M-100 (explosive) explained

M-100s are a class of powerful firecrackers commonly called salutes.

Description

M-100s generally consist of a cardboard tube 2-1/8" x 3/4". Colors may vary. They contain 10 to 15 grams of flash powder that is ignited via a visco fuse positioned in the center or side of the tube.[1]

In the United States, M-100s are illegal to manufacture, possess, and sell without a proper license, and are regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).[1] M-100s were first banned by the Child Protection Act of 1966.[2]

Accidents

In 1983, an explosion at a secret unlicensed fireworks factory manufacturing M-80 and M-100 fireworks near Benton, Tennessee, killed eleven, injured one, and inflicted damage within a radius of several miles.[3] The operation was by far the largest-known illegal fireworks operation in US history, and the initial blast was heard as far away as from the site.[3]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fact Sheet - Illegal Explosive Devices. . May 2019. atf.gov. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 2020-09-10.
  2. Web site: Banned Illegal Explosives. . americanpyro.com. American Pyrotechnics Association. 2020-09-10.
  3. Web site: Fireworks suspect charged with deaths . . May 30, 1983 . news.google.com . The Spokesman-Review . April 19, 2013.