[Aftermath]

This may do better in another section but my understanding is that exploding ammunition is not regulated differently on a federal level than regular cartridges if they have an explosive payload of less than 1/4 oz .

Has anyone here ever experimented with making such a thing? I think 12 gauge would be the best platform, giving you quite a bit of available volume to play with.

The two ways I can think of doing it would both use "slugs"

I read one idea someone else had was to have the nose hollowed out and filled with smokeless powder, and a primer fitted to the front. The idea is that when it hits something the primer sets the powder off of course. I do not know if this would really work?

The one I was thinking is that your slug is filled with powder but has a "fuse" that sticks a tiny bit out the back so that when the propulsion powder burns it lights the fuse. I even made a fancy diagram for you folks.
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/3012/allcopyrightresrvedpate.png

I think it would be really cool to have something with a delay timed from firing that was fired at low speed so you could "lob" them into steel drums.

I figured for testing an old single shot could be viced to a steel desk with a pull cord connected to the trigger.

I am wondering what would be best to use for the "explosive" payload? Hopefully nothing that would require an Explosives License.

Anyone here have any tips for making such a thing? Any incendiary experimenters here?

[Sport45]

Don't try shooting what you drew. When you pull the trigger all of the "explosive" will ignite at the same time as the propellant. The propellant charge will either:
a) Push the fuse into the projectile followed by a jet of flame or;
b) The confined fuse under pressure will burn instantaneously, igniting the charge.

It's not the sort of thing I play with, so I can't offer any advice to help otherwise.

[hancjamk]

When I was a kid, my dad told me about a man that he used to work with experminted with putting live primers into hollow point bullets. His thinking was that the bullet would explode on impact. Well, the only thing that exploded was his gun and if I remember correctly, a couple of fingers along with it...

[ultradoc]

I had a Cobray 37mm launcher years ago. You could get differant types of ammo. Some of the ammo I shot out of it was star burst and boomers. Maybe you could order some ammo [it's expensive] and take it appart. I have heard of a 12ga. adaptor for these but never saw one.

[Walkalong]

My friends and I used to use caps to make exploding pellets for our pellet guns when we were young. I suspect primers in bullet noses would work, but might be illegal. I would be surprised if it wasn't.

I agree with Sport45. What you have drawn up is likely to blow the gun all to L.

[BigBob3006]

:banghead::cuss::fire:

aftermath,
no one on this board is a lawyer as far as I know, but let me discourage you in the strongest polite way. Yes I said polite way. The ATF would not be the only authority interested in this behavior, especially in today's world. I don't think it would take too long for some agency to think this would be right up their alley. The interior Department may also claim that such ammo was an effort to destroy native habitat We'll set the terrorist laws aside. With so many people trying to outlaw guns, I'm sure we don't need one of our own giving them fodder to shoot us down with. Shooting such ammo, if nothing else is a poor public relations move.

Then there is always the person, like me, who will be sure to identify such a shooter and turn you into the local National Forest office, the Homeland Security office, the County Sheriffs office and the State Police Headquarters.
Would I report you. Yes. Lets face it, we have reached the point (IMHO) where we can no longer turn a blind eye to those within our sport when they perform in this manner

[Cosmoline]

Even if you tone it down to the size of a roundball shot from a mini-mortar and keep the powder black, you're still creating shrapnel that can cause real serious injuries and which you do not control. If the fuse timing is off you can hit people back on the line, or yourself. It's just not worth it. Plus there's no practical application for this sort of thing. Small charges used to be used to expand very large lead slugs from black powder rifles, but this is no longer necessary given the much higher velocities and superior bullet design.

[Jeff F]

If you want exploding ammo, just go and buy some 12 guage bird bombs. Way safer, legal in most locals, and you won't blow yourself up and end up in prison.

[Frozen North]

Let the mistakes of the past be a lesson of what not to do. If you wish to build explosives, seek formal education on the subject. I went to high school with a young man who was severely maimed while experimenting with 12 gauge projectiles. He thought he was being safe, it got away from him.

[bloominonion]

Plus there's no practical application for this sort of thing.
Unless you need to do some backyard avalanche control!

Sorry, I had to.

Anyways, although I would like to do the same sort of thing, I would also have to recommend against this. You may be able to get it to work, but you or someone else will end up getting hurt at some point down the road.

[gamestalker]

About 20 some years ago I built exploding arrows to launch from my PSE compound bow. The first one exploded on the arrow rest because the 209 primer I was using detonated the powder charge in the shaft the instant I released the string. After picking alluminum frgaments out of my arms and face and regrowing my eye brows, I revised the design with a little more thought regarding physics, and now I have sucessfully designed an arrow that will explode on impact. I will not give the details of the design because of the obvious safety issue, that if not done correctly, can be very dangerous. All I will say is that my new design utilizes the much smaller large rifle primer. The new carbon shafts we have now were not available back then, and work much better than alluminum. The carbons deliver a much better explosion.

[GaryL]

There is a simple solution. Order the appropriate bullets, load them up, and shoot them into a hard target.

http://hi-techammo.com/

[GLOOB]

Explosive ordnance usually includes a delay timer, so it's not armed until it has traveled several meters past the end of the barrel. After that, it detonates on impact.

Trying to get the bullet to explode by timing alone will not only be unsafe, but impractical.

[amlevin]

This sounds like something a couple of 14 year olds would be doing after school.

I went to school with a couple of guys that tried this one afternoon back in 1959. End result is that one now has no thumb and forefinger and the other is missing just a thumb. Both are deaf now.

If you want exploding ammo, join the military. They have lots and will pay you to play with it.

[788Ham]

You'd best find another hobby or something sane to occupy your time!

[Sam1911]

Let's call this asked and resoundingly answered NO!

I'll leave it up though, as a cautionary tale.