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A quarter stick is a large firecracker that falls within a certain range of dimensions. Typically, a quarter stick consists of a thick walled cardboard tube containing approximately .97 oz. (27,5 grams) of pyrotechnic flash powder, with a short length of Visco fuse protruding from the side or end of the device. No true standard for dimensions and construction exists, as these devices are products of bootleg manufacturers.
The term quarter stick is based on attempts to compare the performance of large firecrackers to Dynamite. However, these notions are false, and unlike what is suggested by the name, a quarter stick firecracker does not have the same explosive performance as a quarter stick of Dynamite, and does not contain Nitroglycerin as dynamite does.
In the United States, quarter sticks and similar large firecrackers are illegal to manufacture or possess without a BATFE High Explosives Manufacturing License.
They are sometimes colloquially known as, M-1000 or "block busters".