What to know about Tannerite?

[Ignition Override]

—-Hollow point bullets—

to persuade water-filled pumpkins to “better” explode.

Wish that Academy had just one box of jhp 7,62x39 for
my VZ-58
From the Czech Republic.

 

[Pat Riot]

You don't need Tannerite to have that. Where I shoot in NV, on public land, they drag all manner of trash out to shoot and blow up. Water heaters, TV's and computers, toilets, appliances, furniture... heck, they even brought a jetski out once. They come out about every 4 months and Bobcat all the trash off to the side, and then about once a year they recover all of it and take it to the dump. Sad but true. I'm waiting to go out there one day and see it closed off... but that won't stop them, either, they will just go over to the AZ side and go find a place to trash up.

Oddly enough, the one thing you won't find out there is spent brass...

Very true.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

It's fun stuff deserving as much respect as Dynamite, Composition B, TNT or any other high explosive. I never shoot it except as described in the instructions; placing it near or inside objects will make them into projectiles.

Isn't it great to live in a county where you can be bored with shooting your M-1? I never go "bigger" than the little 1/2 pounders....they make plenty of noise!

Have fun and please stay safe.

 

[Jim Watson]

The oxidizer in Tannerite is ammonium nitrate dosed with ammonium perclorate, the "fuel" being a flakes aluminum dosed with zirconium compounds (typically). It's step-brother to AMFO, not exactly equal, but not kicked out of the house, either.

The simple mix of ammonium nitrate and aluminum is Ammonal in military service. The additives in Tannerite are probably what makes it sensitive to bullet impact instead of requiring a blasting cap and booster charge.

 

[HHollow]

Nope you need an explosives license to be allowed to profit off the use of explosives, even just making a utub video.

An uncle, who was in the explosives business for 40 years, explained to
me that uncle sugar primarily regulates the transport of explosives. There should be no aft issues as long as the mixed tannerite is not moved.

 

[Gordon]

There are, I do have an "approved" explosive magazine for up to 50 pounds of Black powder I got from an OLD gunstore that burnt down and the black powder they had in it , about 15 pounds I was told did NOT go off as the fire dept made sure the hoses were aimed at it . (the bluing tanks in back caught fire ) incidently the shelves of smokeless ammo did pop ! Anyway I looked into the regulations locally and federally and felt safe with my 10 or so pounds of Black and the twenty pounds of unmixed tannerite in the "magazine" which was 1" plate steel with massive hinges but about 1/2" gaps around door on iron wheels about 36"x36" and 48" high and weighing about 1500 pound in my alarmed 40 foot shipping container with one side dug into a hillside about 150 feet from my house with the dug in side facing away from the house and no real brush to burn on the hillside.
IF the Tannerite is mixed it is considered a high explosive and has restrictions on movement and storage and the time period of each factor .

 

[N555]

An uncle, who was in the explosives business for 40 years, explained to
me that uncle sugar primarily regulates the transport of explosives. There should be no aft issues as long as the mixed tannerite is not moved.

They do regulate "making money off use of explosives" such as posting a video of your self on utube blowing it up.
Mixing your own chemicals for immediate use on the spot removes a lot of the hassles.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

I'm simply amazed I'm still alive, given my proclivities which extend before I started kindergarden in '69. (Another story...I blew up the 55 gallon trash barrel we used to burn rubbish in using gun powder I made by copycatting an older brother.)

People seriously underestimate the chemical power available in many substances/compounds because they either have no experience or take everyday use for granted. (Everyday, like gasoline in automobiles as an example.)

When messing around with various compounds and you're not going to follow the directions explicitly, people have a tendency to radically underestimate the consequences. A simple thermite made from an Etch-A-Sketch and iron oxide is literally hot enough to melt through steel like butter, for example. The radiated heat from such a reaction is NOT that of the charcoal in one's grill.

I've yet to mess with Tannerite (some day, maybe), but when I do it'll be with extreme respect.

 

[doubleh]

Orange Fanta, Big Red, etc beat water every time.

But not enough for me to waste soda. I happen to like orange soda, especially in the afternoon with a little octane booster, so will drink what is in the container and then fill it with water which costs little. I can do with slighlty less spectacular effects. I have never used tannerite as I have no interest in it. I have used dynamite for construction purposes in the past and have had enough specularity to do me.

 

[david58]

Whatcha think the velocity of the shrapnel might be? Tannerite makes me uncomfortable. Working a bit around HE, i was very impressed by chunks of railroad rail at 7000fps...

 

[DustyGmt]

There are, I do have an "approved" explosive magazine for up to 50 pounds of Black powder I got from an OLD gunstore that burnt down and the black powder they had in it , about 15 pounds I was told did NOT go off as the fire dept made sure the hoses were aimed at it . (the bluing tanks in back caught fire ) incidently the shelves of smokeless ammo did pop ! Anyway I looked into the regulations locally and federally and felt safe with my 10 or so pounds of Black and the twenty pounds of unmixed tannerite in the "magazine" which was 1" plate steel with massive hinges but about 1/2" gaps around door on iron wheels about 36"x36" and 48" high and weighing about 1500 pound in my alarmed 40 foot shipping container with one side dug into a hillside about 150 feet from my house with the dug in side facing away from the house and no real brush to burn on the hillside.
IF the Tannerite is mixed it is considered a high explosive and has restrictions on movement and storage and the time period of each factor .

I wish I could follow this.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

But not enough for me to waste soda. I happen to like orange soda, especially in the afternoon with a little octane booster, so will drink what is in the container and then fill it with water which costs little. I can do with slighlty less spectacular effects. I have never used tannerite as I have no interest in it. I have used dynamite for construction purposes in the past and have had enough specularity to do me.

Honestly, it's not really that much less spectacular to use water filled soda cans.

I'll take a bag full of empty soda cans and several gallon jugs of water to fill them at the range. A dead center hit pretty much splits the back wide open and you often end up with two circular discs attached to a fairly flattened rectangular piece of aluminum.

Carbonated beverages in new sealed cans doesn't seem to noticeably increase the special effects.

 

[hso]

Tannerite is a natural selection mechanism so bring the whole family for efficiencies sake when you set it off.

 

[doubleh]

I like the 2 liter soda bottles for centerfire. Fill it to the top with water, screw the lid on tightly and they really .blow uo. Cans for 22 LR.

Always pick up and dispose of the remains as there are plenty that don't.

 

[Trey Veston]

I finally was able to get to my range and do the pumpkin shoot. I shot a 1/2lb of Tannerite with a pumpkin sitting on top of it and a can of soda behind it. I had the whole thing resting on a rotted piece of pallet.



I was 55 yards away when I fired, and my go-pro camera was about 25 yards away.

It was cool and the perfect amount of Boom to destroy the pumpkin. However, the cows were less than impressed and didn't even react. Here's the full video. You can skip through the rifle review and evaluation and go to 7:34 for the boom.

 

[HKGuns]

Pumpkins and Tannerite are boring.

You haven't lived until you've strapped a 5 gallon gas can to a tannerite container. I have a video somewhere.

 

[Ignition Override]

I’ve watched it explode, in person. Just a bang and white smoke.

In contrast, large drink bottles are about as fun to shoot.
Secondary: Very little cash is involved.

Your cash, your “thang”.

Edwin Sarkassian has videos of powerfully exploding targets.
Youtube.