Can loud guitar music set off primers?

[GJgo]

Hey folks, I just wanted to get some opinions so I don't do something stupid. I have set off a whole sleeve of primers before doing something dumb & hope to avoid a repeat. That experience could of ended a whole lot worse than it did.

Out in the ol' Man Cave I have oh 15,000 primers or so in a locked cabinet and probably that many again in loaded rounds. Recently I took one of my guitar 100 watt half stacks into the cave so I could play loud without bothering the wife too much. Tube amps need some volume to open up.

Is there any chance at all that concert volume guitar playing could set off primers? I know at first it kind of sounds like a dumb question, but since safety is involved I thought it was worth an ask.

Thanks!

 

[Big7]

No.

 

[Jim Watson]

Sounds like a Mythbusters Search project.

 

[Bart B.]

That's been known to set off neighbors and police officers by violating noise ordninances. News article told of a musician doing that and a neighbor set off primers in his gun to wound the errant guitarist.

 

[Another_Kelley]

Were you playing Metallica licks?

 

[bersaguy]

If you tossed a handful into the head unit near the tubes, yeah definitely. Otherwise, probably not...though I probably wouldn't place the stack right next to the ammo cabinet

 

[hdwhit]

Conventional non-corrosive lead styphnate primers need a sudden impact positioned so as to drive the anvil into the primer compound and cause it ignite. Vibration alone is not going to be a sufficient impact.

Even if a speaker could generate enough of a sudden, sharp impulse, a tube type amplifier, being an analog device delivers impulses in the form of continuous waves and so probably can't produce the sharp cut-off that would be required if vibration were capable of setting off a primer.

 

[barnbwt]

Even if it could set them off, think about the implications; if the amount of juice flowing into the primers is akin to a firing pin...you're just sticking your head out there in the middle of it? Think about what it's doing to your eardrums (or grey-matter, even)

 

[macgrumpy]

Sure, of course, it's well known problem with primers.

 

[1stmarine]

I hope we don't keep any ordinances or primers near by!

 

[JeffG]

If Metallica, Ted Nugent and Lamb of God hasn't, nothing will.

 

[rmelton]

Take 100 primers, 100 rounds ammo put them in wooden locked box, put amps beside box turned all the way up in a shed, go outside of shed the shut door and play away.

 

[LiveLife]

Sounds like a Mythbusters Search project.

No, not from guitar amps. My son/daughter play guitars and we have cranked up our Marshall 250/Line 6 amps high enough to vibrate windows in the reloading room while playing heavy metal riffs and I won't worry about primers going off.

Even with concussion from artillery and tank canon fire, small arms carried by troops and tank crew do not experience primer ignition.

Now, if you want to myth bust "pop" from firecrackers igniting primers, we could tape some primed cases to firecrackers to test.

BTW, some of my favorite music to listen to while reloading (J.S. and C.P.E. Bach forever!)

 

[clearcut]

Does your system go to 11
CC

 

[Reefinmike]

They traveled thousands of miles in a semi truck trailer to get to your home. I think they can handle some tunes.

 

[kingmt]

Just be careful of the head banging. Anything soft should be fine.

Joking aside your safe playing your music.

 

[Grumulkin]

I know at first it kind of sounds like a dumb question, but since safety is involved I thought it was worth an ask.

Actually, it still sounds like a dumb question.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Ummmmm, guitar playing? Riddle me this, which is louder, your playing or another round of ammo going off right next to the others in your gun?
Really?

 

[kingmt]

Actually, it still sounds like a dumb question.

Not the way of THR.

Even if the question does sound dumb to someone we shouldn't degrade the person for asking it. Members are held to a higher standard here.

 

[Sam1911]

Indeed, I can't imagine telling someone that a safety question is "dumb." Considering how many non-intuitive things can leap out and ruin your day if you don't know what to watch for, I'd treat every safety question as worth a discussion.