FIREWORKS!!!

I have fond memories of REAL fireworks from my very distant past. You know, M 80s, cherry bombs, even quartersticks. Now, at least here in Florida, we are limited to sparklers and maybe bottle rockets. Are there states that still allow the sale of the real things any more? Too late for this year, but I would just like to know. .

Wisconsin is where I go get anything that leaves the ground. I believe Tennessee does as well, but it's been a number of years since I had to buy fireworks anywhere that far out. M80's and most larger "quarter stick" type explosive firecrackers were outlawed in the early 90's IIRC. Of course there was the time I was licensed as a professional fireworks display person- but that was many moons ago and that has long since lapsed and I've allowed my contacts to dry up. It was VERY easy at the time to do, but that was pre-9/11, IDK if the ATF/DEA/NSA/PBR has changed regs on that one.

I can hear the black helicopters now!!!

I'm sure if you find any....that is if any, it wouldn't be cheap either.

Where's the party van? I was under the impression that such things(more than like .5g of flash power) have been illegal since the late 60s and super illegal now.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Where's the party van? I was under the impression that such things(more than like .5g of flash power) have been illegal since the late 60s and super illegal now.

I was able to "class a" m80's and the like at least as late as 1991- Well my dad was I wasn't 18 yet. But you get the idea. Not like you can't make your own anyhow- you can still buy fuse in bulk. Lemme tell ya, about 30 foot of fuse, some 2" PVC cut into 18 inch lengths, and a couple dozen mortar balls will make one HELLUVA finale. Then you need to get the hose out because you set the corn field on fire. Again.

There are definite negatives to living in a state that allows the sale of "real" fireworks. Neighbors who think every summer evening is the 4th of July, for example.

Michigan has become a big fireworks state over the last couple years. It's not awesome.

In reply to cwh:

I remember going to a place on Dania Blvd, accross from the Jai Alai place. They used to sell some wicked stuff, you had to have your driver's license on file in order to buy. Have not been there in 15 years or so.

There's places in PA that sell sizable mortars and rockets and all manner of good stuff, but you have to NOT live in PA to buy it. Being from MD I hit the one in Breezewood on the way home generally.

You have to sign a sheaf of papers attesting to the fact that you're merely functioning as a courier and you'll deliver the fireworks to someplace where they're allowed.

"Our merchandise is sold solely upon the representation that it will be used strictly in accordance with the law and regulations applicable at the point of sale and point of destination. Phantom Fireworks will not assume liability for any injury during use, handling, storage or sale of the products"

Phantom Pharr'works

Indiana doesn't have much in the way of laws. The downside being that every night this week has been like a shock and awe campaign against my ability to sleep.

I'm not sure what's legal and what's not since they just changed Kentucky law, but it always used to be that you could sell pretty much anything, but the buyer had to pinkie-promise that he wasn't going to set them off in the commonwealth. I'm not sure what the changes in the law mean, but they did something about letting permanent stores open, instead of just roadside booths, and they took away the pinkie-promise requirement for some of the stuff.

Net effect, though, has been totally unnoticeable other than the old decrepit Circuit City building getting a fresh coat of purple paint and a Phantom Fireworks sign. Pretty much any night in the summer has even odds that someone in the subdivision will be re-enacting the bombing of Dresden. I actually don't mind it at all, but I've got an 80 pound dog that was heavily abused before we rescued him and he spends the whole night shaking and trying to crawl into my pocket, which is kind of annoying. And it keeps my kids from going to bed which means they're going to be cranky the next day. Last year I was actually a little concerned that we'd wind up with a brush fire or something since it was so dry, but I don't think that will be a problem so far this year, thankfully.

Isn't making your own considered a down-payment on a Cuban vacation these days, though? It seems like anything more than using a half-ounce lighter fluid on charcoal gets everybody all uptight anymore.

You can get anything you want...in Tennessee. Some counties wont allow sales but the outlying counties generally allow sales and use of fireworks. A client who has a large fireworks chain opened a store in Loudon County that was 13ft from the Knox County line for example. You will see his stores along the I-75 corridor.
However if you want to do a show similar to the commercial shows, you are out of luck.

There seem to be plenty of fireworks stores with products of dubious legality in the north end of the state.

Being in the busienss of producing fireworks must be awesome. You're products usually don't hurt anyone, everyone loves them, and they've got to buy more next year...which they are perfectly ok with.

we lived in the panhandle of FL... you goto AL to get the "good stuff"

you can get ok stuff in TX from what i've seen...

in MI you can buy good stuff as long as you have a non MI licence, or you can goto OH (or you could 20 years ago lol)

bastomatic wrote: There are definite negatives to living in a state that allows the sale of "real" fireworks. Neighbors who think every summer evening is the 4th of July, for example. Michigan has become a big fireworks state over the last couple years. It's not awesome.

This. Living in PA, the 4th has become a less than favorite holiday... I've never been a fan of amateur fireworks... so every 4th I just want to open my back windows, point my half stack out it, crank the sucker to 11 and practice Slayer riffs until 2am... Of course, it would probably rattle my house off its foundation, but I'd feel better...

Ugh. I enjoy the freedom that comes with living in america and all, but not the freedom to buy fireworks and wander around town shooting them off at random people that some of the little mouthbreathers around here make a habit of.

yup, even taught some youngsters how to go blind. Happy independence day.

i wish the motherberkeleyers in my neighborhood would take a page from that brand H dealer in GA and get busy eating some big bags of dicks instead of keeping me awake with blowing E36 M3 up. then i'd be asleep right now, at 1:29 AM, dreaming of the '65 corsa i saw for sale yesterday instead of sitting in front of the TV watching TdF coverage and surfing t3h webz.

In reply to AngryCorvair:

The solution is having something capable of producing noise at levels high enough guys so deaf they slept through Pearl Harbor think its painful.

I have a .45 caliber muzzloading caplock pistol, louder than it looks. 60 grains of 3F and a newspaper wad will set off car alarms 100 yards and a few buildings and treelines away. There's also always oxyacetylene, but that's kinda tricky to handle without losing limbs,and tends to remove windows no matter what.

moparman76_69 wrote: Indiana doesn't have much in the way of laws. The downside being that every night this week has been like a shock and awe campaign against my ability to sleep.

You probably shouldn't move up by me in BFE Indiana........our local 'Nam vet normally puts on a week long display that rivals what our town puts up(our town outdoes cities 20x the size)

Oh, and we hold night time high powered rifle shoots every now and then.....

Well, last night I felt like I had been transported to Kandahar province. No idea where they got the stuff, but they did. And a lot of gunshots, too. Bapbapbapbapbapbap. Definitely not firecrackers.

it was pouring rain all day yesterday ... no fireworks ... the town of Black Mountain even used the Emergency Phone network to let people know that the cities fireworks display had been postponed (nice use of the emergency network)

it's not raining today (at least not now) so we could be in for a war re-enactment tonight

A bit like racing, I wish they'd give everybody with the jones a place to go take care of it where I'm not worried about my roof's flammability or my dog's sanity.

Failing that, I wish they'd just berkeley off... It doesn't bother me that much. I have totally had a flip-flop on it since getting a dog. I'm still not going to call The Man on anybody, but it finally dawns on me how annoying it is for people with dogs, kids, people who aren't deaf... If I'd ever been a fireworks nut I'd be reining it in...

Guess I'm one step closer to standing on my porch with my belt approaching my armpits, yelling at The Kids.

1 55 gallon drum
4 Cups of Dihydrogen Monoxide
1 Handful of Calcium Carbide 1 5-10 minute fuse

That how we used to celebrate the 4th when I was a kid.