Impact Detonator

[Flake2m]

I have a very simple idea for an impact detonator though I would like some feedback on this idea before I construct one.

The detonator is made by using rolling up a piece of card so you have a tube, the walls of the tube are quite thick. One end of the tube is tapered, or blocked with a solid material such as clay, or plaster of paris. The tube then has a few grams of HMTD, AP inside it. A piece of wooden dowel is then very carefully inserted into the tube until it sits on top of the HMTD or AP. The wooden dowel should just poke out of the tube, as it acts as a "firing pin".

The dowel should also be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the tube. Great care would have to be taken when inserting the tube incase it detonates any HMTD or AP that is sticking to the side of the tube.

This idea could work if suitable modifacations were made to the design. If so the detonator would be suitable for devices such as landmines, rocket bombs and exploding spud cannon ammo.

[A_W]

As far as my experiance with HMTD goes, I don`t think the explosive will detonate unless the Impact Detonator is slammed VERY hard to a wall from close range. When I put HMTD on a soft surface, like wood, it won`t detonate even from a hard blow with an axe. It takes conkrete/metal to make it go off.

Some would probably disagree with me, but I don`t think it would detonate. At least not reliable. I haven`t tested this though, so is may work excellent.

[mr.evil]

I guess metal fulminates will work, as they are very shock/friction sensitive...anyway, or you can use the armstrong mix, with above some primairy explosive.

[wantsomfet]

Adding a bit sand could act as a sensitizer, producing more friction on impact.

[mr.evil]

or Glasspowder... there are lots of shock/friction sensitive compositions, just look at some databases; i suggest to download 'impact firecrackers' from the FTP.

[S. Toppholzer]

dunno if this actually works - I'd try it this way:
Take your cardboard tube and add to the lower (the closed) half a layer of thin metal sheet. Apply on this a layer of NC lacquer. Let it dry. Apply another layer of NC lacquer. While this is still wet, sprinkle a fair amount of HMTD into the tube and let the HMTD cover the all painted parts of the tube. As soon this has dried, add another batch of HMTD inside the tube, tamp it lightly and close it with a circular piece of thickwalled cardboard. Paint this as well with the lacquer.
Now take a wooden dowel which doesn't fit tightly inside the tube. glue finely crushed quartz (sp? Ya know the white and very hard stone) to the lower end. Carefully insert the dowel (maybe a small hole on the tbe would be useful so you don't push it in too far) into the tube and secure it.
Now the friction of the quarz sand on the metacl backed HMTD (which is isolated from the metal with the first layer of lacquer) should provide sufficient friction for ignition. The burning would continue along the HMTD covered walls through the cardboard sealed end of the tube, reaching the HMTD charge.

Another option would be glueing a very short cut metal tube (dime sized) sealed at the end with a flat metal piece to the bottom of the tube. drill several holes at the end of it and cover the whole metal tube with a nitro-lacquer film. Next, put a small amount of Armstrong's mix (the one found in toy caps) inside. a small dowel that snugly fits into the tube and which end has a metal plate at its end. Around the metal case (which is isolated from any other matter by the NC lacquer) HMTD is added - and so forth.

<small>[ May 15, 2002, 01:11 PM: Message edited by: S. Toppholzer ]</small>

[inferno]

This should probably be in improvised weapons but..

It depends what this is going to detonate. It could be a rocket-payload, mine, or impact grenade (though they have no practical use, if youre carrying an impact sensitive grenade in a battle or riot or something, theres a thousand things that could set it off).

A rocket pay would probably be reasonably small. To make a rocket pay load, i will assume its in a cylindrical tube. I would use armstrongs mix to initiate AP or HMTD:
<pre>[pre]
||
||
|¯¯||¯¯| @=Armstrongs, ignited by metal "firing pin" squishing it on
||@||@|| impact. Contained in plastic tube, when it explodes, it
||@||@|| detonates the *** AP, which in turn detonates the 888 HMTD.
||@@@@|| It could be done in a plastic or metal tube, and would have
|******| enough power to detonate most cap-sensitive mixes.
|******|
|888888|
|888888|
¯¯¯¯¯¯
This is a basic model and many improvements could be made, im sure, but its just an idea.

[Zambosan]

You're going to kill yourself trying to make something like this!!! Find a less hazardous way to get your thrills.

<small>[ July 18, 2002, 01:16 AM: Message edited by: Zambosan ]</small>

[S. Toppholzer]

If I had the choice between AP and HMTD I'd always go for the latter. Much safer to handle and very reliable.

[Arkangel]

The Palestinians developed a "Missile" called the Qassam 2 recently. Since they have to improvise most things, they appear to have used Potassium Nitrate/Sugar for propellant, then some kind of explosive warhead. In another thread someone said they use AP a lot, so maybe they used something like this as a detonator.

[Flake2m]

I would use HMTD or AP because it is easy to make, though an azide compound (sodium azide, lead azide etc) would probaly work.
I originally though up of this idea because i want an easy to make, reliable and safer impact detonator than the ones currently used.

I had an improvement to this idea: Test tubes!
Put a small amount of plaster in the test tube and then let it dry. The add your AP/HMTD etc into it. Place the wooden dowel inside the testube and you have your detonator.

If this detonator was mounted in an ANNM charge then it could be quite effective if this was then used as warhead for a rocket bomb or a landmine.