flash bangs

Keep it cool and dry and secure from inquisitive people (the drier the better - damp and high humidity will ensure you lob a dud when you come to use it). It won't self-detonate - make sure the cap is in place (I've found pyro rolling around in pouches where the striker cap has come off - which is very hazardous should it come in contact with the fuse).

cheers

(I've found pyro rolling around in pouches where the striker cap has come off - which is very hazardous should it come in contact with the fuse).

My local site runs "bootcamp" days for new players. On those days, the marshals do a pyro demo, showing how to use various grenades and smokes.
During one of those demos, someone noticed the marshal's dump pouch was smoking...
It appears the cap came off a smoke grenade, and struck on one of the other grenades in the pouch...
I understand they got the fire out before any of the others triggered, and the marshal hasn't been allowed to forget it!

I've witnessed a fellow player frantically trying to get a DPM rig off as a rear pouch burst into flames - I'm ashamed to say we all roared with laughter (it was very comical) but could have resulted in more than some burnt webbing and a temporary loss of dignity.

a favourite of mine was when something similar must have happened. a few of us holed up trying to spot where the enemy were and then a shout of your on fire!
it was a smoke which then filled up the room and we were promptly shot to bits

I've witnessed a fellow player frantically trying to get a DPM rig off as a rear pouch burst into flames - I'm ashamed to say we all roared with laughter (it was very comical) but could have resulted in more than some burnt webbing and a temporary loss of dignity.

that sir is the quote of the year!

Gunman can also confirm, that a fellow Team Mate of mine (no names mentioned!) had a similar experience with a flash-bang in his NVA gas-mask 'dump' pouch at one of the early GMA Cold War events
Thankfully no-one, except one of Gunman's rental NVA gas-mask bags, was hurt...

I've had a pea grenade ignite as I delved into my kit in the car park at Ground Zero ,fortunately I managed to lob it into the bushes before it did any damage ,much to the hilarity and scorn of those around me

I managed to build up an ammo box full of unused pyro over the years.

Handily, they made great fireworks earlier this month, though i'm not sure the neighbours appreciated the smokes.

Hehe, I did the same this year - a small stock of smokes, bangs and pea grenades whose fuses had dropped out or lost the phosphor fuse tips etc. Some must have been over 5 years old and kept 'just in case'. Yup, I'm a hoarder and don't like chucking away stuff I paid good brass for - even if it is functionally useless. Even small smokes work really well in a fenced garden - much better than when chucked about in woodland! My daughter thought the house was on fire when she looked out of her bedroom window to be confronted by billowing white smoke!.

I used to keep my spare pyro in a side pouch of my bergen.

When scrabbling around in it one day I started to hear a hissing sound. I managed to empty the pouch of most of it's contents before the pyro blew up. However a hole was blown in the pouch. The top had come off and rubbed on the fuse.

Since then I now keep all pyro and blanks in sealed metal ammo boxes between events.

FWIW on our pyro training course the advice was to store pyro in cardboard or wooden containers, being safer should there be a mishap and the lot went bang.

I keep mine in old metal biscuit tins. I suppose it is a tradeoff between flammability of the storage box and any fragmentation which happens if the things do go off. The lids aren't a very tight fit so hopefully they would just blow off.

Cheers
Martin

Yes, from memory the difference was in setting a fire or creating a bomb - applies particularity in transportation (both cars and carrier) where there is agitation, heavy knocks or blows.

I've always used ammunition tins, if its good enough for reel steel rounds, its good enough for me!

I recently bought a .50 calibre ammunition can for just this purpose.

Hmmm actually I think my pyro is currently in a British H50 wooden ammo box inside a metal H51 one... heh...

if its good enough for reel steel rounds

Unfortunately real steel rounds don't have friction igniters

I do recall George Orwell complained about Spanish hand grenades with friction fuses in 'Homage to Catalonia', although there the problem was that they could never get the fuses to light as everything was wet.

Cheers
Martin

i've cleared out a whole draw for mine, untill i find something better.
my biggest problem though is not being able to throw the things anywhere near an intended target....