Had an ejected casing from the next booth come through my station and glance off my neck and bounce across my platform back out into the range area. It sure looked and felt like it was going fast enough to set off a primer if it hit it just right. Low odds but I fore sure believe it could happen.
Video seems to show falling brass setting off primer. Can it really happen?
- Thread starter tws3b2
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RKRCPA
Member
I seem to recall a report years ago about a similar event happening at a match when someone dropped a box of ammo. The shock of the impact was enough to set off a primer even though it was in an ammo tray in a box.
Riomouse911
Member
My last range trip with my son had me get rained on by semi-auto brass from the booth to my left squeezing over the partition. I was standing behind him watching as he shot, so they were landing a foot or two behind the shooter.
I guess I should be grateful that the shooter was firing a 9mm pistol and not a Mini 14. Those rifles fling brass like a trap thrower sails clay pigeons!
Stay safe.
MedWheeler
Member
After seeing what happened with me firing a Kel-Tec PF9 in a rapid string, I'd certainly believe it, even if I hadn't already seen the video.
In my case, it was a spent shell dropping mouth first back into the ejection port on a subsequent shot, causing a "reverse-stovepipe" jam. I saw it fall in.
In my case, it was a spent shell dropping mouth first back into the ejection port on a subsequent shot, causing a "reverse-stovepipe" jam. I saw it fall in.
I'd be skeptical, but if there's no break in the video on slow motion I suppose it could happen.
The lesson to take away would be to keep open ammo on the side opposite from the ejected cases or simply cover the primer side of the cartridges while firing.
I feel like this can happen, but the odds are lower than what happened to Damar Hamlin and the danger is not as great. More likely, IMHO that the brass will peen off the side of the booth and the hot brass with find the tiny gap in your glasses and burn your eye.
WestKentucky
Member
Some primers are made of thinner, softer material. Thin and soft primers have been known to cause unintended string fire and mag dump situations. Seems like a fall at the right angle could set off a round.
230RN
2A was "political" when it was first adopted.
Couldn't watch the video, but is it possible that it was spinning fast enough that the rim contacting the primer set it off just from its angular momentum energy. Hatcher has a listing of energies necessary to set off primers somewhere in Hatcher's Notebook". Too lazy right now to cite it directly.
To my recollection, an "average" underhanded spinning upward toss of a .22LR to land on a hard surface can result in about one in seven hitting with the rim and going off. I have never verified this, but I think it was from SAAMI data.
Weird things happen. People are reluctant to believe that shooting onto ice can result in the bullet bouncing away and spinning nose down on the ice for a considerable period.
When the old timer ice fisherman told me about it happening to him when he decided to "start" a fishing hole with a handgun round and found the bullet spinning away some feet from the impact, I thought, "Yeah, sure, old-timer's tall tale" for decades. Only in the last couple of years it has been shown to actually happen on internet videos. Enough times, enough places, enough calibers, enough experimenters, that the possibility of fakery is pretty remote.
Terry, 230RN
To my recollection, an "average" underhanded spinning upward toss of a .22LR to land on a hard surface can result in about one in seven hitting with the rim and going off. I have never verified this, but I think it was from SAAMI data.
Weird things happen. People are reluctant to believe that shooting onto ice can result in the bullet bouncing away and spinning nose down on the ice for a considerable period.
When the old timer ice fisherman told me about it happening to him when he decided to "start" a fishing hole with a handgun round and found the bullet spinning away some feet from the impact, I thought, "Yeah, sure, old-timer's tall tale" for decades. Only in the last couple of years it has been shown to actually happen on internet videos. Enough times, enough places, enough calibers, enough experimenters, that the possibility of fakery is pretty remote.
Terry, 230RN
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I would be nervous of a ricochet if I shot the ice.
Crazy things like the video do happen. I don't worry about it happening. But I also don't leave my ammo sitting like that because I only open 2 or 3 rows at a time. Depending on the magazine size. It's not out of fear of an AD.
WestKentucky
Member
Mythbusters did it too. That episode amongst others is quite enjoyable. Kari Byron using firearms… what more can a guy ask for.
damyankee425
Member
My loaded mags on the counter. No cluter. Ammo and ammo box closed and under the counter or behind me.I usually only take one or two firearms at a time to the range.
Steel Horse Rider
Member
The range I shoot at does not allow reloading on the line, they have a bench behind it for ammo storage and reloading. I guess they have good reason.
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jmorris
Member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2005
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- 24,180
I agree heat probably wasn’t a factor; however, back in the mid ‘80’s Robert Beeman imported ~100 of these Krico rifles as well as a couple of centerfire versions. That ignited regular rim and centerfire ammunition, using a 9volt battery in the stock.
They offered the technology to others including Remington that decided to use a special primer called the EtronX, that doomed the concept.
One might think that a price of $795 for a .22 in the mid 80's might have helped doom the concept too........
Jim Watson
Member
Even earlier, there was the Fusil Electrique, a French made shotgun with electric ignition, sold here by Abercrombie and Fitch.
It, like the Remington, took dedicated electric primers.
I wonder if they would fire by percussion, if they found their way into a conventional gun. The gunzine did not test for that.
It, like the Remington, took dedicated electric primers.
I wonder if they would fire by percussion, if they found their way into a conventional gun. The gunzine did not test for that.
JFrank
Member
It is a bit of a stretch considering I have a 24 pound firing pin spring to set mine off.
It is a bit of a stretch. Just not anywhere near as much of a stretch as the heat transfer option. Besides the fact that there doesn't appear to be enough heat in a piece of just-fired brass to do the job, getting it to transfer in a brief instant of contact doesn't seem possible. As someone once said, "Once you eliminate the impossible, what remains, however improbable, is the truth."
mcb
Member
This does not seem hard to believe for me. I have seen a live round go off when dropped on a gravel shooting bay. I have seen that in one for or another happened several times over 15+ years of shooting USPSA and IDPA matches. It is rare and usually a combination of rough handling and/or a fluky/lucky happenstance but the primer does not take much energy to set it off when hit just right. As other have also stated it's really not that dangerous and a pair of safety glasses mitigates about 95% of the potential damager from such a rare and fluke occurrence.
