Pest Control Pyrotechnics

[mortarfire]

Does anyone know...Would a manufacturers permit be required to make your own pest control pyrotechnics such as 12 gauge bird scare cartridges aka
"Bird Bombs", for your own use, on your own farm? Wheeew..what a long question.
Thanks in advance,

[SINYpyro]

Hmm.. it's tough to say. If you make them and use them within 24 hours I doubt you will be violating any federal laws. If you make them up to spec and your devices can legally be considered pest control devices, then you might not even need any special storage.

State laws are different story, but if you live in a state with a large agricultural industry, you probably don't need to worry.

[GK]

The regs would be the same as manufacture of 1.4 in your state.

However....If you are planning on using a flash composition, you are running in the manfacture of ordinance (high explosive) realm and are walking the same path as if you were making your own M-80's...etc.

We used to use 12 and 20 guage shotguns to test shell inserts, (crossettes, artillery, torbillions, etc) it was a great way to test without building a shell.

GK

[Dan]

Why not just buy them, I've used a product from a company called Blamo Ammo, and they make a bird bomb. It's a 12 gauge shotgun shell with a "load" on a "time fuse" as you shoot the "bird bomb" out into a tree, orchard whatever, and then "BAM" once it reaches it's target it blows. Very cool. This is the same company that you can buy tracer ammo from and other cool shells and bullets.

Dan

[countryboy7978]

They used to be more wide spread, but ATF really tightened down on them a few years back. I would never attemp to make them though. If something goes wrong you have a 2 or 3 gram charge going off in your shotgun barrel. You are now down a shotgun and maybe an eye or two. The ones I've seen use a slow burning comp like a spoolette instead of a fuse. They are also pretty pricy.

There used to be a cracker called a rope fuse salute but those are real hard to get now, and they used to sell 30mm flare inserts too.

Pest control explosives are not 1.3G, but I think 1.4S as they fall under the small arms ammuntion. I'm sure they require a permit however.

[Marty]

Check your state laws on "Bird Bangers". Most states I know of require permits/license to use them and propane cannons. It won't matter if they are homemade or not. Licenses/permits are usually handled by the state dept of agriculture for pest control pyro.

[Xikar]

I picked up a couplel cases of these bad boys at a gun show like 8 years ago! Pretty much silent out of the shotgun, but loud as a bitch at like 150'. Made old school Thunder Kings look like a lady finger. I think there may be a pack or two laying around in the safe...

[MonsterTKE]

Hey GK,

Mind Giving us a Quick synapsis of the procedures you used to construct crossettes? Nothing to detailed just an Idea?

Jim B

[GK]

Hey GK,

Mind Giving us a Quick synapsis of the procedures you used to construct crossettes? Nothing to detailed just an Idea?

Jim B

Traditional - pressed cylinder with a void. My opinion is that a square or star void broke nicer than a round one. Broke w/flash (kind of a diluted flash). BP prime on closed (non void) end. Lightly taped on all other sides.

Shell was standard cylinder. BP break.

Nothin fancy....

GK

[mortarfire]

This law put Blamo and other companies out of business. There are only a couple of companies left in the US that sell birdbombs and they are expensive with forms to fill out ect. Back in the good old days, before some genius decided that flash was a HIGH explosive, I used to make my own birdbombs and they worked much better than the "store bought" ones.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2...03/03-1945.htm

Why not just buy them, I've used a product from a company called Blamo Ammo, and they make a bird bomb. It's a 12 gauge shotgun shell with a "load" on a "time fuse" as you shoot the "bird bomb" out into a tree, orchard whatever, and then "BAM" once it reaches it's target it blows. Very cool. This is the same company that you can buy tracer ammo from and other cool shells and bullets.

Dan

[ThunderKing]

the pest control 2000 messed up the market.
hell i even bought some of those at a pgi convention years back.

[SINYpyro]

Yeah, I remember those days

I've never had the pleasure of attending a convention myself, but a few of my PGI buddies always brought some of those devices home. Those "Seal Bombs" were awesome

Don't you just hate how everything fun falls victim to arbitrary rules?

[countryboy7978]

the pest control 2000 messed up the market.
hell i even bought some of those at a pgi convention years back.

Also put a very good American manufacturer out of business. That was a shame.