Homemade bombs have been in and out of the news in recent years. Often, we hear about “pipe bombs,” which are often made of PVC and packed with black powder as an explosive, and metal and glass for shrapnel.
Another threat to police officers are “bottle bombs.” Bottle bombs are usually made by mixing common household chemicals in a bottle. The reaction of the chemicals is what causes the explosion. The force of the explosion causes most of the damage, but the chemicals themselves are toxic, and can cause burns to exposed skin or lung tissue (if inhaled.)
Precursors used in the manufacture of these bombs include cleaning chemicals, gasoline, chlorine, and alcohol. The delay in time from mixing the chemicals to the explosion can vary from a few minutes to an hour depending on what was mixed, in what quantities, and the size of the container. The container can be almost anything, but 2-liter and smaller soda bottles are frequently used.
Keep your eyes open for anything that might be used to make these bombs when inside residences. Be extremely careful if you locate any potential devices, and contact the bomb squad to dispose of them. That’s what they get paid the big bucks for, right?
Stay safe!
.
Related posts:
[...] As if police officers didn’t have enough problems, the threat of high-powered explosives continues to grow as terrorists (home-grown and international) become more adept at synthesizing dangerous chemical compounds. Becoming familiar with some of the precursors to home made explosives can increase your own safety, and help prevent a deadly terrorism incident in your own jurisdiction. See also my post on bottle bombs here. [...]
In reference to the bottle bombs. Anything that builds up pressure can be used for these purposes. Military MRE meals are used for this too. The thing that is so dangerous is that they are unpredictable, unreliable, and extremely hard to handle. Always use caution around these. If you think it might be…..IT IS