# Are smoke grenades illegal for civilians to own?



## brighterisbetter (Jan 1, 2009)

Kind of a weird question I know, but I've got some MOLLE gear on a vest that was specifically designed to hold 2 smoke grenades. In the meantime they're just holding miscellaneous stuff. I'm not looking for something that goes 'boom' or anything like that, I simply like the idea of having them for a marker kind of like a scene from Apocalypse Now for the helicopters. I'm assuming you've got to have an LEO or Military License to purchase such a thing. Can anyone point me in the right direction? 

Perhaps they're called 'Smoke Cannisters' instead of 'Grenades'? Plus, I think they'd be cool to have for Fourth of July.


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## Lee1959 (Jan 1, 2009)

You can buy civilian and marine emergency smoke "grenades"/markers, but I am not sure about their military counterparts, which your vest was designed for. 

http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-469/Orange-Floating-Smoke-Signal/Detail







This is one marine type, I am sure there are others for land use.


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## LuxLuthor (Jan 1, 2009)

I wouldn't recommend walking into NYC's Grand Central Station with one.


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## Dr Jekell (Jan 1, 2009)

You might want to ask that question Here

As several members keep Smoke Canisters with their FA bags.


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## brighterisbetter (Jan 3, 2009)

cool thanks for the input everyone


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## monkeyboy (Jan 3, 2009)

As a kid I used to make smoke canisters out of potassium nitrate and sugar. Unfortunately, you can't buy potassium nitrate in shops (in the UK) anymore as it is the main component in gunpowder and can be used to make explosives. I'm thinking it's probably a bad idea to try and order it online.


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## LuxLuthor (Jan 4, 2009)

monkeyboy said:


> As a kid I used to make smoke canisters out of potassium nitrate and sugar. Unfortunately, you can't buy potassium nitrate in shops (in the UK) anymore as it is the main component in gunpowder and can be used to make explosives. I'm thinking it's probably a bad idea to try and order it online.



If you do, say hello to Echelon.


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## monkeyboy (Jan 4, 2009)

hmm... I'm sure I drove past that once.


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## Dawg (Jan 4, 2009)

brighterisbetter said:


> Kind of a weird question I know, but I've got some MOLLE gear on a vest that was specifically designed to hold 2 smoke grenades. In the meantime they're just holding miscellaneous stuff. I'm not looking for something that goes 'boom' or anything like that, I simply like the idea of having them for a marker kind of like a scene from Apocalypse Now for the helicopters. I'm assuming you've got to have an LEO or Military License to purchase such a thing. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
> 
> Perhaps they're called 'Smoke Cannisters' instead of 'Grenades'? Plus, I think they'd be cool to have for Fourth of July.


What you seek can be found here http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/catalog1/index.php/cName/milspec-smoke-grenades yes you can own them.


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## brighterisbetter (Jan 5, 2009)

Awesome thanks for the link, that's exactly what I was after.


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## baterija (Jan 6, 2009)

I'm going to assume the vendor has a good take on what the regulations are before they would ship to you. I'll throw in some safety considerations if you ever decide to try them out. 

If the white ones are the typical military HC white you don't want to use them in enclosed areas. The fumes can be irritating to eyes, throat, and lungs. Safety guidance I remember is to wear protective masks when exposed to concentrations of the smoke from them. Some of the colored ones have varying issues depending on their individual chemical composition. I seem to remember one or two of them being carcinogenic with protective masks being recommended for high concentrations.

Simple rules:
- minimize or avoid actually breathing the smoke
- especially don't use them where people will be in enclosed spaces with high concentrations of the smoke

Also be aware of possible fire risks. Most of them get pretty warm to hot and you'd be amazed how quick some of them can start a decent sized brush fire in dry conditions.

Have fun and play safe.


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