# What happens if you shoot a propane tank?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-shoot-a-propane-tank/589207>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 16, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-shoot-a-propane-tank/589207 "2011-07-16T01:44:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Darth\_Ayebaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darth_ayebaw/32/9870_2.png) [@Darth\_Ayebaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Ayebaw)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-shoot-a-propane-tank/589207/41 "2011-07-18T00:13:42Z")

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Guess that makes sense. Seen it before in other videos of explosions too.

Has anyone tried shooting through multiple propane tanks? I mean a solitary one may not go off, but put a round into the back of a truck so it goes through a couple of them… might that make a difference?

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**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-shoot-a-propane-tank/589207/42 "2011-07-18T04:06:55Z")

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oxy/acetylyn tanks do run amuck.

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-shoot-a-propane-tank/589207/43 "2011-07-18T05:10:12Z")

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Subscribe to this thread, and come Thanksgiving, I’ll perform some experiments: multiple tanks, different rounds, different angles, maybe hit one with a tracer round, and post the results.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-shoot-a-propane-tank/589207/44 "2011-07-18T12:21:05Z")

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Dude, you have an **interesting** Thanksgiving dinner planned!

😃

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**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-shoot-a-propane-tank/589207/45 "2011-07-18T15:52:58Z")

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> [@Raguleader](#):
>
> What about once I make the gas leak, and some foolish mook on the other side pulls the trigger again? Will his weapon firing generate a spark that could ignite a propane leak?

I don’t know what I am doing wrong, but my bullets don’t spark. I’ve seen how bullets “should” spark from televisions and movies, but mine don’t do that. So, no.

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