M 5000 Firecracker Wiki free#

But many items escaped the labeling requirements by being sold unpackaged. The Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act of 1960 had gone a long way in requiring warning labels on the outside packaging of goods intended for the home. Meanwhile, public interest in the United States was pushing toward better protections for children from hazardous products. However, with little oversight, the injuries kept getting worse and worse. Manufacturers competed against each other to create the biggest, loudest, craziest fireworks, and people of all ages created their own backyard displays.

M 5000 Firecracker Wiki free#

BanningД«y the mid-1960s, the consumer fireworks market was in a free for all. While any firework carries some risks, the very nature of M-80s and their ilk vastly increases the chances for serious injuries or even death. Their chemical compositions make them inherently unstable, and they contain vast amounts of explosive powder. M-80s and similar fireworks are frankly dangerous. However, research shows that consumer grade M-80s generally contained 3 grams of flash powder, down from the 5 grams in the military explosives. Falling into a fireworks category known as Salutes, along with cherry bombs and similar items, M-80s were known for their loud bang and bright flash, rather than any particular visual effects. When fireworks manufacturers realized the sizeable demand, they began manufacturing them, wrapped in red paper rather than drab brown, for the consumer market. FireworksДЄfter World War II, surplus M-80s were sold off as consumer fireworks. Interestingly, on both the military-issue and later consumer M-80s, the fuse is on one side rather than the end. The original M-80s were, as you might expect, standard military-issue brown craft paper tubes with a fuse and end caps. The M stood for military, or military-issue.

The M-80 got its name from the 80 grains (roughly 5 grams) of flash powder it contained. They are/were facsimiles of dangerous weapons, not toys. If you stop and think about it, that in and of itself should be enough to convince most reasonable people that lighting them in your backyard is not the best idea. Their purpose was to simulate explosives and artillery fire for training exercises. M-80s were designed by the United States military early in the 20th century. But what is it about these powerful explosives that makes them seem so appealing? And why were they banned? However, both are illegal in the United States. The stuff of urban myths and legends, the M-80 and its slightly less powerful cousin, the cherry bomb, are sometimes considered the gold standard of consumer fireworks. Of all the various fireworks and firecrackers that have been available over the centuries, only a couple of specific styles have become household names.