Explosives or not?

[Kinsman]

I just watched Fox news video on the internet and saw a report on two bottle bombs being exploded in a small town.
I left the site, then went back to get a link, but it had gone away.
In the recent past, I have read of ATF involvement in investigating these bottle bombs, and I have a question about them.
Are these things explosive laden, or just "dry ice" bombs that are just noise makers, with no flash, just bang?
I know from personal experience, that these "dry ice" bombs make a very loud noise, about like a 12 ga, and inside a building, are quite disconcerting.
So, if they contain no explosive, cannot cause burns or fire, and the light weight plastic has no significant impact, wtf does the ATF have to do with it?

 

[rrflyer]

Re: Explosives or not?

Just because it doesn't have any combustible material doesn't mean its not a bomb or dangerous.

Something like that thrown in a public place could result in some injuries if only from panic.

 

[300sniper]

Re: Explosives or not?

i remember reading some news story and they kept referring to "chemical bombs". then i find out that they were dry ice bombs made from plastic bottles. granted they can still be dangerous but it was just another way to make the story sound far worse than it was, either by the media or the person giving the info to the media.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Explosives or not?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Are these things explosive laden, or just "dry ice" bombs that are just noise makers, with no flash, just bang?</div></div>

It depends on the context in which they are used or made. They could be considered a Hazardious or Distructive device because dry ice can be used to make a hazardious device (think of the bottle coming apart, the glass being fragments).

The same with gun powder, its not normaly considered an explosive but it is used in making IEDs.

You make your "dry ice" device and make fireworks on the 4th of July, most bomb tecs wont say much (except to call you a dumb ass), but you put the same device in a mail box or simular, the Bomb Squad and/or ATF is going to come after you and not just because its a mail box.

Same thing for Carbine bombs we used for fishing when we were kids.

One of the biggest problems I delt with in my EOD/Bomb Squad days was policing fingers and other assorted body parts from people making their own fireworks and not just with gunpowder but differant house hold items. The internet can be a dangerous tool. Remember the old saying 'DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME"