Apparently, someone dropped a box of 45acp and it somehow ignited and some were hit with shrapnel. I thought this was not likely to happen, but I remember a video of ammo being run over by an excavator's tracks and some ignited.

Two Teens Struck By Bullet Fragment at Boardman Sporting Goods Store - 33 News - We Believe in This Valley

I think there might be more to this than in the story. I find it extremely hard to believe simply dropping a box of factory ammo would cause one to fire. Ammo is very well packed so striking the primer would be very difficult just by dropping the box. (difficult is read I have never heard of it happening in my life and I'm well over 50)

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Freedom is never free!!

I like the part about the explosion and the red welt.

Yup, I'm 74 and have NEVER heard of such a discharge either. Methinks there may well be a bit more to the tale.

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... ed ...

Very strange, we are not getting the full story/s. I have been around ammo that goes off in a fire and it more like a string of small firecrackers than and about as dangerous! I have also seen ammo fall off the back of a pick up truck and it does not go off.

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NRA life member 45+ years.

I would love to see the video tape, *** this sounds impossible. Story does pass the smell test at this point in the article.

I've seen lots of rounds dropped , ejected, etc. onto concrete, blacktop, gravel, dirt, etc.
I've never seen this happen. But, I know / heard of it happening twice.

Both times were individual rounds that were dropped, not a box of ammo. No one was injured either time.

Ban ammo. It will go off by itself.

Hoss Pucky!!!!

+Totally believable! And in support I refer you to the current issue of "Guns" magazine May, 2013, page 24 to a story by Clint Smith that details three incidences of ammo detonation outside of the gun. One was some .45 ACP held in moon clips that he was tossing into a bucket of ammo, one fired, blowing a hole in the side of the bucket.

Another incident during a class occurred when a student tossed a loaded .45 magazine behind the line and a round fired. And lastly, he mentioned a box of lower .25 ACP that fell from the counter in a shop and a round was fired.

So, yes, it does happen, very rarely thankfully, just a reminder to take care!

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Old paratrooper in NC

TrooperDan is right. I've been present at least 4 times when a dropped round has gone off. Only one of those times was the round in a package/box, and even then it was loose bulk pack (HSM brand, for those who are curious). I am unwilling to say it couldn't happen with standard packaging as well, but it is less likely, I would think.

I have witnessed two very "unlikely" detonations. One happened to a World Champion IPSC shooter as he was unloading a magazine. He wound up unhurt and holding the bullet in his hand.
The other was an ejected case that struck a primer of a loaded round in an open box that was on the shooting bench. Since then, I make it a policy never to leave exposed ammo out when shooting semi autos.
Strange things can, and do, happen. I'm willing to believe a dropped box of ammo could detonate a single round.

I guess that is why airlines don't want loose ammo in your luggage and insist on it being in its commercial cardboard box.

This should pin the input scanner of anyone's Bravo Sierra detection system.
Methinks I would hear the rest.....of the story.......

To insure safety of my fellow shooters, please send all factory boxed 45 ACP ammo to me so that I can make sure that it is disposed of properly. I will even pay shipping. I promise not to drop a single box, let alone a single round and will make sure that when I finish "disposing" of it through various disposal machines, (1911's, 25-2, M1917, and a few others) that there will be no chance of said ammo causing any danger to anyone in the future. To make sure your minds are at ease, I will even send back the empty cases to prove it.
Now excuse me while I go put my rubber boots on.

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Have Canon, Will Travel

It could turn out to be one of those legit one in a million type of things that occasionally happens, but it sure could not have happened at a worse time with all of this anti-"anything-that-has-to-do-something-with-a-gun" frenzy taking place in the media.

I'd sure like to see that security footage, and I'd like to know what brand the ammo was... cheap import, reman, or what?

Could a backwards seated primer possibly been the culprit? I haven't seen one of those show up in commercially loaded ammo for a very long time... it's the only feasible possibility I can come up with.

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Conrad

A bang at a gunshow in gvl sc turned out to be a primer that went off after being dropped. I was there and heard it, but that's all I know. Pretty much a non event.


Charlie

Agree that it could be a one-in-a-million scenario. Seriously doubt a backwards primer would be the culprit, though. I am assuming the shrapnel is brass from the case and not the primer anvil.
To those that are calling BS........on what evidence do you doubt this story? Do you not think it possible that a dropped box of factory ammo could result in a round touching off?

No big loss if DICKS loses out on this one.

Yes, I have trouble believing merely dropping a box of factory ammo set off a round. You must strike the primer for it to fire and I see no way of that happening the way ammo is packaged today by just dropping the box.

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Freedom is never free!!

Well, here is a test of igniting ammo..Long video..

SAAMI - Sporting Ammunition and the Fire Fighter - YouTube

Was it full metal jacket ammo?

I would hate to hear that someone dropped the ball at Dicks.

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Vaya con Dios

I've seen ammo ignite twice. Both times caused by a direct contact on the primer. The reason I call bs is the shrapnel/fragments.

The only damage I've observed was from the force of ignition. The case itself usually expands and or peels, but I guess anything is possible.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I just finished the same article. I, for one, would not tell Clint Smith to is face that he fabricated the incidents.

True or not, if " Two Teens" were involved.. there's more to the story

This is a range find. I wondered what might have caused it, but can't deny it was an out of chamber experience.
No way to check the primer as it has not returned to Earth.
Thanks
Mike

Agree with Aguila9. Rounds can go off, but the shrapnel part is hard to believe. More than likely something else happened.

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USAF, 69-92
RVN, 72-73

I was conducting a range session for the PD one time at our range which was behind the sewage treatment plant. When the City built it for us, they put gravel down to eliminate the mud at the range. Anyhoo, one of our guys dropped a round, .38 Special lead reload, and it must have fell with the case head down, as there was a crack, and a few of us jumped.

It was apparent that the round's primer had struck a sharp corner on a piece of gravel and the round went off. No one was hurt and it would not have cause any serious injury to anyone that may have been struck by the bullet or case. We looked for the case but never did find it.

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Bill Graf
Member #2272

That is a more likely situation where the bullet is not surrounded by the box and Styrofoam inside the box. Also, like said there a loose round will not fire like one in a barrel, it more or less comes apart. This is completely different than what was reported at the Dick's store.

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Freedom is never free!!

The "shrapnel" wa likely bits of unburied powder or perhaps bits of cardboard sent flying.

When I was young and stupid we would sometimes toss a few rounds in the fire just because and I can tell you it's not the fireworks display you would think it would be.

Update, I'm not young anymore.

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Back to back World War Champs.

That looks similar to the round that I recovered after it detonated on the bench. I think all of the brass case was present and accounted for. The primer was gone, along with the anvil, and some of the plastic or styrofoam package was also gone. If I find it, I'll post a pic.
A quick look turned up some other range ammo abnormalities that I'll post pics of in a new thread. I have a backwards primer, one round with no flash hole (that one really bound up the gun) and a case rim rolled under the bullet. All of these have one thing in common-budget price (at the time).