Can built up air in surplus ammo cans be poisonous?

I doubt it.

you are going to die. Will all of your guns to me and ill be sure they are safe and well cared for.

BTW (I'm far from an expert) but.... Mercury is a heavy metal...

you will be fine.

One of the biggest problems with the reunification of Germany was cleaning up all the toxic waste that the Russians left in East Germany.

BUT the "pffft" that came out of the can should have been nitrogen dry air, a inert gas used to protect the contents of the can.

My guess is your sphincter muscles and your shoulder muscles tightened up severely when the "pffft" hit you in the face. Then between the nervous tension and thoughts of poison gas your head imploded causing your headache.

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I would just move to a different room or step outside for a little while. Maybe if the headache persists, take an advil/typical headache med of your choice. I don't think it's anything to worry about. Now if you still have a headache after a couple of days you may want to ask someone more knowledgable about medical matters.

Gus McCrae said:

Only if you eat them

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Really? Oh...crud

Doubtful... you wouldn't want to poison your troops.

I just got a tin of 5.45x39 surplus and I opened it up and the first hole made the air go "pffft" and It went right into my face. Well a few hours later I get a massive headache.

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Sounds like the opening scene of a zombie movie

I always explain it this way: All com-bloc guns and ammo are actually packaged in Siberia. So, air that is atmospheric pressure at frostbite degrees Fahrenheit expands in normal capitalist temperature.

The smell that is associated with com-bloc supplies (which I'm sure is some oil and mostly lacquer) is the worker's cheap vodka (which I'm sure is mostly lacquer.)

The only thing I would be worried about is if you wore the paper they wrap these things with like a scarf. The oiled paper they wrapped my Saiga in must have come from Chernobyl. "Do not eat paper. Do not burn paper. Do not store paper near children. Do not store paper near radiators or vents. Do not taunt Happy Fun Paper."

Strange!

I don't know what the East Bloc is turning out but in the Western world, it has been a long, long time since mercuric primers were used. And mercury is not cheap so it is unlikely to have stayed in use over there, either.

I'm not a doctor but i do know some people are super sensitive to various scents I won't go into a Hobby Lobby store due to getting head aches from the various perfumes/glues/ flowers whatever sure keeps me out.
Now gun cleaning scents make me relaxed we are a complicated bunch, human race.

The smell that is associated with com-bloc supplies (which I'm sure is some oil and mostly lacquer) is the worker's cheap vodka (which I'm sure is mostly lacquer.)

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Ugh. This is so true... Next time, please give me a warning though. I laugh so hard I had coffee coming out of my nose. Now I have a headache...

V

The tins are crimp-sealed or solder-sealed, airtight, so any difference in pressure means there'll be equalization when you break the seal. I've had them pressurized and under vacuum, depending what season I've opened them.

Also, the smell is likely the paint that hasn't dried- the air in the tin reaches saturation, and no more paint vapors can evaporate until new air is let in. I've opened several tins of Yugo 54R where the green paint was still wet for a bit when the seal was cracked.

An alien force from back in the egyptian period has contaminated those cans with fragomylakia dust. RUSH to the emergency room as fast as you can!!

I too get a headache after huffing com-bloc ammo can gas. The headache is just the down after the high.

The tin I bought had a nasty smell even before I opened it but I think it was due to oxidation of the lead seal. That's what it smelled like to me anyway. The first thing I did was open it and transfer all the ammo into nice mil-surp steel cans and toss the commie spam can.

I hope not

I love that smell

I think we will be seeing this on an episode of House...Russ

The lead in the bullets is lethal, but only if applied transdermally.

Sebastian the Ibis said:

The lead in the bullets is lethal, but only if applied transdermally.

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Huh?? I'm a simple country boy. I don't understand such perverse actions performed by city folk.

Was this Ancient Egyptian surplus with archaic warnings about disturbing the rest of sleeping rounds? If not, you'll be fine. Then again, I suddenly want to write crytic warnings on my unopened ammo tins.

Mercury as an ingredient in primer mixtures has not been used in a very long time. It is probably not present in your AK ammo. Some AK ammo has lacquer applied to it and perhaps something off gas from that. The inside of the box may have been painted or coated and is releasing vapors. Also there are solvents used in the manufacture of powder which may have accumulated in the sealed ammo box. Since you appear to be sensitive in the future open your boxes outside and try not breath in those vapors by standing away from it as much as you canwhen you open it.