Pipe bomb

A pipe bomb is a hand-throwable anti-personnel improvised explosive device (IED), a bomb made from a piece of pipe.

From a technical point of view, a pipe bomb is a mechanically strong containment device, filled with an explosive material, that allows pressure to build until it exceeds the strength of the container at its weakest point; the device is designed to rupture and not to fail at a specific joint, thus resulting in a catastrophic destruction of the container, usually followed by the ejection of sharp shrapnels moving at high speed in all directions.

It has been used primarily by violent non-state actors in guerrilla warfare or in terrorist operations. More rarely, it has been used by the regular armed forces of some countries.

In many countries, the manufacture or possession of a pipe bomb is a serious crime, regardless of its intended use.