Outrageous Malfunction

WWII T34 pulled from the muck in Russia.

30mm feed system under use:

Marine wields brace of M249s:

Honestly, once the iPhone 2.0 hits the streets, there’s no reason to stay with any other phone. iPhone + MobileMe = win.

A guy in Nevada makes water-cooled AR15 uppers.

Went to two days of Monster Truck Madness this weekend. Click the picture for more photos.

I don’t want it to be lost in comments, so here is the full text of a note from Dan Tanner.

Wow, the ignorance abounds! FYI, the state certificate of possession is no longer issued by the state of Oregon. Their whole state explosives program has been eliminated and the laws regarding possession do not exist. You see, in 2003, the “Safe Explosives Act” was passed by the ATFE, requiring a federal license to purchase any explosive. However, you may still manufacture your own explosive for personal NON-commercial use, (Read it in the Federal Orange Book). But it must be used the same day it is made in order to be in compliance with storage laws. Now, Tannerite rifle targets are further exempt from regulatory control. They fall into the same class as Black Powder. Black Powder is regulated as an explosive (1.1D in 100 lbs or over, 4.1 in under 50 lbs if DESIGNED FOR SPORTING USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH SPORTING ARMS. All states allow the possession explosives in conjunction with sporting use. You are allowed to make your own version of black powder, and you are allowed to mix Tannerite essentially just another version of black powder…but louder, and more stable/safe) In 13 years, I just can’t believe how ignorant people are on law. Have you ever seen a person get criminally charged for using Tannerite as a target? I didn’t think so. I have NEVER had a customer get nailed IF they use it as prescribed (a rifle target). Still legal, still has a sterling track record, still available for sale.
Cordially,
Daniel@Tannerite

Just to be clear, when I searched for the Oregon laws, they led to the place I linked in the Oregon code. That this section of the law is no longer enforced isn’t mentioned anywhere I could find, but Dan is the SME for Oregon, so I’ll go with that. As I said earlier, many states delegate explosives regulation to the Federal level via reference; Oregon may well be one of those states. However, the law as published does not read that way.

As for storage, Dan is correct; at the federal level, if you don’t use it the same day, you don’t need storage.

I completely agree with Dan that Tannerite, beyond being a better product, is more safe and more stable than black powder. I also agree that it is legal, as it is a binary explosive; which is to say, it isn’t an explosive at all until you mix it. I’m not sure what the track record is (safety? sales?), and it is certainly available for sale.

To reiterate, I think the only laws that should cover explosives are the ones of Darwinism. Where Dan and I depart is that my reading of the laws of Oregon and Washington are that manufacturing and possessing the explosive is further regulated (further than federal law). Dan says that the section of Oregon law I quoted earlier is no longer in force. I’ll note that other sections of 480 have notes on when and why there were repealed, and this section does not.

Really, it boils down to what I said at first. Read the laws yourself. Get up to speed. Don’t be the guy on ARFCOM asking how to transport the couple of cases he’d mixed up in his private airplane. Be safe and have fun.

I’ve talked before about wishes and the ATFE. Indirectly, these were prompted by Tannerite users and the claims of the inventor and manufacturer, Dan Tanner. I’ll be more direct this time; quoted from a long thread full of wishful thinking:

Part of the problem with Tannerite is Dan Tanner. He misleads people as to the legality of his product. I just looked at his website; he continues to make specious claims about the CSPC being the regulatory body that matters. His products, once assembled, are not primarily regulated by the CSPC; his products are regulated by the ATFE. That they are binary when he ships them is how he washes his hands of responsibility for his product.
The reality is that, in many states, mixing Tannerite is regulated as the manufacturing explosives. You can make all of the federalist arguments you want; I agree, the state has no business regulating this activity. I agree that the commerce clause is speciously applied in all sorts of situations (like this) where it shouldn’t.

The fact is, in many states, mixing Tannerite is illegal without a license. Washington and Texas are two of the states where this is the case. (in Texas, it’s a county-by-county basis, but statewide it is considered illegal without a license).

I, personally, consider this type of nanny-state activity complete bullshit. Because I wish to stay out of prison, I manufacture and assemble these devices (for the Boomershoot) under the auspices of a licensed manufacturer in accordance with the regulations in the Orange Book (and the other publications the ATFE puts out).

The area where Dan Tanner is correct is in saying there is no federal regulation (for the most part). If you wish to mix Tannerite and drive it across the road, unless that road is private, you’re breaking the law unless you have 2 CDLs with HAZMAT endorsements, a portable magazine, current inspection, and placards. If you mix Tannerite and store it for over 24 hours mixed, you’ve violated another set of regulations. At the state level, things are much worse. Merely possessing mixed Tannerite in Washington is illegal. Dan can make all of the arguments he wants, but he won’t be paying your attorney’s fees when you’re up for federal time.

Think of Tannerite as that $300 DIAS in Shotgun News. The likelihood that you can legally do anything with it is pretty slim.

Above all, don’t believe me. Read the laws for your own state. Read the Orange Book. Please don’t trust Dan Tanner to tell you how to legally manufacture explosives. Please don’t trust Ry Jones, either. The laws are simple enough. Read them, understand them, and make informed decisions about risks.

Some anti-fun maroon stuck together a video to demonize recreational explosives. Joe’s daughter, Kim, appears in the last quarter of the segment. Too bad the anti-fun maroon is a TV station in Atlanta;

Mr Bachman,

In your recent report on explosives availability, you include a segment at 3:35 of Kim Huffman; her father, Joe Huffman, is a licensed manufacturer and dealer in high explosives. Your inclusion of the clip implies that Kim is shooting Tannerite; however, the video is of Kim shooting Boomerite, which had been manufactured by Joe in accordance with his license.

Once a year, the Boomershoot manufactures over 1000 pounds of high explosives for recreational use. We’ve been featured in Newsweek, Outside Magazine, and many local media. You’re welcome to stop by next year; this year, we detonated a toilet for Dave Barry.

As to the general tone of your production, I disagree; unsafe use of explosives is a self-limiting problem, no laws beyond those Darwin outlined are required.

Ry Jones

Assistant Director, Boomershoot

Offer to put logos on the roof (or in the lawn) of your customers. Align them east-west such that aerial photos will pick them up. What says FedEx, this:

Or this:

Quickly, where is the UPS depot here?

(here’s the answer, on the same scale).

As someone that uses mobile maps (from Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft), this would make them about a million times more useful. That said, I have no interest in getting into the roofing business (or landscaping), so someone else can take this ball and run with it. Just throw me some scraps when you’re at the table, OK?

The kids with real toys show up.

100 tons (small shot for us):

Big Boom in Iraq:

429 tons, angle 1; “Look at the Marines run!”:

Angle 2, rednecks: