Fireworks.........

[Marinevet1]

Back in the day when I was 12,13 years old........there was a little liquor store that around the 4th of July, sold fireworks..............this was maybe 1967, 1968.........I may be off a year or two + or -............

The liquor store was about 5 miles on the highway..........but at the time we only had bicycles ...........so we had to take mostly back roads.........but there was some highway involved. Granted this was in the mid 1960's, and on a two lane U.S. highway in the middle of no where the traffic was not a problem........

I have no idea what the legal aspect of these fireworks were at the time, but they were not "advertised".........you had to ask for them.............but at 12-13 years.........money talked..............

Silver Salutes...........$8.00, 1/2 gross .........Cherry Bombs........$10.00, 1/2 gross...........M80's.........$12.00, 1/2 gross............these were the real deal..........marked "For Pest Control Only"...........made in the USA..............we had a great time ........there were some mail boxes that suffered, so I was told..........and we celebrated the 4th of July like Americans used to do..............and I still have all my fingers.........

Fireworks stories................bring em.................

































































=

 

[NH4X]

^^^^It ain't about fireworks but funny none the less ^^^^......also, if one should get the not so bright idea to see what happens when firecrackers and runny cow shit are mixed.......stand back,not the usual back.....way back

Edit : When seeing the O P ,the first thing I thought of was the above video. Now, I'd be willing to bet that the only reason that cat didn't leave the ass painting with a firecracker stuck in it's ass and lit ,is because they were to poor to have any firecrackers.........y'all know he was wishing he had some to finish of his masterpiece..... Boys will be boys

 

[OldSalty2]

Prices are outrageous these days. 50 bucks for a decent size multi-shot.

Use to spend quite a bit on them but can't justify the cost anymore....

 

[MrSmith]

About the same time frame. BlackCat firecrackers came in the long string that you unwound to separate. They also came in boxes, about 15 or so to a box, lined up single file. These had better fuses, a lot like reduced diameter cannon fuse. These were the good kind. However a lesson learned was if you twisted three fuses together to throw the group into a hollow tree the twisted fuse burned about three times as fast and the resulting early explosion made your fingers hurt for a couple of days, but it didn't slow down the firecracker flinging. You just got faster. Someone else must remember the little boxes of BlackCats.

Supposedly if one were to lay out a strip of duct tape and pour BB's on it, stick 'em down, then wrap this tape around an M80 you would get what I've heard was known as an Ash Can. Supposedly when lit and chunked into one of the 30 gallon metal garbage cans so common at the time it would render the can rather unusable, supposedly.

Later on I got my powder license and gave up on the fireworks. Still have all my fingers as well.

Thank you,
MrSmith

 

[MediumSpeed]

Used to ride BART as a 12/13 year old from Oakland to SF and buy firecrackers and barrel bombs in Chinatown. We had epic firecracker wars - had one go off in my hand, hurt like shit but I was holding loose enough that I kept my fingers - good times

 

[n2ishun]

I heard from a friend who heard from his uncle that heard from his ex girlfriends father inlaw that there was a time a while back that some C4 went missing from the armory at Aberdeen Proving grounds.
Now the armory is not where they usually kept stuff like that so the fact it went missing was never noticed.
I hear tell the box of initiators was a trade for illicit materials....but who am I to know ?
I know everyone here never noticed the empty 55 gallon drums set out as trash cans in the most strange remote places on some military bases.
So, what happens if you invert said trash can with a blob about the size of a golf ball or so stuck to the inside ?
Seems the trash cans have a pretty decent B.C., although the trajectory does leave a little smoke trail.
But, this is just something I heard from some guy, who heard it from some other guy, who heard it from someone else....what would I know ?
I did hear that there was some real head scratching going on about a bunch of ballooned trash cans in the most remote places of that base.
I wonder how that happened ?

 

[Llatikcuf]

Late 80's a friend and I went to Boom City on the reservation just outside of Everett WA. Walked up to a booth and asked the guy if he had M80's. He said "Are you guys cops?" We said no. He started hauling stuff out "I have M80's M100's M250's M400's......... Then he pulled out what looked like a stick of dynamite "...and M600's." He held the M600 and said "Now this IS dangerous !"

 

[rhsc]

Back in the early 80's, during holidays me and a few friends would drive across the river in S. Texas (this was long before all the border controls we have now) and look for an old Mexican guy who made his own fireworks. His "bottle rockets" were about 3 feet long and had a motor that was about the size of half a stick of dynamite. They were fast and had a VERY loud report. Incidentally, the old Mexican was missing a few fingers and seemed to have permanent burn stains on his hands - hazard of the trade I suppose.

So one 4th of July, we picked up a bunch of those rockets and went out to a semi-rural property to launch them. They were impressive as ever. On one occasion, I got the idea to see just how powerful the explosive charge was, so grabbed an empty 5-gallon plastic bucket out of my truck. I broke off the stick, stuck the rocket upside down in some soft dirt, then lit the fuse, set the bucket over it upside down and stepped back a good ways. The rocket spewed like you would expect, causing the bucket to dance around a little bit, but the rocket stayed confined. However, when the charge exploded, the bucket split in half down to (up to?) the bottom and flew about 50 feet straight up. Where the bucket had sat, there was a hole in the ground about 2 feet in diameter and 8 inches deep.

I'm guessing that these days, those rockets would be classified as a destructive device. In any case, they were a pretty good value at .25 cents each. Fun times!

 

[aishooternz]

A friend that did professional fireworks displays used to go with a bunch of mates to Valencia in Spain for the religious/fireworks festivals. They were fairly loose when it came to fireworks apparently back in the 80s 90s at least. Anyway they buy a shit load of maroons (great big fuck off bangers almost as big as a coke can) and proceed to a road tunnel and start letting these things off having a whale of a time, one of the guys has a plastic bag full of maroons hanging off his wrist and was standing at the entrance of the tunnel throwing them in. He, for some reason, was holding them in the same hand as the bag lighting them swapping hands and tossing them in anyway he fumbled and dropped a lit maroon into the open bag, everyone legged it away from the tunnel expecting him to slip the bag off and toss it away, instead he opted to drop to a squat and hold his arm away from his body and shut his eyes. The inevitable happened there was a huge bang and he disappeared in a huge cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared and he was nowhere to be seen, for a moment they actually thought he'd blown himself to smithereens until they heard whimpering in some bushes by the road.. they followed the noise and found him still squatting with his arm still extended behind him, all he would say was is my arm still there I don't want to look, fortunately it was fine just a bit red skinned from a flash burn but otherwise unscathed.

They told me the story when we were on the piss after I helped out on one of his displays at a university in the middle of the quad , we started it with a few tiger fires, big silent green ground flares, all students were giving it the oohs and ahhs and generally taking the piss, just as they were dying they set off half a dozen of these maroons, I've never seen so many people jump in unison it definitely got their attention.

 

[Maggot]

The farm I grew up on had some black tenant farmers who lived on the back side and helped dad out. They only had an outhouse. One day my cousin and i were out fucking around with some cherry bombs and saw the old lady go into the outhouse. We snuck up behind it and dropped a lit cherry bomb into a knot hole dropping it into the shit. When it went off there was a shriek and the old lady came running out with shit all up her back side. Never heard anymore about it.

 

[Hoyter87]

Here's a fireworks story for ya, with a bit of a warning for your kids or grandkids.

Last 4th of July, we had our usual family/friends party. About 60 people. We have started the evening fireworks off with a round of those paper balloons that inflate and float away followed by an artillery barrage of about twenty kids with roman candles trying to shoot it down. One adult lights the balloons, another adult walks down the firing line with a torch lighting up the kids Roman candles. Anyway, it's a riot. Imagine 20 kids trying to shoot down a paper balloon as it flies away.

After we failed to shoot down the balloon in round 1, my nephew showed me where the "good" Roman candles were hidden. My older bro, his 8 yr old son and I all reached for a package of three Roman candles at the same time. So round 2, I was the adult lighting up the kids Roman candles one by one. I light all the kids up. Light mine up. My Roman candle shoots high into the air and reports about like an M80. 8 shots total. One shot goes off, two shots go off, three shots go off. Fourth shot fizzles in the Roman candle tube for about a .25 seconds. I start to look down in that quarter second and watch my hand explode. No time to react or drop it.

Now it's about 9:30, and so I have to shine the torch over to my right hand to see the damage. Immediately missing two of my fingers on my dominant hand. My pinky was amputated above the first digit so I have about 1/3rd of it left. My ring finger sheared from the force of the explosion but left a degloved mid phalanx bone cocked at a ridiculous angle. It split my entire right palm open about 4", broken(but nondisplaced thank God) bones in my middle finger and middle metacarpal.

I said oh shit guys, this is probably a hospital trip. We looked for my fingers but they were just pieces. So on to the ER. I tried to convince the nurse to just sew up my nubs and let's call it a day. They sent me to 4 hours of reconstructive surgery. Then I had another reconstructive surgery in December.

At the end of the day it sucks to lose some fingers to a fucking Roman candle but the perspective, humility, and wisdom gained from this event has made it almost worth it. Sounds weird to say but I think I'm better for it.
No worries I still have my trigger finger and I have actually sped up at steel challenge. I'm about to hit M class in RFRO and RFPO. Mind over matter gentleman.

Also don't let any kids hold Roman candles. Two guys after me in the ER had no hand from those fucking things.

 

[Maggot]

Here's a fireworks story for ya, with a bit of a warning for your kids or grandkids.

Last 4th of July, we had our usual family/friends party. About 60 people. We have started the evening fireworks off with a round of those paper balloons that inflate and float away followed by an artillery barrage of about twenty kids with roman candles trying to shoot it down. One adult lights the balloons, another adult walks down the firing line with a torch lighting up the kids Roman candles. Anyway, it's a riot. Imagine 20 kids trying to shoot down a paper balloon as it flies away.

After we failed to shoot down the balloon in round 1, my nephew showed me where the "good" Roman candles were hidden. My older bro, his 8 yr old son and I all reached for a package of three Roman candles at the same time. So round 2, I was the adult lighting up the kids Roman candles one by one. I light all the kids up. Light mine up. My Roman candle shoots high into the air and reports about like an M80. 8 shots total. One shot goes off, two shots go off, three shots go off. Fourth shot fizzles in the Roman candle tube for about a .25 seconds. I start to look down in that quarter second and watch my hand explode. No time to react or drop it.

Now it's about 9:30, and so I have to shine the torch over to my right hand to see the damage. Immediately missing two of my fingers on my dominant hand. My pinky was amputated above the first digit so I have about 1/3rd of it left. My ring finger sheared from the force of the explosion but left a degloved mid phalanx bone cocked at a ridiculous angle. It split my entire right palm open about 4", broken(but nondisplaced thank God) bones in my middle finger and middle metacarpal.

I said oh shit guys, this is probably a hospital trip. We looked for my fingers but they were just pieces. So on to the ER. I tried to convince the nurse to just sew up my nubs and let's call it a day. They sent me to 4 hours of reconstructive surgery. Then I had another reconstructive surgery in December.

At the end of the day it sucks to lose some fingers to a fucking Roman candle but the perspective, humility, and wisdom gained from this event has made it almost worth it. Sounds weird to say but I think I'm better for it.
No worries I still have my trigger finger and I have actually sped up at steel challenge. I'm about to hit M class in RFRO and RFPO. Mind over matter gentleman.

Also don't let any kids hold Roman candles. Two guys after me in the ER had no hand from those fucking things.

Ask yourself where theyre made. Might not be an accident.

 

[GreenGO Juan]

For someone with out a license these are some of the best commercially available, IMO. Got a hold of some two years ago that were 6” and banged harder than these, cant remember what they were. Hopefully all goes well this year. I always pop off a few, still have eyes fingers and toes.

Growing up my mom worked at a fireworks stand on the 4th and new years. We could purchase personal at cost and used to go nuts, we always had fireworks laying around the house.

Good times!

 

[db2000]

I’m not affiliated with these guys but a neighbor orders from them each year.
Made in Las Vegas not Chyna. Cheaper than most “outlet stores” although you’re still gonna drop a grand at least if you want to impress anyone

Buy Fireworks Online | Red Apple® Fireworks

Buy online & get them shipped to your home! Red Apple Fireworks offers a wide range of big and small fireworks and accessories. Buy online and get your fireworks delivered to your door.

www.redapplefireworks.com

 

[Hoyter87]

Ask yourself where theyre made. Might not be an accident

My head has been down a lot of dark paths in attempts to rationalize and process what happened. I will never know what caused the Roman candle to spontaneously explode after functioning normally for three shots. It could've gotten wet state side during unloading and shipping. It could've been pinched internally from compression of stacking too many boxes on top of each other. It could've been some devious child factory worker from a distant land.

I posted my story so other folks can avoid what happened to me. It wasn't fun, mentally or physically.

I don't have anything against fireworks and I don't get triggered or anything like that. Truth is, I thank God this happened to me and no one else that evening. Truly hope I can save some of y'all's family members or yourselves the same fate.

 

[powdahound76]

In my 20’s, the VFD launched the fireworks.


Nothing like blasting 30k in big stuff for about 10 minutes.
Wore plugs and muffs being that close.
Everything was hand signals.
And lit by hand.

Once “wired up” and connected everything for the 180 shot grand finale.

Was fun to lay right below about 40’ from the launch and watch it go.

 

[Maser]

Only pussies buy fireworks. Real men make them.

 

[LeftyJason]

 

[theLBC]

my dad used to say "fireworks is burning money" and every year my uncle art would save the day and bring over his family along with a big box of fireworks before it got dark. looking back, i have to believe my dad knew my uncle was going to rescue the holiday for us every year, lol.
this was before there were lots of public displays at local stadiums and such to go watch.

 

[BufordTJustice]

Not to be a Karen...As dry as it is here in Texas, I hope people realize the danger and take precautions.

 

[Maser]

Not to be a Karen...As dry as it is here in Texas, I hope people realize the danger and take precautions.

And we all know how the authorities in Uvalde take precautions.

 

[BufordTJustice]

And we all know how the authorities in Uvalde take precautions.

I didn"t say.."Not to be a COWARD..." Not complaining about fireworks, just don"t want the fires. Resources are stretched thin as it is.

 

[buffalowinter]

 

[roostercogburn98]

Snakes and sparklers is all we allow here as well

 

[aishooternz]

Snakes and sparklers is all we allow here as well

We aren't even allowed to say the f word here

 

[n2ishun]

For those that are creative and know a few recipes (and I *think* they have some recipes on this site?).
I present the toy store

Skylighter - Pyrotechnic Chemicals and Supplies, Sparklers, Fireworks

Fireworks supplies, pyrotechnic chemicals, fireworks fuse, fireworks shells parts, rocket tubes and wedding sparklers shipped to you same day.

www.skylighter.com

 

[tomcatmv]

Well a judge outlawed them here in Bell Co. because of our drought conditions.

 

[kriller134]

Snakes and sparklers is all we allow here as well

Hooskerdoos hooskerdon’ts

 

[roostercogburn98]

Hooskerdoos hooskerdon’ts

Straight from his memoir

 

[MrSmith]

Snakes and sparklers is all we allow here as well

But always pay attention. Sparklers can start a dry field on fire just as quick as any other firework. 100 feet up, burns through the kite string and POOF, up goes the field.

Thank you,
MrSmith

 

[roostercogburn98]

But always pay attention. Sparklers can start a dry field on fire just as quick as any other firework. 100 feet up, burns through the kite string and POOF, up goes the field.

Thank you,
MrSmith

Wanna see where my kids almost burned my shop down the other night with shit just like this!!!!!

 

[tomcatmv]

Yeah, most of central Texas is dryer than a popcorn's fart right now. We did get some rain night before last when some T-storms rolled through but not nearly enough to wet things down.
I've seen the destruction wildfires can do when I lived up in the Northwest for a while.
This AO is a tinder box, so yes people use some common sense, even though I know that's in short supply.

 

[roostercogburn98]

But always pay attention. Sparklers can start a dry field on fire just as quick as any other firework. 100 feet up, burns through the kite string and POOF, up goes the field.

Thank you,
MrSmith

Here is the aftermath. They had finished playing and put all the trash in a box, so they were at least considerate enough to clean up. They just didn’t anticipate the leftover trash having some heat and flame hiding in there. The flames climbed the rope for the only manual door in the shop, what luck. I’m just glad it didn’t get higher. If they would have placed it at any of the other 5 doors, it wouldn’t have had the rope to climb on

 

[tomcatmv]

That'll buff right out

 

[theLBC]

Snakes and sparklers is all we allow here as well

same here in southern california, but patriots started ignoring this en mass after they locked us up for covid.

 

[Rthur]

Been a while but here it is.
A local man worked at Fiat-Allis.
Someone may have cut a cannon on a large lathe.
Someone may have shot beer cans filled with rocks across the ballfield on the 4th.
Btw, they weren't tight in the bore.
Someone may have turned a ball that fit well.
Same load.
Boom...
Where the hell did that go?
It went though 7 walls at the lumber yard, through the back of a house, through the old fridge and knocked a poor old sumbitch outa his chair.
He thought his propane fridge had blown up.
Carried that ball the rest of his life.
Btw, his name was Luckybug...

R

 

[roostercogburn98]

same here in southern california, but patriots started ignoring this en mass after they locked us up for covid.

I work in SC on fridays. They get the good shit, and scattered rain throughout the 4th here will make it easier to launch stuff.

 

[Huskydriver]

Through a grenade in a 50ft well once....

 

[roostercogburn98]

Through a grenade in a 50ft well once....

I threw some in houses once hahahah and fished with one or ten once

 

[Huskydriver]

I threw some in houses once hahahah and fished with one or ten once

I mean...there was a rotting dead dog at the bottom of the well floating in the water... Seemed like the easiest way to get it out....

 

[roostercogburn98]

I mean...there was a rotting dead dog at the bottom of the well floating in the water... Seemed like the easiest way to get it out....

View attachment 7903107

Seems like a perfectly logical reason. I had a great uncle who went to jail for fishing with an old electric crank

 

[Thorny]

 

[Srgt. Hulka]

Here is the aftermath. They had finished playing and put all the trash in a box, so they were at least considerate enough to clean up. They just didn’t anticipate the leftover trash having some heat and flame hiding in there. The flames climbed the rope for the only manual door in the shop, what luck. I’m just glad it didn’t get higher. If they would have placed it at any of the other 5 doors, it wouldn’t have had the rope to climb on View attachment 7902457View attachment 7902458

I never clean my mess up that night, I don't care what the neighbors think. I always wait until the next morning to pick up my fireworks mess. I just leave it in the driveway. If I put it all in the trash can that night, I'm always afraid I will do just what happened here, a lingering spark will ignite the trashcan and possibly the house.

 

[roostercogburn98]

I never clean my mess up that night, I don't care what the neighbors think. I always wait until the next morning to pick up my fireworks mess. I just leave it in the driveway. If I put it all in the trash can that night, I'm always afraid I will do just what happened here, a lingering spark will ignite the trashcan and possibly the house.

Same here, we have a blacktop basketball court in front of the shop we usually leave everything on until later. I think it was just because they didn’t want me to come out and see the trash to why the picked it up. We’ll see if they pick up on that this year when I leave all the leftovers out all night

 

[HeavyAssault]

This sort of thing happened to me twice now....years apart. The story goes like this:

We decide to spend a bit more money. Let's get some mortars!! Sounds cool. We decide on a package deal, roll home happy Americans. Start launching the mortars, these things are legit! Good thump on launch, nice boom with all the pretty sparkles and colors. OOHHHHs...AHHHs from the family. Aren't we proud, we did good this year.
Now we been at this for maybe 5-10 launches now.....let's keep going ww got more to launch. In goes the mortar ball (whatever it's called), light the fuse, drop back to the "safe spot"......Sort of a REALLY weird thump ......Gee that's odd .....why does the ball look like it's hovering 2" over the end of the tube .....

BBBBOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM .....HOLY FUCKING SHIT ....everyone is diving for cover ...Sparkles are at flying out at chest/waist level if you are standing, head height if you are seated.....WTF happened????

Seems if you launch too many out the same tube there's an ++%%% increased chance that you burn a small hole (if even a pencil sized hole) in the side the tube hence the launch pressure vents and the ball gets ZERO altitude out the tube end.
We found this out twice now ....Seems as there are some packs that have a "better" fiberglass (or whatever Chinese material) tube to help prevent the holes. Thank god we weren't heading to the ER on either incident.

 

[LeftyJason]

This sort of thing happened to me twice now....years apart. The story goes like this:

We decide to spend a bit more money. Let's get some mortars!! Sounds cool. We decide on a package deal, roll home happy Americans. Start launching the mortars, these things are legit! Good thump on launch, nice boom with all the pretty sparkles and colors. OOHHHHs...AHHHs from the family. Aren't we proud, we did good this year.
Now we been at this for maybe 5-10 launches now.....let's keep going ww got more to launch. In goes the mortar ball (whatever it's called), light the fuse, drop back to the "safe spot"......Sort of a REALLY weird thump ......Gee that's odd .....why does the ball look like it's hovering 2" over the end of the tube .....

BBBBOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM .....HOLY FUCKING SHIT ....everyone is diving for cover ...Sparkles are at flying out at chest/waist level if you are standing, head height if you are seated.....WTF happened????

Seems if you launch too many out the same tube there's an ++%%% increased chance that you burn a small hole (if even a pencil sized hole) in the side the tube hence the launch pressure vents and the ball gets ZERO altitude out the tube end.
We found this out twice now ....Seems as there are some packs that have a "better" fiberglass (or whatever Chinese material) tube to help prevent the holes. Thank god we weren't heading to the ER on either incident.

Make your own tube. Steel won't blow out.

Have wanted to make my own tube for years after my mailman BIL showed what you can do with a thick cardboard shrink wrap tube, 20oz bottles, dry ice, and a tennis ball. Sized based off of the tennis ball so it falls freely. Or at least make a stand for the cardboard tube.

 

[HeavyAssault]

While I have a liability policy, I'm not wanting to use it.

 

[roostercogburn98]

This sort of thing happened to me twice now....years apart. The story goes like this:

We decide to spend a bit more money. Let's get some mortars!! Sounds cool. We decide on a package deal, roll home happy Americans. Start launching the mortars, these things are legit! Good thump on launch, nice boom with all the pretty sparkles and colors. OOHHHHs...AHHHs from the family. Aren't we proud, we did good this year.
Now we been at this for maybe 5-10 launches now.....let's keep going ww got more to launch. In goes the mortar ball (whatever it's called), light the fuse, drop back to the "safe spot"......Sort of a REALLY weird thump ......Gee that's odd .....why does the ball look like it's hovering 2" over the end of the tube .....

BBBBOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM .....HOLY FUCKING SHIT ....everyone is diving for cover ...Sparkles are at flying out at chest/waist level if you are standing, head height if you are seated.....WTF happened????

Seems if you launch too many out the same tube there's an ++%%% increased chance that you burn a small hole (if even a pencil sized hole) in the side the tube hence the launch pressure vents and the ball gets ZERO altitude out the tube end.
We found this out twice now ....Seems as there are some packs that have a "better" fiberglass (or whatever Chinese material) tube to help prevent the holes. Thank god we weren't heading to the ER on either incident.

Drop two or three shells daisy chained together in the same tube. Guaranteed fun for everyone around

 

[tomcatmv]

Same here, we have a blacktop basketball court in front of the shop we usually leave everything on until later. I think it was just because they didn’t want me to come out and see the trash to why the picked it up. We’ll see if they pick up on that this year when I leave all the leftovers out all night

Do y'all not have a garden hose to wet shit down?

 

[loboman7x57]

Started kind of small when fireworks became legal in Michigan, the show gets a bit bigger every year. My in-laws have a cabin in northern Michigan on a couple hundred acre lake. They all chip in and my wife and I purchase all the fireworks and I do the show. A bit over 2 grand worth this year. The neighbors all love it and we have a bunch of boats lined up out on the lake to watch. Lasts about 40-45 minutes. Bought a remote control ignition system and if it works right I'll get to sit up on the hill pushing buttons and watching this year instead of being right under them with a propane torch.