Page for C4 plastic explosives?
 

Given how many pages for films, video games, etc. have entries for C4 plastic explosives, should a page for this be made? I was ready to proceed with making such a page, but given the controversy on some explosive devices such as pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails, I wanted to check in with my fellow admins and get input on this subject.

I think if it was just loose C4, I would have to vote no, since that opens the door for sticks of dynamite. If it was an actual type-classified weapon, however, then I think that might be justified.

How about the M112 Demolition Charge? Several video game articles on the site as well as the page for Battle: Los Angeles have it listed.

I went for undecided, but am kind of leaning towards yes for accurately depicted M112 demo charges. Aside from the ones you mentioned I know that there is also a correctly modelled and labelled M112 charge used in season 6 of Supernatural which I have capped but not got around to sorting and uploading yet (however when it is being moulded out of the wrapper it is black like Semtex-10 rather than the off-white of C4).

The only thing that puts me off of making a page for it is that there will never be a real M112 charge used in a film, they will always be mock ups of potentially variable quality. I am also slightly wary that people will identify and block of explosive that is vaguely rectangular as an M112.

Accord to the logs for "M112 Demolition Charge," it was deleted by MPM for not being eligible, so you may have to convince him. It appears that vast majority of appearances are in video games, so I think the prop issue may be moot.

I think the general opinion last time was that explosive charges could go on that "other weapons" page for things which don't qualify for their own page (along with things like artillery), but we'd have to figure out how that's actually going to be formatted first if we make it.

Manufactured, mass-produced explosive charges with distinctive markings certainly aren't the same as the Yosemite Sam "stick of dynamite" that isn't really worth IDing for anything but completeness in games, and while obviously in a movie it'll be something like modelling clay, if they've tried to replicate the markings it's worth pointing out that it's a real thing.

It's particularly amusing when videogames copy text without thinking and you end up with explosive charges with the word "INERT" on them.

There are a few live action things that have corrctly made props for M112 charges, it isn't just video games. Just going by the image usage of the stock M112 image there is Battle: Los Angeles, The Life and Death of Bobby Z and Hawaii Five-0. Here is a cap from season 6 of Supernatural that I haven't made the page for yet which also has a correct M112 prop:
http://www.imfdb.org/images/9/93/Sup...S06E12_000.jpg
All of these appearances use modern post early 90s version of the M112 with the "with taggent" on the wrapper (a taggent is a volatile inert with a distinctive "scent" that is added to explosives to make them more detectable by security devices and dogs to try and prevent terrorist use), with the exception of the Battle: LA one which is the old style with only two lines of markings.

Is it just a block of C4? Do you still need separate blasting caps or is it all built in?

It's almost always seen with a detonator rigged up to it (usually like this one as seen in MGS4) but it doesn't actually contain one by default.

Incidentally if the police knock on my door asking why I'm looking up information on C4 and remote detonators, I'll tell them it was your idea. :P

EDIT: This is interesting:

http://www.inertproducts.com/inc/sdetail/734/5360

It looks like fake charges could be use actual M112 sleeves from production overruns.

Ugh, don't get me started. That's the last time I name my fantasy football team "Death to America."

That's a bit disturbing. But then again, I don't know how you'd regulate the sale of what are basically just plastic bags.

There are quite a few different detonation options that can be used in conjunction with the M112, but nothing is included with it. The two most common ones that you would see in media are M6 electric, or M7 non-electric blasting caps. M6s are a small metal tupe which is inserted into the explosive and has wires trailing out of it which are then connected to an electrical detonator. M7s are also a metal tube that is inserted into the explosive but are larger, and have a slightly flared end into which either a timed black powder fuze or detcord is inserted and crimped on. You can also detonate it purely with detcord, but in order to get a reliable detonation you either need to wrap the M112 in multiple loops, or tie the detcord in large knot and imped it in the C4 itself.

Not quite sure what kind of detonator the MGS example is supposed to be using, as from the context you would expect it to be an M6 yet it looks more like an M7 with detcord in it, and also there would be no reason to wrap the detcord around the charge itself if you were using a propper blasting cap.

Just had a thought, maybe we could make a page for demolitions devices where we could list these kind of things (not list appearances, but as a place to store images and a little info and to link to from media pages)? Im not just talking about the explosives themselves, but also the various identifiable detonators and igniters that have appeared. For example there was a Blasting Machine, 10 cap, Type 6901 No.1 in Supernatural (this also might have been the one used at the end of Saving Private Ryan ut haven't seen that in a long time), and I remember something had what I think was an M2 igniter attached to a black powder fuze (can't remember what film it was, but it was connected to a satchel charge that a US special forces soldier used to blow up a building). I know these are not firearms, and in the case of detonators not really weapons themselves, but if they appeared in something I would wan't to know what they were so feel like it would be good if they were identified.

I think weapon-like devices that people might consider the identity of are worth identifying for trivia, certainly, but nobody should feel obligated to include them if they don't know what they are.

My 2 cents. If folks have a burr up their butt to find out, they can do a search on C4, but I don't believe it should be included. It's not even a weapon. It's a block of plasticene or molding clay with a wax paper wrapper on it. Armorers don't even deal with fake C4, that's the Props department (i.e. the people who make custom watches, alarm clocks, provide the furniture, the pens, the paper, everything that is seen but not worn by the actors). So a propmaster who knows NOTHING about guns, usually is in charge of this fake block of clay with a custom wrapper on it. IN so many scripts, it's called C4 by name, but the props don't look right. It falls into the same category as any IED, booby trap, Semtex, commercial grade demolitions charges used by civilians in building tear down and construction, etc.