Whipper Snappers!

[Rubycon]

Does anyone know what's inside these things?

In case you're wondering what I am talking about these are those little round things with a tail that are packed in sawdust. When thrown on the floor or squeezed they explode with a snap.

 

[BMdoobieW]

Whipper snappers are young'ns.

 

[NiteWulf]

Black powder, sawdust, and gravel, as far as I can tell...

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: NiteWulf
Black powder, sawdust, and gravel, as far as I can tell...

Black powder smokes and would ignite if heated though. These don't do that. Looks like a spitball filled with rocks.

 

[slpaulson]

I imagine the same stuff those caps are made out of for toy guns (if they even make those anymore).

Or if you've ever seen those snapping ball things you can win at arcades.

 

[Rubycon]

One of the theater guys onboard had this to say:

"These are called called "torpedos" in the pyro field, contain quartz gravel which has been coated with a minute amount of silver fulminate. They are not really practical to make yourself unless you have access to lots of chemicals and labware, and even then would be rather unsafe."

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: C6FT7

Originally posted by: NiteWulf
Black powder, sawdust, and gravel, as far as I can tell...

Black powder smokes and would ignite if heated though. These don't do that. Looks like a spitball filled with rocks.

I used to light some of those snaps with a lighter and they would snap they too, also could get them to snap if you grind one between your thumb and index finger.

 

[Sean D]

I used to throw them at my younger sister's feet. Good times.

 

[Rubycon]

Slipping them through the gap in the doors of the freight elevator is fun. The top of the car is a mesh and you can see people below. They hear a pop and hear stuff falling and most say "Oh sh!t! What the hell was that?" :evil:

 

[xSkyDrAx]

One time a bunch of friends and I were unwrapping them and piling it up on napkins to make larger versions of those whipper snappers on his kitchen table. We were on the verge of making the largest one yet but I guess there was too much friction and it just exploded right there. Very loud, rocks all over the place. Good stuff.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: xSkyDrAx
One time a bunch of friends and I were unwrapping them and piling it up on napkins to make larger versions of those whipper snappers on his kitchen table. We were on the verge of making the largest one yet but I guess there was too much friction and it just exploded right there. Very loud, rocks all over the place. Good stuff.

For clustering to achieve greater potential, try shotshell primers (for example CCI 109) in bundles of 100. They are in packs to keep them away from one another and when sat in the ramp on a reloader they are all together. The chain reaction effect is quite well known if they are touching one another and one goes off.

These are good to have around for all sorts of tactics. Putting several in the bottom of an oven is fun. When the chef requests the oven to be preheated they will go off and nobody knows when. Ever. Open air discharge of primers is about as loud as a typical black cat firecracker. Shrapnel damage factor is low however if you smack them with a hammer you increase the risk much higher! A wrist rocket can propel them with sufficient velocity to initiate immediate detonation upon contact with a hard surface such as masonry.