# Has anyone heard of CO2 cartridges exploding?



## RIDE OR DIE (Jul 4, 2006)

I was out riding and went to a bike shop (not my local bikeshop) to stock up on some CO2 cartridges and the salesperson/owner said never stocked em and never will. Well my curiosity got to me and asked why? He told me there have been several occasion that he has heard these things being referred to a portable bombs, I laughed, but he was serious. He told me these things have a tendency to explode for no reason. Is there any validity to this statement? I would like to know before I compromise the crown jewels..madman:


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## Duckman (Jan 12, 2004)

Hes crazy. I've played paintball since 82. Also work in the industry. We sell/stock 1000+ Co2 12gms at any given time. We also fill 9 to 20oz tanks for customers day in/day out(as well 3000-5000psi nitrogen tanks)I've NEVER ever seen one explode. Never. Or heard of it for that matter. I HAVE heard of the head blowing off a 20oz tanks(Called a "pin valve" or ASA) like a bullet and killing someone a few years back, but that was a mech issue with the tank. Theres thousands that play PB across the country every weekend, and half those use Co2. It'd be big news in the industry just for the liability issue. Nope. Nada. I'm sure its "possible" and prolly happened somwhere shomehow..but I'll surely take the odds.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

12grams are pressure vessels holding liquid co2. Above 87F, no amount of pressure will keep co2 in a liquid state though, and the stuff will just start boiling into a gas and filling the container its in. Larger tanks have what are called burst discs, which are supposed to fail at about 1500psi to vent the co2 out, before the tank wall ruptures itself (which usually happens around 2500psi). 12 grams however have no such feature, and they can explode like a grenade, or more likely, fail at the end where the metal is thinnest for the piercing by an inflator or airgun valve. This however does require leaving them someplace they can overheat. Sitting in a car with the windows closed, or on a picnic table under the sun, or more foolishly, toss some into a bonfire from a safe vantage point (like behind some armor plating and watching it on a CCTV).

I myself paintball too and have had burst discs fail from forgetting a tank in a sunny place, so I'm sure a 12 gram could fail from sitting in the sun also. I've fortunetly never left them in the sun long enough to find out though.


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## tim- (Aug 21, 2005)

I would say it's patetic argument to not store co2.. it isn't even dangerous in case of fire.

I've seeen a41 and o50 tubes falls from crane on the concrete dock without explode.


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## Slobberdoggy (Sep 26, 2005)

Wait a minute, I'm going to start using cartridges part of the time when I ride but in temps up to 100+F so is that a bad idea?


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## Megaclocker (Sep 28, 2005)

Slobberdoggy said:


> Wait a minute, I'm going to start using cartridges part of the time when I ride but in temps up to 100+F so is that a bad idea?


does'nt matter

They will explode if you overheat them like any other underpressure stuff/can...

They will not explode at 100f thats for sure ! I would be more woried by crashing and landing directly on them !


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## Avro05 (Sep 4, 2004)

If they are sooooo dangerous, why does every airline in the world place two of them under your seat? (Your lifevest has two of them)

But I would have to agree with not placing them into extreme heat, which just seems like common sense to me.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

In an airliner, fire in the cabin is a bigger threat just from the combustible materials in the cabin... if your seat is on fire, you're probably not going to care if your lifevest detonates with a pressurized gas that would actually extinguish a small fire.


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