Pipe bomb

A pipe bomb is any explosive material [usually black powder (gun powder)] encased in a piece of ordinary pipe and ignited with a fuse or timer device. The pipe allows the explosive material to increase its rate of the reaction upon ignition due to the confined pressurized space provided by the pipe. The pressure of this reaction causes the pipe to rupture which results in the sudden release of this pressure,causing an explosion. The exploding pipe creates its own shrapnel which can lead to injury.

Although the risk of premature detonation cannot be stated in terms of frequency, it is a possible outcome of attempting to construct any homemade explosive device. Documented instances of unintentional detonation during assembly are common, often resulting in serious injury or death to the manufacturer. This premature detonation is usually caused by the ataching of the sides to the pipe which can cause sparks resulting in the ignition of the explosive material. Even with a pipe whose sides need to only be screwed on it may still result in its detonation.