Explosive Corks and Gun........

Very interesting.

It acknowledges that the product could be produced in a factory licensed as a "Toy Firework Factory" and placed restrictions I suspect on the quantity of explosive material contained in each item, I would need to re-check the law at that time but am fairly certain about that.

It would also have meant that the responsibility for inspecting these items - compliance with the law and the details registered at the point of authorisation would have been vested in the Local Authority and not centrally with the Home Office, although the LA would have reported findings and maintained contact with their counterparts in the Explosives Inspectorate almost constantly.

They did have issues with items exceeding the permitted net explosive mass, Amorces for example. I don't recall reading about limits on Exploding Corks but would be certain that they were controlled possibly alongside Amorces - I will find out.

 

Interestingly at the time that these items first appeared, our Inspectorate were keen on establishing relations with their German counterparts - I think I mentioned this previously. There were visits to the region in which several companies were engaged in this type of work and reports published.....they were probably more interested in the travel, beer and expense claims than anything else if their modern day successors (and me) are anything to go by.

 

For Germany I know these values:
About 1909: the permitted net explosive mass mixture (consisted of a mixture of phosphorus and potassium chlorate) was 0,08 gram for one cork.
Since 1928: > 0,04 ≤ 0,06 gram for one cork.

 

I must find out now the British values. It would be interesting to see whether or not the authorities coordinated their actions.

 

I collect pistols and those detonating caps. I learned a lot of things by reading your forum thank you

 

I use a blank-firing blackpowder revolver in one of my street theatre shows. The law on blank guns is that the barrel must be blocked and the exhaust gasses must exit either through the top or to the side of the gun. Maybe a similar law was created for these cork guns? I can see why the barrels are shpaed that way, to minimse forward projection if the gun was pointed at a living target.

 

I'm interested as to how these corks operated. There seems to be no discussion on their construction, operation and composition. Was the cork hollowed out to take the charge? Was the charge itself friction/shock sensitive like that found in toy caps (Armstrong's Mix) or was their an initial primer to set of the main charge? How did the gun mechanically initiate this charge? What happened to the cork after it went 'bang'? Did it disintigrate or did it fly out whole? And, why cork? Why not just a big cap?

 

The attached may be of interest. It is extracted from the second edition of "Encyclopedic Dictionary of Pyrotechnics (and Related Subjects)".

The complete publication is available for download (FREE OF CHARGE!) using the link on this page:

http://www.fireworks-mag.org/

The file is very big, so it will take awhile to download.