Electrical Powder fuzes?

[CrazyLegs]

I am in the possession of a number of the following item; they appear to be small cardboard tubes filled with GP, with twin flex electrical cabling at the base. However I am 100% sure they are not detonators containing primary explosive.

Presumably the wires are connected to an internal bridgewire or similar, and the item is intended for use in theatre productions or some other function, however some of the (limited) documentation with the items refers to them as "chalk markers" ?!

Sheet of info: (I assume the 'pdr' is a shortened form of 'powder'), the box containing them is marked "powder fuzes".





The item itself:



The tip of the tube (the other end from where the wires enter) seems to be closed with a yellow plastic adhesive.

I could not find a pyrotechnics subforum so thought it best they were posted here.

 

[weberoed]

they remind me of flash squibs that Atlas Powder use to make. There was also one very similar that I use to use when I was conducting IED/boobytrap training to SpecWar Gp 2. I was stationed at Indian Head them and got them from the there out of ground ordnance section.

bet if you were to cut it open you would find a M2 match (red lacquer bubble on the firing leads)

 

[TimG]

Something similar (I think) used to be used in accident reconstruction to measure the braking distance of vehicles. The marker would be fitted on the outside of the vehicle and wired through the brake light switch. The vehicle was driven at the required speed and the marker armed, when the brakes were applied the marker would fire leaving a chalk mark on the road. Then just measure from the mark to the marker on the vehicle.

Regards

TimG

 

[CrazyLegs]

Thanks guys, very informative