Improvised Explosives (ANFO): A Recipe
for Terrorists
Danger:
This booklet is provided for informational purposes only. Improvised explosive devices are
extremely dangerous and attempting to use the information within this booklet to build an
explosive device or compound will expose you and others to serious bodily injury or death.
You may also be violating federal, state and local laws. We assume no liability for your stupidity
or criminal activity.
Publisher’s Note:
This booklet was written by Gunther Cross a contributing writer to www.JasonCain.com and is
compiled from a variety of public sources including the testimony of explosives experts during the
federal trial of Terry Lynn Nichols – one of the Oklahoma bombing suspects. Readers are
permitted to distribute or copy this booklet – as long as the booklet is distributed or copied in full,
including the copyright notice and warnings
Visit www.JasonCain.com for more information and booklets related to self-reliance, survivalism,
rural-living and politics.
ANFO is the common term for the mixture of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil. This
explosive mixture is used the world over as an explosive by farmers, miners, construction
workers and terrorists.
Why is it used? ANFO is used as an explosive throughout the world because:
1.
2.
3.
4.
the ingredients are cheap
the ingredients are easy to obtain
the mixture is easy to make
the mixture is stable and safe to handle and transport
ANFO explosives are made commercially by a number of companies for mining, and
blasting operations – and improvised easily by others for illegal means.
The Ingredients
Ammonium Nitrate
Ammonium nitrate is a common fertilizer and is granular in appearance. The granules
are 1mm (125th inch) in diameter and are called prills. There are two different types of
ammonium nitrate: high-density and low-density.
High-density ammonium nitrate is typically sold for agricultural purposes (fertilizer).
Its prills are more compacted so that it spreads evenly when combined to make different
fertilizers.
Low-density ammonium nitrate is typically sold for explosive manufacture and
occasionally for agricultural purposes. Its prills are more porous.
Ammonium nitrate is an oxidizer. When it decomposes (typically by burning) it creates
it’s own oxygen. Trying to smother an oxidizer fire is next to impossible. Its fire feeds
itself with the oxygen it produces while burning.
The chemical formula for ammonium nitrate is NH4NO3. The UN classification for
ammonium nitrate is UN1942.
Fuel Oil
The fuel oil used is No.2 fuel oil. It can be found at your local gas station and is the stuff
you put in tractor trailers and diesel cars. Pretty simple huh?
Obtaining The Ingredients
Explosives can be improvised from both types of ammonium nitrate. However for
improvised explosives, low-density ammonium nitrate is more desirable. The reasons
that it is more desirable is that it low-density prills absorb fuels more readily and
eliminates the need for the addition of other chemicals to the recipe. If a terrorist can
obtain low-density NH4NO3-- the only other compound needed to create a powerful
blasting agent is fuel oil!
How does a terrorist find low density NH4NO3? He will have a greater chance of
finding it, in the communities around the NH4NO3 plants that produce it. Why? Because
of the transportation costs to the manufacturers in getting their product to market. By
selling their NH4NO3 to the farmers around their plant, they make more money.
Ammonium nitrate fertilizer can be found in hardware stores, garden supply stores, feed
and seed stores, and the like. You may even find it in stores like Longs Drugs, Wal-Mart
and Kmart – especially if you live in a rural area. What is the cost? About $6 for a 50 lb.
bag.
It is typically sold in 50 or 80 lb. paper bags – similar to what charcoal briquettes come in
-- and is marked “34-0-0”. Gardeners and farmers will know the markings on the bag
“34-0-0” to be the percentages of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium respectively.
How do you tell whether a bag of ammonium nitrate is low-density or high-density?
Well, you can’t. There are no external markings on the bag. Short of using microscope
to tell the difference – a terrorist would have to have some intimate knowledge of the
manufacturer’s product.
This could be accomplished through what computer hackers call social engineering.
Sometimes a simple phone call to a manufacturer will yield a ton of sensitive
information. A terrorist might be able to pose as a purchaser for a large chain retail chain
interested in having fertilizer manufactured for his stores using custom packaging.
Sam: “Hello this is the Acme Fertilizer Company sales department. Sam speaking. Can
I help you?”
Terrorist: “Hello Sam, my name is Ahmed and I am a purchaser for War-Mart. We are
one of the largest retail chains in California. I was instructed to look for a regional
supplier for our War-Mart brand garden fertilizer. Can you help me with some questions
I have about your fertilizer?”
[ Note: The words “can you help me”, subconsciously forces the person to “help you”.
Humans want to help one another. ]
ANFO Blasting Agent Recipe
The theoretical optimum efficiency of ANFO is 6% fuel oil and 94% low-density
ammonium nitrate by weight.
Ammonium
Nitrate (NH4)
94%
#2 Fuel Oil
(Dies el)
6%
Mix
ANFO
1.
2.
3.
Pour low-density ammonium nitrate into a plastic barrel.
Pour fuel oil over ammonium nitrate.
Mix well.
So for example:
•
•
For a 100 kilogram ANFO explosive charge: 94 kilos of ammonium
nitrate and 6 kilos of fuel oil.
For a 25 kilogram ANFO explosive charge: 23.5 kilos of ammonium
nitrate and 1.5 kilos of fuel oil.
Detonating ANFO
ANFO is a very stable explosive. To detonate ANFO a strong shockwave is needed.
Commercial users utilize a high-explosive detonator to generate that shockwave.
Terrorists generally have the knowledge to construct a high-explosive detonator. Many
Islamic terrorist organizations now possess that knowledge due to Osama Bin Laden and
the Al Qaeda terrorists camps. In August 2002, CNN and ABC recovered scores of
video tapes detailing the manufacture of TNT by Al Qaeda members. That knowledge
has been spread throughout the terrorist world. Terrorist organizations from Burma,
Indonesia, Philippines, Kenya, Egypt and many others, now have the knowledge to cause
widespread havoc.
An alternative method of detonating ANFO is by use of an explosive chain. An
explosive chain is a series of progressively larger explosive charges to detonate the main
charge.
Fuse -or- filament
Black powder
device
Small ANFO device
Large ANFO device
Conclusion
ANFO is one of the most common explosives, because it is inexpensive, and very safe to
handle. It is also very easy to make – making it the weapon of choice for terrorists and
partisans the world over.
Resources
1. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA vs. TERRY LYNN NICHOLS, Criminal Action
No. 96-CR-68, Wednesday November 25, 1997 trial transcripts;
Court TV Case files
2. “Homemade C-4: A Recipe for Survival” by Ragnar Benson, Paladin Press
(December 1990)
3. “Home Workshop Explosives” by Uncle Fester, Festering Publications,
(December 1990)
Danger: This booklet is provided for informational purposes only. Improvised explosive devices
are extremely dangerous and attempting to use the information within this booklet to build an
explosive device or compound will expose you and others to serious bodily injury or death.
You may also be violating federal, state and local laws. We assume no liability for your stupidity
or criminal activity.
© Gunther Cross, July 2002