The Terrorist’s Handbook
————————
Written BY: UNKNOWN AUTHOR
HEAVILY EDITED by: Kloey Detect of Five O and B.S. of Hardbodies
Special
thanks to WordPerfect Corporation for their spelling
checker…….This file NEEDED IT!
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
SPECIAL THANX ALSO GOES OUT TO:
Xpax : For being patient while the cop was
there!
The Producer : For getting the files to me….
The Director : For getting the
files to me….
Mr.Camaro : For his BIG EGO!!!
The Magician : For ALL the Bernoulli
carts he is gonna send!!
This is a collection of many years worth of
effort……..this is
the original manuscript for a non-published work, from an unknown
author…..It was originally two LARGE files which had to be
merged and then HEAVILY EDITED,
mostly the pictures, and then
spellchecked…This guy is a chemical genius but he could not
check via WordPerfect 4.2, so
there are probably more errors
which were not picked up…sorry…I hope you have the
patience
to sit through this file, read it, then correct every little
error….It is not
like I am submitting it or anything…!!!!!
This file is dedicated To Kathie
& KiKi
…..Wherever you both may be…..
THE TERRORIST’S HANDBOOK
1.0 INTRODUCTION
proud to present
this first edition of The Terrorist’s Handbook. First and
foremost, let it be stated that
Chaos Industries assumes no responsibilities
for any misuse of the information presented in
this publication. The purpose
of this is to show the many techniques and methods used by those
people in this
and other countries who employ terror as a means to political and social
goals.
The techniques herein can be obtained from public libraries, and can usually be
carried out by a terrorist with minimal equipment. This makes one all the more
frightened,
since any lunatic or social deviant could obtain this information,
and use it against anyone.
The processes and techniques herein SHOULD NOT BE
CARRIED OUT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!
SERIOUS HARM OR DEATH COULD OCCUR FROM
ATTEMPTING TO PERFORM ANY OF THE METHODS IN THIS
PUBLICATION. THIS IS MERELY
FOR READING ENJOYMENT, AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR ACTUAL USE!!
Gunzenbomz Pyro-Technologies feels that it is important that everyone has some
idea of
just how easy it is for a terrorist to perform acts of terror; that is
the reason for the
existence of this publication.
1.1 Table of
Contents
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
2.0 ……. BUYING EXPLOSIVES AND
PROPELLANTS
2.01 …….. Black Powder
2.02 …….. Pyrodex
2.03 …….. Rocket
Engine Powder
2.04 …….. Rifle/Shotgun Powder
2.05 …….. Flash Powder
2.06
…….. Ammonium Nitrate
2.1 ……. ACQUIRING CHEMICALS
2.11 …….. Techniques for
Picking Locks
2.2 ……. LIST OF USEFUL HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS AND AVAILABILITY
2.3
……. PREPARATION OF CHEMICALS
2.31 …….. Nitric Acid
2.32 …….. Sulfuric
Acid
2.33 …….. Ammonium Nitrate
3.0 ……. EXPLOSIVE RECIPES
3.01 ……..
Explosive Theory
3.1 ……. IMPACT EXPLOSIVES
3.11 …….. Ammonium Triiodide
Crystals
3.12 …….. Mercury Fulminate
3.13 …….. Nitroglycerine
3.14
…….. Picrates
3.2 ……. LOW ORDER EXPLOSIVES
3.21 …….. Black Powder
3.22
…….. Nitrocellulose
3.23 …….. Fuel + Oxodizer mixtures
3.24 ……..
Perchlorates
3.3 ……. HIGH ORDER EXPLOSIVES
3.31 …….. R.D.X. (Cyclonite)
3.32 …….. Ammonium Nitrate
3.33 …….. ANFOS
3.34 …….. T.N.T.
3.35
…….. Potassium Chlorate
3.36 …….. Dynamite
3.37 …….. Nitrostarch
Explosives
3.38 …….. Picric Acid
3.39 …….. Ammonium Picrate (Explosive D)
3.40 …….. Nitrogen Trichloride
3.41 …….. Lead Azide
3.5 ……. OTHER
"EXPLOSIVES"
3.51 …….. Thermit
3.52 …….. Molotov Cocktails
3.53
…….. Chemical Fire Bottle
3.54 …….. Bottled Gas Explosives
4.0 ……. USING
EXPLOSIVES
4.1 ……. SAFETY
4.2 ……. IGNITION DEVICES
4.21 …….. Fuse
Ignition
4.22 …….. Impact Ignition
4.23 …….. Electrical Ignition
4.24
…….. Electro - Mechanical Ignition
4.241 ……. Mercury Switches
4.242 …….
Tripwire Switches
4.243 ……. Radio Control Detonators
4.3 ……. DELAYS
4.31
…….. Fuse Delays
4.32 …….. Timer Delays
4.33 …….. Chemical Delays
4.4 ……. EXPLOSIVE CONTAINERS
4.41 …….. Paper
Containers
4.42 …….. Metal Containers
4.43 …….. Glass Containers
4.44
…….. Plastic Containers
4.5 ……. ADVANCED USES FOR EXPLOSIVES
4.51 ……..
Shaped Charges
4.52 …….. Tube Explosives
4.53 …….. Atomized Particle
Explosions
4.54 …….. Lightbulb Bombs
4.55 …….. Book Bombs
4.56 ……..
Phone Bombs
5.0 ……. SPECIAL AMMUNITION FOR PROJECTILE WEAPONS
5.1 ……. PROJECTILE
WEAPONS (PRIMITIVE)
5.11 …….. Bow and Crossbow Ammunition
5.12 …….. Blowgun
Ammunition
5.13 …….. Wrist Rocket and Slingshot Ammunition
5.2 ……. PROJECTILE
WEAPONS (FIREARMS)
5.21 …….. Handgun Ammunition
5.22 …….. Shotguns
5.3
……. PROJECTILE WEAPONS (COMPRESSED GAS)
5.31 …….. .177 Caliber B.B Gun Ammunition
6.0 ……. ROCKETS AND CANNONS
6.1
……. ROCKETS
6.11 …….. Basic Rocket-Bomb
6.12 …….. Long Range Rocket-Bomb
6.2 …….. CANNONS
6.21 …….. Basic
Pipe Cannon
6.22 …….. Rocket-Firing Cannon
7.0 ……. PYROTECHNICA ERRATA
7.1
……… Smoke Bombs
7.2 ……… Colored Flames
7.3 ……… Tear Gas
7.4
……… Fireworks
7.41 …….. Firecrackers
7.42 …….. Skyrockets
7.43
…….. Roman Candles
8.0 ……. LISTS OF SUPPLIERS AND FURTHER INFORMATION
9.0
……. CHECKLIST FOR RAIDS ON LABS
10.0 …… USEFUL PYROCHEMISTRY
11.0 …… ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
2.0 BUYING EXPLOSIVES
AND PROPELLANTS
Almost any city or town of reasonable size has a gun store and
a
pharmacy. These are two of the places that potential terrorists visit in
order to purchase
explosive material. All that one has to do is know something
about the non-explosive uses of
the materials. Black powder, for example,
is used in blackpowder firearms. It comes in varying
"grades", with each
different grade being a slightly different size. The grade of
black powder
depends on what the calibre of the gun that it is used in; a fine grade of
powder could burn too fast in the wrong caliber weapon. The rule is:
the smaller the grade,
the faster the burn rate of the powder.
2.01 BLACK POWDER
Black powder is generally available in three grades. As stated before,
the smaller the grade,
the faster the powder burns. Burn rate is extremely
important in bombs. Since an explosion is
a rapid increase of gas volume in
a confined environment, to make an explosion, a
quick-burning powder is
desirable. The three common grades of black powder are listed below,
along
with the usual bore width (calibre) of what they are used in. Generally,
the
fastest burning powder, the FFF grade is desirable. However, the other
grades and uses are
listed below:
GRADE BORE WIDTH EXAMPLE OF GUN
ÄÄÄÄÄ
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
F .50 or greater model cannon; some
rifles
FF .36 - .50 large pistols; small rifles
FFF .36 or smaller pistols;
derringers
The FFF grade is the fastest burning, because the smaller grade
has
more surface area or burning surface exposed to the flame front. The larger
grades
also have uses which will be discussed later. The price range of
black powder, per pound, is
about $8.50 - $9.00. The price is not affected
by the grade, and so one saves oneself time and
work if one buys the finer
grade of powder. The major problems with black powder are that it
can be
ignited accidentally by static electricity, and that it has a tendency to
absorb
moisture from the air. To safely crush it, a bomber would use a plastic
spoon and a wooden
salad bowl. Taking a small pile at a time, he or she would
apply pressure to the powder
through the spoon and rub it in a series of strokes
or circles, but not too hard. It is fine
enough to use when it is about as fine
as flour. The fineness, however, is dependant on what
type of device one wishes
to make; obviously, it would be impracticle to crush enough powder
to fill a 1
foot by 4 inch radius pipe. Anyone can purchase black powder, since anyone can
2.02 PYRODEX
Pyrodex is a synthetic powder that is used like black powder. It comes
in the same
grades, but it is more expensive per pound. However, a one pound
container of pyrodex contains
more material by volume than a pound of black
powder. It is much easier to crush to a very
fine powder than black powder, and
it is considerably safer and more reliable. This is because
it will
not be set off by static electricity, as black can be, and it is less inclined
to absorb moisture. It costs about $10.00 per pound. It can be crushed in the
same manner as
black powder, or it can be dissolved in boiling water and dried.
2.03 ROCKET
ENGINE POWDER
One of the most exciting hobbies nowadays is model rocketry. Estes is
composed of a
single large grain of propellant. This grain is surrounded by
a fairly heavy cardboard tubing.
One gets the propellant by slitting the tube
lengthwise, and unwrapping it like a paper towel
roll. When this is done, the
grey fire clay at either end of the propellant grain must be
removed. This is
usually done gently with a plastic or brass knife. The material is
exceptionally
hard, and must be crushed to be used. By gripping the grain on the widest
setting on a set of pliers, and putting the grain and powder in a plastic bag,
the powder will
not break apart and shatter all over. This should be done to
all the large chunks of powder,
and then it should be crushed like black powder.
Rocket engines come in various sizes, ranging
from 1/4 A - 2T to the incredibly
powerful D engines. The larger the engine, the more
expensive. D engines come
in packages of three, and cost about $5.00 per package. Rocket
engines are
perhaps the single most useful item sold in stores to a terrorist, since they
2.04
RIFLE/SHOTGUN POWDER
Rifle powder and shotgun powder are really the same from a
practicle
standpoint. They are both nitrocellulose based propellants. They will be
referred to as gunpowder in all future references. Gunpowder is made by the
action of
concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid upon cotton. This material is
then dissolved by solvents
and then reformed in the desired grain size. When
dealing with gunpowder, the grain size is
not nearly as important as that of
black powder. Both large and small grained gunpowder burn
fairly slowly
compared to black powder when unconfined, but when it is confined, gunpowder
Therefore, the
grinding process that is often necessary for other propellants
is not necessary for gunpowder.
Gunpowder costs about $9.00 per pound. Any
idiot can buy it, since there are no restrictions
on rifles or shotguns in the
U.S.
2.05 FLASH POWDER
Flash powder is a mixture of powdered zirconium metal and various
oxidizers. It is extremely
sensitive to heat or sparks, and should be treated
with more care than black powder, with
which it should NEVER be mixed. It is
sold in small containers which must be mixed and shaken
before use. It is very
finely powdered, and is available in three speeds: fast, medium, and
slow. The
fast flash powder is the best for using in explosives or detonators.
It burns very rapidly, regardless of confinement or packing, with a
hot
white "flash", hence its name. It is fairly expensive, costing about $11.00.
2.06 AMMONIUM NITRATE
Ammonium nitrate is a high explosive material that is often used as
a
commercial "safety explosive" It is very stable, and is difficult to ignite
with a
match. It will only light if the glowing, red-hot part of a match is
touching it. It is also
difficult to detonate; (the phenomenon of detonation
will be explained later) it requires a
large shockwave to cause it to go high
explosive. Commercially, it is sometimes mixed with a
small amount of
nitroglycerine to increase its sensitivity. Ammonium nitrate is used in the
Paks"
consist of a bag of water, surrounded by a second plastic bag containing the
ammonium nitrate. To get the ammonium nitrate, simply cut off the top of the
outside bag,
remove the plastic bag of water, and save the ammonium nitrate in
a well sealed, airtight
container, since it is rather hydroscopic, i.e. it
tends to absorb water from the air. It is
also the main ingredient in many
fertilizers.
2.1 ACQUIRING CHEMICALS
The first section deals with getting chemicals legally. This section
deals
with "procuring" them. The best place to steal chemicals is a college.
Many state
schools have all of their chemicals out on the shelves in the
labs, and more in their chemical
stockrooms. Evening is the best time to enter
lab buildings, as there are the least number of
people in the buildings, and
most of the labs will still be unlocked. One simply takes a
bookbag, wears
a dress shirt and jeans, and tries to resemble a college freshman. If anyone
for the
polymer chemistry lab, or some other chemistry-related department
other than the one they are
in. One can usually find out where the various
labs and departments in a building are by
calling the university. There
are, of course other techniques for getting into labs after
hours, such as
placing a piece of cardboard in the latch of an unused door, such as a back
this is done,
terrorists check for security systems. If one just walks into a
lab, even if there is someone
there, and walks out the back exit, and slip the
cardboard in the latch before the door
closes, the person in the lab will never
know what happened. It is also a good idea to observe
the building that one
plans to rob at the time that one plans to rob it several days before
the
actual theft is done. This is advisable since the would-be thief should know
when
and if the campus security makes patrols through buildings. Of course, if
none of these
methods are successful, there is always section 2.11, but as a
rule, college campus security
is pretty poor, and nobody suspects another
person in the building of doing anything wrong,
even if they are there at an
odd hour.
2.11 TECHNIQUES FOR PICKING
LOCKS
If it becomes necessary to pick a lock to enter a lab, the world’s
most effective lockpick is dynamite, followed by a sledgehammer. There are
unfortunately,
problems with noise and excess structural damage with these
methods. The next best thing,
however, is a set of army issue lockpicks.
These,
unfortunately, are difficult to acquire. If the door to a lab is locked,
but the deadbolt is
not engaged, then there are other possibilities. The rule
here is: if one can see the latch,
one can open the door. There are several
devices which facilitate freeing the latch from its
hole in the wall. Dental
tools, stiff wire ( 20 gauge ), specially bent aluminum from cans,
thin pocket-
knives, and credit cards are the tools of the trade. The way that all these
tools and devices are uses is similar: pull, push, or otherwise move the latch
out of its hole
in the wall, and pull the door open. This is done by sliding
whatever tool that you are using
behind the latch, and pulling the latch out
from the wall. To make an aluminum-can lockpick,
terrorists can use an aluminum
can and carefully cut off the can top and bottom. Cut off the
cans’ ragged
ends. Then, cut the open-ended cylinder so that it can be flattened out into a
strips in
1/4 inch increments (1). One will have a long quadruple-thick 1/4
inch wide strip of aluminum.
This should be folded into an L-shape, a J-shape,
or a U-shape. This is done by folding. The
pieces would look like this:
(1)
_________________________________________________________ v
1/4
|_______________________________________________________| |
1/4
|_______________________________________________________| | 1 inch
1/4
|_______________________________________________________| |
1/4
|_______________________________________________________| |
^
Fold along lines to
make a single quadruple-thick piece of
aluminum. This should then be folded to produce an
L,J,or U shaped
device that looks like this:
__________________________________________
/ ________________________________________|
|
|
| | L-shaped
| |
| |
|_|
_____________________________
/ ___________________________|
| |
| | J-shaped
| |
| |________
\________|
_____________________
/ ___________________|
| |
| |
| | U-shaped
| |
| |____________________
\____________________|
pull the latch out of
its hole. The folds in the lockpicks will be between
the door and the wall, and so the device
will not unfold, if it is made
properly.
2.2
LIST OF USEFUL HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS AND THEIR AVAILABILITY
Anyone can get many chemicals
from hardware stores, supermarkets,
and drug stores to get the materials to make explosives or
other dangerous
compounds. A would-be terrorist would merely need a station wagon and some
Chemical Used In Available
at
________ _______ ____________
_____________________________________________________________________________
alcohol, ethyl *
alcoholic beverages liquor stores
solvents (95% min. for both) hardware stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
ammonia + CLEAR
household ammonia supermarkets/7-eleven
_____________________________________________________________________________
ammonium
instant-cold paks, drug stores,
nitrate fertilizers medical supply stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
nitrous oxide
pressurizing whip cream party supply stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
magnesium
firestarters surplus/camping stores
____________________________________________________________________________
lecithin vitamins
pharmacies/drug stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
mineral oil
cooking, laxative supermarket/drug stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
mercury @
mercury thermometers supermarkets/hardware stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
sulfuric acid
uncharged car batteries automotive stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
glycerine ?
pharmacies/drug stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
sulfur gardening
gardening/hardware store
_____________________________________________________________________________
charcoal
charcoal grills supermarkets/gardening stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
sodium nitrate
fertilizer gardening store
_____________________________________________________________________________
cellulose
(cotton) first aid drug/medical supply stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
strontium
nitrate road flares surplus/auto stores,
_____________________________________________________________________________
fuel oil
kerosene stoves surplus/camping stores,
_____________________________________________________________________________
bottled gas
propane stoves surplus/camping stores,
_____________________________________________________________________________
potassium
permanganate water purification purification plants
_____________________________________________________________________________
hexamine or
hexamine stoves surplus/camping stores
methenamine (camping)
_____________________________________________________________________________
nitric acid ^
cleaning printing printing shops
plates photography stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
iodine &
first aid drug stores
_____________________________________________________________________________
sodium
perchlorate solidox pellets hardware stores
for cutting torches
_____________________________________________________________________________
notes: * ethyl alcohol is mixed with methyl alcohol when it is used as a
solvent. Methyl alcohol is very poisonous. Solvent alcohol must be
at least 95% ethyl alcohol
if it is used to make mercury fulminate.
Methyl alcohol may prevent mercury fulminate from
forming.
+ Ammonia, when bought in stores comes in a variety of forms. The
pine and cloudy ammonias should not be bought; only the clear
ammonia should be used to make
ammonium triiodide crystals.
@ Mercury thermometers are becoming a rarity,
unfortunately. They
may be hard to find in most stores. Mercury is also used in mercury
switches, which are available at electronics stores. Mercury is a
hazardous substance, and
should be kept in the thermometer or
mercury switch until used. It gives off mercury vapors
which will
cause brain damage if inhaled. For this reason, it is a good idea
not to
spill mercury, and to always use it outdoors. Also, do not
get it in an open cut; rubber
gloves will help prevent this.
^ Nitric acid is very difficult to find nowadays.
It is usually
stolen by bomb makers, or made by the process described in a later
section. A desired concentration for making explosives about 70%.
& The
iodine sold in drug stores is usually not the pure crystaline
form that is desired for
producing ammonium triiodide crystals.
To obtain the pure form, it must usually be acquired by
a doctor’s
prescription, but this can be expensive. Once again, theft is the
means that
terrorists result to.
2.3 PREPARATION OF CHEMICALS
2.31 NITRIC
ACID
There are several ways to make this most essential of all acids for
explosives. One method by which it could be made will be presented. Once
again, be reminded
that these methods SHOULD NOT BE CARRIED OUT!!
Materials: Equipment:
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
sodium nitrate or adjustable heat source
potassium
nitrate
retort
distilled water
ice bath
concentrated
sulfuric acid
stirring rod
collecting flask with stopper
1) Pour 32 milliliters
of concentrated sulfuric acid into the retort.
2) Carefully weigh out 58 grams of
sodium nitrate, or 68 grams of potassium
nitrate. and add this to the acid slowly. If it all
does not dissolve,
carefully stir the solution with a glass rod until it does.
3) Place the open end of the retort into the collecting flask,
and place the
collecting flask in the ice bath.
4) Begin heating the retort,
using low heat. Continue heating until liquid
begins to come out of the end of the retort. The
liquid that forms is nitric
acid. Heat until the precipitate in the bottom of the retort is
almost dry,
or until no more nitric acid is forming. CAUTION: If the acid is headed too
strongly, the nitric acid will decompose as soon as it is formed. This
can result in the
production of highly flammable and toxic gasses that may
explode. It is a good idea to set the
above apparatus up, and then get
away from it.
Potassium nitrate could
also be obtained from store-bought black powder,
simply by dissolving black powder in boiling
water and filtering out
the sulfur and charcoal. To obtain 68 g of potassium nitrate, it would
be
necessary to dissolve about 90 g of black powder in about one litre of
boiling water.
Filter the dissolved solution through filter paper in a funnel
into a jar until the liquid
that pours through is clear. The charcoal and
sulfur in black powder are insoluble in water,
and so when the solution of
water is allowed to evaporate, potassium nitrate will be left in
the jar.
2.32 SULFURIC ACID
Sulfuric acid is far too difficult to
make outside of a laboratory or
industrial plant. However, it is readily available in an
uncharged car battery.
A person wishing to make sulfuric acid would simply remove the top of a
car
battery and pour the acid into a glass container. There would probably be
pieces of
lead from the battery in the acid which would have to be removed,
either by boiling or
filtration. The concentration of the sulfuric acid can
also be increased by boiling it; very
pure sulfuric acid pours slightly faster
than clean motor oil.
2.33
AMMONIUM NITRATE
Ammonium nitrate is a very powerful but insensitive high-order
explosive. It could be made very easily by pouring nitric acid into a large
flask in an ice
bath. Then, by simply pouring household ammonia into the flask
and running away, ammonium
nitrate would be formed. After the materials have
stopped reacting, one would simply have to
leave the solution in a warm place
until all of the water and any unneutralized ammonia or
acid have evaporated.
There would be a fine powder formed, which would be ammonium nitrate. It
must
be kept in an airtight container, because of its tendency to pick up water from
the
air. The crystals formed in the above process would have to be heated VERY
gently to drive off
the remaining water.
3.0 EXPLOSIVE RECIPES
Once again, persons
reading this material MUST NEVER ATTEMPT TO PRODUCE
ANY OF THE EXPLOSIVES DESCRIBED HEREIN. IT
IS ILLEGAL AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
TO ATTEMPT TO DO SO. LOSS OF LIFE AND/OR LIMB COULD EASILY
OCCUR AS A RESULT
OF ATTEMPTING TO PRODUCE EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS.
These recipes are
theoretically correct, meaning that an individual
could conceivably produce the materials
described. The methods here are usually
scaled-down industrial procedures.
3.01 EXPLOSIVE THEORY
An explosive is any material
that, when ignited by heat or shock,
undergoes rapid decomposition or oxidation. This process
releases energy that
is stored in the material in the form of heat and light, or by breaking
down
into gaseous compounds that occupy a much larger volume that the original piece
of
material. Because this expansion is very rapid, large volumes of air are
displaced by the
expanding gasses. This expansion occurs at a speed greater
than the speed of sound, and so a
sonic boom occurs. This explains the
mechanics behind an explosion. Explosives occur in
several forms: high-order
explosives which detonate, low order explosives, which burn, and
primers, which
may do both.
High order explosives detonate. A detonation occurs
only in a high
order explosive. Detonations are usually incurred by a shockwave that passes
the molecular
bonds between the atoms of the substance, at a rate approximately
equal to the speed of sound
traveling through that material. In a high
explosive, the fuel and oxodizer are chemically
bonded, and the shockwave breaks
apart these bonds, and re-combines the two materials to
produce mostly gasses.
T.N.T., ammonium nitrate, and R.D.X. are examples of high order
explosives.
Low order explosives do not detonate; they burn, or undergo oxidation.
gaseous
products. Some low order materials burn at about the same speed under
pressure as they do in
the open, such as blackpowder. Others, such as gunpowder,
which is correctly called
nitrocellulose, burn much faster and hotter when they
are in a confined space, such as the
barrel of a firearm; they usually burn
much slower than blackpowder when they are ignited in
unpressurized conditions.
Black powder, nitrocellulose, and flash powder are good examples of
low order
explosives.
Primers are peculiarities to the explosive field. Some of
them, such as
mercury filminate, will function as a low or high order explosive. They are
explosives. Most
primers perform like a high order explosive, except that they
are much more sensitive. Still
others merely burn, but when they are confined,
they burn at a great rate and with a large
expansion of gasses and a shockwave.
Primers are usually used in a small amount to initiate,
or cause to decompose,
a high order explosive, as in an artillery shell. But, they are also
frequently
used to ignite a low order explosive; the gunpowder in a bullet is ignited by
the detonation of its primer.
3.1 IMPACT EXPLOSIVES
Impact
explosives are often used as primers. Of the ones discussed
here, only mercury fulminate and
nitroglycerine are real explosives; Ammonium
triiodide crystals decompose upon impact, but
they release little heat and no
light. Impact explosives are always treated with the greatest
care, and even
the stupidest anarchist never stores them near any high or low explosives.
3.11 AMMONIUM TRIIODIDE CRYSTALS
Ammonium triiodide crystals are
foul-smelling purple colored crystals
that decompose under the slightest amount of heat,
friction, or shock, if they
are made with the purest ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) and iodine.
Such
crystals are said to detonate when a fly lands on them, or when an ant walks
across
them. Household ammonia, however, has enough impurities, such as soaps
and abrasive agents, so
that the crystals will detonate when thrown,crushed, or
heated. Upon detonation, a loud report is heard, and a cloud of purple iodine
gas appears
about the detonation site. Whatever the unfortunate surface that
the crystal was detonated
upon will usually be ruined, as some of the iodine
in the crystal is thrown about in a solid
form, and iodine is corrosive. It
leaves nasty, ugly, permanent brownish-purple stains on
whatever it contacts.
Iodine gas is also bad news, since it can damage lungs, and it settles
to the
ground and stains things there also. Touching iodine leaves brown stains on
the
skin that last for about a week, unless they are immediately and vigorously
washed off. While
such a compound would have little use to a serious terrorist,
a vandal could utilize them in
damaging property. Or, a terrorist could throw
several of them into a crowd as a distraction,
an action which would possibly
injure a few people, but frighten almost anyone, since a small
crystal that
not be seen when thrown produces a rather loud explosion. Ammonium triiodide
Materials Equipment
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
iodine crystals funnel and filter paper
clear ammonia
(ammonium hydroxide, two throw-away glass jars
for
the suicidal)
1) Place about two teaspoons of iodine into one of the glass jars.
The jars
must both be throw away because they will never be clean again.
2) Add
enough ammonia to completely cover the iodine.
3) Place the funnel into the other jar,
and put the filter paper in the funnel.
The technique for putting filter paper in a funnel is
taught in every basic
chemistry lab class: fold the circular paper in half, so that a
semi-circle
is formed. Then, fold it in half again to form a triangle with one curved
side. Pull one thickness of paper out to form a cone, and place the cone
into the funnel.
4) After allowing the iodine to soak in the ammonia for a while, pour the
solution
into the paper in the funnel through the filter paper.
5) While the solution is being
filtered, put more ammonia into the first jar
to wash any remaining crystals into the funnel
as soon as it drains.
6) Collect all the purplish crystals without touching the brown
filter paper,
and place them on the paper towels to dry for about an hour. Make sure that
well detonate.
While they are still wet, divide the wet material into about
eight chunks.
7)
After they dry, gently place the crystals onto a one square inch piece of
duct tape. Cover it
with a similar piece, and gently press the duct tape
together around the crystal, making sure
not to press the crystal itself.
Finally, cut away most of the excess duct tape with a pair of
scissors, and
store the crystals in a cool dry safe place. They have a shelf life of
about a week, and they should be stored in individual containers that can be
thrown away,
since they have a tendency to slowly decompose, a process which
gives off iodine vapors, which
will stain whatever they settle on. One
possible way to increase their shelf life is to store
them in airtight
containers. To use them, simply throw them against any surface or place
them
where they will be stepped on or crushed.
3.12 MERCURY FULMINATE
Mercury fulminate is perhaps one of the oldest known
initiating
compounds. It can be detonated by either heat or shock, which would make it
of infinite value to a terrorist. Even the action of dropping a crystal of
the fulminate
causes it to explode. A person making this material would
probably use the following
procedure:
MATERIALS EQUIPMENT
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
mercury (5 g) glass stirring rod
concentrated nitric
100 ml beaker (2)
acid (35 ml)
adjustable heat
ethyl alcohol (30 ml) source
distilled water blue litmus paper
funnel and filter paper
1) In one beaker, mix 5 g of mercury with 35 ml of concentrated nitric acid,
using the
glass rod.
2) Slowly heat the mixture until the mercury is dissolved, which is when
the
solution turns green and boils.
3) Place 30 ml of ethyl alcohol into the
second beaker, and slowly and carefully
add all of the contents of the first beaker to it. Red
and/or brown fumes
should appear. These fumes are toxic and flammable.
4) After
thirty to forty minutes, the fumes should turn white, indicating that
the reaction is near
completion. After ten more minutes, add 30 ml of the
distilled water to the solution.
5) Carefully filter out the crystals of mercury fulminate from the liquid
solution.
Dispose of the solution in a safe place, as it is corrosive
and toxic.
6) Wash
the crystals several times in distilled water to remove as much excess
acid as possible. Test
the crystals with the litmus paper until they are
neutral. This will be when the litmus paper
stays blue when it touches the
wet crystals
7) Allow the crystals to dry, and
store them in a safe place, far away from
any explosive or flammable material.
This procedure can also be done by volume, if the available mercury
cannot be weighed.
Simply use 10 volumes of nitric acid and 10 volumes of
ethanol to every one volume of
mercury.
3.13 NITROGLYCERINE
the most sensitive.
Although it is possible to make it safely, it is difficult.
Many a young anarchist has been
killed or seriously injured while trying to
make the stuff. When Nobel’s factories make it,
many people were killed by the
all-to-frequent factory explosions. Usually, as soon as it is
made, it is
converted into a safer substance, such as dynamite. An idiot who attempts
to
make nitroglycerine would use the following procedure:
MATERIAL EQUIPMENT
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
distilled water eye-dropper
table salt
100 ml beaker
sodium bicarbonate 200-300 ml beakers (2)
concentrated
nitric ice bath container
acid (13 ml) ( a plastic bucket serves well )
concentrated sulfuric centigrade thermometer
acid (39 ml)
blue litmus paper
glycerine
1) Place 150 ml of distilled water into one of the 200-300 ml
beakers.
2) In the other 200-300 ml beaker, place 150 ml of distilled water and
about
a spoonful of sodium bicarbonate, and stir them until the sodium bicarbonate
dissolves. Do not put so much sodium bicarbonate in the water so that some
remains
undissolved.
3) Create an ice bath by half filling the ice bath container with ice,
and
adding table salt. This will cause the ice to melt, lowering the overall
temperature.
4) Place the 100 ml beaker into the ice bath, and pour the 13 ml of
concentrated
nitric acid into the 100 ml beaker. Be sure that the beaker will not spill
into the ice bath, and that the ice bath will not overflow into the beaker
when more materials
are added to it. Be sure to have a large enough ice bath
container to add more ice. Bring the
temperature of the acid down to about 20
degrees centigrade or less.
5) When the
nitric acid is as cold as stated above, slowly and carefully add the
39 ml of concentrated
sulfuric acid to the nitric acid. Mix the two acids
together, and cool the mixed acids to 10
degrees centigrade. It is a good
idea to start another ice bath to do this.
6)
With the eyedropper, slowly put the glycerine into the mixed acids, one drop
at a time. Hold
the thermometer along the top of the mixture where the mixed
acids and glycerine meet. DO NOT
ALLOW THE TEMPERATURE TO GET ABOVE 30
DEGREES CENTIGRADE; IF THE TEMPERATURE RISES ABOVE THIS
TEMPERATURE, RUN
LIKE HELL!!! The glycerine will start to nitrate immediately, and the
temperature will immediately begin to rise. Add glycerine until there is a
thin layer of
glycerine on top of the mixed acids. It is always safest to
make any explosive in small
quantities.
7) Stir the mixed acids and glycerine
for the first ten minutes of nitration,
adding ice and salt to the ice bath to keep the
temperature of the solution
in the 100 ml beaker well below 30 degrees centigrade. Usually,
the
nitroglycerine will form on the top of the mixed acid solution, and the
concentrated
sulfuric acid will absorb the water produced by the reaction.
When the reaction is
over, and when the nitroglycerine is well below 30
degrees centigrade, slowly and carefully
pour the solution of nitroglycerine
and mixed acid into the distilled water in the beaker in
step 1. The
nitroglycerine should settle to the bottom of the beaker, and the water-acid
solution on top can be poured off and disposed of. Drain as much of the
acid-water solution as
possible without disturbing the nitroglycerine.
9) Carefully remove the nitroglycerine
with a clean eye-dropper, and place it
into the beaker in step 2. The sodium bicarbonate
solution will eliminate
much of the acid, which will make the nitroglycerine more stable, and
less
likely to explode for no reason, which it can do. Test the nitroglycerine
with the
litmus paper until the litmus stays blue. Repeat this step if
necessary, and use new sodium
bicarbonate solutions as in step 2.
10) When the nitroglycerine is as acid-free as
possible, store it in a clean
container in a safe place. The best place to store
nitroglycerine is
far away from anything living, or from anything of any value.
Nitroglycerine can explode for no apparent reason, even if it is stored
in a secure cool
place.
3.14 PICRATES
Although the procedure for the production of
picric acid, or
trinitrophenol has not yet been given, its salts are described first, since
they
are extremely sensitive, and detonate on impact. By mixing picric acid with
metal
hydroxides, such as sodium or potassium hydroxide, and evaporating the
water, metal picrates
can be formed. Simply obtain picric acid, or produce it,
and mix it with a solution of
(preferably) potassium hydroxide, of a mid range
molarity. (about 6-9 M) This material,
potassium picrate, is impact-sensitive,
and can be used as an initiator for any type of high
explosive.
3.2 LOW-ORDER EXPLOSIVES
There are many low-order explosives
that can be purchased in gun
stores and used in explosive devices. However, it is possible
that a wise
wise store owner would not sell these substances to a suspicious-looking
individual. Such an individual would then be forced to resort to making
his own low-order
explosives.
3.21 BLACK POWDER
First made by the Chinese for
use in fireworks, black powder was first
used in weapons and explosives in the 12th century.
It is very simple to make,
but it is not very powerful or safe. Only about 50% of black powder
is
converted to hot gasses when it is burned; the other half is mostly very fine
burned
particles. Black powder has one major problem: it can be ignited by
static electricity. This
is very bad, and it means that the material must be
made with wooden or clay tools. Anyway, a
misguided individual could
manufacture black powder at home with the following procedure:
MATERIALS EQUIPMENT
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium clay grinding bowl
nitrate (75 g) and
clay grinder
or or
sodium wooden salad bowl
nitrate (75 g) and
wooden spoon
sulfur (10 g) plastic bags (3)
charcoal (15 g) 300-500 ml
beaker (1)
distilled water coffee pot or heat source
1) Place a
small amount of the potassium or sodium nitrate in the grinding bowl
and grind it to a very
fine powder. Do this to all of the potassium or
sodium nitrate, and store the ground powder in
one of the plastic bags.
2) Do the same thing to the sulfur and charcoal, storing each
chemical in a
separate plastic bag.
3) Place all of the finely ground potassium
or sodium nitrate in the beaker, and
add just enough boiling water to the chemical to get it
all wet.
4) Add the contents of the other plastic bags to the wet potassium or
sodium
nitrate, and mix them well for several minutes. Do this until there is no
more
visible sulfur or charcoal, or until the mixture is universally black.
5) On a warm
sunny day, put the beaker outside in the direct sunlight. Sunlight
is really the best way to
dry black powder, since it is never too hot, but it
is hot enough to evaporate the water.
6) Scrape the black powder out of the beaker, and store it in a safe container.
Plastic is really the safest container, followed by paper. Never store black
powder in a
plastic bag, since plastic bags are prone to generate static
electricity.
3.22 NITROCELLULOSE
Nitrocellulose is usually called "gunpowder" or
"guncotton". It is more
stable than black powder, and it produces a much greater
volume of hot gas. It
also burns much faster than black powder when it is in a confined
space.
Finally, nitrocellulose is fairly easy to make, as outlined by the following
procedure:
MATERIALS EQUIPMENT
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
cotton (cellulose) two (2) 200-300 ml beakers
concentrated funnel and filter paper
blue litmus paper
concentrated
sulfuric acid
distilled
water
1) Pour 10 cc of concentrated sulfuric acid into the
beaker. Add to this
10 cc of concentrated nitric acid.
2) Immediately add 0.5 gm
of cotton, and allow it to soak for exactly 3
minutes.
3) Remove the nitrocotton,
and transfer it to a beaker of distilled water
to wash it in.
4) Allow the
material to dry, and then re-wash it.
5) After the cotton is neutral when tested with
litmus paper, it is ready to
be dried and stored.
3.23 FUEL-OXODIZER
MIXTURES
There are nearly an infinite number of fuel-oxodizer mixtures that can
be produced by a misguided individual in his own home. Some are very effective
and dangerous,
while others are safer and less effective. A list of working
fuel-oxodizer mixtures will be
presented, but the exact measurements of each
compound are debatable for maximum
effectiveness. A rough estimate will be
given of the percentages of each fuel and oxodizer:
oxodizer, % by weight fuel, % by weight speed # notes
================================================================================
potassium
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
chlorate 67% sulfur 33% 5 friction/impact
sensitive; unstable
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium chlorate 50% sugar 35%
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
5 fairly slow burning;
charcoal 15% unstable
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium chlorate 50% sulfur
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
25% 8 extremely
magnesium or unstable!
aluminum dust 25%
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium chlorate 67% magnesium
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
or 8 unstable
aluminum dust 33%
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
sodium nitrate 65% magnesium
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
dust 30% ? unpredictable
sulfur 5% burn rate
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium permanganate 60%
glycerine 40% 4 delay before
ignition depends
WARNING: IGNITES SPONTANEOUSLY WITH
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
GLYCERINE!!! upon grain size
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
/> potassium permanganate 67% sulfur 33% 5 unstable
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium permangenate 60%
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
sulfur 20% 5 unstable
magnesium or
aluminum dust 20%
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium permanganate 50% sugar
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
50% 3 ?
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium nitrate
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
75% charcoal 15% 7 this is
sulfur 10% black powder!
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium nitrate 60% powdered
iron 1 burns very hot
or magnesium 40%
oxidizer, % by
weight fuel, % by weight speed # notes
================================================================================
potassium
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
chlorate 75% phosphorus 8 used to make strike-
sesquisulfide 25% anywhere matches
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ammonium perchlorate 70%
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
aluminum dust 30% 6 solid fuel for
and small amount of space shuttle
iron oxide
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium perchlorate 67%
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
magnesium or 10 flash powder
(sodium perchlorate) aluminum dust 33%
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium perchlorate 60%
magnesium or 8 alternate
(sodium perchlorate) aluminum dust 20% flash powder
sulfur
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
20%
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
barium nitrate 30%
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
aluminum dust 30% 9 alternate
potassium perchlorate 30% flash powder
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
barium peroxide 90% magnesium
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
dust 5% 10 alternate
aluminum dust 5% flash powder
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium perchlorate 50% sulfur
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
25% 8 slightly
magnesium or unstable
aluminum dust 25%
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium chlorate 67% red
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÃ
phosphorus 27% 7 very unstable
calcium carbonate 3% sulfur 3% impact sensitive
„ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium permanganate 50%
powdered sugar 25% 7 unstable;
aluminum or ignites if
magnesium dust 25% it gets wet!
/> „ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium chlorate 75%
charcoal dust 15% 6 unstable
sulfur 10%
================================================================================
NOTE:
Mixtures that uses substitutions of sodium perchlorate for potassium
perchlorate become
moisture-absorbent and less stable.
The higher the speed number, the faster the
fuel-oxodizer mixture burns
AFTER ignition. Also, as a rule, the finer the powder, the faster
the rate of
burning.
As one can easily see, there is a wide variety of
fuel-oxodizer mixtures
that can be made at home. By altering the amounts of fuel and
oxodizer(s),
different burn rates can be achieved, but this also can change the sensitivity
3.24 PERCHLORATES
As a rule, any oxidizable
material that is treated with perchloric acid
will become a low order explosive. Metals,
however, such as potassium or
sodium, become excellent bases for flash-type powders. Some
materials that can
be perchlorated are cotton, paper, and sawdust. To produce potassium or
sodium
perchlorate, simply acquire the hydroxide of that metal, e.g. sodium or
potassium
hydroxide. It is a good idea to test the material to be perchlorated
with a very small amount
of acid, since some of the materials tend to react
explosively when contacted by the acid.
Solutions of sodium or potassium
hydroxide are ideal.
3.3 HIGH-ORDER EXPLOSIVES
High order explosives can be made in the home without too
much
difficulty. The main problem is acquiring the nitric acid to produce the high
explosive. Most high explosives detonate because their molecular structure is
made up of some
fuel and usually three or more NO2 ( nitrogen dioxide )
molecules. T.N.T., or
Tri-Nitro-Toluene is an excellent example of such a
material. When a shock wave passes through
an molecule of T.N.T., the
nitrogen dioxide bond is broken, and the oxygen combines with the
fuel, all in
a matter of microseconds. This accounts for the great power of nitrogen-based
several methods
of manufacturing high-order explosives in the home are listed.
3.31
R.D.X.
R.D.X., also called cyclonite, or composition C-1 (when mixed with
plasticisers) is one of the most valuable of all military explosives. This is
because it has
more than 150% of the power of T.N.T., and is much easier to
detonate. It should not be used
alone, since it can be set off by a not-too
severe shock. It is less sensitive than mercury
fulminate, or nitroglycerine,
but it is still too sensitive to be used alone. R.D.X. can be
made by the
surprisingly simple method outlined hereafter. It is much easier to make in the
nitrate.
MATERIALS EQUIPMENT
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
hexamine
500 ml beaker
or
methenamine glass stirring rod
fuel tablets (50 g)
funnel
and filter paper
concentrated
nitric acid (550 ml) ice bath container
(plastic
bucket)
distilled water
centigrade thermometer
table salt
blue litmus
paper
ice
ammonium nitrate
1) Place the beaker in the ice bath, (see
section 3.13, steps 3-4) and carefully
pour 550 ml of concentrated nitric acid into the
beaker.
2) When the acid has cooled to below 20 degrees centigrade, add small amounts
of
the crushed fuel tablets to the beaker. The temperature will rise, and it
must be
kept below 30 degrees centigrade, or dire consequences could result.
Stir the mixture.
3) Drop the temperature below zero degrees centigrade, either by adding more ice
and
salt to the old ice bath, or by creating a new ice bath. Or, ammonium
nitrate could be added
to the old ice bath, since it becomes cold when it is
put in water. Continue stirring the
mixture, keeping the temperature below
zero degrees centigrade for at least twenty minutes
4) Pour the mixture into a litre of crushed ice. Shake
and stir the mixture,
and allow it to melt. Once it has melted, filter out the crystals,
and
dispose of the corrosive liquid.
5) Place the crystals into one half a litre
of boiling distilled water. Filter
the crystals, and test them with the blue litmus paper.
Repeat steps 4 and 5
until the litmus paper remains blue. This will make the crystals more
stable
and safe.
6) Store the crystals wet until ready for use. Allow them to dry
completely
using them. R.D.X. is not stable enough to use alone as an explosive.
7) Composition C-1 can be made by mixing 88.3% R.D.X. (by weight) with 11.1%
mineral oil, and
0.6% lecithin. Kneed these material together in a plastic
bag. This is a good way to
desensitize the explosive.
H.M.X. is a mixture of T.N.T. and R.D.X.; the ratio is
50/50, by weight.
it is not as sensitive, and is almost as powerful as straight R.D.X.
9) By adding ammonium nitrate to the crystals of R.D.X. after step 5, it should
be
possible to desensitize the R.D.X. and increase its power, since ammonium
nitrate is very
insensitive and powerful. Soduim or potassium nitrate could
also be added; a small quantity is
sufficient to stabilize the R.D.X.
10) R.D.X. detonates at a rate of 8550 meters/second
when it is compressed to a
density of 1.55 g/cubic cm.
3.32 AMMONIUM
NITRATE
Ammonium nitrate could be made by a terrorist according to the hap-
hazard method in section 2.33, or it could be stolen from a construction site,
since it is
usually used in blasting, because it is very stable and insensitive
to shock and heat. A
terrorist could also buy several Instant Cold-Paks from a
drug store or medical supply store.
The major disadvantage with ammonium
nitrate, from a terrorist’s point of view, would be
detonating it. A rather
powerful priming charge must be used, and usually with a booster
charge. The
diagram below will explain.
_________________________________________
| | |
________| | |
| | T.N.T.| ammonium
nitrate |
|primer |booster| |
|_______| | |
| | |
|_______|_______________________________|
The primer explodes, detonating the T.N.T.,
which detonates, sending
a tremendous shockwave through the ammonium nitrate, detonating
it.
3.33 ANFOS
ANFO is an acronym for Ammonium Nitrate - Fuel Oil
Solution. An ANFO
solves the only other major problem with ammonium nitrate: its tendency to
pick
up water vapor from the air. This results in the explosive failing to detonate
when
such an attempt is made. This is rectified by mixing 94% (by weight)
ammonium nitrate with 6%
fuel oil, or kerosene. The kerosene keeps the ammonium
nitrate from absorbing moisture from
the air. An ANFO also requires a large
shockwave to set it off.
3.34 T.N.T.
T.N.T., or Tri-Nitro-Toluene, is perhaps the second oldest
known high
explosive. Dynamite, of course, was the first. It is certainly the best known
high explosive, since it has been popularized by early morning cartoons. It
is the standard
for comparing other explosives to, since it is the most well
known. In industry, a T.N.T. is
made by a three step nitration process that is
designed to conserve the nitric and sulfuric
acids which are used to make the
product. A terrorist, however, would probably opt for the
less economical one
step method. The one step process is performed by treating toluene with
very
strong (fuming) sulfuric acid. Then, the sulfated toluene is treated with very
strong (fuming) nitric acid in an ice bath. Cold water is added the solution,
and it is
filtered.
3.35 POTASSIUM CHLORATE
Potassium chlorate
itself cannot be made in the home, but it can be
obtained from labs. If potassium chlorate is
mixed with a small amount of
vaseline, or other petroleum jelly, and a shockwave is passed
through it, the
material will detonate with slightly more power than black powder. It must,
such an
explosive is outlined below:
MATERIALS EQUIPMENT
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium chlorate zip-lock plastic bag
(9 parts, by
volume)
petroleum jelly clay grinding bowl
(vaseline) or
(1 part, by
volume) wooden bowl and wooden spoon
1) Grind the potassium chlorate in
the grinding bowl carefully and slowly,
until the potassium chlorate is a very fine powder.
The finer that it is
powdered, the faster (better) it will detonate.
2) Place the
powder into the plastic bag. Put the petroleum jelly into the
plastic bag, getting as little
on the sides of the bag as possible, i.e.
put the vaseline on the potassium chlorate
powder.
3) Close the bag, and kneed the materials together until none of the
potassium
chlorate is dry powder that does not stick to the main glob. If necessary,
add
a bit more petroleum jelly to the bag.
4) The material must me used within 24 hours, or
the mixture will react to
greatly reduce the effectiveness of the explosive. This reaction,
however,
is harmless, and releases no heat or dangerous products.
3.36 DYNAMITE
The name dynamite comes from
the Greek word "dynamis", meaning power.
Dynamite was invented by Nobel shortly
after he made nitroglycerine. It was
made because nitroglycerine was so dangerously sensitive
to shock. A misguided
individual with some sanity would, after making nitroglycerine (an
insane act)
would immediately convert it to dynamite. This can be done by adding various
materials to the nitroglycerine, such as sawdust. The sawdust holds a large
weight of
nitroglycerine per volume. Other materials, such as ammonium nitrate
could be added, and they
would tend to desensitize the explosive, and increase
the power. But even these nitroglycerine
compounds are not really safe.
3.37 NITROSTARCH EXPLOSIVES
Nitrostarch explosives are simple to make, and are fairly powerful. All
that need be
done is treat various starches with a mixture of concentrated nitric
and sulfuric acids. 10 ml
of concentrated sulfuric acid is added to 10 ml of
concentrated nitric acid. To this mixture
is added 0.5 grams of starch. Cold
water is added, and the apparently unchanged nitrostarch is
filtered out.
Nitrostarch explosives are of slightly lower power than T.N.T., but they are
3.38 PICRIC ACID
Picric
acid, also known as Tri-Nitro-Phenol, or T.N.P., is a military
explosive that is most often
used as a booster charge to set off another less
sensitive explosive, such as T.N.T. It
another explosive that is fairly simple
to make, assuming that one can acquire the
concentrated sulfuric and nitric
acids. Its procedure for manufacture is given in many college
chemistry lab
manuals, and is easy to follow. The main problem with picric acid is its
tendency to form dangerously sensitive and unstable picrate salts, such as
potassium picrate.
For this reason, it is usually made into a safer form, such
as ammonium picrate, also called
explosive D. A social deviant would probably
use a formula similar to the one presented here
to make picric acid.
MATERIALS EQUIPMENT
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
phenol (9.5 g) 500 ml flask
concentrated adjustable
heat source
sulfuric acid (12.5 ml)
1000 ml beaker
concentrated nitric or other
container
acid (38 ml) suitable for boiling in
distilled water filter paper
and funnel
glass stirring rod
1)
Place 9.5 grams of phenol into the 500 ml flask, and carefully add 12.5
ml of concentrated
sulfuric acid and stir the mixture.
2) Put 400 ml of tap water into the 1000 ml beaker
or boiling container and
bring the water to a gentle boil.
3) After warming the
500 ml flask under hot tap water, place it in the boiling
water, and continue to stir the
mixture of phenol and acid for about thirty
minutes. After thirty minutes, take the flask out,
and allow it to cool for
about five minutes.
4) Pour out the boiling water used
above, and after allowing the container to
cool, use it to create an ice bath, similar to the
one used in section 3.13,
steps 3-4. Place the 500 ml flask with the mixed acid an phenol in
the ice
bath. Add 38 ml of concentrated nitric acid in small amounts, stirring the
mixture constantly. A vigorous but "harmless" reaction should occur. When
the
mixture stops reacting vigorously, take the flask out of the ice bath.
5) Warm the ice
bath container, if it is glass, and then begin boiling more tap
water. Place the flask
containing the mixture in the boiling water, and heat
it in the boiling water for 1.5 to 2
hours.
6) Add 100 ml of cold distilled water to the solution, and chill it in an ice
7) Filter out the yellowish-white picric acid crystals by
pouring the solution
through the filter paper in the funnel. Collect the liquid and dispose of
it
in a safe place, since it is corrosive.
Wash out the 500 ml flask with
distilled water, and put the contents of the
filter paper in the flask. Add 300 ml of water,
and shake vigorously.
9) Re-filter the crystals, and allow them to dry.
10) Store the crystals in a safe place in a glass container, since they will
react with metal
containers to produce picrates that could explode
spontaneously.
3.39
AMMONIUM PICRATE
Ammonium picrate, also called Explosive D, is another safety
explosive.
It requires a substantial shock to cause it to detonate, slightly less than that
it has
little tendency to form hazardous unstable salts when placed in metal
containers. It is simple
to make from picric acid and clear household ammonia.
All that need be done is put the picric
acid crystals into a glass container and
dissolve them in a great quantity of hot water. Add
clear household ammonia in
excess, and allow the excess ammonia to evaporate. The powder
remaining should
be ammonium picrate.
3.40 NITROGEN TRICHLORIDE
Nitrogen trichloride, also known as chloride of azode, is an oily yellow
liquid. It
explodes violently when it is heated above 60 degrees celsius, or
when it comes in contact
with an open flame or spark. It is fairly simple to
produce.
1) In a beaker, dissolve about 5 teaspoons of ammonium nitrate in water.
Do not
put so much ammonium nitrate into the solution that some of it
remains undissolved in the
bottom of the beaker.
2) Collect a quantity of chlorine gas in a second beaker by
mixing hydrochloric
acid with potassium permanganate in a large flask with a stopper and
glass
pipe.
3) Place the beaker containing the chlorine gas upside down on top of
the
beaker containing the ammonium nitrate solution, and tape the beakers
together.
Gently heat the bottom beaker. When this is done, oily yellow
droplets will begin to form on
the surface of the solution, and sink down
to the bottom. At this time, remove the heat source
immediately.
Alternately, the chlorine can be bubbled through the ammonium nitrate
timing and a stand
to hold the beaker and test tube.
The chlorine gas can also be mixed with anhydrous
ammonia gas, by gently
heating a flask filled with clear household ammonia. Place the glass
tubes
from the chlorine-generating flask and the tube from the ammonia-generating
flask
in another flask that contains water.
4) Collect the yellow droplets with an
eyedropper, and use them immediately,
since nitrogen trichloride decomposes in 24 hours.
3.41 LEAD AZIDE
Lead Azide is a material that is often used as a booster
charge for
other explosive, but it does well enough on its own as a fairly sensitive
explosive. It does not detonate too easily by percussion or impact, but it
is easily detonated
by heat from an igniter wire, or a blasting cap. It is
simple to produce, assuming that the
necessary chemicals can be procured.
By dissolving sodium azide and lead acetate in
water in separate
beakers, the two materials are put into an aqueous state. Mix the two
beakers
together, and apply a gentle heat. Add an excess of the lead acetate
solution,
until no reaction occurs, and the precipitate on the bottom of the
beaker stops forming.
Filter off the solution, and wash the precipitate in
hot water. The precipitate is lead azide,
and it must be stored wet for safety.
If lead acetate cannot be found, simply acquire acetic
acid, and put lead
metal in it. Black powder bullets work well for this purpose.
3.5 OTHER "EXPLOSIVES"
The remaining section covers the other types of
materials that can
be used to destroy property by fire. Although none of the materials
presented here are explosives, they still produce explosive-style results.
3.51
THERMIT
Thermit is a fuel-oxodizer mixture that is used to generate tremendous
amounts of heat. It was not presented in section 3.23 because it does not react
nearly as
readily. It is a mixture of iron oxide and aluminum, both finely
powdered. When it is ignited,
the aluminum burns, and extracts the oxygen from
the iron oxide. This is really two very
exothermic reactions that produce a
combined temperature of about 2200 degrees C. This is half
the heat produced by
an atomic weapon. It is difficult to ignite, however, but when it is
ignited,
it is one of the most effective firestarters around.
MATERIALS
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
powdered aluminum (10 g)
powdered iron oxide (10 g)
1) There is no special procedure or equipment
required to make thermit. Simply
mix the two powders together, and try to make the mixture as
homogenous as
possible. The ratio of iron oxide to aluminum is 50% / 50% by weight, and
be made in greater or lesser amounts.
2) Ignition of thermite can be accomplished by
adding a small amount of
potassium chlorate to the thermit, and pouring a few drops of
sulfuric acid
on it. This method and others will be discussed later in section 4.33. The
other method of igniting thermit is with a magnesium strip. Finally, by
using common
sparkler-type fireworks placed in the thermit, the mixture
can be ignited.
3.52 MOLOTOV COCKTAILS
First used by Russians against German tanks, the Molotov
cocktail is now
exclusively used by terrorists worldwide. They are extremely simple to make,
and
can produce devastating results. By taking any highly flammable material, such
as
gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, ethyl or methyl alcohol, lighter fluid,
turpentine, or any
mixture of the above, and putting it into a large glass
bottle, anyone can make an effective
firebomb. After putting the flammable
liquid in the bottle, simply put a piece of cloth that
is soaked in the liquid
in the top of the bottle so that it fits tightly. Then, wrap some of
the cloth
around the neck and tie it, but be sure to leave a few inches of lose cloth to
light. Light the exposed cloth, and throw the bottle. If the burning cloth
does not go out,
and if the bottle breaks on impact, the contents of the bottle
will spatter over a large area
near the site of impact, and burst into flame.
Flammable mixtures such as kerosene and motor
oil should be mixed with a more
volatile and flammable liquid, such as gasoline, to insure
ignition. A mixture
such as tar or grease and gasoline will stick to the surface that it
strikes,
and burn hotter, and be more difficult to extinguish. A mixture such as this
must be shaken well before it is lit and thrown
3.53 CHEMICAL FIRE
BOTTLE
The chemical fire bottle is really an advanced molotov cocktail. Rather
than using the burning cloth to ignite the flammable liquid, which has at best
a fair chance
of igniting the liquid, the chemical fire bottle utilizes the very
hot and violent reaction
between sulfuric acid and potassium chlorate. When the
container breaks, the sulfuric acid in
the mixture of gasoline sprays onto the
paper soaked in potassium chlorate and sugar. The
paper, when struck by the
acid, instantly bursts into a white flame, igniting the gasoline.
The chance
of failure to ignite the gasoline is less than 2%, and can be reduced to 0%, if
MATERIALS EQUIPMENT
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
potassium chlorate glass bottle
(2 teaspoons) (12 oz.)
sugar (2 teaspoons) cap for bottle,
with plastic inside
concentrated
cooking pan with raised
sulfuric acid (4 oz.) edges
gasoline (8 oz.) paper
towels
glass or plastic cup
and spoon
1) Test the cap
of the bottle with a few drops of sulfuric acid to make sure
that the acid will not eat away
the bottle cap during storage. If the
acid eats through it in 24 hours, a new top must be
found and tested, until
a cap that the acid does not eat through is found. A glass top is
excellent.
2) Carefully pour 8 oz. of gasoline into the glass bottle.
3)
Carefully pour 4 oz. of concentrated sulfuric acid into the glass bottle.
Wipe up any spills
of acid on the sides of the bottle, and screw the cap on
the bottle. Wash the bottle’s outside
with plenty of water. Set it aside
to dry.
4) Put about two teaspoons of
potassium chlorate and about two teaspoons of
sugar into the glass or plastic cup. Add about
1/2 cup of boiling water,
or enough to dissolve all of the potassium chlorate and sugar.
5) Place a sheet of paper towel in the cooking pan with raised edges. Fold
the paper
towel in half, and pour the solution of dissolved potassium
chlorate and sugar on it until it
is thoroughly wet. Allow the towel to
dry.
6) When it is dry, put some glue on
the outside of the glass bottle containing
the gasoline and sulfuric acid mixture. Wrap the
paper towel around the
bottle, making sure that it sticks to it in all places. Store the
bottle
in a place where it will not be broken or tipped over.
7) When finished,
the solution in the bottle should appear as two distinct
liquids, a dark brownish-red solution
on the bottom, and a clear solution
on top. The two solutions will not mix. To use the
chemical fire bottle,
simply throw it at any hard surface.
NEVER OPEN THE
BOTTLE, SINCE SOME SULFURIC ACID MIGHT BE ON THE CAP, WHICH
COULD TRICKLE DOWN THE SIDE OF THE
BOTTLE AND IGNITE THE POTASSIUM CHLORATE,
CAUSING A FIRE AND/OR EXPLOSION.
9) To
test the device, tear a small piece of the paper towel off the bottle,
and put a few drops of
sulfuric acid on it. The paper towel should
immediately burst into a white flame.
3.54 BOTTLED GAS EXPLOSIVES
stoves or for
bunsen burners, can be used to produce a powerful explosion. To
make such a device, all that a
simple-minded anarchist would have to do would be
to take his container of bottled gas and
place it above a can of Sterno or other
gelatinized fuel, and light the fuel and run.
Depending on the fuel used, and
on the thickness of the fuel container, the liquid gas will
boil and expand to
the point of bursting the container in about five minutes. In theory, the
gas
would immediately be ignited by the burning gelatinized fuel, producing a large
fireball and explosion. Unfortunately, the bursting of the bottled gas container
often puts
out the fuel, thus preventing the expanding gas from igniting. By
using a metal bucket half
filled with gasoline, however, the chances of ignition
are better, since the gasoline is less
likely to be extinguished. Placing the
canister of bottled gas on a bed of burning charcoal
soaked in gasoline would
probably be the most effective way of securing ignition of the
expanding gas,
since although the bursting of the gas container may blow out the flame of
the
gasoline, the burning charcoal should immediately re-ignite it. Nitrous oxide,
hydrogen, propane, acetylene, or any other flammable gas will do nicely.
4.0 USING EXPLOSIVES
Once a terrorist has made his explosives, the next logical
step is to
apply them. Explosives have a wide range of uses, from harassment, to vandalism,
IN PART OR
IN FULL! DOING SO CAN LEAD TO PROSECUTION, FINES, AND IMPRISONMENT!
The first step that a
person that would use explosive would take would
be to determine how big an explosive device
would be needed to do whatever had
to be done. Then, he would have to decide what to make his
bomb with. He would
also have to decide on how he wanted to detonate the device, and
determine
where the best placement for it would be. Then, it would be necessary to see
if the device could be put where he wanted it without it being discovered or
moved. Finally,
he would actually have to sit down and build his explosive
device. These are some of the
topics covered in the next section.
4.1 SAFETY
There is no such
thing as a "safe" explosive device. One can only speak
in terms of relative safety,
or less unsafe.
4.2 IGNITION DEVICES
There are many ways to ignite
explosive devices. There is the classic
"light the fuse, throw the bomb, and run"
approach, and there are sensitive
mercury switches, and many things in between. Generally,
electrical detonation
systems are safer than fuses, but there are times when fuses are more
detonation
system into a stadium, for instance, without being caught. A device
with a fuse or impact
detonating fuse would be easier to hide.
4.21 FUSE IGNITION
The oldest form of explosive ignition, fuses are
perhaps the favorite
type of simple ignition system. By simply placing a piece of waterproof
fuse in
a device, one can have almost guaranteed ignition. Modern waterproof fuse is
extremely reliable, burning at a rate of about 2.5 seconds to the inch. It is
available as
model rocketry fuse in most hobby shops, and costs about $3.00 for
a nine-foot length. Fuse is
a popular ignition system for pipe bombers because
of its simplicity. All that need be done is
light it with a match or lighter.
Of course, if the Army had fuses like this, then the
grenade, which uses
fuse ignition, would be very impracticle. If a grenade ignition system can
be
acquired, by all means, it is the most effective. But, since such things do not
just
float around, the next best thing is to prepare a fuse system which does
not require the use
of a match or lighter, but still retains its simplicity.
One such method is described
below:
MATERIALS
_________
strike-on-cover type matches
electrical tape or duct tape
waterproof fuse
1) To determine the
burn rate of a particular type of fuse, simply measure a
6 inch or longer piece of fuse and
ignite it. With a stopwatch, press the
start button the at the instant when the fuse lights,
and stop the watch when
the fuse reaches its end. Divide the time of burn by the length of
fuse, and
you have the burn rate of the fuse, in seconds per inch. This will be shown
below:
Suppose an eight inch piece of fuse is burned, and its complete time
of
combustion is 20 seconds.
20 seconds
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ = 2.5
seconds per inch.
8 inches
If a delay of 10 seconds was desired with this
fuse, divide the desired
time by the number of seconds per inch:
10 seconds
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ = 4 inches
2.5 seconds / inch
NOTE: THE
LENGTH OF FUSE HERE MEANS LENGTH OF FUSE TO THE POWDER. SOME FUSE,
AT LEAST AN INCH, SHOULD BE
INSIDE THE DEVICE. ALWAYS ADD THIS EXTRA
INCH, AND PUT THIS EXTRA INCH AN INCH INTO THE
DEVICE!!!
2) After deciding how long a delay is desired before the explosive
device is
to go off, add about 1/2 an inch to the premeasured amount of fuse, and
cut it
off.
3) Carefully remove the cardboard matches from
the paper match case. Do not
pull off individual matches; keep all the matches attached to the
cardboard
base. Take one of the cardboard match sections, and leave the other one
to
make a second igniter.
4) Wrap the matches around the end of the fuse, with the heads
of the matches
touching the very end of the fuse. Tape them there securely, making sure not
on them at the
base of the assembly. They should not be able to move.
5) Wrap the cover of the matches
around the matches attached to the fuse, making
sure that the striker paper is below the match
heads and the striker faces
the match heads. Tape the paper so that is fairly tight around the
matches.
Do not tape the cover of the striker to the fuse or to the matches. Leave
enough of the match book to pull on for ignition.
_____________________
\ /
\ / —— match book cover
\ /
| M|f|M —|——- match head
| A|u|A |
|
T|s|T |
| C|e|C |
|tapeH|.|Htape|
| |f| |
|#####|u|#####|——– striking
paper
|#####|s|#####|
\ |e| /
\ |.| /
\ |f| /
\ |u| /
|ta|s|pe|
|ta|e|pe|
|.|
|f|
|u|
|s|
|e|
|.|
|_|
The match book is wrapped around the matches, and is taped to itself.
The
matches are taped to the fuse. The striker will rub against the
matcheads when the match book
is pulled.
6) When ready to use, simply pull on the match paper. It should pull the
In turn, the
burning matcheads will light the fuse, since it adjacent to the
burning match heads.
4.22 IMPACT IGNITION
Impact ignition is an excellent method of
ignition for spontaneous
terrorist activities. The problem with an impact-detonating device is
that it
must be kept in a very safe container so that it will not explode while being
transported to the place where it is to be used. This can be done by having a
removable impact
initiator.
The best and most reliable impact initiator is
one that uses factory
made initiators or primers. A no. 11 cap for black powder firearms is
one such
primer. They usually come in boxes of 100, and cost about $2.50. To use such
a
cap, however, one needs a nipple that it will fit on. Black powder nipples
are also available
in gun stores. All that a person has to do is ask for a
package of nipples and the caps that
fit them. Nipples have a hole that goes
all the way through them, and they have a threaded
end, and an end to put the
cap on. A cutaway of a nipple is shown below:
________________
| |
_ |
| | |
_______| |^^^^^^^^| |
| ___________|
|
| | |
no. 11 |_______| |
percussion _______ | ——- threads for screwing
cap here | | | nipple onto bomb
| |___________ |
|_______ | |
| |^^^^^^^^^| |
|
|________________|
When making using this type of
initiator, a hole must be drilled into
whatever container is used to make the bomb out of. The
nipple is then screwed
into the hole so that it fits tightly. Then, the cap can be carried and
placed
on the bomb when it is to be thrown. The cap should be bent a small amount
before
it is placed on the nipple, to make sure that it stays in place. The
only other problem
involved with an impact detonating bomb is that it must
strike a hard surface on the nipple to
set it off. By attaching fins or a small
parachute on the end of the bomb opposite the primer,
the bomb, when thrown,
should strike the ground on the primer, and explode. Of course, a bomb
with
mercury fulminate in each end will go off on impact regardless of which end it
strikes on, but mercury fulminate is also likely to go off if the person
carrying the bomb is
bumped hard.
4.23 ELECTRICAL IGNITION
Electrical ignition systems for
detonation are usually the safest and
most reliable form of ignition. Electrical systems are
ideal for demolition
work, if one doesn’t have to worry so much about being caught. With two
spools
of 500 ft of wire and a car battery, one can detonate explosives from a
"safe",
comfortable distance, and be sure that there is nobody around that could
get
hurt. With an electrical system, one can control exactly what time a device
will
explode, within fractions of a second. Detonation can be aborted in less
than a second’s
warning, if a person suddenly walks by the detonation sight, or
if a police car chooses to
roll by at the time. The two best electrical igniters
are military squibs and model rocketry
igniters. Blasting caps for construction
also work well. Model rocketry igniters are sold in
packages of six, and cost
about $1.00 per pack. All that need be done to use them is connect
it to two
wires and run a current through them. Military squibs are difficult to get,
but they are a little bit better, since they explode when a current is run
through them,
whereas rocketry igniters only burst into flame. Military squibs
can be used to set off
sensitive high explosives, such as R.D.X., or potassium
chlorate mixed with petroleum jelly.
Igniters can be used to set off black
powder, mercury fulminate, or guncotton, which in turn,
can set of a high order
explosive.
4.24
ELECTRO-MECHANICAL IGNITION
Electro-mechanical ignition systems are systems that use
some type of
mechanical switch to set off an explosive charge electrically. This type of
switch is typically used in booby traps or other devices in which the person
who places the
bomb does not wish to be anywhere near the device when it
explodes. Several types of
electro-mechanical detonators will be discussed
4.241 Mercury Switches
conducts electricity,
as do all metals, but mercury metal is a liquid at
room temperatures. A typical mercury switch
is a sealed glass tube with
two electrodes and a bead of mercury metal. It is sealed because
of mercury’s
nasty habit of giving off brain-damaging vapors. The diagram below may help
to explain a mercury switch.
______________
A / \ B
_____wire
+______/___________ \
\ ( Hg ) | /
\ _(_Hg_)__|___/
|
|
wire - |
|
|
When the drop of mercury ("Hg" is mercury’s atomic symbol) touches
both
contacts, current flows through the switch. If this particular switch was in
its
present position, A—B, current would be flowing, since the mercury can
touch both contacts
in the horizontal position.
If, however, it was in the | position, the drop of mercury would
only
touch the + contact on the A side. Current, then couldn’t flow, since mercury
does
not reach both contacts when the switch is in the vertical position.
This type of switch is
ideal to place by a door. If it were placed in
the path of a swinging door in the verticle
position, the motion of the door
would knock the switch down, if it was held to the ground by
a piece if tape.
This would tilt the switch into the verticle position, causing the mercury
to
touch both contacts, allowing current to flow through the mercury, and to the
igniter
or squib in an explosive device. Imagine opening a door and having it
slammed in your face by
an explosion.
4.242 Tripwire Switches
A tripwire is an element of
the classic booby trap. By placing a nearly
invisible line of string or fishing line in the
probable path of a victim, and
by putting some type of trap there also, nasty things can be
caused to occur.
If this mode of thought is applied to explosives, how would one use such a
a standard
clothespin with aluminum foil, and placing something between them,
and connecting wires to
each aluminum foil contact, an electric tripwire can
be made, If a piece of wood attached to
the tripwire was placed between the
contacts on the clothespin, the clothespin would serve as
a switch. When the
tripwire was pulled, the clothespin would snap together, allowing current
to
flow between the two pieces of aluminum foil, thereby completing a circuit,
which
would have the igniter or squib in it. Current would flow between
the contacts to the igniter
or squib, heat the igniter or squib, causing it
it to explode.
__________________________________
\_foil___________________________/
Insert strip of —————————-spring
wood with trip-
_foil__________________________
wire between foil /_______________________________\
contacts.
Make sure that the aluminum foil contacts do not touch the spring,
since
the spring also conducts electricity.
4.243 Radio Control
Detonators
In the movies, every terrorist or criminal uses a radio controlled
several miles away
from the device, and still control exactly when it explodes,
in much the same way as an
electrical switch. The problem with radio detonators
is that they are rather costly. However,
there could possibly be a reason that
a terrorist would wish to spend the amounts of money
involved with a RC (radio
control) system and use it as a detonator. If such an individual
wanted to
devise an RC detonator, all he would need to do is visit the local hobby store
or toy store, and buy a radio controlled toy. Taking it back to his/her abode,
all that he/she
would have to do is detach the solenoid/motor that controls the
motion of the front wheels of
a RC car, or detach the solenoid/motor of the
elevators/rudder of a RC plane, or the rudder of
a RC boat, and re-connect the
squib or rocket engine igniter to the contacts for the
solenoid/motor. The
device should be tested several times with squibs or igniters, and
fully
charged batteries should be in both he controller and the receiver (the part
that
used to move parts before the device became a detonator).
4.3 DELAYS
set up to the time that
it explodes. A regular fuse is a delay, but it would
cost quite a bit to have a 24 hour delay
with a fuse. This section deals with
the different types of delays that can be employed by a
terrorist who wishes to
be sure that his bomb will go off, but wants to be out of the country
when it
does.
4.31 FUSE DELAYS
It is extremely simple to
delay explosive devices that employ fuses for
ignition. Perhaps the simplest way to do so is
with a cigarette. An average
cigarette burns for about 8 minutes. The higher the
"tar" and nicotine rating,
the slower the cigarette burns. Low "tar" and
nicotine cigarettes burn quicker
than the higher "tar" and nicotine cigarettes, but
they are also less likely to
go out if left unattended, i.e. not smoked. Depending on the wind
or draft in
a given place, a high "tar" cigarette is better for delaying the
ignition of
a fuse, but there must be enough wind or draft to give the cigarette enough
oxygen to burn. People who use cigarettes for the purpose of delaying fuses
will often test
the cigarettes that they plan to use in advance to make sure
they stay lit and to see how long
it will burn. Once a cigarettes burn rate
is determined, it is a simple matter of carefully
putting a hole all the way
through a cigarette with a toothpick at the point desired, and
pushing
the fuse for a device in the hole formed.
|=|
|=| ———- filter
|=|
| |
| |
|o| ———-
hole for fuse
cigarette ———— | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|_| ———- light this end
A similar
type of device can be make from powdered charcoal and a sheet
of paper. Simply roll the sheet
of paper into a thin tube, and fill it with
powdered charcoal. Punch a hole in it at the
desired location, and insert a
fuse. Both ends must be glued closed, and one end of the delay
must be doused
with lighter fluid before it is lit. Or, a small charge of gunpowder mixed
with
powdered charcoal could conceivably used for igniting such a delay. A chain of
charcoal briquettes can be used as a delay by merely lining up a few bricks
of charcoal so
that they touch each other, end on end, and lighting the first
brick. Incense, which can be
purchased at almost any novelty or party supply
store, can also be used as a fairly reliable
delay. By wrapping the fuse
about the end of an incense stick, delays of up to 1/2 an hour are
possible.
Finally, it is possible to make a relatively slow-burning fuse in the
home. By
dissolving about one teaspoon of black powder in about 1/4 a cup of
boiling water, and, while
it is still hot, soaking in it a long piece of all
cotton string, a slow-burning fuse can be
made. After the soaked string dries,
it must then be tied to the fuse of an explosive device.
Sometimes, the
end of the slow burning fuse that meets the normal fuse has a charge of
black
powder or gunpowder at the intersection point to insure ignition, since the
slow-burning fuse does not burn at a very high temperature. A similar type of
slow fuse can be
made by taking the above mixture of boiling water and black
powder and pouring it on a long
piece of toilet paper. The wet toilet paper
is then gently twisted up so that it resembles a
firecracker fuse, and is
allowed to dry.
4.32 TIMER DELAYS
Timer delays, or "time bombs" are usually employed by an individual who
and means to
disarm it. Such a device could be placed in any populated place
if it were concealed properly.
There are several ways to build a timer delay.
By simply using a screw as one contact at the
time that detonation is desired,
and using the hour hand of a clock as the other contact, a
simple timer can be
made. The minute hand of a clock should be removed, unless a delay of
less
than an hour is desired.
___________________________________ to igniter from igniter
| |
| 12 | : :
| 11 1 | : :
| | : :
| 10 2 | : :
| o…………….|……: :
| | :
| 9 3 | :
| | :
| | :
| 8 4 | :
| o………|…… :
| 7 5 | : :
|__________________________________| __|_____|
| |
|
battery |
o - contacts | |
….. - wire | |
|___________|
This device
is set to go off in eleven hours. When the hour hand of the
clock reaches the contact near the
numeral 5, it will complete the circuit,
allowing current to flow through the igniter or
squib.
The main disadvantage with this type of timer is that it can only be set
for a maximum time of 12 hours. If an electronic timer is used, such as that in
an electronic
clock, then delays of up to 24 hours are possible. By removing
the speaker from an electronic
clock, and attaching the wires of a squib or
igniter to them, a timer with a delay of up to 24
hours can be made. To utilize
this type of timer, one must have a socket that the clock can be
plugged into.
All that one has to do is set the alarm time of the clock to the desired
time,
connect the leads, and go away. This could also be done with an electronic
watch,
if a larger battery were used, and the current to the speaker of the
watch was stepped up via
a transformer. This would be good, since such a timer
could be extremely small. The timer in a
VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) would
be ideal. VCR’s can usually be set for times of up to a
week. The leads from
the timer to the recording equipment would be the ones that an igniter or
squib
would be connected to. Also, one can buy timers from electronics stores that
would
be ideal. Finally, one could employ a digital watch, and use a relay, o