Are fireworks getting more dangerous ?

[MichaelW2]

Aren't guns designed to be dangerous? It makes their existence pointless otherwise surely.

Modern guns are all supposed to be designed to be safe. They have lots of active and passive features built in to ensure that it only goes bang when the trigger is squeezed, it always goes bang when the trigger is squeezed, and a bang only results in a bullet being fired, rather than the gun exploding. The rest is up to the user.

The new US army pistol had a nasty tendancy to go bang when dropped a certain way. Problem was fixed.
Remington ( now bankrupt) produced a series of guns that went bang or did not go bang randomly.

 

[Oldhippy]

It's definitely one of those things the world could do without.

 

[Landsurfer]

When i was a boy fireworks where banned ... so we soon learnt to make our own.
Weedkiller and sugar, powdered coal and diesel, saltpetre ..someones dad always had a cement mixer. And some how we all survived .....

 

[oldwheels]

Back when I were a lad most kids were experts in handling explosives and small arms.

When I was in primary school we often had revolvers of various kinds " liberated" by big brothers who were in the army. Never any ammo tho'.
We made bangs with two bolts a nut and a couple of match heads.
Another ploy was to put detonators on the railway line which went past the school for the trains carrying coal from the pit.
Security must have been pretty lax in those days to let us get our hands on such things.

 

[Cycleops]

Back when I were a lad most kids were experts in handling explosives and small arms.

You mean they were experts in handling their arms after they were made smaller by explosives.

 

[cyberknight]

I can't see a Catherine wheel made by Standard Fireworks taking someone's head off though, but the big boxes where you're advised to keep a 20m distance?

And it's a big bang and £30 up in smoke, I'm glad it's not my money.

I seethe when they they have the big fireworks display on NYE as i wonder how much it cost and how the money could have been better spent

 

[Smokin Joe]

Apparently they've banned the repeater fireworks - the ones that you never quite knew when they'd finished.

Personally I'd ban sales to the public. There's been fireworks going off every night since Xmas here. Dog hates it.

Jumping Jacks, I recall.

 

[slowmotion]

Modern guns are all supposed to be designed to be safe. They have lots of active and passive features built in to ensure that it only goes bang when the trigger is squeezed, it always goes bang when the trigger is squeezed, and a bang only results in a bullet being fired, rather than the gun exploding. The rest is up to the user.

The new US army pistol had a nasty tendancy to go bang when dropped a certain way. Problem was fixed.
Remington ( now bankrupt) produced a series of guns that went bang or did not go bang randomly.

I think there was a case of a US law enforcement person showing off his skills on the dancefloor when his pistol, tucked into his trousers under his jacket, fell to the floor and shot a fellow dancer. I think the victim survived.

 

[DRM]

Theyre designed to be dangerous to people theyre pointed at, not the operator.

Exactly, even as 13/14 year old Air Training Corps members it was made clear in no uncertain terms that you only point a weapon at someone you intend to kill, prior to shooting practice on the range, indeed we were trusted to use the WW1 issue Lee Enfields outside (no ammunition obviously) to do drill with them.

 

[stephec]

I seethe when they they have the big fireworks display on NYE as i wonder how much it cost and how the money could have been better spent

It amazes me how much goes up in smoke but it's their money, and as the saying goes, 'a fool and his money are easily parted.'

 

[cyberknight]

It amazes me how much goes up in smoke but it's their money, and as the saying goes, 'a fool and his money are easily parted.'

as its paid for by the government i would assume taxes pay for it

 

[classic33]

Aren't guns designed to be dangerous? It makes their existence pointless otherwise surely.

Only if you're certain they're loaded.

A bit like having a nail gun and no nails for it.

 

[MichaelW2]

I think there was a case of a US law enforcement person showing off his skills on the dancefloor when his pistol, tucked into his trousers under his jacket, fell to the floor and shot a fellow dancer. I think the victim survived.

The pistol was perfectly safe when dropped. The dangerous part was when the backflipping FBI agent went to grab the bouncing gun, fumbled and hit the trigger. The gun fired as advertised.

 

[Seevio]

I can't see a Catherine wheel made by Standard Fireworks taking someone's head off though...

It might spin their head round really fast though.

 

[MichaelW2]

Exactly, even as 13/14 year old Air Training Corps members it was made clear in no uncertain terms that you only point a weapon at someone you intend to kill, prior to shooting practice on the range, indeed we were trusted to use the WW1 issue Lee Enfields outside (no ammunition obviously) to do drill with them.

Our Cadet Corps demo of the danger of 303 calibre blanks out of a Lee Enfield was graphic. The paper wadding ripped through a balloon and several layers of corrugated card.