? about incendiary ammo - The Firearms Forum

cycloneman · 11-18-2009, 06:14 PM

I was at a gun show many years ago and saw some 308's labeled incendiary. What does this ammo do and how is it used?

I was under the impression it was used or could be used to light fuel.

woolleyworm · 11-18-2009, 06:26 PM

Your impression would be correct. It burns phosphorus ( sp??) and it gets very very hot. They also consume large amounts of oxygen. Depending on the caliber, uses differ. 308 would probably be used against light armored vehicles and defensive troop positions. 20mm is used in many fighters for AA combat.

Gearheadpyro · 11-18-2009, 07:06 PM

Mythbusters actually did a show on that. It failed miserably. I don't take mythbusters seriously on much, but they do like to blow things up, so I give them a little more credit when it comes to explosions and fire.

They determined that there is not enough oxygen in a fuel tank to allow the fuel to ignite. Then only luck they had was when the tank was nearly empty, they got a little bit of a puff out of it.

Might do better if a the tank is shot, the fuel leaks out, then the fuel was ignited maybe? Just theorizing.

medalguy · 11-18-2009, 11:01 PM

It will also start fires in wood and grass.

cycloneman · 11-18-2009, 11:03 PM

I did a search and found some. expensive.

GMFWoodchuck · 11-19-2009, 07:12 AM

It's another one of those things that really doesn't have a purpose for any normal gun people. They were developed to make it easier for machine gunners to see where they were hitting. It's easier to see tracer fire at night than puffs of dirt at night.... But for us it's one of those "I bought it just to see what it does things." Like shooting soda cans. No purpose, just fun.....

LDBennett · 11-19-2009, 07:15 AM

It doesn't have to be incendiary ammo to start a fire in grass land!

We went to an RV park years ago that had an open range backed up by a grassy hillside in the back. The dirt berm at normal shooting angles never let the bullets reach the hill but some dummy using steel cored ammo had to shot at the rock on the hillside. A spark started a small little fire that in five minutes covered the hillside. Before anyone could get to it to put it out that hillside and the adjacent ones were fully ablaze. We got bus loads of fire fighters, Borate bombers, the whole deal. This was all in less than 30 minutes. They were still fighting the fire when we felt it safer to leave.

LDBennett

GMFWoodchuck · 11-19-2009, 10:59 AM

That must be one dry place you live in, LD. That doesn't happen here in New York. YOu almost have to try hard to start a fire like that. Usually with an actual fire...

LDBennett · 11-19-2009, 02:13 PM

Without irrigation you could not grow anything in the greater Southern California area and that's where this occurred. It is indeed dry here and where this took place. The hills were dried up grass covered with virtually no trees. Most of Southern California is desert like in climate.

The first time I went back east what amazed me more than anything were the miles and miles of trees. Cities in the south were nothing more than clearings in the forests. The midwest was much like that too. Southern California only has large groves of trees in some of the forests but most of the lower mountains and hills are scrub brush and dead grass covered anytime after about May. A lot of rain in the LA area is more than 10 inches a year. About five years ago a fire in the the San Bernardino Mountains just south of my home swooped down out of the hills and caused my neighbor hood to have to be evacuated (it got to within a mile of my house and they stopped it). We don't have those huge fires in So Cal every year because it is wet! Remember we just had fires all the way from just outside of San Diego all the way into the Sierras west of Bakersfield and really, we can have them anywhere in this dry state. All the water that Los Angeles uses is delivered in an aqueduct system from either the San Francisco Bay area or from the Sierras over 200 miles away. We are dry, dry, dry.

LDBennett

GMFWoodchuck · 11-19-2009, 03:39 PM

I like my greenery. Your description reminds me of Cabo San Lucas except for there's even less vegetation in Cabo. I loved cabo, but only as a vacation spot. I think that heat would get to me after awhile if I lived there. Though the fishing might make up for it and the glass smooth water in the gulf was nice too.

zb338 · 11-19-2009, 04:09 PM

There is a difference between incendiary and tracer. Tracers are used to
see where you are hitting if you are shooting a machine gun. Usually every
fifth round is a tracer. Incendiary is used to burn things. When it hits it lays
there and burns. They even have (had?) armor piercing incendiary which
penetrates and burns.
Zeke

GMFWoodchuck · 11-22-2009, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zb338

There is a difference between incendiary and tracer. Tracers are used to
see where you are hitting if you are shooting a machine gun. Usually every
fifth round is a tracer. Incendiary is used to burn things. When it hits it lays
there and burns. They even have (had?) armor piercing incendiary which
penetrates and burns.
Zeke

YOu're right. I forgot about that.

bizy · 11-28-2009, 12:31 PM

I have 308 tracers. They are cool to watch go down range. Other than that, they don't serve any other purpose. The tracers I have are military surplus, (I think)....

11-18-2009, 06:14 PM	#1
cycloneman Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Louisiana Posts: 7,434	? about incendiary ammo I was at a gun show many years ago and saw some 308's labeled incendiary. What does this ammo do and how is it used? I was under the impression it was used or could be used to light fuel. __________________ Who are you going to serve today? -->

11-18-2009, 06:26 PM	#2
woolleyworm TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SW Fort Worth Contributor Posts: 4,888	Re: ? about incendiary ammo Your impression would be correct. It burns phosphorus ( sp??) and it gets very very hot. They also consume large amounts of oxygen. Depending on the caliber, uses differ. 308 would probably be used against light armored vehicles and defensive troop positions. 20mm is used in many fighters for AA combat. __________________ . What are you gonna do, talk the alien to death? -- (on Sigourney Weaver's worry about Guns in Aliens) "Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands." "I carry a small gun to compensate for my huge Blue press." .

11-18-2009, 07:06 PM	#3
Gearheadpyro V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 110	Re: ? about incendiary ammo Mythbusters actually did a show on that. It failed miserably. I don't take mythbusters seriously on much, but they do like to blow things up, so I give them a little more credit when it comes to explosions and fire. They determined that there is not enough oxygen in a fuel tank to allow the fuel to ignite. Then only luck they had was when the tank was nearly empty, they got a little bit of a puff out of it. Might do better if a the tank is shot, the fuel leaks out, then the fuel was ignited maybe? Just theorizing. __________________ www.southernmarksman.com Owner of & Chief Instructor for The Southern Marksman, LLC NRA Life Member, NRA CRSO, Multi-Discipline NRA Certified Instructor

11-18-2009, 11:01 PM	#4
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 585	Re: ? about incendiary ammo It will also start fires in wood and grass.

11-18-2009, 11:03 PM	#5
cycloneman Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Louisiana Posts: 7,434	Re: ? about incendiary ammo I did a search and found some. expensive. __________________ Who are you going to serve today?

11-19-2009, 07:12 AM	#6
GMFWoodchuck Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 1,369	Re: ? about incendiary ammo It's another one of those things that really doesn't have a purpose for any normal gun people. They were developed to make it easier for machine gunners to see where they were hitting. It's easier to see tracer fire at night than puffs of dirt at night.... But for us it's one of those "I bought it just to see what it does things." Like shooting soda cans. No purpose, just fun.....

11-19-2009, 07:15 AM	#7
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,754	Re: ? about incendiary ammo It doesn't have to be incendiary ammo to start a fire in grass land! We went to an RV park years ago that had an open range backed up by a grassy hillside in the back. The dirt berm at normal shooting angles never let the bullets reach the hill but some dummy using steel cored ammo had to shot at the rock on the hillside. A spark started a small little fire that in five minutes covered the hillside. Before anyone could get to it to put it out that hillside and the adjacent ones were fully ablaze. We got bus loads of fire fighters, Borate bombers, the whole deal. This was all in less than 30 minutes. They were still fighting the fire when we felt it safer to leave. LDBennett

11-19-2009, 10:59 AM	#8
GMFWoodchuck Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 1,369	Re: ? about incendiary ammo That must be one dry place you live in, LD. That doesn't happen here in New York. YOu almost have to try hard to start a fire like that. Usually with an actual fire...

11-19-2009, 02:13 PM	#9
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,754	Re: ? about incendiary ammo Without irrigation you could not grow anything in the greater Southern California area and that's where this occurred. It is indeed dry here and where this took place. The hills were dried up grass covered with virtually no trees. Most of Southern California is desert like in climate. The first time I went back east what amazed me more than anything were the miles and miles of trees. Cities in the south were nothing more than clearings in the forests. The midwest was much like that too. Southern California only has large groves of trees in some of the forests but most of the lower mountains and hills are scrub brush and dead grass covered anytime after about May. A lot of rain in the LA area is more than 10 inches a year. About five years ago a fire in the the San Bernardino Mountains just south of my home swooped down out of the hills and caused my neighbor hood to have to be evacuated (it got to within a mile of my house and they stopped it). We don't have those huge fires in So Cal every year because it is wet! Remember we just had fires all the way from just outside of San Diego all the way into the Sierras west of Bakersfield and really, we can have them anywhere in this dry state. All the water that Los Angeles uses is delivered in an aqueduct system from either the San Francisco Bay area or from the Sierras over 200 miles away. We are dry, dry, dry. LDBennett

11-19-2009, 03:39 PM	#10
GMFWoodchuck Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 1,369	Re: ? about incendiary ammo I like my greenery. Your description reminds me of Cabo San Lucas except for there's even less vegetation in Cabo. I loved cabo, but only as a vacation spot. I think that heat would get to me after awhile if I lived there. Though the fishing might make up for it and the glass smooth water in the gulf was nice too.

11-19-2009, 04:09 PM	#11
zb338 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Recently moved to Pennsylvania. Posts: 286	Re: ? about incendiary ammo There is a difference between incendiary and tracer. Tracers are used to see where you are hitting if you are shooting a machine gun. Usually every fifth round is a tracer. Incendiary is used to burn things. When it hits it lays there and burns. They even have (had?) armor piercing incendiary which penetrates and burns. Zeke

11-28-2009, 12:31 PM	#13
bizy V.I.P. Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Marlow, Ok Posts: 344	Re: ? about incendiary ammo I have 308 tracers. They are cool to watch go down range. Other than that, they don't serve any other purpose. The tracers I have are military surplus, (I think)....