what would happen?

Question

what would happen if you put a bullet in the freezer? i know if you put a bullet in a fire or extreme heat it will exploded or discharge. but what would happen if a bullet, casing and all, was put in the freezer?

Answer 1

First you must stop to consider that the same conditions happens all the time.
The military tries to store it ammo in a dry container, as to desert heat or artic cold sh*t happens.
It would be next to imposable to keep ammo in a 100% climate controlled environment.

Now as to the hunter that leaves spare ammo in his truck while hunting or camping in cold or hot climate.
In a vehicle it gets both hot or cold enough to kill you, but the ammo survives well.

Other then that just getting cold nothing adverse will happen.
True metal contracts when cold and expands when hot, but due to the fact that all 3 elements bullet, brass and primer are assembled as one they will contract or expand as one and not draw moisture at all.
If it would, hunters every where would have problems with moisture.

So end result you get a cold bullet.

D58




Hunting with Rifle, Pistol, Muzzle loader and Bow for over 3 decades.
Reloading Rifle, Pistol and shotgun for over 3 decades.

Answer 2

Probably nothing worst case the primer might not go off until it thawed. The militaries of the world has to contend with extreme climates and much research has gone into ammo and the conditions it may be used in. iirc there was the occasional round of ammo that would not go off during the Russian Winter in WWII.

Answer 3

Other than getting cold, since metal contracts, sealants around the primer and case mouth may lose their moisture seal.
The worst will happen when the cartridge is removed from the freezer. Moisture from the air will condensate on the casing. This could lead to tarnishing or if any forms inside the case, it could degrade the primer.

Answer 4

It would simply "FREEZE" nothing more. It wouldn't explode or expand (it would actually contract being made of metal)
I wouldn't count on it even firing when it thawed out due to condensation on the inside of the shell casing with the powder (unless sealed) or moisture was drawn in thru the primer pocket. It would render it useless if the propellant/powder/primer were to get wet from any source.

WOW,With all due respect, I didn't realize that the question was comparing military ammunition to civilian ammunition, I must have missed that part. Not to mention that basic metallurgy teaches us that different metals expand and contract at different rates, even if they are bullet components and combined. Last but not least there must be a lot of angry military widows from the Korean war that lost husbands because of moisture seeping into military ammunition after being frozen (Chosin Reservoir November 1950.)making it useless.. I guess that never happened either....

Answer 5

Nothing would happen.*