Bang snaps

Bang snaps (known as poppers; whipper snappers, Indian English: pop pop crackers) are a type of small novelty firework sold as a trick noisemaker.^[1]

Two commercially produced bang snaps with a US penny for scale. The right one has been used and the left one is unused.

Composition

Bang snaps consist of a small amount of gravel or coarse sand impregnated with a minute quantity (~0.2 milligrams)^[2] of silver fulminate high explosive and twisted in a cigarette paper to produce a shape resembling a cherry.

Effect

The friction-sensitive silver fulminate detonates when stepped on, ignited, or thrown on a hard surface, producing a sharp salute similar to a cap gun's.

Despite producing a legitimate (albeit tiny) high-explosive detonation, the extremely high mass ratio of gravel to explosive acts as a buffer to ensure that they only produce the audible "crack" of the supersonic shockwave; they are incapable of producing physical damage, even when discharged in the hand.^[3] The explosion is unable to propel the gravel any distance, which usually falls to the ground, making them safe for use as a children's toy, for which purpose they have been widely sold around the world since the 1950s.

Availability

Bang snaps are primarily produced alongside other export fireworks in Brazil, South Korea and China and are widely available over the counter at small toy stores and shops specializing in jokes, novelties and magic tricks. The snaps are typically packed in sawdust to prevent them from discharging due to rough handling while in transit.

In the UK they are advertised as fun snaps, and sold only to people 16 or above.^[4] Some US states and counties impose the same age restrictions on purchasing bang snaps as that of permitted fireworks, usually 17 or 18.^{[citation needed]}

They are also a common part of Chinese New Year celebrations.

In popular culture

• In the 1985 film The Goonies, Data uses bang snaps as "booby traps" against the Fratelli family on their trail.
• In Jackie Chan's film Police Story 2, bang snaps were thrown against Police Inspector Chan Ka-kui (played by Jackie Chan).
• American musician Rickie Lee Jones used the box artwork from the "Pop Pop"-brand of bang snaps (made by Garrywa Fireworks of China) for the cover of her 1991 album of the same name.
• In the 1999 comedy Big Daddy, Julian bonds with his biological father, Kevin, by throwing bang snaps (even at Kevin's feet).
• In the South Park episode "Good Times with Weapons", Cartman annoys Kyle by constantly throwing bang snaps at his feet.
• In the pilot of American Horror Story, a pair of twins use bang snaps to scare others.^[5]
• In the 2013 musical Holiday Inn, Ted Hanover performs a 4th of July tap number, making use of bang snaps to accentuate his dancing.^[6]
  

See also

• Salute (pyrotechnics)
• Silver fulminate
• Firecracker
• Cap pistol