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Factory Codes and other case markings

cduesman

cduesman

Active member
Joined
May 2019
Messages
40
Location
North Texas
There are several numbers/identifiers printed on a case of fireworks. Do these number provide any useful information?

I've noticed many fireworks cases seem to have a number like "43F108/113/18" written on them. I believe the first part has the factory code. Is it the 43F108 or just the 108? No clue what the 113 number is. The last number is the year. The year is nice to know (if it's reasonably accurate) as some items can change a bit in quality or speed year to year.

I've also seen numbers like "4G/Y30/S/18". This appears to be a UN shipping code. (4G UN Box Code ; Group level =Y-rated 4G box allows for Packing Group II or III; Solid or innter Packings S=Solid/ Year of Manufacture.) So the only thing we really care about here is probably the year of manufacture.

I think numbers like "CN/4300 66 PI:465" are shipping codes as well.

Some cases will have the EX number on them. You can go to https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/approvals-and-permits/hazmat/approvals-search and enter the EX number into the "Approval Number" to search. This will tell you some info about the item.

I've seen numbers like: FC 1082016030035. No clue what that is.

I don't know how usefull/accurate things like the Factory code are. It could mean that it passed through this "factory" but it was made by some other "factory". (For all I know, it could be as useful as saying something was made by Walmart.)

If the factory code changes on an item you typically buy, maybe that means it was made by a different factory?

I did find it curious that I tend to like lot of items sold by different retailers that have the same factory code.

Factory Code 43F108 (which if I google shows up as Hunan ShineRoc Fireworks Co. in Liuyang City)
I've seen that factory code on the following:
Dominator - The Detonator, Rip the Sky, Mammoth Crackle
World Class - America's Celebration, Big Rig, Sexy Rider, Midnight Sunburn, Asian Sensation, Whoop Ass, Sizzlin Hot, Zippidy Zam
Bigs / Certified Black Label - Sharp Shooter
Red Rhino - Full Blown (multiple items)

So, if you have any better knowledge about this stuff, please let us know.

Chris
 
Just a “bumb” and following to the thread.

Seems you’ve decode more than I ever would have hoped to on your own. Good sleuthing mister.

I asked a similar version of the question years ago and got a reply from somebody in the know to the effect of “if you’ve got about $10k I’ll show you”. I was looking for given brands locations on a map. Meaning you’ve managed to decode a good bit of what some are willing to pay agents and get put in contact with those given factories.

Keep it up!
 
Besides the year of manufacture, I'm not sure any of the other info is useful beyond curiosity. I had heard (not sure if it's true) that some factories were licensed/allowed? to make ball shells while others were not. I like cakes that have a nice round/symmetric break which are more commonly found in ball shells. Could the factory code be used to determine if a factory is a producer of ball shells or not? Maybe it could denote one that is not as I'm sure the ones that do produce both.

If you're wondering if a product is a re-wrap or very similar, perhaps the factory codes would be the same. But there's not guarantee they were made exactly the same or if some other factory is going to make it better or worse. So again, it's more of curiosity.

Chris
 
cduesman said:
Besides the year of manufacture, I'm not sure any of the other info is useful beyond curiosity. I had heard (not sure if it's true) that some factories were licensed/allowed? to make ball shells while others were not. I like cakes that have a nice round/symmetric break which are more commonly found in ball shells. Could the factory code be used to determine if a factory is a producer of ball shells or not? Maybe it could denote one that is not as I'm sure the ones that do produce both.

If you're wondering if a product is a re-wrap or very similar, perhaps the factory codes would be the same. But there's not guarantee they were made exactly the same or if some other factory is going to make it better or worse. So again, it's more of curiosity.

Chris
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Well then I suspect some of the very best of items also have EX numbers that are either incorrect or duplicate of lower “quality” items to confuse the decoding process too.
 
There are some factories rumored to load heavier and ship out better product. Factory 435 is the one I've heard the most in this regard. Those cases will usually be stamped "43F435". I've seen it on Racoon a lot lately. I haven't got to try a ton of them, but I am hoping to this year.
 
The 43 is the province code. Now it will be 49 instead of 43 for that item because they changed those codes this year. 108 is the factory code and that place makes for everyone. It's a very popular factory. They do make the ball shells and some factories can't make them and others just don't want to make them. They also make lots of the high shot count zipper cakes. Not many places want to do that.

The next # is the CIQ batch the items were made in.
 
Good to know about the province code and the change of 43 to 49.

So a Winda Mother of all bombs with a factory code of 49F467 could be the same factory as Booming Bulldog Blue Hurricane or Pro 76 Nishiki with factory code 43F467. (Although the older 2017 Pro 76 Nishiki Kamuro came from 43F511).

Chris
 
CountryBoom said:
There are some factories rumored to load heavier and ship out better product. Factory 435 is the one I've heard the most in this regard. Those cases will usually be stamped "43F435". I've seen it on Racoon a lot lately. I haven't got to try a ton of them, but I am hoping to this year.
Click to expand...
I haven’t shot any raccoon but I’ve had my suspicions as I’ve followed their rising star status it seems. Not to say it’s OL cause that stuff follows a different sort of line of figuring it out based on who’s carrying it and who post it and what not.

Any idea on lining up T-sky’s coding with anybody else’s factory codes? It’s my impression they may be fairly independent from a lot of the re-wrap stuff? True/not true?
 
I don't know what factory codes T-Sky comes in with. I thought I heard some of their pro-line stuff was made by Vulcan (which makes some of the single shot/slices for Spirit of 76). Those would be like factory code 45F062 or 43F274 among others.

I think I've noticed that some products from Dominator have changed factories for different years of the product. I believe some of their 500G cakes like Mammoth Strobe, Mammoth Red Strobe, Mini Mammoth Strobe, Patriotic Dominance and Mammoth Peony have been made in 2 different factories. 36F305 and 43F108. I've seen some differences in videos that could be explained by this (although most videos you don't know what year production they are actually shooting). I like a lot of the product that 43F108 makes, but I can't say with any certainty they are the better ones. I have a few of the specific years for these Dominator products a specific factories. I might try update it a bit and post it.

Chris
 
cduesman said:
I don't know what factory codes T-Sky comes in with. I thought I heard some of their pro-line stuff was made by Vulcan (which makes some of the single shot/slices for Spirit of 76). Those would be like factory code 45F062 or 43F274 among others.

I think I've noticed that some products from Dominator have changed factories for different years of the product. I believe some of their 500G cakes like Mammoth Strobe, Mammoth Red Strobe, Mini Mammoth Strobe, Patriotic Dominance and Mammoth Peony have been made in 2 different factories. 36F305 and 43F108. I've seen some differences in videos that could be explained by this (although most videos you don't know what year production they are actually shooting). I like a lot of the product that 43F108 makes, but I can't say with any certainty they are the better ones. I have a few of the specific years for these Dominator products a specific factories. I might try update it a bit and post it.

Chris
Click to expand...
Awesome info and appreciate it. I think you might be on to something with Dom as I think something in the last 4yrs happened. Maybe an internal falling out of who actually held the formulas or something. I can’t quite remember but think there was a change related to Big’s supply at one point. All their massive line was Dom produced and not now or vise versa. Not sure, but your comment seemed to vaguely stir some recollection.
 
I can tell you right now for FACT that Racoon is NOT OL the product just has very different effects and unique colors and firing patterns not seem to the market before this BS of talking about suspicions of some company being OL is going to F over some of us importers way more than what you can imagine there’s a ton of product that used to be available from some brands that everyone knows that people couldn’t keep their mouths shut about and even worse greedy retailers put it out for the general public to buy and now its mostly gone and the noose is getting tighter on the ones that are still playing in that game so please for all the love of pyro if you don’t know what the hell you are talking about don’t speculate about a companies product!
 
Let me just throw this out there for those who want to do all the "code breaking" when searching for OL items....if a factory was making illegal items for someone, wouldn't it make more sense to use someone else's legal EX #s and factory codes than to put their own factory codes and try to get EX #s for items which are clearly illegal? Stop wasting time trying to "break the code", if you look up the EX #s on all your "cool kids" product, you'll see that none of them have legitimate EX #s or they are using another item's EX #.
 
Yea, I would assume OL items could have missing or incorrect factory info. I really could care less about OL product. I think flash breaks can even be distracting to a pretty effect/shell.

The main reason I started this thread/discovery was I was seeing some product vary year to year and noticed factory codes were also changing in cases. I know product will vary, but was curious if there was a correlation. I was also curious if some companies had a better chance of making a cake with ball shells which typically equate to a better symmetrical break and less plug debris falling on the crowd.

Chris
 
Sometimes you will see something like a lot number and year following the factory code. You can also find the year of mfg from the box certification.

For 76 Pro Line - we focus on quality and consistency... which means not moving production around to different factorys unless absolutely necessary.
1570647774790.png
 
So I've been putting the factory/product info into spreadsheet. Here's an example of the Dominator Mammoth series.

You can see 7 different factories codes used.

Factory Product BrandProduct IDProduct Name
10843F108DominatorDM574CMammoth Crackle (2016)
10843F108DominatorDM574BMammoth Brocade (2016)
10843F108DominatorDM591Mammoth Strobe Red (2016/2018)
10843F108DominatorDM590Mammoth Strobe (2016/2017)
10843F108DominatorDM5412Star Spangled Mammoth (2018)
15136F151DominatorMammoth Sun Ring (2017)
22140F221DominatorDM574BMammoth Brocade (2018)
24943F249DominatorDM5256Mammoth Ring of Fire/Mammoth Sun Ring (2017)
30536F305DominatorDM590Mammoth Strobe (2013)
30536F305DominatorDM244Mini Mammoth Strobe (2014)
30536F305DominatorDM574AMammoth Peony (2013/2015)
31943F319DominatorDM574BMammoth Brocade (2018)
32943F329DominatorDM244Mini Mammoth Strobe (2017)

As I stated earlier, I'm a fan of factory 108. They make a lot of product with good Symmetrical breaks. I've had a Mammoth Peony and Mini Mammoth Strobe from factory 305 that have not been as symmetrical. It could have just bee a fluke with my specific items or that particular year or it could be a indicator of the factory (I don't really have enough info to say).

I saw someone posted a picture of the Raccoon Fireworks catalog on facebook. It actually had 2 factory codes listed on the catalog cover (435/467).

They even use their factory # in one of their products:
43549F435Boomin BulldogRA4182Factory 435 Finale (2019)

Raccoon has a lot of good Nishiki effects and seems to be a common factory for many to use for that effect. They also seem to be releasing more items under their Raccoon label.

Here's a few other items from Factory 435/467:
43543F435Sky BaconMt. Rushmore (2018)
43543F435Sky BaconSwinenado
43549F435Pyro PlanetContinuum (2019)
43549F435Golden BearPyro Boy (2018)
43549F435Pyro Planet16C30M017Crash Override
43549F435Boomin BulldogRA4182Factory 435 Finale (2019)
43549F435Epic FireworksEP1970The Stache (2019)
43549F435Epic FireworksFCC1717Serenity (2019)
43549F435Pyro Planet52C20M001Fan Favorite (2019)
43549F435Boomin BulldogRA1416Strike While the Iron is Hot (2019)
43549F435Black Market Fireworks17331Saw'd Off Shotgun (2019)

46743F46776 ProGM6919S Nishiki Kamuro (2018)
46743F467Boomin BulldogKK5126The Prankster (2016)
46743F467Boomin BulldogKK5118Blue Hurricane (2018)
46743F467KongRA3915Weeping Willows (2018)
46749F467WindaMother of all bombs (2018)
46749F467Epic FireworksFCC1835Glitterati (2019)

The 76 Nishiki did change factories from the 2017 release. I believe it changed the timing as well.

51143F51176 ProGM6919S Nishiki Kamuro (2017)

Chris
 
I've added my Factory Codes list to my website. It's a dynamic view of a google spreadsheet. Actually I setup 3 views (By Factory, By Brand and By Product name).

You can view it at Factory Codes - pyro

I believe I've removed any questionable items from the public view. If you see something in there that you don't think should be listed, shoot me a message and I'll remove it.

If you have items to add, please let me know.

Thanks,
Chris
 
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