Ammunition may explode prematurely if overheated. This can occur as an isolated event or can lead to a chain reaction. This can be a real hazard to first responders coming to the scene of a fire.
Situations which can result in cooking off:
(1) fire ("fast" cook-off)
(2) other heat source ("slow" cook-off)
Example of a fast cook-off:
(1) fire extending to ammunition storage
(2) secondary explosion (bomb that sets off ammunition)
Examples of a low cook-off:
(1) cartridge going off in a machine gun that has overheated from excessive firing
Risk factors for slow cook off in a gun:
(1) overheating
(2) unstable primer
(3) unstable powder
(4) poor gun design
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