Weapon left in car? Heat?

[hbkkicker]

Does anyone else leave their weapon in their car all day long? I work at a no-gun facility and can not carry inside under any circumstances at all. I am still waiting on my plastic (it is in the mail right now) and will be carrying all the time while not at work, however, do you worry about the heat down here in south texas ruining your gun or warping the barrel? Just curious what ya'll think???

[Keith B]

The barrel of your pistol gets much warmer by shooting multiple rounds than it would ever get in the car from inductive heat.

However, your gun can get so hot it WILL burn you when you retrieve it from the vehicle. I recommend you make sure it is locked in a secure case/safe and that the case/safe is out of direct sun exposure.

Other than that, there should be no problems form the heat, including no chance for ammo to 'go off'.

[bdickens]

Unneeded worry.

[C-dub]

Things, gun included, don't seem to even got hot to the touch when left in the closed center console of my truck for several hours during the day. Soft edible things do melt, but otherwise nothing else gets much more than just warm.

[WildBill]

The barrel of your pistol gets much warmer by shooting multiple rounds than it would ever get in the car from inductive heat.

However, your gun can get so hot it WILL burn you when you retrieve it from the vehicle. I recommend you make sure it is locked in a secure case/safe and that the case/safe is out of direct sun exposure.

Other than that, there should be no problems form the heat, including no chance for ammo to 'go off'.

I agree with Keith, but I would be careful about making sure that your handgun stays well lubricated. Increased heat reduces the viscosity of oils so they flow easier. For my semi-automatics I will use grease on the slide in the summer. Things are cooling down fast in Houston so you shouldn't have to worry for another six months.

[Skiprr]

Increased heat reduces the viscosity of oils so they flow easier. For my semi-automatics I will use grease on the slide in the summer.

+1

I like a little TW25B grease on my barrel and rails at any time of year.

Just another note, this one about holsters. If you have to keep your holster in the car all day in an open parking lot, I think I'd opt for an inexpensive leather holster for the purpose.

Kydex has a much lower tolerance for heat than the Tupperware on a Glock, for instance, and depending on how it's stored in the car and how hot it gets, it can soften and "shape-shift" on you. While it all depends on the type and thickness of the Kydex, generally speaking it can become pliable anywhere from 220 to 300 degrees. If it's in the center console and away from direct sunlight, it's probably okay on most any day. If you stick it a black metal lunchbox on the dashboard and leave it out all day when we're sittin' at 105, you will not have a happy holster when you return.

[Estand]

I have a similar situation with my work/weekly schedule and have to leave in the car all day often. But I have been concerned about the life expectancy or reliability of the ammo actually, with the heat. I usually keep all my military ammo cans with silica gel so it's killing me to think about the heating and cooling of the ammo in the car during the summer, Austin area. **PLEASE reply with any thoughts or opinions.

And yes the thickness of the Kydex makes a big difference in the heat resistance. I have had no trouble with .80 and thicker. I am about to make a permanent rig on the side of my seat and plan on using at least .90 thickness.

[mr surveyor]

regarding leaving firearms in the closed/locked vehicle during the summer heat....

consider that back in the "old days" (man I miss them), we left loaded rifles and shotguns hanging in the gun racks, exposed to direct sunlight, in the rear window of our pick-up trucks. I can assure you that the only problem with that was bleaching the wood, and bluing... then gun and ammo will still function properly. I have a 1973 Marlin 336 that hung in a buddy's truck rack long enough that the old Bushnell Sportview scope completely turned gray on the "sun side", and the wood bleached off color. The gun still shoots 1.5 inch groups consistantly (with the same old scope) at 100 yards. I did completely refinish the stock and re-blued the steel last year, but left the old "bi-colored" Sportview on it.

Now, polymer in the direct sun may be a different matter, but I'm sure that no one would dare leave any firearm exposed to the sun (i.e. view) in a vehicle anyway. I wouldn't give a second thought about leaving any firearm in the heat of a vehicle.


surv

[Skiprr]

But I have been concerned about the life expectancy or reliability of the ammo actually, with the heat. I usually keep all my military ammo cans with silica gel so it's killing me to think about the heating and cooling of the ammo in the car during the summer, Austin area. **PLEASE reply with any thoughts or opinions.

The good news is that, particularly with modern (and expensive) defensive ammunition, the rounds in your gun aren't nearly as susceptible to environmental degradation as was WWII ammo. Alas, much of current "modern knowledge" (read, "myth") about ammo longevity comes from 50 years ago.

The two biggest enemies of ammunition are moisture and heat, in that order. It takes extended conditions well over 140 degrees to do it, but constant exposure to that level of heat will start a slow degradation of the priming compound.

Not an issue for a day here and a day there in a parked car, but after two years of storage in that kind of heat the primers--even with high quality, modern ammunition--could start to go bad.

But since I'm assuming you cycle your carry ammo more often than every other year, you should be golden.