discharge
sary to provide transportation, warehouse as it does in a gun. Unless it is tightly con-
storage, and retail stocking of ammunition. fined, as in a gun chamber, no ammunition
Currently there are more than 450 different shell case will withstand the growing pressure
ammunition items that the shooter can buy, of gases generated by burning propellant pow-
depending on his needs and preferences. TIlis der WitllOut bursting before the bullet 01' shot
diversity obliges the channels of trade to is expelled with violence or velocity.
carry a relatively large supply of ammunition Newspaper accounts of fires in hardware
to satisfy their customers' needs. and sporting goods stores often tell of
Is there a fire hazard posed by these la rge "whizzing" bullets or ammunition flying
supplies of sporting ammunition in warehous- from the store windows, spraying the area
es .and retail stores? What, if any, danger do with a devastating barrage. Yet miraculously,
these stocks of ammunition pose to the public no one is ever seriously wounded or killed by
and to fire-fighting personnel in the event of a tlle spray of bullets and shot. The fact is that
fire in these establishments? Should munici- bullets and shot are not projected at velocities
pal fire prevention ordinances limit quantities higher than you could throw them by hand.
of ammunition that may be stored in a single The whizzing sounds that are reported are,
stmcture in the interest of public safety? for the most part, primer cups being popped
Experience and tests over the last half- from shells. Because they are of relatively low
century clearly demonstrate that sporting mass; they have very little energy, short
arms ammunition stocks do not constitute a range, and practically no penetrating power.
fire hazard of any great significance. In 1974, the City of Chicago contemplated
Cartridges are considerably less combustible a fire protection ordinance to limit severely the
than many retail items, including dry goods, stores of sporting 8Inmunition pennitted in
wooden articles, oil and alkyd-base paints commercial establishments. Local wholesale
and their thinners, and aerosol preparations. 8Ild retail outlets challenged tlle proposal, and
TIle ignition point of ammunition is much tlle Court asked tlle Fire Prevention Bureau to
higher than that of these items and most detelmine what degree of haz8I'd is involved in
types of ammunition will not even maintain a shuctural fire involving ammunition. The
combustion if ignited. To burn them requires Sporting Arms and AnmlUnition
help from adjacent combustibles. Mmufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) volunteered
But what if the structure containing to help tllC Chicago Fire Prevention Bureau
ammunition burns and the ammunition sup- obtain factual data to present to tlle Court.
plies burn along with it? Are the effects of SAAMI technical experts met witll Chicago
such a fire similar to the effects of hundreds Fire Prevention Bureau engineers and a test
of shotguns and rifles discharged in all direc- pl'Ogr8In was developed. A location for the

FlREJOURNAL -JANUARY 1977 • 1


tests was selected on abandoned powder mill, ture, 20-feet-by-24·feet, 1 '/, stories high on a
property of the Olin Corporation's Winchester- concrete pad, of wood sheathing with tar
Western Ammunition Works neru' East Alton, paper exterior, and a steeply pitched asphalt
nIinois. TIle test program agreed upon is sum- shingle roof. There were fourteen 3-foot-by-6-
marized as follows: foot wooden sash glass windows and a 15 foot
1. Burn a frame structure containing packed ceiling. The ammunition listed below was
sporting ru1Ullunition and obselve the stacked inside the building near the left-rear
effects of the burning ammunition on the corner, on a wooden platform.
overall intensity of the fire and judge as to
24 cases shotshclls 12,000 rounds
hazru'ds to personnel and adjacent property.
12 cases centerfire rifle cartridges 12,000 rounds
2. Burn packed ammunition in an open area 4 cases centerfirc pistol
to assess missile hazard. or revolver cartridges 8,000 rounds
7 cases 22 rimfirc cartridges 35,000 rounds
3. Burn packed sporting ammunition in a 47 CRses TOTAL: 67,000 rounds
fire-resistant structure that provides close
confinement and determine if build-tip of A large quantity of scrap lumber and fiber-
heat and pressure in the close confinement board packing materials was piled adjacent to
increases the rate and intensity of burning, and under this ammunition. Fuel oil was
or possibly causes mass explosion. poured over some of the scrap lumber. Fire
was initiated by an electric squib in a small
4. Subject packed ammunition to severe sack of black powder placed in a small pile of
shock to determine if any cartridges in
smokeless powder near the oil-soal<ed wood.
the pacl<ages will fire; in the event they Sounds of ammunition "popping" began
do fire, do they cause other cartridges in approximately one minute after ignition, and
the container to fire? the "popcorn popping" effect lasted for 20
Ammunition for the experiments was minutes, at which time the building was
supplied by the four ammunition manufac- almost completely consumed. Olin Fire
turers who are members of SAAMI. A total Protection Department personnel extinguished
of 111 cases of sporting ammunition contain- the blaze at that time. They had been spraying
ing 145,500 rounds representing most of the the adjacent trees behind the building from a
popular types and brands of shotgun shells, distance of approximately 35 feet to prevent
rimfire cartridges, centerfire pistol or revolver spread of the fire to the timbered area.
cartridges, and centerfire rifle carh'idges were Fire-fighting personnel were as close to the
consumed in the series of experiments. This building as the heat would allow during the
ammunition contained approximately 272 height of the fire, while the ammunition was
pounds of smokeless propellant powder and popping. They could have extinguished the fire
9.2 pounds of priming compositions. with water from hoses at the scene, if they had
The experimental program, conducted so desired. No missile problems were encoun-
October 2, 1974, was witnessed by Chicago tered. TIleY wore standard fire-fighter's rub-
Fire Prevention Bureau personnel and fire berized coats and knee-high rubber boots, and
chiefs from several other cities, representa- their faces were protected by plastic face
tives from SAAMI and each of the member shields that extended from their helmets.
companies participating, as well as from the After extinguishing the fire, the witnesses
NFPA and the local press. searched the surrounding area for missiles.
TIley found some cartridge shells as far as
Ammunition in a Burning Structure 135 feet from the fire. During the fire it was
An abandoned manufacturing building evident that smoking primer cups and car-
scheduled for demolition was used in this tridge shells were individually being thrown
experiment. It was a solidly-built frame shuc- from the fire in an arcing trajectory. There

FIRE JOURNAL - JANUARY 1977 • 2


was no audible evidence of ammunition FiKure I
exploding en masse during the fire. The din of
the "popping" was quite loud from a distance
of approximately 100 feet, where most of the
observers stood. Relatively few projectiles
(bullets) were observed or found at distances
of more than 40 or 50 feet from the fire's site.

Open Burning of Ammunition


to Assess Missile Effects
TIus experiment was conducted to deter-
mine the extent of nussile projection and the
penetration effects from a fire involving sport-
ing ammUlution.
Cased ammutution was stacked on wooden
pallets supported about tlu'ee feet above ground
level by concrete blocks. A large amount of oil-
soaked scrap lumber was placed under and
around tile pallets to provide a hot fire. TIle area
was flat and open, encircled on about half its Department personnel. Cartridges started pop-
perimeter by a wooded embankment 20 yards or ping one minute after ignition and popped
more from tile fire. The following stores of steadily until the fire was extinguished. The
anununition were consumed in tllis test: popping created considerable din during the
apex of the fire. Some observers standing
22cascs shotshells 11,000 rounds
11,000 rounds
about 150 feet away reported that a few mis-
11 cases centerfirc rifle cartridges
3 cases cCllterfirc pistol or siles dropped in their vicinity, and at least
revolver cartridges 6,000 rounds one observer standing about 75 to 100 feet
6 cases 22 rimfire cartridges 30,000 rounds from the blaze said that he was hit harmlessly
42 cases TOTAL: 58,000 rounds by a missile.
The witness screens were located at dis-
To assess missile effects from the fire, six tances from the fire that varied from 22'/,
witness screens were deployed at various dis- feet to 38'/, feet, as shown in Figure l.
tances, facing tile fire in a semicircular After tile fire subsided, tI1e observers exam-
arrangement. Eight-foot-square frames of ined tI1e witness screens. A more tllOroUgh
two-by-fours were covered on one side by .assessment was made a few days later; tI1e
tent canvas (15.7 oz/yd.) with the backs cov- results are tabulated in Table l.
ered by 'I, inch Cellotex0 insulation board. Nearly all punctures of the canvas were
The canvas simulated protective outer cloth- made by primer cups. A few punctures were
ing ordinarily worn by fire service personnel. caused by small flying shards from ruptured
The insulation board was used to show by cases of metallic cartridges. One "spitzer"-
depth of penetration of the missiles the i'ela- type small caliber bullet pierced the canvas
tive velocity or wounding power of projected and was "trapped" in the fabric. No other
missiles tlmt might puncture the canvas. bullets penetrated the canvas or the Cellotex@
After ignition by tile same procedure used boards. Penetration depths recorded in the
in the building-burning experiment, the fire boards and observation of the canvas punc-
proceeded rapidly and burned for 23 minutes, tures lead observers to the conclusion that no
after which the smoldering remains were serious wounds would have been sustained
extinguished by Olin Fire Protection by fire-fighting personnel struck by missiles

FlREJOURNAL -JANUARY 1977 • 3


from a fire involving sporting ammunition at Burning Ammunition in Close
distances beyond SO feet, if standard protective Confinement
garments and face masks were worn. This To simulate an ammunition fire in rela-
observation ·is substantiated by the experience tively close confinement, as might be encoun-
of sporting-ammunition manufacturers over tered in a small basement storage room, a
the past half-century and more. It reflects pre- cubical concrete block structure six feet
cisely the industry's knowledge concerning square and five feet high was constructed. A
fires involving military stores of small al111S heavy steel mesh grille was supported by con-
ammunition. crete blocks about two feet off the concrete
floor. Cased ammunition was stacked on the
Table I grille. Oil-soaked scrap lumber beneath the
grille provided a hot ignition fire.
Screen #1 23 ' 9" from fire centcr
Punctures ill ca nvas upper half - 4 Quarter-inch-thick flat boiler plates were
lower half - 6 placed over the top of the structure. One
Depth of penetration in Ccllotcx0 Max. 'Ill" missing concrete block at the bottom-center
Min. '/l6"
of the structure provided necessary air draft
Screen #2 23' 3" from fire center
to support combustion The leakage around
Punctures in ca nvas upper half - 6 the edges of the boiler plate "lid" provided
lower half - 14 the only exit for the products-of-combustion.
Dep th of penetration in Cellotex~ The ammunition of various types and brands
Min. 1/16"
Two large rine primer cups and one small pistol primer
consumed in this test is listed below.
cup st uck in the insulation board to it depth of I/a".
20 cases shotshells 10,000 rounds
Screen #3 28' 4" from fire center 3 cases ccnterfire rifle cartridges 3,000 roumis
Pun ctures in ca nvas uppe r half - 47 3 cases centcrfire pistol
lower half - 25 01' revolvcr cartridges G,OOO rounds
Dep th of pene tration in Cellotcx0 3 cases 22 rimfire cartridges 15,000 rounds
Min. l/lS " 29 cases TOTAL: 34,000 round s
One shot shell primer cup st uck in the Cellotcx0
which h ad pene trated to a depth o£l/3Z", Ignition was provided by the method used
on the frame building. C3Itridges started "pop-
Screen #4 38' 6" from fire center ping" three minutes after ignition and contin-
Punctu res in ca nvas upper half - 6
lower half - 4 ued a steady popping for 36 minutes. Dense
Depth of penetrati on in Cell o t cx~ Max. '/:u u gray smoke curled out of the structure, and
Min. 1/32" "puffs" or minor gas explosions were
observed, resulting from the ignition of accu-
Screen #5 22' G" from fire ce ntcr
Punctures in canvas uppe r half - 11
mulations of combustible gases above the fire
lower half - 7 in the relatively tight structure. The com-
Depth of penctration ill Cellotex0 bustible gases were probably produced because
Min. lin" insufficient air was provided to support com-
One shot shell primer cup and Qlle small rifle primer
plete oxidation of the combustibles. TIle heat
cup s tuck in the Cellotex0 to a depth o f Sill" .
of this fire was intense enough to cause the
Scrceu #6 26' 8" frolll firc center steel grille to collapse, and several small cracks
Puncturcs in ca nvas upper half - 3S developed in the mortar joints between some
lower half - 17 of the concrete blocks. Some missiles were pro-
Depth of pcnctTation in Cellotex0 Ma x. 'It"
Min. 'I,,"
jected from the fire through the opening at the
Two shot shell primer cups and one large rifle primer bottom of the structure. A few of these were
cup stuck in Cellotex0 to depth of 3/32". One sliver of projected approximately 100 feet from the
metal penetrated 'I.". structure. There was no evidence of mass
. propagation of the ammunition in this fire.

FIRE JOURNAL -JANUARY 1977 • 4


Experiments of Severe Shock the case was torn off by the exit of one of the
to Packed AnUllunition expanding bullets on the opposite end. Again,
These experiments were conducted to damage to the contents was extreme, caused
determine the capabilities of packed ammuni- by the expanding bullets' shock waves of ener-
tion to sustain severe shock without car- gy. Several rounds within the case did fire, but
tridges firing, and to determine if one shell again, there was no evidence of propagation.
firing in a container will "propagate" or The case of 22 long rifle rimfire cartridges
cause others in the container to fire, which was hit at the case-end centrally and again on
might cause mass explosion of the contents. the bottom. The exit of the bullets from the
Three types of experiments were conducted opposite side of the case produced a hole in
to investigate these phenomena: drop tests, the container about two inches square. Puffs of
rifle bullet impact tests, and firing a cartridge smoke were emitted on each impact. Inspection
by remote control while it is in normal posi- of the contents revealed considerable damage to
tion within a container. the contents and several caI'Iridges fired. TIlere
One case of 500 12-gauge shotshells, one was no evidence of propagation.
case of 5,000 22-caliber long rifle rimfire car- A test critetion has been established for
tridges, and one case of 1,00030-30 center- packed sporting ammunition by the United
fire rifle shells were raised in a derrick's Nations Committee on Transport of
clamshell to 30 feet above a concrete pad and Dangerous Goods. In order that the product
dropped. The impact on the concrete caused may be classified as "safety explosives" and be
the containers to break open and some of the transported without resh'iction as to quantity,
contents to scatter, but no cartridges fired. it must meet a test whereby the firing of a sin-
A much more severe experiment to deter- gle cartridge located centrally within the sealed
mine the possibility of mass propagation was shipping container results in total confinement
conducted by shooting highpower rifle bullets of any explosion occnrring within the contain-
into cases of ammunition. One case each of er. The codes of this international body apply
1,000 30-06 centerfire rifle cartridges, 500 12- to international shipment of dangerous goods.
gauge shotshells, and 5,000 22 long rifle rim- This test was performed on a case of
fire cartridges were used in these experiments. shotshells, using elech'ic ignition to fire shells
308 Winchester ISO-grain soft point ammuni- located near the center of a regular case con-
tion was fired from a rifle into each case at a taining 500 rounds. Primers were specially
range of 3S YaI·ds. prepared with a small hole in the center of
The case of rifle cartridges was struck the crown of each primer cup through which
twice, once on case-end center and again on the priming charge was exposed. Shotshells
case-end off-center. A puff of smoke was were loaded with these special primers.
emitted fmm the case on each shot; on the Electric squibs were taped to each shell head
second shot, a top flap of the case was jarred so that on firing, the flash would impinge on
open. TIle bullet exits at opposite ends of the the exposed priming mixture. This in turn
case produced a tear. Observers opening this fired the propellant powder in each shell.
case found that considerable damage was Two shells so prepared were placed in a
done to the, cartridges by the two expanding box of 2S shells in the nonnal position, with
bullets, and that several cartridges within the a regular shell between the two. The wires to
shipping container had indeed fired, but there the squibs were led out of the box through
was no evidence of propagation - i.e., the punctured holes in the inner case wall and
discharge of one cartridge did not cause any through the top flaps of the case. The box was
of the adjacent munds to fire. in the bottom layer, placed so that the test
The case of shotshells was hit three times shells would be centrally located in the case.
on the case-end and on the side, a puff of Nineteen more boxes of regular ammunition
smoke resulting on each impact. A corner of were packed and sealed to simulate a factory-

FIRE JOURNAL -JANUARY 1977 • 5


packed container (case) of shotshell ammuni- superficial flesh wou nds. T he heavier bul-
tion ready for shipment. lets, shot charges, and shell cases are not
When the electrically ignited squibs fired, ejected fro m an ammuni tion fi re at veloci-
there was a muffled report, and a puff of ties sufficient to cause them to penetrate
white smoke was observed_The case canvas screens within 2S fee t of a fire.
remained intact and was not punctured by
It is obvious, however, that the face and
explosion or debris from the firing_
exposed portions of the body must be protect-
Examination of the contents showed that both
ed. This protection is usually provided by
shotshells had fired as they would be expected face masks and protective clo thing normally
to fire without confinement in a gun chamber.
worn by fire protection perso nnel.
No other shells had been caused to discharge
by the two squib-ignited shells. Thus, the test
would have qualified the commodity as "safe- This article wa s prepared by the staff
ty explosives" under the United Nations code. of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition
Manufacturers' Institute based on the tests
COJllments and Conclusions described, the present state of knowledge
1. This series of experiments confirmed the and experience, and observations in the
industry that span four decades. It is being
assertion that mass detonation of sporting
published in the interests of safety, but is not
ammunition in a fire is extremely unlike-
intended to be comprehensive or to modify
ly, an assertion substantiated by all previ-
or supersede safety suggestions, standards,
ous experience of the sporting ammuni- or regulations made by competent authori-
tion industlY. This characteristic results ties, public or private. The Institute expressly
from the dilution effect of inert portions disclaims any warranty, obligation or liability
of sporting ammunition cartridges that whatsoever in connection with the informa-
separate the propellant and ignition tion contained herein or its use.
charges into small increments, coupled It should be noted that the tests
with the fact that smokeless propellants described in this article involved factory-
burn relatively slowly and inefficiently at loaded ammunition, manufactured by mem-
the low pressure levels generated before bers of the Institute and packed in contain-
shell case failures occur. Even under ers approved by the Department of
extreme conditions of heat and confine- Transportation . In none of the tests were
ment created in the close confinement separate stores of ammunition components
burning test, there was no indication of such as primers, smokeless powder, and
either mass detonation or explosion. black powder present. Likewise, there were
no stocks of other flammable or hazardous
2. Ammunition fires are noisy, generating commodities ordinarily sold by hardware
the amplified sound of "popping corn." and sporting goods distributors, such as
Confronted by such sound levels, fire propane tanks, paints, solvents, thinners,
protection personnel understandably and products in aerosol cans.
could be unnerved if they were not Chapter 11 of NFPA 495-1996,
accurately informed of the nature of the Explosive Materials Code, details recom-
fire being fought. . mendations that should be followed pre-
cisely for storage and handling of small
3. Missile hazard is minimal even at rela-
arms ammunition, small arms primers, and
tively short distances from a fire involv-
propellant powders. As a matter of normal
ing sporting ammunition. The missiles of
operating procedure, fire protection units
highest velocity are the primer cups which, are advised to acquaint themselves with the
because of their poor aerodynamic shape storage and sales facilities of distributors
and light weight, lose velocity rapidly. At and retailers of these commodities.
very close distances they could cause

FIRE JOURNAL - JANUARY 1977 • 6

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