Homemade black powder

[Delmar]

Anyone here ever make your own black powder? How did that work out for you? Did you make it with a ball mill, or make "fudge" out of it and grate it through a screen?

 

[techres]

Tagging for info. This is something I am interested in and want to know more about from anyone who is actually experienced in doing it.

 

[No Time to Shoot]

Tag, I am interested as well.

 

[TheDude]

Doesnt one of the "Foxfire" books cover this?

 

[Delmar]

Doesnt one of the "Foxfire" books cover this?

Foxfire 5 yes. There is not any shortage of recipes. My interest is in talking to people who have actually made there own powder. Seeing what works the best without reinventing the wheel,

Actually the first question I should have asked is...
Is making your own powder, to fire in your own black powder gun, defiantly legal in the state of Indiana?

 

[redneckmedic]

Is making your own powder, to fire in your own black powder gun, defiantly legal in the state of Indiana?

My interest is peaked also... to take your question further... at what amount can you make and store to keep it legal and not entering a level of Explosive Manufacturing?

 

[Flintlock]

You can keep a max of 50 lbs in your home without having any special permits, etc, I believe.

 

[TGUNTER]

Hope someone answers I also am intereted in the process.

 

[Delmar]

Hope someone answers I also am interested in the process.

I hope so to. Any law enforcement types that could weigh in?

 

[Delmar]

Tagging for info. This is something I am interested in and want to know more about from anyone who is actually experienced in doing it.

I found a thread on another forum where and experienced powder maker walked through making several kinds, and talked about the best sources for ingredients. Would it be appropriate to link to it?

 

[dkc485]

did a quick search, found an interesting link

Black Powder Recipes

I've been wanting to try and make some black powder. the formula i know is; salt petre, charcoal, sulfur (7:5:5) just gotta actually get some supplies and try and do it

 

[Delmar]

So I cooked up some white powder today from a recipe in Homemade Guns and Homemade ammo. Homemade Guns and Homemade Ammo - Brown (pdf document) free file download at fliiby.com It's the salt peter and sugar recipe. (I'm not recommending that anyone else try it nor am I the creator of this recipe)

The KNO3 and sugar did dissolve easily at a point that was below the boiling point. I cooked it down till it was the consistency of thin apple sauce, then turned off the heat. I threw it on a plate to finish drying. I looks a lot like a mess of grits on the plate and was about that thick by the time I got the pan scraped out.

Then I took a little glob of the wet mixture and tried to see if I could light it. You can see by the attached video that this stuff is not real easy to ignite until it dries
DelStacy24

 

[Delmar]

I ran it through the cheese grater. Just about ready for end stage drying. I'm thinking it should be ready to test tomorrow night.

and a short video
DelStacy24

 

[Delmar]

Here is the (nearly) finished product. I think it still needs to dry a bit.

 

[Delmar]

double post

 

[Delmar]

OK, I got home from work and loaded the sucker up and did a test fire. It is time for me to admit that this powder is not working for me in it's current form. I put on the percussion cap and fired. The powder did not ignite. Put on another cap and fired, still nothing. I did the trick where you put a grain or so of BP behind the nipple, and it boomed like a mutha!

Test two
I took a pestle and ground up enough for one load into a finer powder. The results were exactly the same. Two percussion caps fired... nothing. add a little BP behind the nipple. Works like a charm! It seems like the powder has enough energy to do the trick, but it is too hard to ignite!

 

[Delmar]

Turns out it is not quite dry, is the problem. The last time I loaded the gun I tamped the ramrod down extra hard and I saw a little moisture coming out!

 

[Delmar]

Turns out it is not quite dry, is the problem. The last time I loaded the gun I tamped the ramrod down extra hard and I saw a little moisture coming out!

So after a couple more days in the food dehydrator I am now sure that the powder is dry. Still, the #11 percussion cap does not set it off.

I'll let you know if I try another recipe. A friend of mine tells me that adding some powdered iron oxide would give the mix a lower ignition temperature, so I might try that.

 

[nighthawk80]

This is good Info!! Keep it up Delmar. +1

 

[citizenkane]

We made some way back when in my high school chemistry class. Imagine that today!