if this is wrong place for this I wasn't sure where to put it.
a friend/neighbor gave me a box with about 1/2 dozen homemade fire crackers he said a friend of his had made, made with black powder, cardboard tubes hot melt glue on the ends and cannon fuse sticking out. the largest one is about 4 inches long and 1" diameter. is there anyway to figure out just how powerful such things might be. he told me they would use them on fishing trips in Lake Michigan, throw them in the water then just scoop up the fish.
I'm not endorsing anything just stating the facts. I'm thinking I should just open em up and use the powder in the 1851 navy.