I recently purchased a 6946 DAO. It is my first pistol. I have not been able to apply for my CCW here on the state of Colorado because I dont have the appropriate training certificate. However, in the state of Colorado I can legally carry a concealed loaded handgun in my car. I have been carrying the weapon in my dash glove compartment. Not the passenger side lower compartment, my car (Subaru Forester) actually has a seperate compartment centered on the top of the dash

Should I be concerned about the heat this compartment accumulates from being under the windshield on top of the dash? ammo or pistol?

When should one be concerned about hot and cold temps?

quote:

Originally posted by liljoec:
I recently purchased a 6946 DAO. It is my first pistol. I have not been able to apply for my CCW here on the state of Colorado because I dont have the appropriate training certificate. However, in the state of Colorado I can legally carry a concealed loaded handgun in my car. I have been carrying the weapon in my dash glove compartment. Not the passenger side lower compartment, my car (Subaru Forester) actually has a seperate compartment centered on the top of the dash

Should I be concerned about the heat this compartment accumulates from being under the windshield on top of the dash? ammo or pistol?

When should one be concerned about hot and cold temps?

No temp concerns. I'd be more concerned about theft from leaving it in the glove box.

You should be concerned when your gun reaches about 300 degrees, which is the start of the range that primers can cook off.

It also probably means your car is on fire.

Having spent time in the arctic, I assure you cold temp is a problem for a gun only if the grease freezes. We used Remoil.

quote:

Originally posted by OKFC05:
You should be concerned when your gun reaches about 300 degrees, which is the start of the range that primers can cook off.

It also probably means your car is on fire.

Having spent time in the arctic, I assure you cold temp is a problem for a gun only if the grease freezes. We used Remoil.

cool, thanks OKFC05

You should have absolutely no worries regarding effects on your gun or possible "cook-offs" of ammo. The only thing to keep in mind -- and it's really a minor concern -- is that teperature extremes over a prolonged period of time can cause deterioration of ammo. If you're shooting your carry piece on any sort of fairly frequent basis (and using up the ammo you've been carrying), that worry disappears. Some might caution that high ambient temps will cause a pressure increase, and this is true. But as long as your loads are not redlined max handloads there's nothing to worry over there, either.

I've been using "truck guns" for 30+ years in the hot & humid Florida weather. To the uninitiated, that is a dedicated piece that stays in your truck (or car) 24/7/365.

In all that time I've never had a problem with either the guns or ammo. About the worse that can happen to the ammo from "prolonged" heat exposure in autos is slightly erractic velocities.

So it's a good idea to rotate your ammo at least monthly.

MOONDAWG

Cook-off is not a worry. However, smokeless powder deteriorates more rapidly in high temperatures, especially when they reach 120 degrees+, as they will on or in a dashboard. How much? Don't know. However, I keep quite a bit of ammo in my pickup most of the time, some in guns, some not. I use a reflective dash protector/sun shield and keep the windows open a bit in the summer, and I've never detected noticeable deterioration of any of the ammo, except some shotgun ammo, some of which has likely spent 2 or even 3 summers in my rig. (A couple of times, some 12 gauge ammo has been obviously underpowered after spending a summer or two in the vehicle.) I do try to shoot up whatever ammo is in the guns I routinely carry in the vehicle at least once a year, but it doesn't always happen.

If you are using cast bullets the lube will melt and drip out, literally out the front and on to the bullet and back into the powder charge.

Dave Sinko

Dave, melt temperature depends on the specific lube. I've seen cast bullet lube as soft as vaseline.

The commercial lube I used (Rooster red) was available with two melt points. I always used the higher. My Lubriciser had to get pretty hot before the lube was soft enough to press into the bullet lube groove. And the viscosity and surface tension was such that even when it got pretty hot and soft, it still didn't run.

KeithCarter
The Barrel-of-Bullets guy
NRA Life