My obsession

[RalphieJ]

OK, I've got 3 Kent cherry bombs left and one real "M-80" with sodium plugs left. Compared to the bootlegs, few bootleg M-80's can compete with the originals. Except for: The orange wrap with a two inch long fuse out the top and yellow wax. OMG, what a beauty. Sets off car alarms. The dark maroon wrap with the red fuse out the side. Clearly a pure powder and no filler cracker. Too close and you can feel the shock wave. The green wrap with white wax, out the end fuse. Heavy report. And the light pink with long 1 1/2 visco out the end, holy shit, heavy report. The rest (craft, medium red, light red,)are all filler mix but what the heck, loud enough to keep the dogs barking.

[Westpapyro]

Ralphie, you just admitted to a federal offense? I would change your wording.

[RalphieJ]

Ralphie, you just admitted to a federal offense? I would change your wording.

OK I just fired off the three Kents and the M-80. Nothing left. Pissed off the neighbors. No drive-by Legal now. Erase my first sentence.

[Npntransistor]

I feel fortune given my age to have experienced a real m-80 from back in the day. We were moving, say late 90's. In the attic my cousin found 3 m-80s probably from the 60's. Red tube, white chalk like end plugs, green fuse. He put a piece of round duct pipe in the back yard on end, light and dropped in the firework, then placed a hub cap on top like a roof,,,,,,, car alarms went off all over the street. The duct was destroyed and we never did find the center of the hub cap. I think it was around that time he realized just how bad of an idea it was to light while holding (he was a "responsible adult" but had no idea what he was doing).

[Westpapyro]

I'm sure it was just a joke anyway. Haha

[Npntransistor]

Made me think of it none the less for some reason :cool:

[RalphieJ]

Ralphie, you just admitted to a federal offense? I would change your wording.

OK, I'll change my wording. I've got 5 Kent (New Jersey) cherry bombs left instead of 3.

[Pyro@Mach13]

marvelous - oh boy

[PyroJoeNEPA]

I remember back in the early '60's [yeah--I'm that old!!!] my sister took me along to a July 4th picnic her fiance's family was having---Typical Italian bash in rural PA---but one of the "cousins" from Connecticut that came brought a box [half gross] of Silver Salutes. He sat there in his chair lighting them with his cigar & tossing them in the same general spot all afternoon. Wasn't much grass left in that area [or topsoil either] & there were some "words" exchanged in Italian about what he did to the yard! HaHaHa--it was a great day! Also got to go for my first ride in an MG convertible driven by a very beautiful niece of my sisters fiance that day. Not sure which was more exciting! LOL!!!

[RalphieJ]

I remember back in the early '60's [yeah--I'm that old!!!] my sister took me along to a July 4th picnic her fiance's family was having---Typical Italian bash in rural PA---but one of the "cousins" from Connecticut that came brought a box [half gross] of Silver Salutes. He sat there in his chair lighting them with his cigar & tossing them in the same general spot all afternoon. Wasn't much grass left in that area [or topsoil either] & there were some "words" exchanged in Italian about what he did to the yard! HaHaHa--it was a great day! Also got to go for my first ride in an MG convertible driven by a very beautiful niece of my sisters fiance that day. Not sure which was more exciting! LOL!!!

Joe, I have similar memories. '58 and though the 60's My Aunt's brothers always went South for the winter. My Uncle (Zi) and Aunt had numerous July 4th parties, and the brothers had pockets full of ashcans and cherry bombs. All Italians, we loved it, setting them off every 20 minutes, and when it got dark, some very serious aerial salutes, rockets, and candles. What turned out to be what I didn't know, the last of the parties, I asked the brothers for a single cherry bomb and a single silver salute. They said "cup your hands" and dumped a bunch of each into my hands. I was 14, and stuffed them into my pockets ASAP. Great memories....huh?

[NWPA]

Aha, so there are folks on here in my age range! I'm a young at heart 73. I think once you love all things pyro, you always will.

[N3OQO]

I'm 59, and I had m80's and cherrybombs when I was a kid in the late 60's, and there were still many around in the early 70's. Firecrackers and ground salutes were my first loves. Yes, once bitten with the pyro bug it never really leaves. Over time my tastes have morphed, today's cans have very nice punch and I like them just as much. A true pyro is easy to spot....when the salute concussion hits em, they are the ones laughing their asses off. HEH

[PGH_Pyro]

i think people like the way they are made to feel like a giggly kid , all over again in the presence of good fireworks of whichever type ...
:D

[RalphieJ]

i think people like the way they are made to feel like a giggly kid , all over again in the presence of good fireworks of whichever type ...
:D

Precisely, and that's why we claw back those memories......I remember us setting Globe Torpedoes on the road as we ducked down behind a hedge. The cars hit them, slowed down, and then the driver realized us kids were just having fun....a whole lot more smiles than frowns.