The Difference Between a Mine and a Shell

A mine is a device containing pyrotechnic effects that are dispersed into the air from a mortar or tube, as opposed to being produced by an explosion of a shell in the sky. In other words, the effect comes directly out of the launch tube at ground level, similar to a military land mine.

The aerial shell cartridge contains pyrotechnic composition, a burst charge, and an internal time fuse or module. The shell is propelled into the air from a mortar (tube) and the effect is seen when the shell explodes in the air. So while mines effects come from ground level, shell effects appear as bursts in the sky.

For an excellent example of both a mine and a shell effect click here to view our Shazam! 500 gram cake, which combines both mines and shells. The lower effects are the mines and the high effects are the shells.