How to make a Molotov cocktail:
step-by-step instructions and tips
What you need for a “Molotov cocktail”
- A glass bottle, 0.5 or even 0.7 liters or 1 liter. Bottles with thin walls are easier to break, which is necessary for the Molotov cocktail to work. Soviet-style vodka bottles are good, wine or beer bottles are worse.
- Gasoline.
- A rag as a wick. Usually it is a strip 10-15 centimeters thick and 20-35 cm long. It should never be a synthetic fabric, only cotton. Synthetic can partially dissolve. In addition, after ignition, synthetics burn very quickly and can burn out before the cocktail reaches the target.
- Acetone. To make the cocktail more effective and burn longer, hotter, and more concentrated.
- Foam. It needs to be broken into small pieces. Styrofoam, which already consists of small balls, is well suited. (Machine oil can be used instead of acetone and foam)
- Crust. Preferably dense. For the safe launch of a Molotov cocktail.
- Scotch tape.
How to make a Molotov cocktail
In the simplest case, gasoline is simply used. In this case, it fades quickly and does not stick to the surface of the object. To increase the burning time and temperature, as well as the adhesion of the incendiary mixture to the object, so-called napalm is used.
The easiest way to make a mixture of “napalm”:
- Add the foam to the acetone and stir until it dissolves. About 100 g of acetone is enough to start with, and the foam is added until a thick syrup is formed. You may need much more foam than it seems at first glance.
- Then gasoline is added to the “syrup” in a 1:1 ratio. The mixture burns very well and for a long time, sticking to the place where the “projectile” hit, adhering tightly to almost any surface. Some types of foam dissolve better and more evenly in a mixture of gasoline and acetone.
The homemade “napalm” decomposes into layers in just one day: the heavier elements settle at the bottom, while the lighter ones end up at the top. Then it becomes just a mixture of its elements.
Fill the bottle about 3/4 full of liquid or less if there is a shortage of mixture. If the projectile is not going to be used immediately, the bottle is tightly closed with a cork or metal screw cap. Since the mixture disintegrates during storage, the “Molotov cocktail” becomes less and less effective with each passing hour.
The strip of cloth is inserted so that about half of it is inside the bottle, then it is soaked with the mixture. The other half should be soaked in the same liquid separately. In the simplest case, the free end of the wick simply hangs down and is set on fire.
Safety precautions
The main thing is that there should be no sources of open fire nearby. Secondly, gasoline and acetone fumes are dangerous to health. Therefore, it is recommended to make it outdoors, in extreme cases – in ventilated rooms.
To increase the safety of the person using the projectile, the fabric strip is not completely wetted. The part that goes near the neck of the bottle remains dry. The wetted part should be taped to the bottle to avoid burning yourself when throwing it.
If available, you can also use hunting matches instead of a wick – these are large matches that do not go out in any wind. They are also taped to the bottle. This is much safer than a “classic” simple fuse. Hands should be washed well after making the Molotov cocktail and gloves should be worn during use.
How the “Molotov cocktail” works
The fabric ignites easily and does not go out in the wind. You need to light it with a good lighter, preferably one that doesn’t go out in the wind. You have to throw hard and on the hard stuff. The bottle should break on impact.
Russian equipment burns perfectly, it has been tested in practice!
Ammonia
If ammonia gets into the air intake of enemy armored vehicles, the vapors of this solution will force the crew to leave the cabin in a hurry. Ammonia vapors cause severe discomfort, irritate the respiratory tract and provoke vomiting.
Ammonia is sold in any pharmacy, and it is not difficult to buy it. The substance itself is a 10% ammonia solution.
Source: Center for National Resistance
