THE STATISTICS ARE BASED ON REPORTS TO THE BUREAU'S EXPLOSIVES REPORTING CENTER. THE REPORT IS DIRECTED PRIMARILY TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND IS INTENDED AS AN AID IN CURBING THE MISUSE OF EXPLOSIVES AND INCENDIARY MATERIALS. DATA ON CHARACTERISTICS OF BOMBINGS (TARGETS, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, VICTIMS, MOTIVE, PROPERTY DAMAGE, DEVICES, MONTH AND TIME OF DAY OF OCCURRENCE AND EXPLOSIVES THEFTS AND RECOVERIES (AMOUNT, TYPE, METHOD OF ENTRY, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, MONTH OF OCCURRENCE, STATE BREAKDOWNS) ARE PRESENTED IN 25 TABLES AND DISCUSSED IN NARRATIVE SUMMARIES. DESCRIPTIONS OF EXPLOSIVES INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED IN CALIFORNIA, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MISSOURI, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, OKLAHOMA, PUERTO RICO, TENNESSEE, AND WYOMING ARE INCLUDED. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REPORTED EXPLOSIVES INCIDENTS INCREASED 17.4 PERCENT FROM 1976 TO 1977, WHILE THE INCIDENCE OF CRIMINAL BOMBINGS INCREASED 9.4 PERCENT; THERE WAS A DECREASE IN DEATHS FROM CRIMINAL BOMBINGS FROM 46 IN 1976 TO 38 IN 1977; CALIFORNIA HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CRIMINAL BOMBING INCIDENTS IN BOTH YEARS; THE INCIDENCE OF EXPLOSIVE THEFTS REMAINED THE SAME FOR 1976 AND 1977, WITH KENTUCKY RANKING FIRST FOR BOTH YEARS; INCIDENTS IN WHICH STOLEN EXPLOSIVES WERE RECOVERED INCREASED BY 47.3 PERCENT FROM 1976 TO 1977, WITH KENTUCKY FIRST IN RECOVERIES FOR BOTH YEARS. (LKM)