Is it safe to leave ammo in the car during the summer months? - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

JoshGrrrr · 08-20-2007, 08:52 PM

I often carry my XD45 in the glovebox of my truck. I can't really carry it in with me when I get to work so I leave it in the truck. I never really thought of temperature being an issue until recently. It's been well over 100° several days this week and has been in the high 90's for the past month or so. I've been leaving my XD at home due to the heat.

What I'm really wanting to know is, is it safe to keep ammo in the car during the hotter months of the year? If it's 106° outside it has to be much hotter than that in a car. At what temperature do you risk ammo discharging due to the heat? I guess I can just start carrying my P3AT and taking it in with me, but I really like having my 45 with me. Am I worrying over nothing?

Myk9noseknows · 08-20-2007, 09:23 PM

You can do a search here as this topic has been done to death.

A car can reach upwards of 190 or so during the summer, (inside the interior of course). It's perfectly safe to keep your firarms and it's ammo in the car at that temp. There is no threat of the ammo discharging.

It doesn't get much hotter than Maricopa Co, AZ in the summer and all our deputies keep their AR's and Shotties in the car year round. The ammo seems to go boom when it's required.

Most of your ammo warehouses probably reach a similar hot temp., plus the trucks that transport the ammo, plus all our troops in the desert, plus the AK's in Somalia, Afghanistan, etc, etc, etc...

Some people rotate our their carry ammo after a few months in the heat. Probably isn't necessary, but it's not hurting anything either.

jtkratzer · 08-20-2007, 09:59 PM

Ammo....yes. Sodas....no.

mvician · 08-20-2007, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtkratzer

Ammo....yes. Sodas....no.

yep, never had a round go off, but had a can of Coke and a Bic lighter explode before.

Mike

medicstimpy · 08-21-2007, 12:09 AM

I dunno if it's true or not but I read someplace that while it is safe to leave it in the car, there might be a problem shooting. I just remember reading someplace that leaving ammo in a hot car might raise pressures enough to cause problems.

I think it has mostly to do with those who reload to maximum and have no room to spare with pressure increases. I don't remember it mentioning factory ammo or regular mid-range loads.

Could be just one of those urban myth type things. Or not. I'm sure there are more qualified users here that can prove or disprove this.

JoshGrrrr · 08-21-2007, 03:36 AM

Thanks guys. Sorry for beating a dead horse. I guess I should have searched.

fredj338 · 08-21-2007, 01:07 PM

It's not a short term issue, but over the long term, ammo stored in harsh enviros, can casue problems. I normally shoot up my carry ammo every 6mos. I would just rotate it out sooner.

FOP4INAL · 08-21-2007, 01:13 PM

I think that's going to be on MythBusters Wed. night.

JoshGrrrr · 08-22-2007, 09:18 PM

They put it in an oven. When the oven temperature was 500° the ammo exploded. But, that doesn't mean that it takes a temperature that high to make the ammo go off. They heated it really quickly. We have no way of knowing what the internal temperature of the ammo was when it exploded. While the oven was 500° the ammo may have exploded when it's internal temperature was much less. The ammo wouldn't heat up as quickly as the air in the oven would.

2Timman · 08-25-2007, 06:14 PM

Im pretty sure the ammo they use in Iraq has got to get pretty darn hot and I think its working fine.

08-20-2007, 08:52 PM	#1
JoshGrrrr XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 163	Is it safe to leave ammo in the car during the summer months? I often carry my XD45 in the glovebox of my truck. I can't really carry it in with me when I get to work so I leave it in the truck. I never really thought of temperature being an issue until recently. It's been well over 100° several days this week and has been in the high 90's for the past month or so. I've been leaving my XD at home due to the heat. What I'm really wanting to know is, is it safe to keep ammo in the car during the hotter months of the year? If it's 106° outside it has to be much hotter than that in a car. At what temperature do you risk ammo discharging due to the heat? I guess I can just start carrying my P3AT and taking it in with me, but I really like having my 45 with me. Am I worrying over nothing? __________________ Springfield XD45 Service - Black Kel-Tec P3AT Rossi .38special +P 2" Stainless Savage Bolt-Action .22LR Marlin Model 336 .30-30 Jarrett Custom Machining

08-20-2007, 09:23 PM	#2
Myk9noseknows XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 2,098	You can do a search here as this topic has been done to death. A car can reach upwards of 190 or so during the summer, (inside the interior of course). It's perfectly safe to keep your firarms and it's ammo in the car at that temp. There is no threat of the ammo discharging. It doesn't get much hotter than Maricopa Co, AZ in the summer and all our deputies keep their AR's and Shotties in the car year round. The ammo seems to go boom when it's required. Most of your ammo warehouses probably reach a similar hot temp., plus the trucks that transport the ammo, plus all our troops in the desert, plus the AK's in Somalia, Afghanistan, etc, etc, etc... Some people rotate our their carry ammo after a few months in the heat. Probably isn't necessary, but it's not hurting anything either. __________________ "When people need help, they call the Police. When Police need help, they call K-9"

08-20-2007, 09:59 PM	#3
jtkratzer XDTalk 15K Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Lancaster Co., PA Posts: 17,908	Ammo....yes. Sodas....no. __________________ "The Marines will never disappoint the expectations of of their country - never!" - Capt. C. W. Morgan, US Navy "I have just returned from visiting the Marines at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world." - Gen. Douglas MacArthur, US Army The Gun Lounge Pennyslvania Firearms Owners Association Hockey Forum

08-21-2007, 12:09 AM	#5
medicstimpy XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Montreal, Quebecistan in the land of anti's... the dictatorship of Canada Posts: 422	I dunno if it's true or not but I read someplace that while it is safe to leave it in the car, there might be a problem shooting. I just remember reading someplace that leaving ammo in a hot car might raise pressures enough to cause problems. I think it has mostly to do with those who reload to maximum and have no room to spare with pressure increases. I don't remember it mentioning factory ammo or regular mid-range loads. Could be just one of those urban myth type things. Or not. I'm sure there are more qualified users here that can prove or disprove this. __________________ Springfield Armory: 1911 Loaded SS (x2), XD9-TAC & XD45-TAC AR-15: Armalite .223, RockRiverArms 9mm Ruger: Mark III, 10/22 S&W: 686 Tokarev: 1942 Soviet TT33, 1958 Hungarian TT-58 Tokagypt, 1954 .22 Polish Sportowy Norchinko: M14S (x2) Yugo: M48 Mauser, M59/66 SKS Desert Chicken 44Magnum Levers: Win '94 1962 (unfired) & 1958 in 30-30 Taurus: 455 Tracker... 45ACP wheel gun... WAY KEWL If GUNS kill people then spoons made Rosie O'Donnell fat

08-21-2007, 03:36 AM	#6
JoshGrrrr XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 163	Thanks guys. Sorry for beating a dead horse. I guess I should have searched. __________________ Springfield XD45 Service - Black Kel-Tec P3AT Rossi .38special +P 2" Stainless Savage Bolt-Action .22LR Marlin Model 336 .30-30 Jarrett Custom Machining

08-21-2007, 01:07 PM	#7
fredj338 XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,448	It's not a short term issue, but over the long term, ammo stored in harsh enviros, can casue problems. I normally shoot up my carry ammo every 6mos. I would just rotate it out sooner.

08-21-2007, 01:13 PM	#8
FOP4INAL XDTalk Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Weaver, AL Posts: 71	ammo I think that's going to be on MythBusters Wed. night. __________________ XD 40 Subcompact Mossberg 500 Tactical Cruiser (Meat Tenderizer aka Breacher) a "few" others

08-22-2007, 09:18 PM	#9
JoshGrrrr XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 163	They put it in an oven. When the oven temperature was 500° the ammo exploded. But, that doesn't mean that it takes a temperature that high to make the ammo go off. They heated it really quickly. We have no way of knowing what the internal temperature of the ammo was when it exploded. While the oven was 500° the ammo may have exploded when it's internal temperature was much less. The ammo wouldn't heat up as quickly as the air in the oven would. __________________ Springfield XD45 Service - Black Kel-Tec P3AT Rossi .38special +P 2" Stainless Savage Bolt-Action .22LR Marlin Model 336 .30-30 Jarrett Custom Machining

08-25-2007, 06:14 PM	#10
2Timman XDTalk Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Richmond Texas Posts: 89	Im pretty sure the ammo they use in Iraq has got to get pretty darn hot and I think its working fine.

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