Hope, 49, of Springfield Cottages, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, admitted having a device containing shotgun
propellant powder, a 12-gauge cartridge, a 71mm cardboard tube, a fuse, cling film and a hair bobbin at St Matthews Park, Ballymahon, Co Longford on June 24.
Last on the list were fires caused by overheated fans, and
propellant powder, with one incidence each, according to the city records.
Grouse are shot using a cartridge with a small thimble full of
propellant powder.
Most temperature-effect charts consider only the
propellant powder temperature issue.
And for heaven's sake anything inside a cartridge case except its
propellant powder should be banned.
After clearing up and taking away the spent cases, it occurred to me how simple it had been to be able to open a box of cartridges and in one action, load the gun with a single item containing the ignition device, the
propellant powder, the wadding and the lead shot charge, and that led me to reflect on the long history of shooting sports.
For example, the .25-06 (developed in wildcat form in the mid-1920s) really did not have any suitable
propellant powder until IMR 4350 became available in 1940, after which it began to sing!
Detectives allegedly recovered four lengths of steel pipe as well as around 620 grammes of
propellant powder, four capsule bulbs, seven nine-volt batteries and seven travel alarm clocks.