The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute®, Inc. (SAAMI®) is pleased to announce that it has added three new web-based resources to its website. These new resources provide guidance for the consumer to safely deal with firearms, ammunition and smokeless propellants that have been exposed to fire (and the associated extreme temperatures) or to submersion or exposure to water and firefighting agents.

Hidden damage can occur to firearms, ammunition and smokeless propellants when exposed to any of these conditions, potentially rendering them unsafe to use. These documents are important for consumers’ safety because they provide guidance on how to safely deal with firearms, ammunition and smokeless propellants after exposure to extreme conditions.

“These important documents add to SAAMI’s technical library of firearm safety resources that provide guidance to both industry professionals and the firearm-owning community. They provide relevant and safety-critical information for anyone whose firearms or ammunition may have been exposed to high temperatures or submerged in water. They are great sources of information that gun-owners can refer to if they have endured certain challenging events,” said Joe Bartozzi, SAAMI President and CEO.

All three documents were developed by SAAMI and can be found on the SAAMI website under Informational Publications and Advisories.

The new documents are:

• Guidance on Firearms and Ammunition Exposed to Fire – This document provides guidance to the consumer on how to safely deal with firearms, ammunition and smokeless propellants that have been exposed to fire or the extreme temperatures that occur in fires. Hidden damage caused by the extreme temperature can make the use of these items potentially unsafe after they’ve been exposed.

• Guidance On Firearms That Have Been Submerged in Water - This document provides guidance to the consumer on how to best care for and protect firearms that have been submerged in water or exposed to water-based firefighting agents. Water exposure or submersion of firearms can promote corrosion of some metallic components and the warpage or damage of other components such as wooden stocks and grips. Silt or other waterborne fine particles can infiltrate the action and other firearm mechanisms causing them to perform in unexpected and unacceptable manners.

• Guidance on Ammunition That Has Been Submerged in Water – This document provides guidance to the consumer on how to deal with ammunition that has been submerged in water or exposed to water or water-based firefighting agents. Water exposure or submersion of ammunition can compromise its performance depending upon the nature and degree of the exposure. Clear guidelines are provided to help decide whether the ammunition is salvageable or safe to use.

About SAAMI

The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, founded in 1926 at the request of the federal government, is dedicated to creating and promulgating technical, performance and safety standards for firearms, ammunition and components, and is committed to being the preeminent global resource for the safe and responsible design, manufacture, transportation, storage and use of these products.