^--- Well, I find that interesting and believable as a buddy and I recently did about the same thing. In our tests, we weren't even able to get smoke. The cells squished and re-formed in different shapes, but they never blew out. I certainly don't plan to throw care to the wind, but this thread has helped me feel a little better about these batteries despite the horror stories of just a few years back. I think the truth is what most folks have said so far: If you are careful and treat them respectfully, they will do there job.

- Chaz