Kirby vacuum question....

[insulinpumpuser]

Hi, all. I have a strange question. My friend David wants me to find him a later model Kirby vacuum with the attachments. He love guns and I was wondering what would happen if somebody accidently sucked up a bullet when using the attachments.. What would happen???.....Bill in Az....

 

[urarachu]

Hmmmmm....

If it was something small, like a bebe...nothing most likely.

If it was a larger bullet...well it could break the plastic fan...or the bullet could explode from the impact against the fan and really do some inner damage...

Best thing to do is look before you vacuum

 

[tolivac]

Bullets and the Kirby-If the fan hit the primer in a centerfire cartridge could in theory set the round off-but unlikely.A rimfire cartridge like a .22 could go off if the fan hit the rim of the cartridge.When cartridges go off "outside" the gun they are much less of a hazard.--but lets not hit them or throw them into the fire.Most of the time in tests of setting off cartridges outside the gun's chamber the bullet may not even leave the cartridge case-the case splits and vents the pressure.The brass case cannot hold the pressure by itself-it needs the guns chamber to hold the pressure and the guns barrel to serve as a "combustion chamber" to burn the powder.then the bullet of course is VERY dangerous.I have picked up shotgun shells in my Kirby-and they hit the motor shaft and go no further-they are too big to get past the shaft.I would not recommend picking up shells or live ammo.If you are a reloader-I have done it-you don't want ANY vac picking up a live primer.the primer could go off and ignite dust in the bag.the roller brush or contact with the fan could set off a live primer.That is the cap like metal part you insert into the pocket of a centerfire case --it ignites the powder when hit by the guns firing pin.Packages of primers are also dangerous-they must be handled carefully-a primer explosion isn't pleasent.Som etimes primer feed tubes on reloading presses make me nervus.When they jam--

 

[compactc9]

I have also seen many Kirbys with fan chambers that had a "blow out" where things have gone straight through the fan chamber.

 

[tolivac]

I have seen Kirby fancases cracked by an object-but is quite rare-the fan usually breaks first.On one vac at the vac hospital out here-saw a ProFlite 24" upright that has a plastic fancase-but the motor has a huge cast metal fan-the fan was OK but a biug HOLE in the plastic fancase-guessed whatever it hit could have flown towards the operators face!!Must ahve hit a pebble or a screw or coin.Plastic fancases make me Nervous.I have seen MANY broken Sanitaire and Hoover fancases.Plastic is sure NOT a good fan or fancase material.