While out shooting one day I noticed that the brass I fired from my savage bolt action was not at all hot and after each shot I would work the action and place the brass in the box to be reloaded later. I have a Rock River Arms AR 15 that I was shooting also and after a 10rd mag I picked them up off the ground and noticed they were still quite hot. What is the difference? Does the gas system have something to do with it? They were the same loads...223 rem, 25gr blc2, 55gr fmjbt, wsr primer in both guns. I've noticed this also from the revolver's vs. auto pistols also...I guess we've all had brass in one place or another that it don't belong mostly from semi auto's....down the shirt....in the front shirt pocket....caught between the shooting glasses and the forehead...etc.
Temperature of fired brass
- Thread starter Russsty
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The brass from the auto doesn't stick around long enough for the chamber to be much of a heatsink. So, the opposite must be true, the bolt gun heats up faster. A lot of gas and heat that leaves an auto sticks around in a bolt gun, and will burn the snot out of you in as few as ten rounds fired in a short time.
Black Snowman
Member
I'm going to have to agree with Joe. One of the reasons the military is still using brassed, rather than combustable or caseless ammo is that a the brass takes a lot of the heat from the ingition with it before it can be transfered to the gun allowing longer sustained bursts of fire and longer barrel life.
In a bolt action the round can sit for a signifigant amount of time after firing letting the gun absorb the heat. In theory if you were shooting long strings in a bolt action you would want to extract as soon after firing as possible to minimize the effect of heat on the accuracy of the gun.
Makes sense to me anyway.
In a bolt action the round can sit for a signifigant amount of time after firing letting the gun absorb the heat. In theory if you were shooting long strings in a bolt action you would want to extract as soon after firing as possible to minimize the effect of heat on the accuracy of the gun.
Makes sense to me anyway.
Well you guys had me thinking, so I done some more shooting this evening. I am positive the bolt gun is cooler than the AR. It took around 15 shots from the bolt gun to heat things up where as the AR brass was hot from the first shot. After 20 or so rounds through the bolt gun then the brass was about the same to touch as the AR. I was just courious if anyone has notice the same thing.
I've noticed the same thing. When I shoot my .308 boltgun, I'll often work the action and catch the brass in midair--maybe 6-8" from the action. The brass does not burn my hand. Does the action really suck that much heat out in the second or so it takes me to work the action?
HankB
Member
Hmmm . . . I don't know about bolt actions ejecting cool brass. Some years ago I was hunting in Zimbabwe and got invited along on a night culling operation. I was using a .30/06 bolt action and shooting impala from the passenger seat of a Land Cruiser pickup. (Remember, in Zimbabwe the vehicles have right-hand drive.) One of my ejected empties went right down the PH's collar . . . from the reaction, I'm quite sure the brass was more than merely warm! 
ClarkEMyers
Member
Brass Aluminum and Steel cases are different too
The heat dump and carryoff is different between brass and aluminum cases as well. Mostly doesn't matter in real life but it can on a range.
The heat dump and carryoff is different between brass and aluminum cases as well. Mostly doesn't matter in real life but it can on a range.
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