A 10‐gauge blank shotgun shell, exploded in a small cannon, has been used as an impulse source in performing a variety of acoustical measurements. The source has a peak power of the order of 10 000 watts with good reproducibility. The frequency spectrum simulates that of a typical turbojet engine. Instrumentation has been developed to permit simple and rapid analyses of measurements made with this source. Typical applications are described, and results obtained with the impulse source are compared to results obtained with continuous sources.