A: The legal limit of explosive material in a consumer (1.4G or Class C) firework is 50 mg (about the size of half an aspirin tablet). Any item containing more than 50 mg is illegal and should be avoided.

In the United States, the largest consumer fireworks (1.4G) are generally limited to 500 grams of pyrotechnic composition per device. The most common "biggest" items are 500-gram multi-shot cakes, which fire a choreographed sequence of aerial bursts, and 6-inch canister shells, which are reloaded into a mortar tube to produce a single massive break in the sky. In the UK, the largest legal consumer fireworks are classified as Category F3, which can contain up to 1,000 grams (1 kg) of powder for a single battery or "compound" cake, provided they have a minimum safety distance of 25 meters. Anything larger, such as professional-grade 1.3G display shells, requires a pyrotechnician's license and special permits, as they contain significantly more explosive force and larger blast radii.