Explosion while reloading smokeless powder
- Thread starter LaMan
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AckleymanII
Gold $$ Contributor
I have seen the results of a house fire where several hundred pounds of smokeless powder burned. There was NO explosion except for the propane tanks in the garage.
Gasoline stored in your garage is MUCH more explosive than smokeless powder, as the gasoline fumes from the gasoline cans, 4 wheelers, dirt bikes lay on the floor. The HEAVY gasoline fumes will settle along the floor and immediately ignite much as the fire spreads.
Propane tanks are a serious threat in a fire. After seeing the results of that fire, I store all my gasoline for my lawnmowers, chain saws, etc outside in a small building, along with extra propane tanks.
If there was an explosion due to reloading, it was from Black powder more than likely...given that the guy was not doing anything illegal.
My dad was in the Navy, and did not like it when I got my first 58 caliber muzzle loader using black powder. He warned me that the stuff could blow up from static electricity, and told me to keep the powder in the outbuilding and to never have more than 2 lbs of it.
Gasoline stored in your garage is MUCH more explosive than smokeless powder, as the gasoline fumes from the gasoline cans, 4 wheelers, dirt bikes lay on the floor. The HEAVY gasoline fumes will settle along the floor and immediately ignite much as the fire spreads.
Propane tanks are a serious threat in a fire. After seeing the results of that fire, I store all my gasoline for my lawnmowers, chain saws, etc outside in a small building, along with extra propane tanks.
If there was an explosion due to reloading, it was from Black powder more than likely...given that the guy was not doing anything illegal.
My dad was in the Navy, and did not like it when I got my first 58 caliber muzzle loader using black powder. He warned me that the stuff could blow up from static electricity, and told me to keep the powder in the outbuilding and to never have more than 2 lbs of it.
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Downhill
Gold $$ Contributor
From personal experience, I kept the small shopvac in the loading room to neatly removed any dropped or spilled kernels of powder. This method worked great for years. The last time I tried it the shopvac blew apart, not a violent explosion but enough to separate the halves, My evaluation was a static charge had built up inside the shopvac igniting the powder. I now use a small whisk broom and dustpan.
Well the news reports do show a couple of reloading press's, ammo cans, brass but not saying there couldn't have been meth but officials have already ruled it an accident with no charges. I'm going to be try to contact sheriff's office next week and maybe get some more info. particularly questioning them as to whether it was actually smokeless powder.
Immediately got a chuckle as soon as I saw two key words/terms in this thread.... Florida and Blew up House.
There is something far more dangerous in my house then the powder or primers... it is a tank of oxygen (100% pure) that I use for scuba diving. Perhaps some of our more senior member may also have one for health-related reasons (COPD, Cancer, COVID, etc.). This is an item that is way more prone to exploding if dropped, struck, or hard fall. If this was a Scuba Forum you would periodically come across an article/story of how a Florida Man blew up his house when he dropped or knocked over a scuba tank of oxygen. You can shoot a standard scuba tank containing air (21%) and nothing happens. Shoot a scuba tank containing oxygen and it'll look like a blast zone.
If I ever have a house fire the first thing I'll run back in for (after family member are safe) is to grab the oxygen tanks, the next trip is the primers, and then if there is time I'll grab stuff I might want to keep.
What's the chance this guy had some oxygen in proximity to his reloading area?! Just speculating.
I guess the other thing is that he had a gas leak that he didn't discover until he accidentally cooked off a couple of primers while at the reloading bench....
There is something far more dangerous in my house then the powder or primers... it is a tank of oxygen (100% pure) that I use for scuba diving. Perhaps some of our more senior member may also have one for health-related reasons (COPD, Cancer, COVID, etc.). This is an item that is way more prone to exploding if dropped, struck, or hard fall. If this was a Scuba Forum you would periodically come across an article/story of how a Florida Man blew up his house when he dropped or knocked over a scuba tank of oxygen. You can shoot a standard scuba tank containing air (21%) and nothing happens. Shoot a scuba tank containing oxygen and it'll look like a blast zone.
If I ever have a house fire the first thing I'll run back in for (after family member are safe) is to grab the oxygen tanks, the next trip is the primers, and then if there is time I'll grab stuff I might want to keep.
What's the chance this guy had some oxygen in proximity to his reloading area?! Just speculating.
I guess the other thing is that he had a gas leak that he didn't discover until he accidentally cooked off a couple of primers while at the reloading bench....
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pirate ammo
Guaranteed to take the wind out of their sails
I'm with you something else going on here. I've set off black powder on purpose for informational use only of course. It will burn damn quick and there's one whole lot of smoke, but it did not explode, because it was not contained. Now all this has got me thinking about another experiment in mad science, catch it all on video this time. There's a burn ban in effect just now when it's over we'll see what a1LB plastic container does when exposed to flames. I think an aerosol spray paint can would do worse. Got to get with the fire dept. first must be safe.
AckleymanII
Gold $$ Contributor
This is the best plausible explanation:
"What's the chance this guy had some oxygen in proximity to his reloading area?! Just speculating".
The guy was probably smoking, using an Oxygen, and Reloading.
I feel a Darwin award is in the making.
"What's the chance this guy had some oxygen in proximity to his reloading area?! Just speculating".
The guy was probably smoking, using an Oxygen, and Reloading.
I feel a Darwin award is in the making.
jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
Where are you seeing a reloading press or ammo cans? I'm not seeing either in the link to the Fox news report.
I would postulate that if the room he was reloading in was just small enough, that it may have had some kind of confinement effect that could have then produced enough pressure to blow out windows and doors. 6 Pounds is alot of powder - if fully confined (say inside your safe) - it would probably flatten your house. Left completely unconfined it would just violently burn - but somewhere in-between, with perhaps an open flame getting to alot of kernels at once in a full jug - perhaps, maybe, plausible?
One must get the truth from the MSM to see that this is gunpowder and reloading related.
https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsboro...-to-seffner-house-explosion-fire-rescue-says/
Mark W
Gold $$ Contributor
This article clearly states that the man blamed the explosion on reloading with 6 pounds of smokeless powder in the area….
www.fox13news.com
Man was reloading ammunition inside Seffner home at time of explosion
The explosion that destroyed a Seffner home and injured two people was apparently caused by a man inside working with ammunition.
jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
Ummm. The report is that he said there was gun powder near by. It doesn't say he said it was the cause.This article clearly states that the man blamed the explosion on reloading with 6 pounds of smokeless powder in the area….
Man was reloading ammunition inside Seffner home at time of explosion
The explosion that destroyed a Seffner home and injured two people was apparently caused by a man inside working with ammunition.
jghoghunter
Gold $$ Contributor
Not buying it! Something else was going on in there and that sound sounds like a good excuse. The finish on that Dillon isn't even scorched. I'm sure it will be all bad for us in the end.
https://discover.dtic.mil/ Smokeless double based powder with a high percent of nitroglycerin can detonate. A test by the ATF, filled a plastic bread bag with a powder i will not name. They set it off with an electric spark. 
Mark W
Gold $$ Contributor
I don’t get your point. The article headline clearly states that reloading was the cause and that there was 6 pounds of powder nearby.
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