Salute (pyrotechnics)

In pyrotechnics a salute is a device primarily designed to make a loud report (bang), and may or may not have a visual effect. Most salutes will also have a very bright flash and are made from many different formulas depending on manufacturer and desired effect. They may have aluminum, antimony, titanium and other metals added for sparks or flash effects. The salute may be fired on the ground (ground salute) or launched from a mortar as a shell (aerial salute). Salutes are one of the more dangerous type fireworks. The "guns" (a.k.a. mortar tubes) used to launch the aerial salutes in a commercial fireworks display vary from 3 inch diameter up to 12 inch diameter. Most of the "salutes" are made with flash powder. The burning of flash powder is dependant on the pressure, unlike black powder which burns at roughly the same rate whether contained or not^{[citation needed]}. As mentioned above, what constitutes flash powder varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.

The amount of flash powder contained in any salute can vary widely according to both physical size, number of individual charges as well as by manufacturer.

Comparison to Explosives

Though both news reporters and black-market dealers often make comparisons between the power of salutes and a particular quantity of dynamite ("1/4 stick" or "as powerful as a fourth of a stick of dynamite"), such comparisons are not grounded in reality. For reference, a typical stick of dynamite contains over 10 times more explosive material than an M-80 (35 grams of nitroglycerin versus 3 grams, typically of chlorate/sulfur powder). Nitroglycerin explodes with a shockwave faster than the speed of sound, whereas the powders used in various salutes deflagrate (burn) at a slower rate and below the speed of sound. This distinction is the difference between High Explosive and Low Explosive.^{[citation needed]}

More to the point, dynamite undergoes detonation whereas flash powder in any quantity undergoes deflagration. Because flash salutes do not generate a detonation wave, they have a very low brisance and they do not exhibit the Munroe effect. For this reason, salutes are unsatisfactory for initiating the detonation of blasting agents.

Cherry bomb

Commercially made American Cherry Bombs predating 1966

• 3/4 inch Diameter
• 750 mg to 1 Gram of Perchlorate/Sulfur/Antimony Sulfide "Flash Powder"
• Color: Red

Bodily harm: Finger, eye, and ear damage

Also known as kraft salutes, these are made of paper cup sets, coated with several layers of sawdust and animal hide glue (or sodium silicate), often finished with a reddish dye (Sudan Red). The process of coating kraft salute casings in order to make them round is called panning. The glued casings are tumbled with sawdust while sodium silicate solution is slowly added to the pan. Historically, the core contained a Perchlorate, Sulfur, and Antimony Sulfide mixture. Some manufacturers added Aluminum and/or Manganese Dioxide to this mixture. Allegedly, some added one small star to the core. Modern versions are likely to contain a more stable 70/30 perchlorate flash and no star. They are substantially less powerful than most other popular salutes. Bootleg cherry bombs may also come in plastic casings; usually the same diameter and can be double in size carrying way over the standard limit.

Silver Salute

Commercially made American Silver Salute predating 1966

• 1-1/2" Long (Earlier examples commonly 2" long)
• 5/8" I.D
• 3/4" O.D
• 2 Grams of Flash Powder
• Color: Silver

Bodily harm: Severe finger injury

Popular for a time, though neither as powerful nor as popular as the M-80. The Silver Salute was typically side-fused, like the M-80. Some silver salutes (bootleg) of the same size have been found to carry a whopping 5 grams of flash, with red wicks typically end-fused.

M-80

Commercially made American M-80 Salutes predating 1966

• 1-1/2" Long
• 9/16" I.D or 5/8" I.D
• 11/16" O.D or 3/4" O.D
• 2.5 to 3 Grams of Flash Powder
• Color: Red, Yellow or Tan

Bodily harm: Finger loss, deafness, blindness

Commonly consists of a red tube and a green cannon fuse (known commercially today as Visco fuse). M-80s were side-fused, unlike many other cylindrical salutes. When such salutes were legal in the United States, a common size contained 2.5 to 3.0 grams of chlorate based flash powder (perchlorates have largely replaced chlorates in modern versions). Current firecrackers legally sold under the name "M-80" are in fact much less powerful (50 mg or less by law). Bootleg M-80's sold in the United States are classified by ATF as destructive devices^{[citation needed]}. In Mexico, these salutes are called "Barrenos". Some M-80 salutes have been found to carry a whopping 5 grams of flash.

M-100

M-100 Salutes

• 2-1/8"
• 3/4" I.D
• 7/8" O.D

10 grams flash powder

• Color: Tan, Red, R,W&B, or Black

Bodily harm: Finger loss, severe hand damage.

As above, yield determined by plug thickness. The M-100 is particularly popular, most likely due to respectable power coupled with a small size.

Is referred to as M-1000 on the street

Goes by a variety of names:

• "M-160" (US West Coast)
• "NY Superbomb" (US East Coast)
• "Super M-80" [EVERYWHERE]

(Note that legal firecrackers (50 mg or less) are also sold under all of these names.)

Most M-100's are sold with solid, nonfrangible end plugs for higher water resistance (As are many other large salutes). Solid end plugs can be made from plastic, hotmelt glue, epoxy, tar, and even drywall/sheet rock. Solid plugs have a tendency to remain intact and fly at high velocity, sometimes causing bodily harm, especially when the firework is placed on its side rather than standing upright. The chances for an accident to occur when placed vertically are diminished. Most M-100's are fused from the end with hot-melt poured into the cavity forming a solid firm plug and an irremovable wick for 100% ignition/deflagration reliability.

Block Buster AKA Barrel bomb

NYE Block Buster Salutes

• 2-1/2" Long
• 1" I.D
• 1-1/4" O.D

15 grams flash powder

• Color: Red, tan, or silver

Bodily harm: Hand loss, arm burns, shrapnel damage to face.

Block busters are very powerful salutes, but are not very common. They are known for their unique visual effects: bright white splatter of sparks as opposed to just a normal white ball/flash of light. The effect is made simply by adding grains of titanium (flitters) to the flash powder. Many professional aerial salute shells contain such flitters. One might be end, or side fused.

No true standard exists in tube size, explosive formulation, or explosive composition content. since these are the products of bootleg manufacturers.

Quarter Stick AKA M-1000

Quarter Stick Salute

• 3-1/2" Long
• 3/4" I.D
• 1" O.D

• 25 Grams of Flash Powder
• Color: R,W&B, Silver, Red or Tan

Bodily harm: Arm loss up to elbow, concussive blows to head, internal and external bleeding.

Is sometimes referred to as an M-1000 on the street

No true standard exists in tube size, explosive formulation, or explosive composition content. since these are the products of bootleg manufacturers.

Half Stick AKA M-1000

Half Stick Salute

• 4" Long
• 1" I.D
• 1-1/4" O.D

or

• 6" Long
• 3/4" I.D
• 1" O.D

• 50 Grams of Flash Powder
• Color: Tan, R,W&B, Silver or Red

Bodily harm: Bone fractures throughout upper body, likely death from shock and bleeding

Is also referred to as the M-1000 on the street

No true standard exists, nor a definite naming convention, since these are the products of bootleg manufacturers.

Full Stick AKA M-1000

Full Stick Salute

• 4-1/2"Long
• 2"Inner Diameter
• 2-1/2"Outer Diameter

or

• 6"Long
• 1"Inner Diameter
• 1-1/4"Outer Diameter

• 100 Grams of flash powder
• Color: Tan, Red or RWB

Bodily harm: Death from explosive force.

Is also referred to as the M-1000 on the street

No true standard exists, nor a definite naming convention, since these are the products of bootleg manufacturers.

The "M-1000" Name

M100(~10 grams Flash powder), Quarter Sticks (~20 grams flash powder), and Half Sticks (~40 grams flash powder) are all referred to as "M-1000's" on the street, in different countries, states, and cities across the United States and the world, even though they have very different flash powder amounts and highly divergent yields.

The name "M-1000" can be put on any large salute. Generally dealers use names that will entice consumers. The specific name that they use varies by location. If a certain "M-(insert number)" item is highly desired in a certain area, then whatever large salute the individual has will take that name.

Professional Salutes

2.5 Inch Titanium Salute Shell/Aerial Device

• As opposed to the rest of this list, these items are legally available only to licensed pyrotechnicians for use in fireworks displays.

• Available in many sizes and shapes.

• Most professional salutes are aerial devices which are fired from a mortar tube, but there are also hanging 'cannonade' salutes which are suspended from a framework before firing.

The exact sizes and weights vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, with the most common sizes being 3" and 4" in diameter^{[citation needed]}. A "five inch ultra salute" is one of the largest commercial aerial pyrotechnic reports and carries over a kilogram of aluminium-fueled flash powder.

References

http://www.americanpyro.com/Safety%20Info/glossary.html