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Boom Heard Saturday Night Was From Exploding Target
January 8, 2017
Numerous residents across a portion of the North Escambia area reported hearing and feeling a strong “explosion” Saturday night that, in some instances, shook their homes.
Residents from Walnut Hill, to Molino and even into Baldwin County reported the explosion.
Through a trusted source familiar with the incident, NorthEscambia.com traced the source of the “boom” to an unknown size Tannerite target that was exploded in the Morgan Road area of Walnut Hill. There were no injuries reported and no word of any property damage.
Tannerite is a system used as a shot indicator during long-distance target practice. Tannerite consists of two powders – ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder – that when mixed together create an explosion triggered by the impact of a high-speed bullet. The product is legally sold over the counter at sporting goods stores.
Comments
29 Responses to “Boom Heard Saturday Night Was From Exploding Target”
Speaking from an actual Tannerite Employee we are huge on explaining to people that tannerite needs to be used as directed and not exceeded more than two pounds of tannerite and to stand 200 yards away. We also make sure to tell all customers that they need to check with their local law enforcement before using tannerite as a target practice. It is and always will be against the law to “blow” anything up with the use of Tannerite.
Tannerite is a Binary Explosive, meaning it has to be mixed with our catalyst before it becomes an explosive. Using our product accordingly, it is not dangerous and can be fun and safe.
Tannerite doesn’t agree or condone the improper use of our products being used.
REGARDING:
“One thing most people don’t understand is that tannerite isn’t an explosive compound, it doesn’t create any sort of combustion, heat won’t ignite it. It’s an implosive compound, disrupts the air around it so abruptly it looks and sounds like an explosion.”
The reason people don’t understand that it isn’t an explosive is because it IS an explosive when the two parts are mixed. It releases a large amount of energy in a very short time and the gases produced expand explosively to make the BOOM.
(There is no such thing as an “implosive compound” because that would be one which suddenly shrunk. It expands. If there were such a thing, you would not see craters where they went off, or pieces of shrapnel flying away from it if enclosed; what you would see — but don’t — would be a lot of material sucked toward the center of the implosion.)
The fact that shock sets it off rather than fire or temperature or being hit by a hammer does not change the fact that it IS set off and does create an explosion.
David for reality and truth
(and cool fireworks,of course)
https://www.atf.gov/explosives/binary-explosives
I have heard from reliable sources that this does cause water wells to collapse and water pipes used in the well to crack. I understand that you should be able to do what you want on your property, but to cause damage to other peoples property in the process is a problem.
I swear it was not me!!
Sounds like someone had a “Blast”
My husband and I were sitting in our living room when we heard this “explosion” sound. He was asleep in his recliner, it woke him up. It scared us to death!! I can’t believe this is not illegal!! If nothing else, it should be considered, “disturbing the peace! It sure disturbed our peace!
A lot of us who have been in the molino area for 30 plus years came to enjoy the peace and quiet. When someone a half mile away sets off tannerite that is loud enough to be heard by me inside my home that is uncalled for. When I read it’s ok “if proper precautions are taken” i wonder if anyone sets it off in their area. I also know that all sorts of bombs can be made from all sorts of things. I’m remember “The Anarchy Cookbook” “Turner Diaries” and all of the rest. Some things are not called for. A friend who has 200 acres of property has to pull down deer stands all the time be cause some people can’t read signs to stay off of his property. Property right does not give someone else the right to do any thing they want. It only causes more rules and laws— some needed some not. Simple things such as respecting your neighbors peace and rights.
One thing most people don’t understand is that tannerite isn’t an explosive compound, it doesn’t create any sort of combustion, heat won’t ignite it. It’s an implosive compound, disrupts the air around it so abruptly it looks and sounds like an explosion. Yes it dangerous if not used safely and properly, but it will only go off if the user wants it to. Will not react unless it’s in a full, airtight container, AND is struck with a very small amount of mass, at an extremely high velocity. Most commonly a .223 (5×56) round. Even just a .22 doesn’t have the speed to activate the compound. Doubt it shook houses unless it’s likeep jj said and it’s a 55 gallon drum
LOL, David Huie Green!
@Phil— AMEN,AMEN !! I do understand if you have close neighbors, some people can go too far. But in todays p/c everybody gets an award society it does irk me. More so when all these yuppies and yankies are moving out here and wanting to change the way of lifelong residents. Everyone wants red lights and starbucks etc.. When i was a kid we would get dressed up to go to town (Pensacola). And we appreciated when we went but also where we came back to. Oh well, deal with it or move further north i guess.
I’m with Phil on this one~
If proper precautions are taken, and it poses no threat to neighobors, property, animals, small children or “snowflakes”, then no harm, no foul.
Wait until you see what I can do with a .12 gauge, grill-type propane tank, and a 1/2 gallon jar of gasoline.
Happy New Year!
Well this is odd, out of 30 years never heard such noise, well are you all going to get on your job to find out something, are wait for it to happen again maybe this time hurt someone. Forgot tho’…. And not even 1 mile from my moms house that was real dangerous maybe they needs to go a little bit futher a CONCERN CITIZEN
I have exploded lots of tannerite, a 10lb bottle will turn a 24in diameter oak tree into a flame breathing Dragon!!
I heard a big far away boom last night in Enon. But, it is not the first time.
Are you sure it wasn’t a flatulent fire breathing dragon? I need some of this. Guess I need a high powered rifle to set it off, too. Worth it. I can do my duty next New Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . David for NH4NO3 & Aluminum in the right place at the right tghme
Someone needs a safe space! Will all the snowflakes please enter their respected safe spaces now, and hug their therapy dogs.
Oh my goodness, someone over there is having fun and I can hear it, make them stop! Better yet make a law against it, yeah that will fix it.
There is a video online of some knuckleheads shooting at a Tannerite target, which they placed on a 55 gallon drum. The guy shooting was a bad shot and kept missing the target. He moved closer to it and finally hit it.
The drum exploded and the explosion sent a large piece of the metal straight back to the guy shooting the target; sliced his leg right off at the thigh. His buddies got it all on video. Go find it and see what that stuff can really do.
@ John, just what I was thinking, what if Johnny Jihad realized how effective this could be as a tool for evil.
What time of night was it? It just doesn’t seem right shooting in the dark.
Gosh, I hate to read these items can be bought by anyone. Maybe it won’t be so easy to purchase once the right people read about it.
It may be legal but remember your right ends where the other persons begins .if you intentionally deystroy my property or belongings you are responsible. Funny how that works.
> Hard to believe someone can purchase items in a store that can rattle houses and be heard at great distances like that.
Those booming stereos.
Loud exhausts (I’m looking at you Harley riders and muscle car drivers)
are just two that come immediately to mind.
This is very real and dangerous. Monroe County has some residents who think it’s funny but to those that are unexpecting it, it can be alarming. It can be felt for miles and several communities within close by. I have seen reports of 20 mile radius. I know it’s legal but don’t agree with it. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt or worse. I know one instance where it did cause property damage. People should think and not play just to get the excite out of people.
@ William, obviously this was abuse of a legit product. Glad I was not a close neighbor to these folks. Thanks for the info and article.
There are plenty of videos on YouTube where most users of tannerite were using it improperly, MOST OF THEM!!!. I hate to use this word, but tannerite should be a restrict ed product, and it probably will one day when terrorist figure out they can exploit it to do evil.
Our neighbor was shooting this and the county comm. was trying to address the problem here in the Molino area. It was strong enought to jar pictures off the walls of houses in the area. It may be fun to the shooter but not much for the rest of us. I heard one explosion yesterday and just hope our neighbor was not doing it in his back yard again. The size our neighbor was shooting sounded like about a quarter stick of dynamite and we were wondering if he was trying to blow out a place for a pond.
>> No disrespect William but this seems odd.
>>Hard to believe someone can purchase items in a store that can rattle houses and be heard at great distances like that. No disrespect William but this seems odd.
It is intended to use and sold in small quantities. But like most everything else can be abused and used inconsistent with the instructions. Search youtube for Tannerite explosions. Enough of it can destroy objects like barns and vehicles, and kill/seriously injure people and be heard/felt for miles.
I heard this boom , and was very alarmed when I did ,knowing that something of that magnitude had to cause damage to life and property . They must have went overkill on the Tannerite. Hard to believe someone can purchase items in a store that can rattle houses and be heard at great distances like that. No disrespect William but this seems odd.