Question about a firecracker...

[PyroManiacs]

I have a friend trying to find out what these firecrackers were called from back in the 60's and 70's. They were ones that you threw on the ground but were real loud.

He is in his mid 50's and cant for the life of himself, remember what they were called.

If anyone can give me same names that I can throw to him that may spark his memory... I would appreciate it. Thanks.

[countryboy7978]

Globe Torpedoes were like silver cherry bombs without a fuse.
Safety Torpedoes were similar but lacked the sawdust shell.
In the 70s came Cracker Balls which looked like gum balls in little plastic bags.
Currently we have pop pops/adult snaps.

[PyroManiacs]

Thanks country... Ill throw him these names and let you know the outcome.

[Knightmare]

Globe Torpedoes were like silver cherry bombs without a fuse.
Safety Torpedoes were similar but lacked the sawdust shell.
In the 70s came Cracker Balls which looked like gum balls in little plastic bags.
Currently we have pop pops/adult snaps.

You really know your fireworks Country!

[thechemist45]

Country boy does know a lot But I must make a correction. As I know everything there is to know about all the old recipes And The crackerballs had Realgar in them and we're 12 packs of 12 one gross in a box. And we're as big as cherry pits. And they were yanked off of the shelves by the fire department and ICC as kids were putting them in there mouth and getting deaths I'll SERIOUSLY! Because realgar has arsenic in them. They were not being sold in the 70s And unlike leftover Jumping Jack's and other such items that stores had in back rooms for years depending where you lived. The crackerballs were taken very very SERIOUSLY AS A child died.

[thechemist45]

They sound like Torpedos with antimony trisulfide and chlorate and fine aluminum. Or they could have been railroad signals which were very popular if you could get some they were big over one inch square big crackerball type throwdown that had a metal strip attached to them to secure them to the railroad tracks So when a train went over them they could be heard far away to let workers know which cars were to be diverted to which rails. They had lots of realgar in them!

[NWPA]

Cracker balls were around in the 60's. I know because I had a whole case once. Loved them. What chemist said is true. Children died thinking they were candy. I acquired mine through a neighborhood, out of the car trunk seller. At that time no body wanted the little stuff just cherry bombs,M80's and aerial salutes. which he always sold out of. I traded a single shot .22 cal. rifle for them. Times have changed.

[flashfuse]

Honestly , I never saw or heard of Cracker balls that early, more like very early 80s. I could be wrong , but out of a ton of catalogues that I have collected over the years, none have Cracker balls in them, and I have some from the very early 70s .

[displayfireworks1]

I remember something like this was sold in Pennsylvania early 1960's and then quickly removed from the market. They were little balls you threw to the ground to explode. Not sure of they are the same as in this picture.
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http://www.pyrobin.com/files/image4a.jpg
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http://www.pyrobin.com/files/cb2.jpg

[thechemist45]

Those are the original crackerballs that were made with realgar. That were taken off the shelves in August 1961 by The Fire department because kids were putting them in there mouth and getting very ill from the arsenic in them. These were taken very seriously and No more were made or sold legally. And Noone knew how to make them. So anyone's you may see around are from someone's collection.

[flashfuse]

Awesome, thanks for the info.

[NWPA]

That's them. That's what I had. Except the box had a picture of two little kids on the lid.[ In response to the picture posted.]