Ammo in scorching hot trunk?

[OLDNEWBIE]

Gonna travel across the US in late June.

Probably a lot of stops and sightseeing along the way, and up to a week I'm going to have this ammo in my trunk. Perhaps in the desert heat in a parking lot for many hours at a time.

Temps will get hot but I know this is done all the time.
I'm not worried about detonation or Cop cars would be exploding every day. I'm more worried about degradation.

Just thinking is the stuff better without a proper ammo can? Better circulation/air flow, cooling?

Read More

 

[jbett98]

I would think the constant vibration of traveling in a car would degrade the texture and consistency of the powder before heat would.

 

[bolus]

If they survive afganistan without cooking off or degrading then your ammo should be fine in a trunk. Mythbusters did that episode cooking off ammo in a stove and it was something like 300+F

 

[DuneHopper]

If they survive afganistan without cooking off or degrading then your ammo should be fine in a trunk. Mythbusters did that episode cooking off ammo in a stove and it was something like 300+F

I recall this one good episode.
When ammo fails in harsh condition its usually because the ammo had some kind of defect or something to cause a issue. Another issue is with heat in the day may leave moisture at night in climates that are not hot and dry but hot and humid like southern states. I just had ammo shipped here 1000's rounds 7.62x39 I could see it traveled the width of the USA, and I know UPS does not take care of boxes well mine arrived in a box unpadded just fine.
I think humidity over heat would be were my concern would come from.

 

[Joe13]

I'd go with an ammo box with moisture absorbers - because of the temp swings from a/c to hot to cold nights.

Put a layer of foam on the bottom of your worried about it bouncing around.

 

[thorborg]

You'll be fulfilling the #1 gun related admonition; Keep your powder dry!

 

[Member 34319]

I have had ammo in a vehicle for years. I swap it out every time I remember it. Which is about every year or so. Also, I used to live in Nevada and park my car in the sun...

 

[OLDNEWBIE]

I'm going to try and shoot some of it up before I go so I won't have as much to worry over.
Temp swings seems to be the biggest problem according to what I've read online.

 

[Ura-Ki]

A good range bag with padding works well! I usually package quantities of ammo in vac seal baggies with oven dried silly putty blobs tossed in for moisture control. Works very well for temp swings when you are likely to see condensation.

 

[PaulB47]

Put it down where the spare tire is, probably less hot than the cabin gets.

 

[etrain16]

One extra layer of insulation would be to use a small cooler and keep your ammo in that - it will help keep it cooler than the surrounding air temps and it's a pretty cheap option. Just don't put any ice or cooling packs in with it, just to avoid the extra moisture. You could also add the desiccant packs like @Joe13 suggested too.

 

[cigars]

I would suggest testing out a sample of it whenever possible for quality control purposes.

 

[OLDNEWBIE]

Put it down where the spare tire is, probably less hot than the cabin gets.

That was an idea I was thinking. Mainly because I plan on putting the spare and jack on or near the top of my fully loaded trunk just in case. I would have a lot of explaining to do on the side of the road with all my clothes guns and ammo exposed while changing a tire.

 

[Member 34319]

two other options would to be load your own using temp resistant powders. Or give me your ammo to hold onto, then give me a call once you need it and I'll drive it out to you!

 

[erudne]

When I was filming in Australia it would get very hot. I duct taped a small tube from an AC vent to a foam cooler, worked great

 

[PaulB47]

I plan on putting the spare and jack on or near the top of my fully loaded trunk just in case.

Been there, done that. Sitting at the side of the road on I-90 in Montana, unloading my completely packed trunk to get to the spare. Funny thing, two or three trucks stopped to see if I needed any help. I guess they saw my Oregon plates and just assumed I was an idiot.

 

[UserNameInUse]

This thread had me curious. I waited for a couple hot days with similar temps and ...

This is the measured temperature in a truck cab over a day and then one day inside a small plastic cooler sitting in the cab. Both days had forcast highs around 80 degrees.

I agree with etrain16's cooler suggestion!

 

[etrain16]

This thread had me curious. I waited for a couple hot days with similar temps and ...

This is the measured temperature in a truck cab over a day and then one day inside a small plastic cooler sitting in the cab. Both days had forcast highs around 80 degrees.

I agree with etrain16's cooler suggestion!

View attachment 295747

Thanks for taking the time to measure and post this info! Interesting to see the difference.

 

[ma96782]

Some gun powders are more temp sensitive vs. others. Velocity can vary greatly and so will your groups and POI.

That being said....if you're really worried about the temps in your trunk. Perhaps you would/could/should put your spare loose ammo in an insulated type of cooler. Don't let the ammo have direct contact with the walls of the container (if it's that foam type). You know....the foam can melt right onto the cases of your ammo. Not a good situation. On that subject....don't even think about leaving your spare ammo in those factory containers that use foam to separate the cartridges. Repack them into plastic.

Yes, I've learned that lesson, "the hard way."

Aloha, Mark