Flashlight bombs

D

Doc

New member
A bulletin came through our office describing pipe bombs made from Maglights. Apparently they are left places with the light burning. When they are picked up and the light extinguished, they explode. Bulletin's source was Baltimore, MD.

The "URGENT NOTIFICATION" apparently originated in the Baltimore ATF office and was reprinted for the "Maryland Firefighter."

[This message has been edited by Doc (edited 01-15-99).]
 
I hear you'll have to submit a set of fingerprints and allow a five day waiting period before the purchase of a Maglite. We have to protect our children, you know.
 
good thing I have one already. So when are they gonna impose the two bad thing law on maglites. Is it gonna be you can have 4cells, and then each additional cell is a bad thing? or 6 cells is ok, but you can carry it concealed. "Is that a Maglite in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
 
olegunftr, Back in the 50's LEOs didn't have to qualify with batons, they carried six cell flashlights, even at high noon! - Doc

[This message has been edited by Doc (edited 01-15-99).]
 
DOC, those ole shinny 6 cell came apart bigtime if you "accidently" encountered the cranium of a potential felon. Mine is left over from late 60s/early 70s san bernardino county s.o.

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Vinny
 
Is it just me or does this seem like it would take a lot of work and expertise to manufacturer something like you have described. In mean, you would need a design that would allow the bulb to burn even though you have removed a number of the batteries in order to make room for the explosive charge. You would need to re-engineer the switch to make it explode when the switch was turned off, and somehow still use the batteries for detonation of the firing device (blasting cap?). All in all, this is not the kind of project that can be accomplished by a couple of yahoos in their garage. Sounds like the ATF is blowing smoke, again.

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Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.

-- H.L. Mencken
 
sskraft -

I think it would be possible quite easily with a little time and patience, after all you wouldn't want to blow your arm off putting it together.

A simple relay could be rigged into the switch. I am not going to mention what common item I would use as a primer, but it would be much easier to obtain than a blasting cap.

The only trouble I can see with the design I just thought up over the past couple of minutes is that if the battery power drained off to nothing because the light wasn't turned off, it would not go boom.

Of course, most yahoos would not be able to figure this out, and would probably blow themselves up in the process of building the stupid thing, proving Darwin was right once again.

Patrick
 
If they outlaw flashlights then only criminals can see in the dark.

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Ok, designing the bomb is a rather simple task. I won't go into actually constuction, but

get the biggest flashlight and the bulb for the smallest flashlight, get something to connect the batterys to the bottom of the flashlight and that gives you some use for explosive, use bulb on/off as switch. you have your self the thing descirbed above. I think anyone with a little electronic knowledge and like 15 minutes could actually do it. I came up with that designing in less that 5 minutes.

garrick
 
Get your mag lights now, I heard that they are going to ban all mags over 2 cell, they are the only ones small enough for a sporting use....





---snoman---
 
All jokes aside, if done with the right propelent, the mag lite would make a rather nasty explosive.
It is large, and is built with light matirial.
 
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