Barrel Full of Water

[john762 0]

I've always tried to dump-out any water that may have gotten into the barrel of any rifle before dropping the hammer. Will firing with the barrel full of water cause a major malfunction? Also, what is the situation with totally submerged firing? Any experienced advice on conducting a test?

[jrance@iacwds.com 716]

Don't

[loki0629 55]

Extremely bad idea. If water is in the barrel and you try and fire a round through it, it's not like the water is just going to push out the muzzle. That bullet is traveling at supersonic speeds. You'll be creating pressure extremes that the barrel, receiver, and your face probably can't contend with.

 

Will it cause a major malfunction? No. A malfunction implies a temporary condition. If you think a hunk of stamped metal embedded in your skull is a temporary condition..have at it.

 

Seriously, all kidding aside I think it's an extremely bad idea.

[waltham_41 52]

IMO you could end up with a ruptured or bulged barrel. Would not be worth the risk to me.

[SOPMOD 254]

AKs are listed as "swimmable" by the Naval Surface Warfare Center.Whipping the barrel around to aim should clear enough water to fire and rechambering will sure as heck clear it enough to fire.

 

I won't even own something that isn't "swimmable"

 

Oh,you must surface to fire a rifle(don't try to shoot underwater unless it's a Glock 17)

Edited October 1, 2008 by SOPMOD

[Gunfixr 76]

I remember back when Randall Firearms came out with their stainless 1911 pistols. They had a right and left handed model. Anyway, Guns and Ammo did a writeup on them, and as stainless guns were a new thing back then, they had a picture of a guy firing one of them under water in a swimming pool. So, firing a handgun at least can be done, I don't know about rifles or shotguns. I will say that they had to take great pains to do it. Every last bit of air had to be positively removed beforehand. This is because while air can be compressed, water (like most liquids) is imcompressible. An air pocket near the breech would cause catastrophic failure. The bullet would run down the barrel, compressing the air ahead of it, then slam into the wall of incompressible water, and there would be a huge pressure spike. With no air pocket, the bullets movement would be delayed until sufficient pressure had been achieved, and the resistance would be steady. I'm sure it would make for higher chamber pressure though, so some guns undoubtedly wouldn't take it.

The gun in the picture didn't cycle, and the bullet traveled something like 10 ft. before falling to the pools bottom. Tests in WWII determined that 50 BMG rounds fired into the ocean at about a 45 degree angle would travel 18 ft. before dropping.

 

Personally I would recommend strongly against such a stunt if avoidable. There are too many variables that could lead to a dangerous problem. Would I fire a gun removed from water at something/someone? Probably, under the right circumstances.

[THE_HUNTER 2]

There was a video somewhere of an AR15 coming apart when fired right out of water.

[THE_HUNTER 2]

http://splodetv.com/33-rounds-underwater

[waltham_41 52]

AKs are listed as "swimmable" by the Naval Surface Warfare Center.Whipping the barrel around to aim should clear enough water to fire and rechambering will sure as heck clear it enough to fire.

 

I won't even own something that isn't "swimmable"

 

Oh,you must surface to fire a rifle(don't try to shoot underwater unless it's a Glock 17)

 

 

The OP's question was would the shotgun fire with the barrel full of water. Not would it fire if the barrel had been cleared first. I have never done it but I think a shotgun barrel full of water could very well rupture, as the barrel wall is not as thick as a rifle or pistol barrel.

[belt fed frog 56]

all you have to do is watch the mythbusters a revolver /semi pistol Will work underwater as will an M1 grand. the semi pistol had a stove pipe every time but still safe but a shotgun is a disaster in the making

[RDSWriter 5]

+1 on the MythBusters episode... don't fire a shotgun underwater.

[Vultite 57]

there's a video of a guy chilling underwater with an AK and pops up and unloads a full mag outta it, seems fine, just don't try it at home with most guns and i don't mean the Russian APS video, just some dood chilling with a wood furniture AK in a pond, i gotta find the video...

Edited October 2, 2008 by Vultite

[SJgunguy 5]

Hey it's America.....right? A free country so don't let the possibility gross bodily injuy stop you. Just make sure your insurance is paid up and kiss your kids in the morning, you might be missing part of your face and thats IF you come home!

 

O.K. i'm fucking around. Don't try it with a rifle, way too much velocity.

[ML Roak 0]

If I understood it correctly, shotgun shells have enough air trapped in the hull that it will cause explosive barrel bursts in shotguns underwater. Mythbusters actually blew the reciever in half on one of the newer Russian SxS 12 gauges.

[SOPMOD 254]

AKs are listed as "swimmable" by the Naval Surface Warfare Center.Whipping the barrel around to aim should clear enough water to fire and rechambering will sure as heck clear it enough to fire.

 

I won't even own something that isn't "swimmable"

 

Oh,you must surface to fire a rifle(don't try to shoot underwater unless it's a Glock 17)

 

 

The OP's question was would the shotgun fire with the barrel full of water. Not would it fire if the barrel had been cleared first. I have never done it but I think a shotgun barrel full of water could very well rupture, as the barrel wall is not as thick as a rifle or pistol barrel.

 

He didn't say a damned thing about shotguns,he said "barrel of any rifle before dropping the hammer" and the best I could figure was NSWC's stamp of approval means it can be fired immediately upon surfacing which means there's likely to be some water left in the barrel.

[gtnichols 51]

Sometimes when I go swimming in the creek I take my s12 and 7.62 with me, they are kinda heavy and tend to make me sink towards the bottom,,especially with 5 -30 round mags on my belt,..

[waltham_41 52]

AKs are listed as "swimmable" by the Naval Surface Warfare Center.Whipping the barrel around to aim should clear enough water to fire and rechambering will sure as heck clear it enough to fire.

 

I won't even own something that isn't "swimmable"

 

Oh,you must surface to fire a rifle(don't try to shoot underwater unless it's a Glock 17)

 

 

The OP's question was would the shotgun fire with the barrel full of water. Not would it fire if the barrel had been cleared first. I have never done it but I think a shotgun barrel full of water could very well rupture, as the barrel wall is not as thick as a rifle or pistol barrel.

 

He didn't say a damned thing about shotguns,he said "barrel of any rifle before dropping the hammer" and the best I could figure was NSWC's stamp of approval means it can be fired immediately upon surfacing which means there's likely to be some water left in the barrel.

 

My bad, you are correct. Since I own an S12, I always think shotgun when I hear Saiga. Bad habit on my part.

[22_Shooter 1,560]

+1 on not trying it. Any info/fun that can be had from the experiment is easily overridden by the possibility of injury/damage to your gun.

 

http://splodetv.com/33-rounds-underwater