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You get a pretty good recoil on something as small as a 22 caliber. You get a hefty jolt with a 38 or 45. If you are not careful, a shotgun will bruise the hell out of your shoulder.
Now, take a mortar (even a relatively small fireworks one) that is probably 2-3 inches AND put it on your head and fire it. The concussion will probably turn your brain to jello, assuming it doesn't misfire/explode and blow your head off.
Like I said, you can't fix stupid.
There was no official information as to what exactly happened, but I don't think it was the blow back that killed him. I think it was put in backwards. If it was put in correctly, it would have launched and he likely would have been fine. I think it was put in in reverse then exploded at the base which was on his head.
That would have definitely killed him and it sounds like that is what happened based on reports.
You get a pretty good recoil on something as small as a 22 caliber. You get a hefty jolt with a 38 or 45. If you are not careful, a shotgun will bruise the hell out of your shoulder.
Now, take a mortar (even a relatively small fireworks one) that is probably 2-3 inches AND put it on your head and fire it. The concussion will probably turn your brain to jello, assuming it doesn't misfire/explode and blow your head off.
Fireworks were a lot more controversial when I was a kid --- nearly fifty years ago. Within 50 yards of the house where I'm writing this, back in the summer of 1966, a kid not yet into his teens put an "M-80" firecracker into a can. The blast partially tore the can apart, and a piece of it lodged in his jugular vein; he died in minutes.
I honestly don't know whether the laws regulating the sales of fireworks have been reformed in such a way that what is sold over the counter today is safer than the device figuring in that tragedy from a long time back, but I'd like to know, and I'd want the details included. In fairness, I can't recall any other local incident of anywhere near as serious consequences since that time.
And my feeling remains; "If the latter-day Puritans and the security-obsessed collude with some grandstanding politician to write further legislation in the name of supposed safety and 'common good' -- some fool, somewhere will find a way around the law". it's just the foibles of the human condition at work.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 07-31-2015 at 12:17 AM..
It sounds more like we need an IQ test threshold for breeding.
Absolutely, since the society at large ultimately gets burdened with problem kids (either through protective services or crimes committed by naughty kids etc), it should have a say in who gets to breed. Unless of course society get out of all child protection and like services. Then individuals can have the freedom to breed as they like.
They wont ban fireworks.... I dont particuarly lke the things at all as they can be so dangerous, Even in the hands of the professionals.. when I worked at the Glasgow Garden Festival in the late 80s the man doing the fireworks display blew his leg off on the last night of the festival.. so it can happen to anyone... this boy was very foolish and his mother is in such a state shes blaming the fireworks..
There was no official information as to what exactly happened, but I don't think it was the blow back that killed him. I think it was put in backwards. If it was put in correctly, it would have launched and he likely would have been fine. I think it was put in in reverse then exploded at the base which was on his head.
That would have definitely killed him and it sounds like that is what happened based on reports.
There are a number of possibilities. The "Japanese knee mortar" is a good example of a light weight, hand held mortar with a "foot" that is shown placed on the ground or solid surface. Its not put on the knee or head. The recoil of a true battle weapon is most likely stronger than a fireworks shell due the weight of the projectile.
Recreational fire works mortars are cardboard tubes supplied with some number of shells. The shells are dropped into the tube, the fuse hangs out the top of the tube and is lit. The shell has two explosives. A launch explosive and a display explosive. The launch explosive should be inserted first as it will propel the display explosive to altitude. The display explosive also acts as a combination shell and wadding that provides back pressure for the launch explosive giving it the compression needed to propel the display to altitude.
If the shell were put in backwards, its not going launch. The launch explosive is only partially contained since the upper end of the mortar tube is open. The launch explosive would produce some recoil but the recoil would be considerably softened as the gases from the explosives would mostly exhaust from the end of the tube in a sheet of flame.
The launch explosive also lights a delay fuse. A fuse that burns for approximately 3 to 6 seconds. This allows the display explosive to reach altitude.
The display explosive is probably 10 times larger than the launch explosive. The display explosive powers are treated to produce color and packed/arranged to provide and one of a number of visual effects. Just hearing the display explode from a distance gives you an idea of the force these explosions can have.
Its certainly possible this shell was put in backwards. Its also possible the shell was defective, the delay fuse detonated with no delay. Either way, the end result is the same if the display charge went off inside the tube.
I concede this is the most probably cause of death. The recoil of the launch charge could have "turned his brain to jello" as I stated but more than likely, the display charge took off part of his head.
Drinking alcohol + putting fireworks where they're not supposed to go + 22 years old = the son is responsible. It's not the mom's fault (22 is a legal adult), it's not the alcohol's fault (he should have chosen not to drink and play with fireworks), and it's certainly not the fireworks company or law's fault. It's a tragedy that this young man died.
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