I was about 10 years old and wanted to see what made shotgun shells work so I cut one apart with my pocket knife right where the brass base meets the cardboard. Dumped out the powder, picked out the wad and shot. I lit the powder with a wooden match and watched it burn.... hummmm..nothin to spectacular, kinda neat effect. Had to see what the primer would do so I turned the brass base upside down on the concrete floor in the garage, got a center punch in one hand, centered it on the primer, gave it a wack with a small hammer...ouch!!!!!!!....at the supper table mom asked what happened to my hands..... told her I cornered a big grey squirrel in the garage, when i grabbed ahold it chewed my hands up pretty bad.. told me I was an idiot........
