Apollo of the Ozarks firecrackers

[FinnAmerican]

M-70 firecracker sold by Apollo of the Ozarks (of Missouri). U.S. patent granted in 1977.
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=5192&stc=1
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=5193&stc=1

[RalphieJ]

These were very good and gave a nice report. I still have one, definitely NOT 50 mg. Apollo took some crazy chances in the mid-70's. Their "2-Shot Aerial Bomb" was an interesting piece, they were actually designed not to send a report into the air, but to detonate on the ground with a surprisingly loud boom. I recall the company and principals having legal problems for their "ingenuity".

[displayfireworks1]

If you search the forums and/or the internet about this manufacture , you will find all sorts of colorful stories and history

[jknepp1954]

They had a device call "pest control report 2000" - which interestingly enough came out in 2000. Quite the interesting device i must say

[RalphieJ]

They had a device call "pest control report 2000" - which interestingly enough came out in 2000. Quite the interesting device i must say

And they sold more than a million, before being ordered to stop:

https://www.deseret.com/2003/1/18/19699493/missouri-firm-to-halt-pest-firecracker-sales

[FinnAmerican]

"Pest Control Report 2000"
https://youtu.be/tv3Wvxi6pgU

http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=5197&stc=1

[displayfireworks1]

All of these devices were ATF exempt at one time as long as they had the proper labeling for pest control , birds etc. Somewhere over the last 10 years the ATF got all over that sort of thing and requires farmers to have ATF license , magazines etc to purchase pest control devices. The industry adjusted and starting making some of the devices in a weaker state. For example the Bird Banger cartridges come in two varieties now, one requires an ATF license to purchase and the other does not. I suspect the ATF exempt ones are at that 125 mg composition limit for an air burst. Same as a bottle rocket . There is a way to juice up the banger cartridges very easily. Maybe I'll make a future video about it so someone can turn me in to the ATF again. LOL

[FinnAmerican]

Apollo Of The Ozarks, M-70 & Silver Salute
From a Fireworks catalog, 1989
6082
6081

[Arclight]

I've seen some of the old 12ga "Bear Banger" shotgun shells in action. The report is a LOT louder than a bottle rocket.

[RalphieJ]

Apollo Of The Ozarks, M-70 & Silver Salute
From a Fireworks catalog, 1989
6082
6081

I've had both of these, purchased in the mid-'70's from Phil Leech's PyroSonic Devices Inc, out of Michigan. They had more of a waxy substance as end plugs, but other versions had silicate. Apollo of the Ozarks, known for working in the grey areas of pyro design and manufacture, loaded these up pretty good at one point with 130 mg of flash (not a capsule or mini-cracker). Apollo has a patent out there for these, the ingenious but simple design also adds to the report: http://www.patentbuddy.com/Patent/US-4052940-A?ft=true