Artillery Shells

Individual fireworks shells known as artillery shells are fired one at a time from a launcher or mortar tube.  They typically have a diameter of 1.75″ and can hold up to 60 grams of pyrotechnic material, available in either ball shells or canister shells.

Q: How does artillery shell fireworks work?

A: Two levels of gunpowder are placed into the artillery shells. A little amount of gunpowder also referred to as the lift charge, is ignited when the fuse burns all the way to the bottom,  sending the shell into the air. A time fuse is burning while the shell soars through the air.

Q: Do artillery shell fireworks expire?

A:  Fireworks don’t go out of date. There is no time limit for fireworks. To keep them safe for future use, store unused fireworks in a plastic storage container in a cool, dry area.

Q: How high do artillery shells go?

A: 1″ diameter Equals 70 feet in height is a general rule of thumb for estimating the maximum height an artillery round may reach. As a result, the typical 1.75″ shell will travel about 120 feet in the air. A 3-inch shell, which is the biggest one that people are permitted to use, will fly about 210 feet.

Q: Do artillery shells explode?

A:  In today’s high-explosive artillery shells, the bursting charge is lit by a fuse in the shell’s nose, while the propelling charge is ignited by a primer at the base of the shell.