Shiloh
Posts:582
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| 01 Oct 2012 10:39 AM |
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This past weekend I was at my sutlery laughing about some things people had done & one of the guys told about a couple of kids that he knew that had recently got a can of dad’s black powder. They decided to test the Hollywood method we all know to set off the kegs of powder, so they took the can and gently poured a trail of a couple of a few feet out leading up to the half-emptied can. One of them was standing over the can with the intent of waiting until the last second to get out of the way as the sputtering flame tracked along the trail while the other one lit the match and prepared to start the trail. Well, as we know, black powder is classified as an EXPLOSSIVE and not a mere combustible. So, the instant the match touched the trail’s start, the entire trail ignited in a nano-second and hit the can igniting that as well. Luckily the can being open it did not have the compression required to detonate like a bomb, but it ignited much I imagine like a blank cannon charge which is about what a non-compressed half-pound of powder is used for. The result left the startled boys according to the description he gave through tears of side-splitting laughter looking like a couple of smoking “Buckwheats.”
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
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Spike2
Posts:276
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| 01 Oct 2012 06:01 PM |
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I shouldn't be laughing but that is quite a visual! Some cheap education in explosives thats for sure. |
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cshep
Posts:66
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| 01 Oct 2012 11:29 PM |
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Like what Spike2 said, the description of the two kids is hilarious .....In my mind... The two smoking buckwheats are standing there big eyed looking at one another, and the one still holding a lit match. I am still laughing just thinking about it. I am glad no one got hurt. |
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grandpops
Posts:428
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| 02 Oct 2012 03:36 AM |
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As I'm sitting here snickering over your tale, I'm reminded of a similar incident, I must tell on myself. Several years ago I was preparing for a NRA Muzzle Loading Instructor class that we put on for new BSA instructors. As part of this class I normally provide a demonstration of the difference in burn rates of different grinds of black powder and modern smokeless powder. Normally I ignite the small trails of powder with a long fireplace match. That year I thought (first mistake) it would make for a cooler demonstration to ignite the powder with flint and steel. So first trying it out at home, the weekend prior to the class, as I struck the flint and steel together, I realized my hands where too close to the powder as the sparks ignited the 4f black powder. I still had bandages on my hands the following weekend as I demonstrated to the class with a fireplace match. |
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| Fred, Cleburne, Tx.
NRA Life Member, NAHC Life Member, DU, USN Vet, NRA Certified Instructor
"A gun is like a parachute.
If you need one, and don't have one,
you'll probably never need one again." |
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gutpile
Posts:557
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| 02 Oct 2012 06:39 AM |
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Don't smoke around blackpowder BTDT and it wasn't fun. |
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| Liberals Negate Darwinian Theory
Kishel's Scent and Lures www.kishelscents.com |
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Shiloh
Posts:582
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| 02 Oct 2012 09:46 AM |
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I am just so dern lucky I never got my hands on black powder as a kid. I got some RS Pyrodex once and tinkered with making tennis-ball bombs complete with a cartoonish-looking cannon fuse wick. Each attempt it just "WHOOSH!" burned fast and one time after I decided it needed compression and wrapped it in duct-tape it shot off like a rocket as the burning powder spewed out the tiny wick hole. I shudder today to think what I'd have done with a tennis ball full of 4F. Ah yes, proof again that God does indeed look out for dumb kids or none of us would have lived to breed. grandpops, isn't it funny how your brain can have complete long-winded detailed thoughts in a micro-instant as you are doing something? I experienced that at gunsmithing school as I stuck my finger to the front of an A-5 bolt and pulled the trigger to test to see if the firing pin protruded instead of taking the time to use the protrusion gauge. In the milisecond it took the sear to disengage and the pin to snap forward I had a detailed 30 minute long classroom lecture in my head explain to me why that was not a good idea - and then the searing pain hit me as that thing notified me that yes indeed it protruded hard and fast and deep enough to dent a 209 primer or a finger tip full of tender nerve endings.  |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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Two Tales
Posts:214
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| 02 Oct 2012 05:48 PM |
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| Two Tales
Around the ragged edge on the rim of reality!
LM, DAV, Ret USN, Chief Instructor CE/FS, NRA Instructor |
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Steve
Posts:1838
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| 02 Oct 2012 06:08 PM |
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We had some waterproof fuse material that one of the guys got ahold of. That's how we got the idea of fishing with pipebombs. I won't go into details publicly about how we made 'em but we figured they'd be underwater so no sound. Well that was true for a few seconds....  Brought some nice eatin' fish to the surface though.  |
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| Due to the high cost and unavailability of ammo today do not expect to get a warning shot!! |
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Shiloh
Posts:582
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| 02 Oct 2012 08:48 PM |
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The fishing story reminded me of my dad telling a tale from his youth. He lived on the bluffs of the Cumberland River above Nashville and said these 2 old black men fished along the bluff a lot and he and the kids were aware of them and friendly with them. Anyway, one day the 2 men had a generator in the boat, he said was probably military surplus (this was the 1950s) and the men told the kids on the bank they were about to electrocute the fish. The kids all gathered, interested to see what the wise black men would soon shock to the surface. The generator was cranked and pumping right along. They lowered a long metal probe under the boatand WHAM!!!!! Two black men let out a howling screech and did wild dances as both went over board and struggled ashore with the generator in the ALUMINUM boat still chugging right along. Daddy said the kids all screamed as it happened and ran back up the bluffs in terror. Never saw if any fish came up. |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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jboshoven
Posts:236
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| 02 Oct 2012 09:04 PM |
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Did you hear the one about the old guy that always seemed to come back with fish even when everyone else got skunked? Well the fish and game guy figured there must be something up so he asked the old guy if he could go fishing with him. The old guy said sure, so off they went the next day. Well they got out to the old guys favorite spot. He pulls out a quarter stick of dynamite and before the fish and game guy could say anything he lights it off and throws it into the lake. Of course the fish and game guy goes berserk. He starts reading the riot act to the old guy listing all the game laws he just violated. The old guy calmly reaches for another quarter stick of dynamite, lights it off and hands it to the fish and game guy and asks "Are you going to keep carrying on like that or are you going to settle down and fish?" hee hee.
Well the story goes something like that . . .
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grandpops
Posts:428
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| 03 Oct 2012 04:16 AM |
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I remember back in my younger years, before I got all grown and became a teenager, the whole family use to get together at my Grandparents house for Thanksgiving. There were at least a dozen of us kids all within just a few years of each other. Before dinner, Granddad would have us all go outside in front of the tool shed and form a semi-circle holding each other's hands. He would then bring out the telephone generator and hand a lead to the two kids on each end of the semi-circle. Then he would start slowly cranking the generator. He would crank faster as time went on. As I recall it wasn't too bad, just a tingle, unless you broke the chain and then the ones who let go got zapped pretty good. I seem to recall, the ones who didn't let go got an extra helping of Grandma's fresh baked pie and homemade ice-cream after dinner.
I've got that old telephone generator out in my shed, I may have to resurrect an old family Thanksgiving tradition. After all, it didn't effect me effect me effect me. |
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| Fred, Cleburne, Tx.
NRA Life Member, NAHC Life Member, DU, USN Vet, NRA Certified Instructor
"A gun is like a parachute.
If you need one, and don't have one,
you'll probably never need one again." |
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gutpile
Posts:557
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| 03 Oct 2012 11:11 AM |
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Depending how old that generator is it could be worth some good $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ |
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| Liberals Negate Darwinian Theory
Kishel's Scent and Lures www.kishelscents.com |
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Shiloh
Posts:582
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| 03 Oct 2012 11:22 AM |
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Ah yes, granddads are great at coming up with things such as the annual family Thanksgiving electricution. |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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holly
Posts:2394
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| 03 Oct 2012 05:27 PM |
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Well we use to fish with home made bombs .You will just wonder what a little baking soda gasoline fruit jars and styrofoam cups can do .Oh I gor got the rocks in the bottom .Had one blow up on the way to the river .Luckly no one was hurt .Did catch fish though . |
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Steve
Posts:1838
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| 03 Oct 2012 05:39 PM |
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we were more into using C.I. - talk about ka-fing-BOOM! |
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| Due to the high cost and unavailability of ammo today do not expect to get a warning shot!! |
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etaylor8
Posts:157
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| 11 Oct 2012 11:24 PM |
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Here where I live ya'all would be outlaws. ( as an after-thought, tho I guess when you guys were "teenagers" it wasn't against the Law)!!!, to fish with firecrackers. Hope no one was in the water when the powder blew. |
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Steve
Posts:1838
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| 12 Oct 2012 07:13 AM |
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well, I wouldn't exactly call what we used "firecrackers" and they were illegal then too. But we were told to get fish for dinner and the freezer; that seemed like the quickest way.  |
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| Due to the high cost and unavailability of ammo today do not expect to get a warning shot!! |
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bigrig
Posts:368
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| 14 Oct 2012 12:01 PM |
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We used threaded conduit pipe with caps with holes drilled half way down the pipe with cannon fuse. When we ran out of powder. We would either cut open shotgun shells. Or, we got the bright idea of using mathes. Believe it or not. It works real well too. Either wood or paper. The heads only. of course. When we ran out of pipe. until we got a chance to get to the hardware store. We used CO 2 cartridges or glass bottles. One day. We were poring powder on the graound and lighting it. First a little. Then increasedd the amount a little more as we went. Black powder makes really neat mushroom clouds.Well, my dad kept seeing these clouds coming up above the house and decided to investigate. " Hey boys. What the hell you doing?" One day. WE ran out of fuse. So, Frank decides he's going to run a trail of bblack powder to the bomb. I don't think its a good idea and tell him so. He insists it safe because of the amount he was going to use. I thought he had blown himself up. The timing of his jump with the explosion. It would have looked good in hollywood. We did do a couple things with those bombs that could have gotten us thrown in jail. What's the length of time for the statute of limitations for. I better not go into that. Nobody got hurt. Lets just say that there was some payback done. |
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Shiloh
Posts:582
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| 15 Oct 2012 09:53 AM |
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We are just lucky God invented humor and has a sense as well as pitty for dumb kids. |
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| I like my guns towed & crew-served!
http://www.nps.gov/stri/
http://www.blockaderunner.com/
http://www.9thky.org/
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SteelCandy
Posts:240
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| 15 Oct 2012 02:50 PM |
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If any of you remember whistling moon rockets ( the plastic ones not the newer cheapo cardboard crap ) this might make you smile. When I was a kid I wanted to get revenge on a hornet nest. Ok you think you know where this is going don't you? Not content with shooting just 1 bottle rocket at those stinging{1}*******s I taped a dozen or so around an M80. Now at 11 years or so I did not think about such things as wtf bad might happen. A sparkler, a spinner and some coke cans served as the launching platform.
1st lesson I learned was that I realllllly needed better guidance for my hornet missile. I also learned that M80s work better for chasing skunks away from the camp than for bottle rocket payloads. |
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Steve
Posts:1838
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| 15 Oct 2012 03:00 PM |
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ROTFLMAO! I think we'd of gotten along great!  |
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| Due to the high cost and unavailability of ammo today do not expect to get a warning shot!! |
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