The invention concerns the field of ammunitions equipped with their fuze, found on the battlefield. Such ammunitions represent a major pyrotechnic risk. The problem consists in destroying the fuze so as to be able to dismantle said ammunition. The method consists in placing said ammunition (1) in a closed chamber (5) to carry out at least once the following cycle: depressurizing the chamber (5), dissolving the fuze (2) of the ammunition (1) with a liquid corrosive agent, drawing off the gaseous effluents towards an auxiliary chamber (7), reopening the chamber (5) after dissolving the fuze (2), removing the ammunition (1), recovering the mixture resulting from the attack of the fuze (2) by the liquid corrosive agent (6) and treating it by pyrolysis.

Apparatus and methods are provided for purging an airlock cavity created between the airlock access door and the primary explosion chamber opening sealing mechanism. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an airlock device is used to ensure that, in the event toxins are released from the primary explosion chamber opening sealing means, the toxins are properly handled and are not inadvertently released into the atmosphere. In one embodiment, negative pressure is used to vacuum the entrained air within the airlock cavity subsequent to an explosion. To facilitate the sweeping and exhausting of the cavity, an orifice in the access door may be operable to allow the flow of ambient air through the airlock access door.