How to open a propane tank?

In past times, I've made a few coal fired forges using a stainless quarter barrel.
 
Phosphorus tip tracers will ignite anything they strike or pass through. We had a member in our club had some shotgun tracer rounds , ended up starting a grass fire out on the edge of the trap field. I'd also think the tungsten rounds would ignite a gas tank.
 
I have a pellet rifle that would lite it up, but I make my own pellets o_O
 
well, it seems that shooting the tank from a distance might be safer than twisting off the cap and having it blow up in the air (or somewhere else) like one person reported in this post.
 
For forge shells, I prefer to use helium party balloon tanks that people leave on the curb for the garbage truck. These are pretty safe when empty, and it is easy to make sure that they are empty. For the small propane tanks, they can be emptied with a torch head. When the flame is useless, there is almost no propane left. I just cut the top off with a hacksaw. Go real slow at the end, not so much to avoid an explosion, but to avoid that disgusting smelling puff of gas that comes out. I still have to find a good use for these things, but if you cut off the tops you can throw them in the recycling bin (otherwise not allowed).
 
7.62 Nato tracers at 250 yards min.
 
I used my 9 mm today at about 35m. First shot nearly deadcenter. Lots of spray but nothing dramatic. When I went to carry it back, more smelly gasses came out from bottom; still smelly hours later; IMO much much safer to shoot from distance with non tracer rounds than try to unscrew the cap yourself. Or better yet, get a helium party tank as suggested.

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SE18 said:
I used my 9 mm today at about 35m. First shot nearly deadcenter. Lots of spray but nothing dramatic. When I went to carry it back, more smelly gasses came out from bottom; still smelly hours later; IMO much much safer to shoot from distance with non tracer rounds than try to unscrew the cap yourself. Or better yet, get a helium party tank as suggested.
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(guess it was 20 yrs USMC training, though I wasn't a crack shot)
 
dlane said:
I have a pellet rifle that would lite it up, but I make my own pellets o_O
Click to expand...
When I was a teenager I used to make incendiary pellets from strike anywhere matches! Oh the fun to be had....
 
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