Reloading Safety House Explosion

[Mr.Revolverguy]

Man was reloading ammunition prior to Seffner house explosion, fire rescue says | WFLA

Let's discuss this please but I do not know where to start as I am still picking my mouth up off the floor. I have neighbors who live in the area and they were all calling me tonight. There is a small local channel that supposedly interviewed this guy at the hospital and he reported there was no open flames, no gas or gas fumes just all of a sudden a large explosion.

Wow lost for words, I think it is time to talk safety again.

I know it would be speculation on our part but how does something like this happen? We have all seen things like this in the past.

 

[Roverguy]

First, here’s hoping the chap pulls through with no lasting injuries.

That neighbors “smelled gunpowder in the air” strikes me as exceedingly odd. Unless it was Black Powder.

Obviously, a lot more information is needed to draw any conclusions. Spontaneous combustion of modern propellants is very, very unlikely and the description of the explosion is not really consistent with combustion of modern propellants. Hopefully more information will become available.

 

[cfullgraf]

Assuming the reloader was following safe reloading practices, my speculaulation is a primer went off under the powder measure.

But, there is alot of damage to the house for the relatively small amount of powder contained in a powder measure.

It was lucky that no fatal injuries happened.

 

[dcloco]

....and a blue press laying on the ground.

More to this story.......may never know all of the story though.

 

[Hartkopf]

It doesn’t make sense to me. Did the guy buy black powder labeled as smokeless powder? Was he goofing off and not admitting it?

A thorough, non biased investigation will be interesting.

The only thing we know for sure is the news will make reloading ammo seem like a VERY scary activity! Someone better do something quick for the safety of communities everywhere! More rules, regulations and taxes! Do something quick!!!!!

 

[Atavar]

How much powder would you have to have even shut tight in a metal cabinet to do that kind of damage? I don’t think even a full 8 lb keg would do that.
Did you notice the deformed metal cabinet they kept showing in the video? This is why my volatiles are in a wooden cabinet.

 

[Jonesy814]

Something fishy there. I don't think 20 pounds of smokeless would destroy a house like that, unless it was in a steel drum with a lid bolted on. It isn't explosive and if not confined it just burns fast

 

[MonkTx]

No way was that a smokeless powder explosion unless he had it sealed in something heavy duty. It was either black powder, he ignited some kind of vapor/natural gas, his homemade pipe bomb went off or his primer stash.

 

[bersaguy]

No way was that a smokeless powder explosion unless he had it sealed in something heavy duty. It was either black powder, he ignited some kind of vapor/natural gas, his homemade pipe bomb went off or his primer stash.

Just beat me to it. I gotta believe this was a pipe bomb gone wrong (or right, depending on the perspective) Reloading was probably the least problematic, but plausible explanation. Maybe I'm wrong, but that type of damage would definitely indicate a large amount of powder in a sturdy pressure vessel. Anyone find a mangled pressure cooker anywhere?

 

[Mark_Mark]

Just beat me to it. I gotta believe this was a pipe bomb gone wrong (or right, depending on the perspective) Reloading was probably the least problematic, but plausible explanation. Maybe I'm wrong, but that type of damage would definitely indicate a large amount of powder in a sturdy pressure vessel. Anyone find a mangled pressure cooker anywhere?

no man, a pipe boom would not do that much damage. My guess, he was messing with HE!

 

[nevadabob]

Maybe he was cleaning up with a vacuum cleaner and he didn't want his wife to know.

 

[Mark_Mark]

anybody else store their powder away from the reloading room?

my powder stay in my garage and I only bring in 1 pound jug at a time. The jug stays in the reloading room until I’m done with that powder. This helps me not mixing up powder

 

[Demi-human]

no man, a pipe boom would not do that much damage. My guess, he was messing with HE!

If he was using anything faster than black powder the roof would still be on and he would be dead. I don’t know about high explosives really, but I know buildings.
A pipe bomb definitely could do that, easily. But he would be shredded, not just blackened.
And a pressure vessel strong enough to contain six pounds of H-110 or the like would have riddled the house with shrapnel, and again he and anyone in the house would be no longer with us.

An explosive event occurred, but the house was the pressure container, so a large volume of slow explosive, like black powder. Six pounds of black powder being played with could do that. Smokeless reloading gunpowder not so much. Two pounds hung in a living room will remove the windows in a ranch home at once without starting a fire.

The reason I call black powder “Holy Black” is because if one makes it wrong, they will see Angels…

Oh, man. Could he have been dumb enough to be making the powder inside?!
Or manufacturing fireworks inside?!

The neighbors said they smelled gunpowder. Most people know what fireworks smell like, it’s different than smokeless powder, but that could just be me.

The fact is Handloading is a safe activity. The danger comes at the range with improperly made ammunition put into a pressure vessel. But putting it together is relatively benign.

my powder stay in my garage and I only bring in 1 pound jug at a time. The jug stays in the reloading room until I’m done with that powder. This helps me not mixing up powder

Keeping powder separated from the work activity, keeping the work area clean, and removing any potential hazards first are paramount in firewo, I mean, making safe hand loaded ammunition.
Once the powder is open, it’s too late for a safety check. Safety comes first!

 

[Mark_Mark]

If he was using anything faster than black powder the roof would still be on and he would be dead. I don’t know about high explosives really, but I know buildings.
A pipe bomb definitely could do that, easily. But he would be shredded, not just blackened.
And a pressure vessel strong enough to contain six pounds of H-110 or the like would have riddled the house with shrapnel, and again he and anyone in the house would be no longer with us.

An explosive event occurred, but the house was the pressure container, so a large volume of slow explosive, like black powder. Six pounds of black powder being played with could do that. Smokeless reloading gunpowder not so much. Two pounds hung in a living room will remove the windows in a ranch home at once without starting a fire.

The reason I call black powder “Holy Black” is because if one makes it wrong, they will see Angels…

Oh, man. Could he have been dumb enough to be making the powder inside?!
Or manufacturing fireworks inside?!

The neighbors said they smelled gunpowder. Most people know what fireworks smell like, it’s different than smokeless powder, but that could just be me.

The fact is Handloading is a safe activity. The danger comes at the range with improperly made ammunition put into a pressure vessel. But putting it together is relatively benign.


Keeping powder separated from the work activity, keeping the work area clean, and removing any potential hazards first are paramount in firewo, I mean, making safe hand loaded ammunition.
Once the powder is open, it’s too late for a safety check. Safety comes first!

I’m going to review me safety protocols!

 

[lordpaxman]

Smokeless powder is a highly flammable solid. I try to reload safely, and keep heat sources away from my jugs but I’m not worried about an explosion from even my 8#ers. There’s safety and then there are coincidences. Good luck.

 

[Ferris]

I'm going with BOOOOOOOOGUS on this one, maybe there was some reloading going on but I doubt that 20lbs of smokeless or even black powder did that. Unless they were dumping it in a fan and saturating the air with it. I think someone was cooking or making something they probably shouldn't have, while reloading.

 

[Bronx kid]

I can't believe that 6 pounds of smokeless powder would do that much damage. Something else is going on here.

But with all that damage of the house the Blue Press survived.

 

[kidneyboy]

So far, everything I have read about this event is speculation and great fodder for the anti 2A crowd.

 

[Walkalong]

I know it would be speculation on our part but

Let's wait until we know something, guessing won't help anyone. Then when we know a cause talking about how to avoid it could be a good thing.