Is it dangerous to pocket unused rounds and barrel oil question

A

ArchiePerry

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Hello all,

I am a complete newb and have only fired about 4 rounds through a friends .22. I am curious about the likelihood of a round accidentally discharging while in my pocket.

A: If I am moving quickly and they are juggling around and hitting each other?
B: If I fall and land on the pocket, perhaps against a rock?
C: If I have a mis-fire, and place the unspent rounds in my pocket are they any more or less likely to be dangerous?


Also,
I was reading on this site about breaking in barrels and there was lots of opinion about cleaning or oiling the inside of the barrel. I was told in my PAL course not to put oil inside the barrel because this could cause an explosion hazard. Is this true? Can anybody elaborate?

Thanks for any confidence boosting advice you can offer!

Archie Perry
 
Loose ammo in pocket is ok. Only danger I have ever heard of is if you also carry a spare battery back for a Mororola police radio. A short across terminasl can generate enough heat in the round to set it off.

Ammo that fires while outside of a gun does not do much. The bullet often stays in the case and the case splits.

Oil in the barel. A light film is ok. A heavy coating or grease could cause problems. I slop in oil when storing a rifle. A pass or two with a clean patch before shooting gets the surplus out, leaving a thin film. This is good when hunting, so barrel will not rust so easily.
 
ArchiePerry said:
Hello all,

I am a complete newb and have only fired about 4 rounds through a friends .22. I am curious about the likelihood of a round accidentally discharging while in my pocket.

A: If I am moving quickly and they are juggling around and hitting each other?
B: If I fall and land on the pocket, perhaps against a rock?
C: If I have a mis-fire, and place the unspent rounds in my pocket are they any more or less likely to be dangerous?


Also,
I was reading on this site about breaking in barrels and there was lots of opinion about cleaning or oiling the inside of the barrel. I was told in my PAL course not to put oil inside the barrel because this could cause an explosion hazard. Is this true? Can anybody elaborate?

Thanks for any confidence boosting advice you can offer!

Archie Perry
Click to expand...

It takes a sharpe blow in the right spot to set off a primer, I have some reloads that are dimpled from a raised spot on the priming arm. I have carried bullets of all sorts in my pocket and never worried about them going off, even when they get banged and tossed about. For miss-fires leave the bullet in the gun for atleast 30 seconds then toss it, don't put it in your pocket.

Oil in your barrel will mess up your first shot run a patch through the barrel before heading out to remove any oil in the barrel and you will be fine. The barrel will not explode because of oil in the barrel.
 
ArchiePerry said:
Hello all,

I am a complete newb and have only fired about 4 rounds through a friends .22. I am curious about the likelihood of a round accidentally discharging while in my pocket.

A: If I am moving quickly and they are juggling around and hitting each other?
B: If I fall and land on the pocket, perhaps against a rock?
C: If I have a mis-fire, and place the unspent rounds in my pocket are they any more or less likely to be dangerous?


Also,
I was reading on this site about breaking in barrels and there was lots of opinion about cleaning or oiling the inside of the barrel. I was told in my PAL course not to put oil inside the barrel because this could cause an explosion hazard. Is this true? Can anybody elaborate?

Thanks for any confidence boosting advice you can offer!

Archie Perry
Click to expand...

that's not a good idea, although as time goes by the risk of discharge should go down but it may decide to fire. The seriousness of the danger is likely very low, but generally mis-fired rounds should be discarded in proper fashion.
 
ArchiePerry said:
was told in my PAL course not to put oil inside the barrel
Click to expand...
You oil the barrel. Lightly.
Edit: To be clear. Before firing, there should be a minimum of oil in the bore. You can fill the bore with oil at other times. The outside of the barrel can have as much oil as you like, but it will burn off if the barrel gets hot.
A misfired round can go off outside the gun soon after misfiring, and should not be carried in your pants.
Always good to ask!
 
Last edited:
Very good, Thanks!

So what does one do with the mis-fired round? Does this get thrown out in your ordinary kitchen garbage? Is this a risk to the garbageman who use the compactor in their truck?
 
Since seeing the photo of a guy's palm after a misfired cartridge went off in his hand several minutes after being unloaded, I never put misfires in my pockets.

At one PPC match a light weight plastic speedloader dropped onto a tray of cartridges caused a primer to detonate. Prior to that, I would have sworn that primers take a healthy smack from something pointy before detonating.
 
dHb said:
Since seeing the photo of a guy's palm after a misfired cartridge went off in his hand several minutes after being unloaded, I never put misfires in my pockets.

At one PPC match a light weight plastic speedloader dropped onto a tray of cartridges caused a primer to detonate. Prior to that, I would have sworn that primers take a healthy smack from something pointy before detonating.
Click to expand...

Let me guess, the picture of the soldier who used a 50 cal round as a hammer to adjust a pin for the machine gun mount?
 
"...You oil the barrel. Lightly..." Only when storing it. Never have oil in the barrel when shooting.
"...a light weight plastic speedloader..." Not in a million years.
"...the compactor in their truck..." Highly unlikely that the rim will be anywhere near anything that will set it off. The cartridge will be deep inside a big steel box anyway.
"...what does one do with..." As mentioned, most ranges will have a place for 'em.
 
sunray said:
"...You oil the barrel. Lightly..." Only when storing it. Never have oil in the barrel when shooting.
Click to expand...

Your Lyman 49th edition reloaders manual. There is an article by Butch Fisher. I believe he is advocating shooting a light film of oil. I believe he is advising against shooting from a dry barrel.

I tend to store my guns with a light coating of oil in the barrel and swab out before firing. But there it is.
 
mustang979 said:
Let me guess, the picture of the soldier who used a 50 cal round as a hammer to adjust a pin for the machine gun mount?
Click to expand...

LOL, now let me hammer in this fence post with this heavy box of dynamite that's been sitting in this hot shed for a year or two...
 
Well as far as .22's go. When you buy a box of 500, there all just dumped in the box all pressing and banging up against each other....and there shipped like that....by the millions a year i'm sure... so i guess a few in your pocket isn't a big deal!
 
The big question is.....DO YOU WANT TO HAVE KIDS ?

WHAT PRICE DO YOU PUT ON YOUR MAN BERRIES. One good bang and you get the double entendre.
 
Ammo in pocket is safe?

Thanks for the info.

That hand is disturbing. I wonder if the docs run a standard amputate at the wrist with a situation like that or they try to salvage the knob and apposing thumb.

He'd be lucky to keep the knob I think.

Anyway, The reason I ask is that I am pure newb. Also, basically everything I know about fire arms ( which is not much), is learned from movies, media, pal course, and what I learn online in places like this. Obviously some sources are more credible than others.

I went hunting for the first time recently with a friend who I do not consider to be an expert, but the only one who I know who hunts and I wanted to see what its all about. He was pocketing the misfires and then re using them again later.

If I plan to do most of my target shooting in cut blocks and gravel pits, what then do I do with any duds? Surely a range wouldn't allow me to show up just to dispose of them there? If they are not hazardous after a set amount of time from when they have misfired... say 5 minutes, then I guess its ok to just toss them in the household garbage?
 
The picture that I cited was of someone's hand after he picked up a rifle cartridge (forget if it was 5.56 or 7.62) while policing a firing line. If memory serves me correctly, the round had been ejected onto the ground 5-10 minutes previously following a misfire.
 
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