Misinformation: 4th of July. Wikipedia?

[mattb]

Is it me or do too many people have hidden agendas disguised as factual information. Wikipedia, one of my favorite sites for unbiased information, has been tainted by firework haters posing as educated people. I found this twisted
gem under the Fourth of July entry: " In many states, smaller fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show. Concerns about safety have led some states to ban fireworks or limit the sizes and types allowed, but illicit traffic brings some of the more powerful firecrackers in from less restrictive border states". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28United_States%29 :confused: The last time I checked only 50mg of flash is allowed in any of the 50 states for crackers. Whoever put this here produced a fictional interstate blackmarket for ground salutes. Maybe we should only allow "small" fireworks in the states that allow "large" fireworks so no more M-80's and such come out of the "large" states LOL. Yet the government seems to ignore that there is an endless supply of 1.3 fireworks coming, somehow, from licensed individuals.
Remember, even responsible adults can't predict the path of a poorly aimed shell in a densely populated area, yet still m-80s are illegal.

[Bert]

BATFE doesn't ignore the bootlegging of 1.3- Often local police don't even bother to even call BATFE because they have little idea what they're seeing (or seizing!) and don't know anything but their local fireworks laws. Case in point: http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_177220152.html The fire chief has a clue. The cop clearly doesn't.

If you have an endless supply of 1.3 for unlicensed people in your area, you must have quite a few injuries?

I don't understand your last sentence. "Poorly aimed shell"??? Shells go where the mortar is pointed. Rockets can have a mind of their own...

[nbk2000]

They're using the term 'firecracker' to refer to ALL fireworks.

There are plenty of fireworks besides salutes (firecrackers), such as roman candles, aerial shells, helicopters, and more, which are perfectly legal in one state, but not the next.

So, naturally, anyone with sense goes to the state that sells REAL fireworks, and brings them back home, rather than meekly accepting the puny sparklers and fountains that more restrictive states (like California) allow.

All states limit firecrackers and salutes to 50mg of powder, regardless of appearance. So the ones that look like the old style M80's, are nothing more than a regular firecracker inside of a plaster filled cardboard tube, for extra confinement.

If you want kick-ass salutes, make 'em yourself.

Oh, and don't believe everything you read on Wikipedia. ;)

[Sausagemit]

I'm glad I live in one of dem thar les restricted states that also happens to sell fireworks all year round. Although setting them off (especially bottle rockets) within city limits all year round (not including the 4th) is somewhat frowned upon and illegal. Although if the cops catch you they will just give you a slap on the hand and tell you to stop.

But the cops (and forrest rangers) in this state don't take too kindly to youngsters setting off explosives in the state parks (havn't got the guts to do it in a national park yet as if they catch you they will castrate you). Had about 4 of them try to sneak up on us while me and some friends were "disposing" of some old computer parts.

And this is the state where all the neigboring states get their fireworks, around this time of the year all you see at the fireworks stands are Colorado/Nebraska/Utah license plates.

[mattb]

Wikipedia is, for the most part, professional for academic subjects such as thermo, math, physics, etc. For political subjects, I don't know. Check this out for M-80's

M-1000 50-100gr.? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-80_%28explosive%29)

That's alot of flash powder. I guess that makes most of the salutes I've experienced feeble. Hmmm this guy must be the definitive guide on salutes:rolleyes: . I guess HE must be M-100000 or "county busters" as they are called in the midwest LOL.

[Bert]

If he thinks that the "M-XX" numbering of bootleg firecrackers has any relation to what kind or how much flash the makers put in them, their physical size or power relative to "dynamite", he's not an expert.

[mattb]

BTW, what the hell is this?
Sonic Boom Signal Mortar (http://i.b5z.net/i/u/2001189/i/Sonic_boom.JPG)
It seems to me this device directs sound or amplifies it( I don't have acoustics experience). The site claims its relatively louder than a salute.

[Cobalt.45]

For starters, the makers recommend using 500 grain charges in it. So you'd get 14 "shots" per pound of BP.

I can't remember the price, but do remember thinking that it was expensive considering what you got.

They warned not to use flash in it, but went on to say how they loaded it with some ungodly amount of flash and lit it off, with no detrimental effect to the device. I guess that was their way of "proofing" it, but all it really says is that the one they shot the flash in held, once.

[Jacks Complete]

They warned not to use flash in it, but went on to say how they loaded it with some ungodly amount of flash and lit it off, with no detrimental effect to the device. I guess that was their way of "proofing" it, but all it really says is that the one they shot the flash in held, once.
But that is exactly what the Proof test is - a 30% overload to be sure.

If you don't like the way wikipedia says something, then re-word it. Just hit edit, and make your changes. It records your IP for a few months if you haven't signed up, but so what? I normally re-write the articles a bit to give them the bias that I want (everyone has a bias, concious or not) which is that it is the person not the item at fault, and motiveless victimless crimes should not be crimes.

[Cobalt.45]

But that is exactly what the Proof test is - a 30% overload to be sure.

Proof houses ( as they relate to firearms, anyway) typically "overload" quite a lot more than 30%. I know of no proof houses for salute mortars. It was a good move on his part to overload and set off his device, though it might put the wrong idea into some dumb ass's head.

If the 30% figure were right, why didn't Pyrocreations just load it with 650 gr of BP and call it good? He loaded it with 300gr of flash.

If you don't like the way wikipedia says something, then re-word it. Just hit edit, and make your changes. It records your IP for a few months if you haven't signed up, but so what? I normally re-write the articles a bit to give them the bias that I want (everyone has a bias, concious or not) which is that it is the person not the item at fault, and motiveless victimless crimes should not be crimes.
I'm going on the assumption that this is just nothing more than "general Information" for one and all. If it's directed at me, it's in error. I haven't visited the Wikipedia site in a while, and definitely not in regard to the salute cannon reply posted July 2, 8:52 PM.

The "rewriting" and "bias" and "victimless, motiveless crimes" parts- I have absolutely no clue as to what the you're talking about.
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It's aimed at the OP. Take a look at the thread title! -JC