Knowing the modern FIB, the partially assembled pipe bomb was probably a pipe from some plumbing work number nhis basement and a box of ammo in his bedroom.
Nope. It was a small section of pipe capped on one end and a fuse on the other. Just add explosive. He will likely go to jail for it.
If he has a plumbing pipe, maybe a pipe cap, and black powder for his “E-e-vil” Hawken 50 cal rifle, then he has the makings for a pipe bomb.
Any home in the US has the makings for such devices as ends and pieces are everywhere, and every hardware store has pipe nipples in various sizes.
Remember a few years back when the 50 cal rifle suddenly became the next target to be banned? Some reporters got a thrill when they found several 50 cal Hawken muzzle loading rifles on a gun store and tried to make an issue of it.