Cartridge safety

Longranger

Hey all,just want to pick your brains about this. I've been shooting for quite some time and have never not used a cartridge belt. Yet,most of the lads i shoot with always carry their 12g cartridges in their pockets. I just want to know if it's safe,and is there any chance one could go off ie you fell or tripped? Also,i have some old rusty cartridges.what's the best way to get rid? Cheers lads..

One shot on kill

send the rusty ones down the barrel

its not ideal to carry them in your pocket loose ive sone it loads of times aswell

but as far as im aware the only way them can fire is by stricking the cap and even then it has to be of certain pressure

if they were in a belt it could happen just as easy aswell but prob a bit safer cause there not hopin of one another

what would concern me more would be causeing a miss fire from durt or damaged brass

blackstairsboy

I nearly always use a belt also and prefer to carry them this way as I find I am less likely to lose a cartridge which could easily fall into the hands of a child or something like that. I know a lot of lads that will carry the in there pockets and have never run into problems. I would say carrying them in a belt is the safest way but I do not think there is any real concern for them going off in your pocket or anything. I think I remember reading that if a cartridge does go off outside the bore of a shotgun it does so at very low pressure and is unlikely to cause much damage (having said that I still would not like to try it out). I stand to be corrected on that though.
I never had much bother with rusty cartridges as any of mine that rust only do so from getting damp in the belt out shooting or sitting in a damp box. This will not have any effect on the cartridge. A shell that has being sitting in the bottom of a bucket of water for a month would be a very different story though. If it is only light rust I would say you will be ok but if in doubt do not chance using them.

One shot on kill

i have to say thats a very good point and def another strong reason to use a belt

loosen them and animals ie dogs or live stock walkin on them or chewing on them

how many times as kids did you yourself pick up spent shells so kids would def pick up a live one if lost and then found by them

excellent point

Tackleberrywho

3 in the gun, 2 in the left and 2 in the right pocket


I sometimes bring my belt, If I were going for scall crows.

I have a nice belt of italian leather, but if I were going after game birds I prob would only fire 2-4 shots in the day

Hunter21

Storing cartridges in a belt, in a pouch or in ones pocket is all the same. The situation can be come as dangerous as the person in charge of the cartridges. Ive seen people being clumsy and unsafe dropping cartridges out of a belt. A gun and its ammunition is a dangerous as the owner.

Longranger

Good point Tack. The amount of times I've gone out with a full belt and come home with a nearly full belt are all too common. Sometimes I think I'll just leave the bloody belt at home,but the couple of times I have done,I've come across a stand of trees full of mags or greys! Nothing worse than not havin enough ammo:-)

Spunk84

i keep mine in my game bag, theres a big pocket with a zip. Never had a problem touch wood:cool:

pugw

I wouldnt be too worried about it used have 7 or 8 in each pocket when i started shooting 1st, only thing is if you shoot different cartridges (ie a 5 in the top and a 6 in the bottom barrel) the numbers get worn off them! I find the realtree hunting jackets that have the cartridge holders built in a great job . . . 5 in each pocket, youd rearly need more! The belts a pain in the ass unless your going after woodcock or on a really long treck!

Cass

I always carried my cartridges in my pockets. No idea why, just do. I have a couple of different belts and have only recently starting using them regularly.

I'd never worry about any cartridge going of in my pockets. The force of a firing pin striking a primer on a cartridge is very strong, more than could realistically be replicated by two cartridges hitting off each other.

Vizzy

I also carry them in my pocket unless I am flighting for duck.
Never had a problem.
Did an experiment many years ago( don't ask why-I was young/foolish)
Set off a cartridge that I had held in a jig a good distance away from me, with the tip of a fencing pliers(farmers will understand) in the open.
It took a lot of force but the shell and the case flew about 10 metres and would have caused damage if it hit anything.I presume that the load flew as well but I couln't find the evidence later.

Tackleberrywho

We were breaking clays in the bog and one of the girls (Mary) drove over 250 shells in a landcruiser (because she is BLIND)

One or two shells were damaged, none went off.

The only way a shell goes off is if a precise direct impact hits the base of the shell

Hammer and Punch type impact, even then it is the chamber that builds up the pressure and forces it in one direction

Cartridge belts only expose the brass to the weather.

landkeeper

never use a belt anymore i am MUCH quicker at reloading when shells are in my left hip pocket when i did i found the rims of the shells marked the gunstock when i was carrying it for somereason the thing allways worked it way round to a postion under my righthand side
just a personal thing i guess decoying pigeons or flighting ducks or grey crows etc you need to be quick reloading

Longranger

Just back from a quick walk up the land behind me looking for bunnies. Left the belt at home and just pocketed a couple of handfuls of shells. SO much more comfortable than piddling about with the belt! Thanks everyone for the advice. Happy hunting!

sfakiaman

Vizzy wrote: »

Did an experiment many years ago( don't ask why-I was young/foolish)
Set off a cartridge that I had held in a jig a good distance away from me, with the tip of a fencing pliers(farmers will understand) in the open.
It took a lot of force but the shell and the case flew about 10 metres and would have caused damage if it hit anything.I presume that the load flew as well but I couln't find the evidence later.

When I was a young lad I stuck a .303 cartridge in a lump of wood and fired at the primer with an air rifle. All that happened was that the primer blew out of the case without igniting the round. Those of us who have been shooting a while will have seen cartridges fail to fire due to weak firing pin springs in spite of the primer being dented. So unless you're carrying fencing pliers in the same pocket as the cartridges you should be safe.

Vegeta

I prefer a belt because when you stock it you can put different weight and size shot in and in a hurry you know roughly where each is.

Having 2 or 3 magnums in a pocket full of regular cartridges is no good when you hear the honking of geese coming your way.

Also hanging the weight of 2 pockets full of cartridges up front is not great for the back. Pulls you forward too much I find.

When I do wear a belt I spin it so the carts are at the back, this way the weight pulls me more upright and I don't mark the shotgun off the brass on the cartridges.

X1R

My preference is a bum bag (I know ).
It's a hunters green with 4 different compartments, and a flask holder.
The main compsrtment holds 75 shells, the rest takes around 10.
I have all I need in each compartment,
and know where the different rounds are, 4's,6's and 7.5's.
In 1 there is a keyring fence tester & knife,
handy for the electric fences and for catching lads out .

Boiled-egg

If a cartridge were to go off in your pocket, because it is not in an enclosed space where the raridly expanding gasses can do there job i.e. the chamber of your gun it, will not have very much power behind it.
It will not even have enough to open the crimp. The cartridge will split and not even all the shot will be expelled.
I have placed a cartridge on a crack in a tree before and fired at the precussion cap with a .22. Eventially I hit it and the above is what happened. I could not belive it I was expecting something a bit more exciting, even the bang was dull.
Before any one ridicules me on safety, I was in the middle of the outback with nothing for miles in any direction.

beretta686s

i carry mine in a 30 round belt love it to bits even doh some of the loops have become a bit loose may get the needle out;).only every us remmies in 7 for game,always keep 2 bb,s or buck shot or sumthing heavy in case i come across mister foxy

johngalway

I have heard a couple of stories of batteries not mixing too well with rifle cartridges. Gone off in pockets. Apart from that, I can't see a problem. I don't keep any in my pockets, but that's more to do with just not liking them there more than safety issues.

hrcbob

When i first got my shotty i used to carry shells in my pocket but when reloading in a hurry one day i found that the gun wouldnt close..
When i checked out what was wrong i saw that there was a 2 cent coin after falling into the open action. I must have grabbed it out of my pocket with the shells when i was in a rush. Thankfully there was no harm done..
Went to the local rfd for a belt the next day.. would never carry shells in my pockets after that..