Firearm Safety

There are all sorts of reasons to have guns in the house. They need to be stored safely, and this isn’t just to prevent small hands accidentally setting them off. Firearms can pose a danger in wildfires, especially when it comes to cartridges in the firearm.

The firearms themselves pose little danger in the fire. It’s the cartridges that are filled with gunpowder.

The Difference Between Loaded and Unloaded Cartridges in a Fire

When temperatures get to around 320F, the unloaded cartridges pose a danger. This is the optimum temperature for the gunpowder to start cooking. However, the metal of the casings will also get weaker in the fire. When the gunpowder does go off, the metal of the casing isn’t strong enough for a hard projectile.

When it comes to firearms with loaded cartridges, the chamber of the gun will start to heat up. The firearm will then fire off the bullet as the gunpowder heats up. It’s even worse when there is also a loaded magazine as well as a bullet in the chamber, especially in semiautomatic firearms. The extra bullets will start to fire through the gun, and you can’t get to it to prevent this from happening.

Fire-Resistant Safes Are a Must in the House

If you do keep loaded guns in the house for defense, you need to make sure they are stored safely. The best place is in a fire-resistant safe. Not only do you keep them away from small hands, but you also help to reduce the chances of the bullets going off when you’re trying to get everyone out of a fire.

Class B fire-resistant safes are the best, but most that you’ll buy in stores won’t get to that level. Watch out for cheap safes that have thing 12-gauge steel on the door and thin sides. Steel can help to at least slow down the bullets as the gunpowder gets hot, but the cheaper options aren’t thick enough to keep everyone safe.

If you are storing firearms in the house, keep them unloaded for best protection for the whole family.

Firearms have been linked to the start of many fires over the years. In the last three years in Utah alone, 63 fires have been linked to gunfire. The rounds hit rocks and create a spark, which causes a fire if the forest ground is dry. The rounds can also end up hot enough after being fired off to heat up dry tinder and start a fire.

Shooting at exploding targets have also been linked to an increase in forest fires. Opt for soda cans with water or watermelons for your target practice.