Pixie Dust

[Howa 9700]

Yesterday, killed two birds with one stone. Had a small brush pile to burn and have been wanting to dispose of about 5 pounds of 50 year old powder that was stored in metal coffee cans. Old enough the red dots, green dots and yellow dots in 700X had faded to black. Not entirely sure I'd trust which was really which. If living in some post apocalyptic world where all powders were gone and that was going to be it..........I might have kept and used them. But that isn't the case..........so they went in the fire.

So plan was to burn the brush pile, then roast hot dogs. Spousal unit had two young grand kids over.......so before torching the brush. told them some Cornish Pixies (nasty little buggers in a Harry Potter movie) had been seen hanging about and was concerned they had put some pixie dust in the fire....and made them stand back. So about a pound each of these powders. Then went into paper sack, then folded and taped shut. Bags dispersed into brush well away from my starting point. To cut to the chase, they did not blow up. They went "whoosh"......created about a 10 foot diameter fireball that was gone in a fraction of a second........no big bang. The most impressive was put into one of those smaller gift bags. Taped it shut more than the rest. Did not go bang......but fireball was very bright.

If doing that again, would use the small bags and put a few more wraps of masking tape around the bag to require a bit more effort to fight it's way out.

As it was......oldest was skeptical.......younger one's eyes nearly popped out. He does not trust pixies.

 

[Bill M]

I had some WW2 9MM that had been burried and dug up, it would shoot about 30%, so I quit trying. I pulled the bullets and kept the powder until the 4th, smokeless will sizzle down a poured line, this stuff went "whoosh", and then sizzled. It was Denmark '43, maybe not all smokeless?

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I had some WW2 9MM that had been burried and dug up, it would shoot about 30%, so I quit trying. I pulled the bullets and kept the powder until the 4th, smokeless will sizzle down a poured line, this stuff went "whoosh", and then sizzled. It was Denmark '43, maybe not all smokeless?

From Pixie Dust to Hamlet’s Ghost: How to have fun with gun powder and not burn the house down.

 

[mstreddy]

Love it, those pixies are tricky and mischievous. I've used up some of my various old/pulled powders during New Year's. Run a line or two of powder to a small pile and start it from one of those store packaged shower of sparks "fireworks".

 

[N555]

I just finished off a 40 year old keg of unique last year.

 

[lightman]

I save all of my odd pulled powder and provide a light show at the Deer Camp fire pit. Usually around Thanksgiving when everyone is there. A Dixie Cup with some Seran (?) wrap stretched across the top makes an interesting fireball!

 

[9mmepiphany]

If doing that again, would use the small bags and put a few more wraps of masking tape around the bag to require a bit more effort to fight it's way out.

Just don't overdo it...that's the beginnings of a firecracker

 

[bigpower491]

I get the small cardboard tubes that cutting tools come in, cut them down to size and make firecrackers. Back in the day I used to help a buddy who did big fireworks shows, and I have miles of cannon fuse. Most times they go bang, sometimes just a flare out the fuse hole. More fun than dumping it.

 

[Bill M]

Being close to the border, I've used a lot of Mexican fireworks. They don't fool with cardboard, just roll lots of newspaper around the charge! Don't know if they are still made, but "triangles" used to be similar to M80's. folded newspaper!