In the 2007 ATF explosives law book they classify pyrotechnic compositions as explosives, making them illegal to manufacture, import, or deal in without all sorts of licensing. They define pyrotechnic compositions as such:

Pryrotechnic compositions. A chemical mixture which, upon burning and without explosion, produces visible, brilliant displays, bright lights, or sounds.

Pretty much anything that burns will fall into that category, from thermite to matches. Obviously, I don't need a license to buy/sell matches. But what about thermite? What about Zinc and Sulfur?

Does anybody know where the de facto line of legal vs not legal is? Unless there's a major fucking loophole, according to the law I could get jailed for selling a matchbook.

Local regs likely add on more crap to be unsure over.

It basicly comes down to if you get caught, and by who.... Then if the case is retarded it will get dismissed. Then again... Retarded by whos perspective?

There is no definitive line that I know of.

Most of the confusion that amateur pyros have... is based on the rules that are meant to be applicable to people manufacturing AND selling... Not simply manufacturing for their own entertainment. There really are no provision for hobbiests and every fire marshal will interpret things differently and possibly on a case by case basis.

Then comes the whole storage clause-like thing... If you store anything, it needs to be in a BATFE approved mag. Does this mean one can make something and use it that day legally? No one is really sure. What must be stored? Can stars be left out to dry without being stored? What about black match? Automatically anything a hobbiest makes is classified 1.3g. 1.3g needs to be stored in a mag... Can one make aerial shells and fire them the same day? Where? When? How?...

The whole IIRC 200mg thing for flash in road side crackers... does that still apply to hobbiest made devices? Or is it null since the hobbiest isn't selling anything? Will the judge intrepret the law that way or will they not see a difference and fuck you?

To be in the business of manufacturing, importing, or selling 1.3g or more dangerous (IE all of those are for profit)... you must be licensed... For something to be classed as 1.4g it must be inspected by BATFE professionals and such to assure that it is safe enough for the common man... So if you manufacture 1.4g.. it starts out as 1.3g and gets approved... so you have to be licensed for 1.3g anyways.

You can buy and sell visco fuse (1.4S IIRC) freely as well as a few other things. Black match and quickmatch however are still classed as 1.3g... BUT you can still buy them sometimes.. so its a bit more unclear and depends on you and who catches you and if they can see if you are mature enough or not...

Its all bull shit. Hobbiest provisions are needed greatly.

I have a better idea. The BATFE and other alphabet-soup agencies need to be abolished and their employees put to use actually serving the public, rather than punishing them for arbitrary and incomprehensible reasons.

They should be thrown out of their jobs and sent to a coal mine, so they can actually work instead of throwing gay regulations at us.

most simple way is to treat it as extremely illegal and not get caught doing it.

While to an extent alot of it sucks...

I have to have a respect for them... As they do a shit-ton of work to make sure that we can continue to have PGI/WWB/etc conventions... They set up arrangements behind the scenes to allow unlicensed hobbiests to transport live materials to conventions without fear of repercussions if they are pulled over. IE make a call and the head BATFE guy explains to the officer and your back on the road again... AND having many undercover guys at such conventions that are only out to get people that are doin wrong like mixing flash in their campers or selling live materials other than visco without a license, and leave the serious hobbiests alone.

It actually works out pretty well. If they know you are mature, safe, and serious shit goes smoothly.

Now general run of the mill cops on the other hand...

when i first started making pyrotechnics i looked into getting a high explosives license. It turned out to be unnecessary for me, and way more trouble than it was worth, just to be able to buy a few extra lbs of aluminum per year. they have regulations for storage containers, property, amounts, and even the lock on the containers.