Frozen ammo

targettarget

targettarget

BANNED
BANNED
BANNED
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
31   0   0
Location
Calgary
I'm working in Fort Mac right now and it's -41 without windchill. The camp I'm staying at looks like it's in a cloud because of all of the exhaust steam coming from about 400 running trucks and a 500 man camp.

I generally speaking shoot indoors at a heated range, but this weather has me thinking.

Is there any negative effects of ammo when it is cold? I know that guys hunt all the time is less than ideal conditions, but -41? Would there not be some type of contraction/expansion with the heat generated from the round down a frozen barrel?

Thanks
 
I walked across the yard just now, showing -43 according to the mercury outside the shop with a good breeze... I would say it is brisk!

As far as ammo, unfortunately they won't let me target practice on site to test any theories.
 
I know that people load ammo diferently for cold weather. I don't know if they do it to prevent missfires or just to get better groups. Oil will definatly freeze at that temperature, it could cause problems.
 
Extreme cold.

My concern wouldn't be with FTF/functioning, but with metals becoming brittle. Logging industies used to shut down around the tempertures you are having for fear of axles, tracks etc fracturing. my 2 cents, WS
 
there was a thread last week about a guy who went shooting in the cold weather like it is over there and he was complaining about his gun frosting up and freezing or something. check it out.
 
more FTF (with some rifle) cos the primer is less flexable so therefore the firing pin did not penetrated well.
 
Holleyman said:
Got home from work about 15 mins ago and it is -44 on my back deck. I wonder how well the M14 would cycle in this? I think the little bit of grease I use on the oprod would turn to concrete.

Coldest I've seen in quite a few years.
Click to expand...

Man alive, this is frigid.

I also can't test any theory's as I am in a drilling camp just south of Anzac and 'NO FIREARMS ALLOWED".

I bet if you went and searched, you'd find one in every 2nd vehicle.
 
I spent a few winter seasons in the high arctic, at isolated places where I could shoot what I pleased, so:

Guns will frost/freeze up if they are cold and you bring them inside. It's the humidity in the warm air condensing on the metal.

Only once had a FTF, it was both rifle and ammo cold-soaked, at around -40. Ammo was Winchester.

Otherwise there were no negative effects from cold.
Wash off all oil was the word.
 
It's cold all right :eek:. We've had this weather for about two weeks now. In the high arctic we would clean all of the lubricant out of the guns by cleaning them with gasoline. As the rifle grease would be like molasses or worse it was usually soft firing pin strikes that caused the rifles to fail. If you needed a bit of oil you would take the dip stick out of your snowmobile gas tank (the days of oil/gas premix for two stroke engines) and put a few drops of the fuel mixture onto the semi-auto rifle action. Usually this was enough. A bolt action you trickled the mixture into the bolt firing pin hole.
 
A firerm should be washed of all oil and then lubed with somer moly or graphite. Condensation will make it rust if you bring it indoors. Would be best to leave it in a case when it comes in. less moisture.

When I worked in the ammo R & D labs of CIL part of our test was a -40 cold soak of ammo (not guns). Velocity dropped but it was 100% reliable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom