# How dangerous are blasting caps?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-blasting-caps/689662>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 30, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-blasting-caps/689662 "2014-05-30T20:31:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-blasting-caps/689662/1 "2014-05-30T20:31:20Z")

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[Blasting caps](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasting_caps) contain a small amount of sensitive high explosive material and a triggering mechanism, and are used to cause the detonation of a much larger amount of less sensitive high explosive.

Question: how dangerous are blasting caps themselves? If I hold one in my hand while it detonates, will I reliably:

-shred a couple of fingers?

-lose a hand?

-lose an arm?

-die?

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