Opening a gun safe after a fire (video)

[Suck My Glock]

Not only does the video show how the guns fared after the fire, it also shows how easy it can be to get into a safe if you have right tools.

As it turns out, the fire didn't damage the guns too badly. But the water from the fire hoses that extinguished the fire,...totally different.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq4hYpkgT9s&t=1103s

 

[Flash]

So the moral of the story is let the fire burn itself out. Don't call the Fire Department.

 

[iammaxwell]

Rather than from the firefighters' water hoses, that rust is probably from the safe's fire board insulation (a.k.a. dry wall). 95% of fire rated gun safes work using dry wall as insulation; which is like a sponge for moisture. When it gets heated by the fire, it releases that moisture into the safe's interior. The safe's door is sealed to keep the moisture (i.e. steam) inside so the interior remains closer to the boiling temp of water (i.e. temperature of the steam), until the steam all leaks past the door seal. That's why they all have time related ratings. Function of how much dry wall and how good the door seal is. Either way, your guns are basically sitting in a steam bath (or pressure cooker) the whole time.

 

[pneuby]

I get the steam-bath analogy. So, do you think the guns would fare better off in a NON-insulated safe, assuming a short-duration housefire?

 

[iammaxwell]

No. Worse. Non insulated safe would act like a big dutch oven in a camp fire, cooking whatever is inside. House fires can be 1000 to 1500+ deg F (hotter the more synthetic materials being burnt). Even for a short duration (say 15 to 20 minutes), plenty of time for the safe's interior temp to equal the exterior causing ammo to cook off, wood to burn, plastic melt, etc.