DIY Defense

From Steal This Wiki

This section did not appear in the original book.

Contents 1 FM31-210 Improvised Munitions 2 DIY Explosives Myths 3 Simple Explosive Formulation 3.1 Initiator 3.2 Picric acid

[edit] FM31-210 Improvised Munitions

In 1969 the CorpGov US Army subsidiary had their special forces instructors and engineers write a book that soldiers deep behind enemy lines could use to make a vast array of simple and effective weapons from common objects and substances. This work was paid for by USA tax dollars and is thus in the public domain.

A word of caution and reflection: This information is knowledge which is power; nothing you read here could not be learned by visiting a high school or university library. All of the devastation that could be caused by these designs and mixtures are to be used only in a defensive manner. We are not in a civil war yet and we don't want to have to hurt anyone, demonstration and protest are our medium and we wish to keep it that way striving and winning with marches and signs not rifles and bombs. The Governments and corrupt leadership of most of the world have been taking another darker direction and we are in real fear for our very lives and freedoms. You will have to live with the decision you make, taking the path of destruction must only be the last resort. All humans are one family but you have a responsibility that family to preserve freedom at all costs.

That said destruction of objects where you can ensure no loss of life is a major but acceptable escalation if all free forms of expression are closed up by a government using emergency powers. Don't expect any escalation to be met by anything short of deadly violence. This book external to Steal This Book/Wiki is another boost to those who fear being oppressed to death.

You may download the PDF version of this book via the following link:

FM31-210 Improvised Muntions Handbook

[edit] DIY Explosives Myths

Myth - Microwaving aerosol cans will blow the room up when the timer hits zero.

Truth - the microwave will probably not even pop the cans, however it may cause damage to the microwave.

Myth - Military explosives can be detonated with a nine volt battery.

Truth - C-4 and other standard explosives are safe and insensitive, and require explosive initiation (i.e. detonator cap.)

Myth - Smokeless gun powder will detonate like dynamite if confined in a can or tennis ball and ignited with a fuse.

Truth - Most of the time, it will only pop the container and burn. Even a pipe bomb will usualy just expel a jet of gas/debris without exploding.

Myth - All explosives detonate if dropped.

Truth - Most commercial and military explosives are fairly stable. Even most dynamite is now made with a more stable mix that does not regular turning due to nitroglycerine leakage.

Myth - Explosives can be made in an airplane restroom with safe non-toxic chemicals.

Truth - There are no common liquid binary explosives that can be safely mixed in an airplane lavatory. All known liquid binary explosives require chemicals that would be rather dangerous to handle and mix except under laboratory conditions. see acetone peroxide

Myth - Acetone Peroxide AKA "Mother of Satan" is a useful explosive.

Truth - Made from reasonably easy to obtain ingredients acetone, concentrated hydrogen peroxide, and sulphuric acid, it is highly unstable to shock and friction. If you know of someone planning to manufacture acetone peroxide in quantity beyond a few grams get away and stay very far away, they are likely to blow themselves up and anyone nearby.

Myth - Letting a gas stove run unlit with a candle burning in the next room can blow up a house.

Truth - Gas can be used to destroy a house, but it would likely need to be liquified and pressurized in a container like liquid propane, and ignited with a timed igniter. Home gas usualy flows at too low a rate to fill a room with an explosive fuel air mixture.

Myth - A stick of dynamite is deadly many meters away.

Truth - A bare stick of dynamite is not the nuclear bomb most people think of. Small explosive charges lose much of their power in open spaces (hence why the military uses fragmentation bombs to damage a wide area). Inside a room or closed space, however, many explosives can cause severe injury or death.

[edit] Simple Explosive Formulation

If you need simple explosives for engineering or demolition purposes here are some basic information if you are unable to get the 31-210 manual. There are two basic types of common improvised explosives, nitrated chemicals and fuel/oxidizer mixes. Most nitrated chemicals like nitroglycerin, TNT, RDX, and nitrocellulose are produced by introducing glycerin, toluene, hexamine, and cellulose to concentrated nitric acid while monitoring the acid temperature so the reaction doesn't get out of control. Fuel/oxidizer mixes are well known as things like black powder (6pts potassium nitrate, 4pts charcoal, and a 1pt sulfur), ANFO-16pts ammonium nitrate,finely ground(High AN fertilizer, instant cold packs)/1p diesel fuel, Sugar-Shock 1pt sugar/2pt pool chlorine shock treatment. All of these work best using a blasting cap, to jump start the explosive reaction but commercial caps can be difficult to obtain. You can either make a good sized firecracker initiator or make a real detonator. Below are the two easiest to obtain formulas from the improvised munitions book for an initiating and booster explosive. Most explosives work best if covered with mud or confined inside a container to increase the amount of energy delivered to the target.

[edit] Initiator

If several detonators are needed for a job make one batch as shown at a time and load into detonators, do not store this explosive!! You will need

• Hexamine(crushed esbit stove tablets)
• Hydrogen Peroxide (hair bleach, some wood bleaching solutions, 6% concentration minimum)
• Citric Acid (sour salt, spice section at grocery store)

• 1-Measure 9 Tablespoons of Hydrogen Peroxide into a metal cup, place this cup into a bowl of iced water to keep the reaction cool.
• 2-In 3 portions dissolve 2 1/2 teaspoons of crushed hexamine into the peroxide and let cool for 30 min.
• 3-In 5 portions dissolve 4 1/2 teaspoons crushed citric acid
• 4-Remove cup form cold water and allow to sit for 8-24 hours when crystals collect at the bottom of the cup

!!This is now a sensitive HIGH EXPLOSIVE!!

• 5-Pour contents through a filter or paper towel and save the crystals
• 6-Pour 6 teaspoons of water over the collected crystals and then allow to dry
• 7-Use the press shown in the manual to compress 0.75 gram of crystals into a metal tube or fired bullet case followed by 2 grams of picric acid booster charge, be sure that you are wearing goggles and have the guards in place.

[edit] Picric acid

You need a real high explosive to use as a booster charge in detonators especially of use with questionable improvised explosives. This explosive is safe to store in non-metalic containers.

You will need

• Aspirin tablets
• Alcohol 95% strength (liquor store, fuel line antifreeze)
• sulphuric acid (concentrated car battery acid(low boiled until temp is over 100C), some drain unclog solutions)
• ammonium nitrite (instant cold packs, fertilizer)

• 1-crush 20 aspirin tablets and 1 teaspoon water
• 2- add 1/3 to 1/2 (100ml) alcohol and mix for several minutes
• 3-filter solution and discard the solids keep the liquid
• 4-evaporate the alcohol mix by heating in a bowl sitting in a pan of hot water 160-180 F (not boiling)on a hotplate collect dry powder
• 5-Pour 1/3(80ml) cup concentrated sulphuric acid into a glass jar and add powder from above
• 6-Place jar in pan of simmering water for 15 min, it will turn yellow-orange color
• 7-Add 3 level teaspoons (15grams) of potassium nitrate in three portions to the yellow-orange solution, it will turn red and then back to C.
• 8-Allow solution to cool to room temperature stirring occasionally with a plastic or glass rod.
• 9-slowly pour the solution into a container of 1 1/4 cup(300ml) cold water while stirring and allow to cool
• 10-Pour the yellow-orange solution through a coffee filter over a glass container
• 11-Wash the light yellow crystals in the filter with 2 Tbs (25ml) water and save the crystals in the filter discard the liquid
• 12-dry the crystals on a plate in a bath of hot(not boiling) water