Cars, heat, guns and ammo.

[wjmst]

I would imagine like most people on this message board, I take my 709 everywhere I go. However, there are some places that I cannot take my gun. For example, the courthouse is off limits.

I usually just leave my gun in the car, locked up of course. I never really thought much of it until the other day when it was super hot in the car and I started to wonder if that was okay for the gun and ammo or if it is even safe to do. Will the heat cause any problems to the gun or ammo? How hot would it have to get before the ammo exploded?

Any thoughts or ideas?

Thanks

[HD-Mike]

I do that too and never worry about it. When I was a kid, the neighbors garage caught fire. It was totally engulfed and I could feel the heat in my yard as I watched the firemen put out the blaze. Shotgun shells began exploding. After the fire was out, I went over there the next day and found several shells that did not explode, but they had been burnt pretty bad. That tells me it would have to be pretty hot - fire burning hot - to get them to explode.

[glenwolde]

The heat won't cause the ammo to explode, but prolonged exposure to extreme temperature changes will degrade the powder, over time. The vibration from the car doesn't help either. Just don't store ammo in the car for long periods. Rotate it out as you can.

[Panda]

I've found that if you lock your weapon in one of those steel (lined) airline approved boxes and stash it in a console, the gun will stay cooler longer. As others have said, the heat is probably not a problem, but securing it this way is a good idea anyhow.

[chicharrones]

Hot Car

[MOONDAWG]

Seeing as how my truck guns have weathered 50+ years of Florida's hot and humid 10 month long summers without an ammo issue, I'd say it's a moot point to me.

[fishinkeylargo]

When I was in the court house all day I came out to find my TCP at a toasty 138 degrees. The next weekend at the range the ammo went bang just as it normal does. I always have a box of .22lr ammo in my trunk, sometimes for months at a time. It always goes bang.

I would not worry about it.

[john_bud]

What's hotter, your car or the desert where our boys and girls are fighting? Modern powders are very stable, but as others have mentioned over time heat is not good. But for carry ammo, you should be cycling it every 6 months (12 months max). Less if you chamber / unchamber. Some recommend 3 chamberings and then put the ammo in a box for range duty. I'm personally more concerned about bullet recession causing catostrophicly high pressures and a failure than about heat damage.

[MilProGuy]

What's hotter, your car or the desert where our boys and girls are fighting? Modern powders are very stable, but as others have mentioned over time heat is not good. But for carry ammo, you should be cycling it every 6 months (12 months max). Less if you chamber / unchamber. Some recommend 3 chamberings and then put the ammo in a box for range duty. I'm personally more concerned about bullet recession causing catostrophicly high pressures and a failure than about heat damage.

Welcome to TaurusArmed.net, john_bud!

Thanks for your insightful contribution.

[john_bud]

Thank you and you're welcome! Nice place y'all have here, happy to share what little info and even less wisdom the years have granted me.