How Firecrackers are Made

The earliest “Firecracker” is dated as far back as 200 B.C.  To produce an explosion, people used a certain type of bamboo that, when heated continuously, exploded. Once gun powder was discovered, it was found to be far more effective than the original idea of simply super heating bamboo.  At that point, bamboo was used as a shell, and gun powder was put inside of it. The end product could be easily lit and used as an explosive.  

The modern firecracker that we’re all familiar with is really not much different. Of course it isn’t made of bamboo, but it is basically the same principle. The modern firecracker consists of a small amount of powder inside a cardboard or thick paper wrapping. They appear as single crackers, or are often strung together in packs of 16.  More recently, cluster-style crackers such as our Keystone Kannonballs and Jumbo M-5000 have appeared on the market.  In those items, clusters of small crackers are bundled together and explode almost simultaneously to create a super-loud effect.  Remember that M-80s, cherry bombs and ash cans are not firecrackers.  They are illegal explosives that can be very dangerous if mishandled.  To see our entire collection of firecrackers, click here.