Tannerite

Not to be confused with Tenorite.

Tannerite Sports, LLC

Headquarters	US
Website	tannerite.com

Tannerite is a brand of binary explosive targets used for firearms practice and sold in kit form.^[1][2] The targets comprise a combination of oxidizers and a fuel, primarily aluminium powder, that is supplied as two separate components that are mixed by the user. The combination is relatively stable when subjected to forces less severe than a high-velocity bullet impact. A hammer blow, the product being dropped, or impact from a low-velocity bullet or shotgun blast will not initiate a reaction. It is also designed to be non-flammable^[3] (the reaction cannot be triggered by a burning fuse or electricity), although its explosion can ignite flammable material.

Because it is sold as separate components which are not themselves explosive, it is not regulated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF),^[4] and can be transported and sold in many places without the legal restrictions that apply to explosives; however, a number of U.S. states have restricted its use. The term Tannerite is often used to refer to the mixture itself, and other reactive targets and combination explosives are often generically referred to as Tannerite.^[2][4][5]

Uses

Tannerite brand targets explode when shot by a high-velocity bullet. Low-velocity bullets and shotgun ammunition will not initiate a reaction.^[1]

The explosive reaction, once initiated, occurs at a very high velocity, producing a large vapor cloud and a loud report. It is marketed as a target designation that is useful for long-range target practice: the shooter does not need to walk down-range to see if the target has been hit, as the target will react and serve as a highly visible indicator.

Binary explosives like Tannerite are also used in some business applications, including commercial blasting, product testing, and special effects.^[6] Tannerite offers a "boom box" kit which includes colored powder for gender reveal parties.^[7][8]

For safety reasons, Tannerite Sports recommends using no more than 1 pound (450 g) of the mixed composition at once, and will sell its largest targets with a size of 2 pounds (910 g) to professionals only.^[9]

Target composition and sale

Tannerite targets are sold in pre-sized quantities. The package includes two containers. An oxidizer composition is contained within one of the containers and a catalyst composition is contained within the other.

The product, developed by Daniel Jeremy Tanner, and initially formulated in 1996,^[3] consists of two components: a fuel mixed with a catalyst or sensitizer, and a bulk material or oxidizer. The fuel/catalyst mixture is 90% 600-mesh dark flake aluminium powder, combined with the catalyst that is a mixture of 5% 325-mesh titanium sponge and 5% 200-mesh zirconium hydride^[1] (with another patent document^[10] listing 5% zirconium hydroxide). The oxidizer is a mixture of 85% 200-mesh ammonium nitrate and 15% ammonium perchlorate.^[1] The patents on these formulations were applied for on August 20, 2001.^[1][10]

United States law

See also: Binary explosive § United States law

As Tannerite is supplied as components, not themselves explosive, combining the components to constitute an explosive is typically regulated by laws on manufacturing explosives, or in some instances the laws governing fireworks.^[4]

In 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued an intelligence bulletin that said “The FBI assesses with high confidence recreationally used exploding targets (ETs), commonly referred to as tannerite, or reactive targets, can be used as an explosive for illicit purposes by criminals and extremists and explosive precursor chemicals (EPCs) present in ETs can be combined with other materials to manufacture explosives for use in improvised explosive devices (IEDs).”^[5]

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives advises: "Persons manufacturing explosives for their own personal, non-business use only (e.g., personal target practice) are not required to have a Federal explosives license or permit."^[6] However, "persons falling into certain categories are prohibited from possessing explosive materials".^[6] Those prohibited from possessing explosives include most non-citizens, unlawful drug users and addicts, those convicted or indicted for serious crimes, fugitives, and those who have been officially declared mentally defective or have been committed to a mental institution.^[6] There are also restrictions at state and local level.^[6] What follows is a sample of those restrictions:

In 2012, Maryland became the first state to regulate exploding targets, requiring users to be licensed.^[4]

The United States Forest Service in 2013 banned explosive targets on its property in five different states (Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas) due to the targets igniting 16 fires on Forest Service lands, which cost more than $33 million in order to extinguish the fires.^[4]

Louisiana enacted legislation in 2014 to add binary exploding targets to the state's definition of explosives. The vote was unanimous in both the House of Representatives (95-0) and the State Senate (33-0), and the bill was signed by the Governor.^[11][12]

In New York State, a 2020 law included binary explosives, including Tannerite, in the definition of "explosives" that require a permit for their purchase, ownership, possession, transportation, or use within the state.^[13][14]

In Ohio, the act of mixing the components of explosive targets, including "products sold under the name 'Tannerite'," without a permit, can be a 2nd degree felony.^[15]

In 2015, Tennessee declared exploding targets including Tannerite to be illegal in the state.^[16] However, TN law has a clear exception to the law under Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-1302(e)(2) stating that "(e) Subsection (a) shall not apply to the possession, manufacture, transportation, repair, or sale of an explosive if: (2) The possession, manufacture, transport, repair, or sale was incident to creating or using an exploding target for lawful sporting activity, as solely intended by the commercial manufacturer."^[17]

Under Vermont law, exploding targets were found to meet the definition of fireworks (which includes a "combination of substances") and so, in Vermont, a person must have to have a fireworks permit to use Tannerite.^[18]

Select jurisdictions in California have interpreted state law to restrict use of these products.^[4]

Various regulations also govern the storage of unmixed explosives. As oxidizers and combustibles, there are some restrictions in the United States on shipping of the unmixed components.^[19][20]

Notable incidents

A Minnesota man was fined $2,583 and sentenced to three years' probation^[21] on charges of detonating an explosive device and unlawful possession of components for explosives after he detonated 100 lb (45 kg) of Tannerite inside the bed of a dump truck by shooting it with a rifle chambered in .50 BMG from 300 yards (270 m) away on January 14, 2008, in Red Wing, Minnesota. The man was on probation when he mixed and shot the Tannerite and was not allowed to possess firearms or explosives.^[22][23]

A 20-year-old man in Busti, New York, shot 18 lb (8 kg) of Tannerite on January 13, 2013, that sent a particularly "loud boom" through much of southern Chautauqua County, New York, and extending as far south as Pennsylvania, at least 3 miles (5 km) away. Multiple other sounds of explosions were also reported in the incident. The explosive noise caused numerous phone calls to the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office, the New York State Police, and other law enforcement in the area.^[24]

The September 2016 New York and New Jersey bombings involved improvised explosive devices that contained "a compound similar to a commercial explosive known as Tannerite",^[25] set off by a small charge of unstable hexamethylene triperoxide diamine, which served as a detonator^[25][26] for the highly stable ammonal-type secondary charge.

An unnamed person suffered "injuries typical of blast injury, such as tympanic membrane rupture, globe injury, and severe burns" due to "close proximity exposure to detonation of the mixed Tannerite blend".^[27]

On April 23, 2017, Dennis Dickey, an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent, shot a Tannerite target in a gender reveal celebration on state trust land south of Tucson, Arizona, which accidentally ignited the nearby dry brush and started a 46,000-acre (19,000 ha) fire known as the Sawmill Fire. At the time, winds were gusting up to 40 miles per hour (60 km/h) and the National Weather Service had issued a fire watch in the area. By the time the wildfire was mostly contained one week later, it had jumped over the Santa Rita Mountains and crossed State Route 83, spreading into the historic Empire Ranch and the surrounding 42,000-acre (17,000 ha) Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. The estimated damage caused by the blaze was $8.19 million.^[28] Dickey pleaded guilty in September 2018 to a misdemeanor violation of U.S. Forest Service regulations and was sentenced to five years' probation. He also was ordered to pay restitution, with an initial payment of $100,000 (taken from his retirement fund) and monthly payments of $500 per month thereafter for 20 years unless his income changes significantly.^[29] The payments will total $220,000 over the 20 years, after which the case will return to a judge to make a decision about future restitution.^[30] The eventual restitution payments could hypothetically be up to $8,188,069.^[29][30]

On April 23, 2021, another gender reveal party involved 80 pounds (36 kg) of Tannerite detonated at the bottom of a quarry in Kingston, New Hampshire, rattling homes in not just New Hampshire but also parts of north-eastern Massachusetts.^[31][32] Although no one was injured, some homes experienced damaged foundations and water from the faucet briefly turned brown. The person who purchased and detonated the Tannerite turned himself in to Kingston police.^[33]

References

1. United States active USRE45440E1, Daniel Jeremy Tanner, "Binary exploding target, package process and product", published March 31, 2015, issued March 31, 2015, assigned to TANNERITE SPORTS LLC 
2. Lemonick, Sam (September 19, 2016). "The Science of Tannerite, the Explosive Possibly Used in the Chelsea Bombs". Forbes. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
3. "About Tannerite Sports, LLC". Tannerite Sports, LLC (official website). Retrieved November 30, 2018.
4. Ahlers, Mike M.; Marsh, Rene (September 6, 2013). "Exploding targets: shooting aid or a 'bomb kit for dummies?'". CNN. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
5. "(U//FOUO) Exploding Targets: Potential Use as Explosives in IEDs and Alternative Source of Ammonium Nitrate, 5 March 2013" (PDF). Public Intelligence. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
6. "Binary Explosives". U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
7. Moudy, Shannon (October 30, 2019). "Corridor firearms expert reacts to explosive gender reveal safety concerns". KGAN. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
8. "Tannerite Gender Reveal Target". Tannerite.com. January 15, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
9. "FAQ's: Got Questions?". Tannerite Sports, LLC (official website). Retrieved November 29, 2018.
10. US patent 20030033952 (image)
11. "Enrolled copy of Act No. 151 of 2014". Louisiana State Legislature. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
12. "2014 REGULAR SESSION, HB 160". Louisiana State Legislature. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
13. "NY Laws Chapter 55 of 2020, Part XX, Subpart F". New York State Assembly, Bill Search and Legislative Information. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
14. "New York State Labor Law Section 458". New York State Senate. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
15. "Explosive Target Guidance (6-28-2013), Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of State Fire Marshal's Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau" (PDF). Geauga County Maple Leaf. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
16. "Opinion No. 15-12, Use of Exploding Targets, February 5, 2015" (PDF). State of Tennessee. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
17. "Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1302". Tennessee Code Unannotated - Free Public Access. The State of Tennessee. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
18. "The Vermont Statutes Online Title 20: Internal Security And Public Safety Chapter 177: Explosives And Fireworks". State of Vermont. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
19. "344 Flammable Solids (Hazard Class 4)". U.S. Postal Service Postal Explorer.
20. "345 Oxidizing Substances, Organic Peroxides (Hazard Class 5)". U.S. Postal Service Postal Explorer.
21. "Welch man gets probation for explosion". Rochester Post-Bulletin. October 10, 2009.
22. "Blast near Red Wing brings felony charges" Hastings Star Gazette January 16, 2008
23. Barringer, Glen (January 15, 2008). "State of Minnesota Criminal Complaint" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
24. Eric Tichy, "Boom Caused By Shooting Explosives; Ban Considered In County" Post Journal January 15, 2013.
25. Ahmad Khan Rahami Is Arrested in Manhattan and New Jersey Bombings - The New York Times
26. Greenemeier, Larry (September 19, 2016). "Chemicals Could Be a Key in Investigating the New York and New Jersey Bombings". Scientific American. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
27. Rebowe, Ryan E.; Harbour, Patrick; Carter, Jeffrey E.; Molnar, Joseph Andrew (2016). "A case of Tannerite target mixture causing severe blast injury". Burns. 42 (4). Elsevier BV: e47 – e50. doi:10.1016/j.burns.2016.01.020. ISSN 0305-4179. PMID 26906669.
28. Noori Farzan, Antonia (October 1, 2018). "Exploding target pegged as trigger for 46,000-acre Sawmill Fire". Washington Post. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
29. Diaz, Andrea (November 28, 2018). "Officials release video from gender reveal party that ignited a 47,000-acre wildfire". CNN. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
30. Smith, Kim (September 29, 2018). "Updated: BP agent on hook for $8.2 million in Sawmill Fire". Green Valley News. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
31. Schreiber, Jason (April 21, 2021). "Big blast for gender reveal in Kingston rocks homes miles away". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
32. "A NH Gender Reveal With 80 Pounds of Explosives? Yes, This Really Happened". WBTS-CD. April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
33. Schreiber, Jason (April 22, 2021). "Gender reveal party host turns himself in to police; nearby residents complain of dirty water and a damaged foundation". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved April 24, 2021.