Why are the spent cartridges so hot?

[P08]

On my Garand the spent cartridges are very very hot when they leave the rifle. Regardless if it's the 5th or the 35th round fired.

On my bolt action rifles the spent cartridges are only slightly warm.

How come? It may be a silly question, but not knowing why is nagging me.

[reidmuller]

err wouldent that be because they contain an explosion i got burned one a 7.62 round that flew out of an mg42 the other week and shot a k98 and not stupid enough to pick them up but know there hot too

[wmmyers]

Mr. P08,
I will share some compassion and some experience. Ammunition between the bolt action and the Garand being the same, the following applies. The Garand will extract the spent cartridge case in a fraction of a second while the case is still quite hot. The bolt action requires a couple of seconds or so until you extract the round. Because a property of brass is that it cools quickly the few seconds it takes to manually extract, allows the brass to cool to a lower degree before extraction.
If you want to read up on burning rates of powder and temperatures I might suggest a reloading manual. I reload my ammo and I use Speer manual #10 and Lyman #47. I am away from my home and don't have access to my manuals. This all I have at the top of my head.

[P08]

wm

You have a point there.

I'm always able to pick up cartridges from my bolt action rifles without getting burned. But it must have something to do with the ammunition as well. The Garand ammunition simply is hotter it seems (even if the cartridge is left for a while it's still hot). It's surplus though, the ammo I use in my bolt actions isn't. Perhaps that could be part of the reason.

[Josh Beckett]

An M1 ejects the casing with a majority of the hot gas still in it wile a bolt action just expelles all of the gas with the bullet.

[P08]

totenkopf

Thanks. Btw I tried a SVT40 this weekend. Exact same thing as with Garand. Extremely hot cartridges. Must be part of the semi auto function. But your's is a likely explanation.

[Josh Beckett]

there is a hole in semi autos that is in the barrel that will shoot the gas to cock the bolt back and the gas goes in the bullet casing as well, bolt actions just shoot all of the gas out with it.

[reidmuller]

there is a hole in semi autos that is in the barrel that will shoot the gas to cock the bolt back and the gas goes in the bullet casing as well, bolt actions just shoot all of the gas out with it.

Not quite that would be rather dangorus the gas is vented out the top or bottom depending on the gun and never goes back to the catridge it moves a piston

[Josh Beckett]

exactly I was just alittle scrambled

[bodes]

Not quite that would be rather dangorus the gas is vented out the top or bottom depending on the gun and never goes back to the catridge it moves a piston

That's how some 'gas-operated' system are designed to work.....A 'port' is located on top or bottom of the barrel.....As gas passes this port, a certain amount is allowed to escape through.....The gas being hot, expands.....While expanding, the gas drives an internal piston which allows the mechanism to 'cycle'.....Bodes

[rogerbh]

Pistol casings are hot too.

Once went I shot a browning HiPower - the spent case landed on my upper lip and stayed there - 'til I knocked it off. Left a half-moon scar for a short time - really freak occurrence.

Took some girls shooting once, they were wearing tank tops - spent shell casings hit their exposed flesh and they screamed up a storm.

Some mild amusement for the shooters on the line.

[Josh Beckett]

what really sucks is when I was shooting a k98 sniper and the scope smacked me in the eye when it kicked and trust me those things kick hard.

[james m]

It's been my experience that 22 rimfire cartridges out of a semi-auto are about as hot as it gets. I've got a burn mark on my neck right now from one. It's a good thing they aren't larger!! I think this is due to a combination of very thin brass coupled with the hot gas still being in the case upon ejection.
BTW Women in tank tops with semi-auto pistols often make for some amusing sights at my local gun range.