This Monday, I took apart a 12 gauge shotgun shell. Attached are pictures of what it looks like taken apart and the tools that I used.

To do this simple task safely, follow these steps:
1. Pry the top (folded plastic part) apart so that the whole shell is a tube
!------]-------------~~~<--newly unfolded plastic
[///////]///////////////~~~
!_____]____________~~~
^..................^
^..................^
metal part......plastic

2. Pour out all the metal balls into something (I used a bottle cap)

3. Take out the white plastic piece that held the metal balls (You may have to cut the surrounding plastic)

4. Pour out the gunpowder into something (I used a bottle cap)

5. Scrape out the light-brown looking, papery stuff so that you get it down to only metal.

6. Take out the spark plug (REMEMBER: DON'T STRIKE THE SPARK PLUG WITH TOO MUCH FORCE; IT WILL MAKE IT GO "BOOM" AT YOU)

7. Do whatever you would like with the parts obtained.

I will post attachments later that are high-resolution pictures of what the final objective. (all pieces taken out of shell) I will go to the public library, they have cable internet. I have AOL dial-up

EDIT: changed misspelling: "scrap" to scrape

Please do not say such things as removing the "gunpowder" from a shotgun shell, this is incredibly inaccruate. Go read some pyrotechnic and gun information. Shot shells contain smokeless powder, which is a mixture of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin, diphenylamine, ethyl centralite, rosin, and polyester.
Black powder was origionally used in older black powder rifles and cannons, but is not really used now, it can still be bought at gun stores because of many enthusiasts who use it in rifles, and pyrotechnicians (allthough they usually mill there own) as have I. I would advise you to stay away from flash powder until you have learned about it, search on www.google.com and you will learn a lot. Once you have legitimate information from a reliable source, things will work out much better, plus you will still have your fingers.;)

As you are a n00b, and have only one post, I will not take your advice into any consideration at all. The gunpowder in the shell was definitely not "smokeless powder" because when I put it in a cup and lit it on fire, it exploded with a lot of SMOKE. Therefore, it cannot be smokeless. It isn't even powder in the shells, the stuff is grainy and about 1/16 inch in length. As I said before, I will post pictures once I go somewhere with fast internet and I can upload them without being online for two days.

Just because you can look up information on google like anyone else and copy & paste the information as your post and a some comments, doesn't make you "cool," or "smart," or "funny." You are incompotent. I am not pleased with your first post, it does not give anyone the impression that you are a good person.

I have ten fingers (including thumbs) and ten toes still intact, you may call me a pyro-maniac, or whatever else you desire, it doesn't matter. I am smart, dispite what others might contest, and know how to safely execute dangerous procedures. Or else I wouldn't do them.

My judgement is based solely on that first (and only, right now) post. Until you can apologize and redeem your (hopefully) good-natured self, you will remain worthless.

uber_jedi -- Dude! Go get laid or something.

wow, you posted on a really old thread, way to revive a dead thread, I think you need to watch this

clicky here and watchy this (http://gprime.net/flash.php/postingandyou)






































and as for a shotgun, I haven't taken one apart but I'm going to do so soon because I want to and because it's fun to shoot clay pidgeons down with shotguns

He meant the shotgun shells.

yeah, well now it's a revied normal thread, and as for the shotgun shells, I have once, and it was fun, because I put all the explosive stuff in a container, mixed it with some chemicals at the shooting range that they had , and BOOM, it exploded, so much fun

Okay..whatever.

I say we don't post in here until some other nub does

I guess..