Is Live Ammunition Dangerous?

Live ammunition can be dangerous to use when attempting to defend yourself or your family. These bullets are made of metal, and they are pushed down a barrel by a charge of ignited powder and pressurized air. Bullets can vary in shape, length, and weight and can be hollow or spire-pointed. They can also be inaccurate, so if you accidentally drop a bullet, it can still cause injury.

While this may not seem like a risk, storing live ammunition in metal boxes can pose a significant danger in the case of a fire. Unburned gunpowder can ignite if exposed to oxygen, and the ammunition’s powder is dangerous enough to cause a fire in a house. Firefighters must be particularly cautious when handling ammunition because they could be at risk of being burned by it.

In cities with high populations, celebratory gunfire is particularly dangerous, especially at late hours when crowds of people gather outside to celebrate New Years Eve or July 4th. Stray bullets can cause serious injury and death if they hit an unprotected person. Also, small, dense bullets have higher terminal velocities than heavier ones. High-altitude stray bullets are even more dangerous, because they carry higher kinetic energy.

The procedures for clearing live ammunition are similar to those used for air-cooled barrels. In both cases, the ejector tool should be inserted through the muzzle. If TNT is in the chamber, it should be removed with a copper, brass, or bronze tool. Once the tool is clear, the TNT should be disposed of with a clean cloth.

Even though this is a relatively low-risk scenario, live ammunition can be dangerous, especially for children. For example, a CBS TV show showed an actor playing with a revolver and loading it with blank ammunition. His mistake was to put the gun to his head and shoot. The resulting blast caused the bullet to fracture his skull and send fragments of bone into his brain. Filmmakers also place strict rules regarding prop guns on movie sets, and firearms specialists train actors on safe shooting techniques.