US GOVT stand on pyro

Well hello all! It has been over a year since I've posted here and
thought it was time to pass along some hard learned knowledge. The ATF
considers ANYTHING we make that has a fuse sticking out of it to be an
IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE. Gone are the days where we could make
smoke bombs or rockets and escape criminal scrutiny.

While it is true that I made many mistakes in the past on both a
pyrotechnic and social level, I always had good intentions. These
intentions are what avoided me a lengthy prison sentence.

In April 07, I was raided by the local Sheriffs office, the State
Patrol bomb squad, the Bremerton Naval station bomb squad and the ATF.
I had done something dumb 10 days earlier and had luckily rid myself
of all chems and materials. All they found were some spent fountain
casings, my ball mill complete with 50 cal balls, and a couple zip
lock bags with residue. I was informed by the lead ATF agent here that
if they had found anything with a fuse in it ready to go, that I would
have been facing  a 10 year mandatory stay in federal prison..

So be aware that unlicensed pyro hobbyists are now treated the same as
school bombers. Be careful, don't bother your neighbors with your
experiments and you'll probably be fine. IGNORE THE ADVICE GIVEN HERE
BY THE PRO'S AND YOU'LL EITHER WIND UP DEAD OR WITH A FELONY LIKE ME.
I ignored advice here, made a HUGE HUGE HUGE fountain out of a spent
metal cylinder and it went CATO. Who could have imagined so many
pissed off neighbors on a calm sunday
evening........................................