TM 31-210 Department of the Army Technical Manual IMPROVISED MUNITIONS HANDBOOK (Improvised Explosive Devices or IEDs) Headquarters, Department of the Army 1969 – original publication 2007 – Thanks-to-Feinstein's Electronic Edition (v3.0)

Improvised Munitions Handbook (Improvised Explosive Devices or IEDs)

Table of Contents

Section 0 — Introduction

0.1 Purpose and Scope

0.2 Safety and Reliability

0.3 User Comments

Section 1 — Explosives and Propellants (including igniters)

1.1 Plastic Explosive Filler

1.2 Potassium Nitrate

1.3 Improvised Black Powder

1.4 Nitric Acid

1.5 Initiator for Dust Explosions

1.6 Fertilizer Explosive

1.7 Carbon Tet – Explosive

1.8 Fertilizer AN-Al Explosive

1.9 “Red or White Powder” Propellant

1.10 Nitric Acid/Nitrobenzene (“Hellhoffite”) Explosive

1.11 Optimized Process for Cellulose/Acid Explosives

1.12 Methyl Nitrate Dynamite

1.13 Urea Nitrate Explosive

1.14 Preparation of Copper Sulfate (Pentahydrate)

1.15 Reclamation of RDX from C4

1.16 TACC (Tetramminecopper (II) Chlorate)

1.17 HMTD

1.18 Potassium or Sodium Nitrite and Litharge (Lead Monoxide)

1.19 DDNP

1.20 Preparation of Lead Picrate

1.21 Preparation of Picric Acid from Aspirin

1.22 Double Salts

1.23 Sodium Chlorate

1.24 Mercury Fulminate

1.25 Sodium Chlorate and Sugar or Aluminum Explosive

Section 2 — Mines and Grenades

2.1 Pipe Hand Grenade

2.2 Nail Grenade

2.3 Wine Bottle Cone Charge

2.4 Grenade-Tin Can Land Mine

2.5 Mortar Scrap Mine

2.6 Coke Bottle Shaped Charge

2.7 Cylindrical Cavity Shaped Charge

2.8 Not Available

2.9 Funnel Shaped Charge

2.10 Linear Shaped Charge

Section 3 — Small Arms Weapons and Ammunition

3.1 Pipe Pistol for 9 mm Ammunition

3.2 Shotgun (12 gauge)

3.3 Shotshell Dispersion Control

3.4 Carbine (7.62 mm Standard Rifle Ammunition)

3.5 Reusable Primer

3.6 Pipe Pistol for .45 Caliber Ammunition

3.7 Match Gun

3.8 Rifle Cartridge

3.9 Pipe Pistol for .38 Caliber Ammunition

3.10 Pipe Pistol for .22 Caliber Ammunition — Long or Short Cartridge

3.11 Low Signature System

Section 4 — Mortars and Rockets

4.1 Recoilless Launcher

4.2 Shotgun Grenade Launcher

4.3 Grenade Launcher (57 mm Cardboard Container)

4.4 Fire Bottle Launcher

4.5 Grenade Launchers

4.6 60 mm Mortar Projectile Launcher

Section 5 — Incendiary Devices

5.1 Chemical Fire Bottle

5.2 Igniter from Book Matches

5.3 Mechanically Initiated Fire Bottle

5.4 Gelled Flame Fuels

5.4.1 Lye Systems

5.4.2 Lye-Alcohol Systems

5.4.3 Soap-Alcohol System

5.4.4 Egg White Systems

5.4.5 Latex Systems

5.4.6 Wax Systems

5.4.7 Animal Blood Systems

5.5 Acid Delay Incendiary

5.6 Improvised White Flare

5.7 Improvised Iron Oxide

5.8 Improvised Yellow Flare

5.9 Improvised White Smoke Munition

5.10 Improvised Black Smoke Munition

Section 6 — Fuses, Detonators & Delay Mechanisms

6.1 Electric Bulb Initiator

6.2 Fuse Igniter from Book Matches

6.3 Delay Igniter from Cigarette

6.4 Watch Delay Timer

6.5 No-Flash Fuse Igniter

6.6 Dried Seed Timer

6.7 Fuse Cords

6.7.1 Fast Burning Fuse

6.7.2 Slow Burning Fuse

6.8 Clothespin Time Delay Switch

6.9 Time Delay Grenade

6.10 Can-Liquid Time Delay

6.11 Short Term Time Delay for Grenade

6.12 Long Term Time Delay for Grenade

6.13 Detonator

Section 7 — Miscellaneous

7.1 Clothespin Switch

7.2 Mousetrap Switch

7.3 Flexible Plate Switch

7.4 Metal Ball Switch

7.5 Altimeter Switch

7.6 Pull-Loop Switch

7.7 Knife Switch

7.8 Improvised Scale

7.9 Rope Grenade Launching Technique

7.10 Bicycle Generator Power Source

7.11 Automobile Generator Power Source

7.12 Improvised Battery (Short Lasting)

7.13 Improvised Battery (2 Hour Duration)

7.14 Armor Materials

Appendix 1 — Primary High Explosives

A1.1 Mercury Fulminate

A1.2 Lead Styphnate

A1.3 Lead Azide

A1.4 DDNP

Appendix 2 — Secondary High Explosives

A2.1 TNT

A2.2 Nitrostarch

A2.3 Tetryl

A2.4 RDX

A2.5 Nitroglycerin

A2.6 Commercial Dynamite

A2.7 Military Dynamite

A2.8 Amatol

A2.9 PETN

A2.10 Blasting Gelatin

A2.11 Composition B

A2.12 Composition C4

A2.13 Ammonium Nitrate

Colophon

C.1 Version History

C.1.1 Version 1.0 (1969)

C.1.2 Version 2.0 (1970s)

C.1.3 Version 3.0 (2007 – Thanks-to-Feinstein's Electronic Edition)

C.2 Copyright Information

Frankford Arsenal
Philadelphia Pennsylvania

For Official Use Only

For further information or additional inserts, contact:

Commanding Officer
Frankford Arsenal
ATTN: SMUF A-U3100, Special Products Division
      Small Caliber Engineering Directorate
Philadelphia, Pa. 19137

Additional inserts will be made available as evaluation tests are completed. Please notify the above agency of any change of address so that you may receive them.