Sporting Ammunition and the Firefighter

This video was produced by SAAMI as part of our continuing mission to promote safety and in this case providing firefighters with fact-based information to help them address the realities of fires containing sporting ammunition.  The video was produced in cooperation with the International Fire Chiefs Association.

About the Tests

These ammunition tests expended over 400,000 rounds of sporting ammunition in scenarios that include single cartridge ignition, 65-foot drops, attacks with blasting caps, bullet impacts, forklift impact, bulldozer crushing and grinding,packaged and unpackaged bonfires, and fires involving a retail store and truck trailer.

The sporting ammunition tested includes both rifle and pistol cartridges up to 50 caliber, and shotshells up to 8 gauge.

About the Results

The video shows that sporting ammunition outside a firearm:

  1. is unlikely to ignite under extreme conditions of impact,
  2. will not propagate in a chain reaction from one cartridge or shell to another,
  3. does not mass explode, and
  4. may be controlled by fire fighters using water and wearing standard
    structural fire fighter protective clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus.