What does the 'M' in M-80 stand for and....?

Question

...why is an M-90 less powerful?

Answer 1

About M-80s

M-80s are illegal in the United States. Don't make them, buy them or use them. That's all you really need to know. Firecrackers sold to the public in the U.S. can only have 50 milligrams or less of pyrotechnic composition per firecracker. A true M-80 contains much more than 50 milligrams, and is therefore illegal. Is it really worth it, if the possible consequences (losing a finger or your face)

M-80s are very dangerous, and very illegal.

M-80s were invented by the military long ago to simulate grenade explosions during training missions. Soon they became extremely popular with the public, and were sold as large firecrackers. But the Child Protection Act of 1966 made M-80s and cherry bombs illegal to manufacture in the United States (companies were given until 1976 to sell off the rest of their M-80s). Why? Because they are very dangerous. Yet some people don' t seem to believe this, thinking that the government is just out to ruin their fun, and continue to manufacture/sell/buy M-80s despite the severe criminal penalties that could await anyone caught doing so. They apparently think these devices are fun, and can only seem to get their kicks by blowing the hell out of things. Another assumption people make is that M-80s have some relation to dynamite; as the terms "quarter- stick" or "M-80 half-stick" are widely used to describe the power of such explosives. Anyone who thinks so has no idea what they're talking about. The compositions used in M-80s and cherry bombs are completely different than those used in dynamite, and the two can't even be compared. M-80s cannot be compared with high explosives!

"But Colin! The guy down at the reservation was selling M-80s and tennis-ball bombs! That *must* make them legal!" Think again. They are illegal everywhere in the United States. EVERYWHERE. No exceptions. Just because you find someone selling these things does not make them legal. Not even on Indian reservations. Putting flash powder into a tennis ball (or other object), inserting a fuse, and selling it for 10 bucks is a very easy way to make money for people who have nothing better to do, which is why they continue to be sold. The legal consequences of selling or possessing these devices can be severe. Anyone caught doing so can face prison time and devastating fines.

The other reason for staying away from M-80s and Cherry Bombs is because of how dangerous they are. The number of emails I get and the horrible injury stories I hear regarding these things just shows how ignorant people are of the dangers of M-80s/Cherry Bombs and what they can do to you. Unlike fireworks, which must adhere to strict safety guidelines (like the amount of pyrotechnic composition they can contain), M-80s and Cherry Bombs are NOT manufactured with your safety in mind. Consumer fireworks, by law, can contain no more than 500 grams of pyrotechnic composition. Firecrackers can contain no more than 50 milligrams of flash powder per cracker. On the other hand, M-80s contain up to 45 grains of flash powder (nearly 3 grams!). These devices are powerful enough to blow a hole the size of a fist in thick plywood - even if it's only sitting on top of the wood (see below pictures)!! I don't even like to think about what they are capable of doing to human hands. The pictures I've seen are disgusting; showing a bloody, blackened stump of what used to be a human hand or foot. Usually this happens when someone tries to light the fuse (which is usually only an inch long) and throw the device, only to have an unexpectedly fast burn rate cause it to blow up in their hand. Is this how you would want to spend the 4th of July? Losing a hand, arm, or even dying from playing around with M-80s? The potential "fun" or "entertainment" M-80s and Cherry Bombs may provide is vastly outweighed by how incredibly dangerous and deadly they are.

In 2001, someone brought an M-80 type device to my firework show and set it off on one of my firework launch platforms. It was 3/4" plywood. It wasn't under the wood, it was just sitting on it. Here are front and back pictures of wood. The picture on the right is the top of the wood; the left one shows the bottom. Do you really want to be using these devices?

Also, injuries caused by M-80s, Cherry Bombs, and other illegal explosives just add fuel to the anti-firework community's fight to ban consumer fireworks in the United States. For more info on this, see my Fireworks Injury Statistics Page. It talks about how anti-firework idiots, as well as the media (news, radio), are quick to report on any M-80 injury as a "firework injury", even though they're not fireworks, and lump the statistics together with those of legal fireworks in attempt to make legal fireworks sound far more dangerous than they really are and unsuitable for consumer use. However, I doubt they'll ever stop doing this, so as long as you don't use M-80s and Cherry Bombs, there's no possibility of you getting hurt and being added to the list of "fireworks" injuries.

Though M-80s, Cherry Bombs, and Silver Salutes are now illegal in the U.S., Consumer Firework manufacturers continue to name their products things such as "M-80 Firecrackers", "M-8000s", etc., in an attempt to lure buyers into thinking the devices are more powerful than they really are, or have some connection to real M-80s. But they don't - the name is just a marketing gimmick. They're not even close to being as powerful as real M-80s. You may be asking, "how can I tell if a firework is real, or has been illegally made?".

The first step is to be aware of what they look like. M-80s are approximately and inch and a half long, a half inch in diameter, with a red casing and a stiff, short fuse coming out of the side. Silver Salutes are basically the same, except they're silver in color. Cherry Bombs are about an inch in diameter and can easily be mistaken for a consumer "smoke ball". Their outer surface is uneven and rough. Another key factor in determining if something is legal is whether or not it has a manufacturer's label. M-80s and other explosive devices have absolutely no warning label, manufacturer's name, or product number (because they weren't made in factories). Consumer Fireworks always have these things printed somewhere on the device, so if you find a firework that doesn't have one of these things on it, you can bet that it's illegal.

If you want to celebrate the 4th of July or some other occasion, I strongly urge you to go to do so by buying legal, consumer fireworks. There are thousands of different fireworks out there that are quite impressive spectacular, and far surpass the amount of "fun" you can get by blowing something up with an M-80. Not only that, but consumer fireworks are much, much safer, and you don't have to worry about being caught by the police and facing penalties for using them.

Answer 2

It stands for manwheredidmyfingersgo?!!! but seriously, check your other question. :)

an M-90 is a M-80 style case with a small firecracker inside. the large case is for looks only, it does little more than make a pop when it fires. true M-80's contain a much larger charge of flash powder, and are illegal under federal law.

Answer 3

It stands for "Military Grade" explosive. A "C" would denote consumer grade.

M-80's were initially designed by the military to simulate a grenade explosion in training exercises.

Answer 4

I think it means it contains 80 milligrams of explosive.

Answer 5

medimusal

Answer 6

mutilation ?