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Black powder purist
rbezona
Member Posts: 9 ✭✭
I see there are a lot of black powder enthusiasts out there.
Does anyone make there own black powder?
I find that homemade when done right out performs Pyrodex by a wide
margin, grain for grain.
I shoot my home made powder in a 1847 Walker reproduction.
I like to be prepared in case the gun control nuts get into power.
I can make my own powder and cast my own bullets.
Maybe I am paranoid. What do you all think?
Does anyone make there own black powder?
I find that homemade when done right out performs Pyrodex by a wide
margin, grain for grain.
I shoot my home made powder in a 1847 Walker reproduction.
I like to be prepared in case the gun control nuts get into power.
I can make my own powder and cast my own bullets.
Maybe I am paranoid. What do you all think?
Comments
I see there are a lot of black powder enthusiasts out there.
Does anyone make there own black powder?
I find that homemade when done right out performs Pyrodex by a wide
margin, grain for grain.
I shoot my home made powder in a 1847 Walker reproduction.
I like to be prepared in case the gun control nuts get into power.
I can make my own powder and cast my own bullets.
Maybe I am paranoid. What do you all think?
I have a small stock of chemicals. I just don't have a ball mill yet. To me, its just interesting to know how to do it. But I think it would be a problem finding all the right ingredients naturally.
Each of those would need to be processed before one could even make the powder.
less than 40 dollars. The antimony balls another 25.
You can make the charcoal easily. The sulphur can be done away with
in a pinch as it only serves to lower the ignition point of the powder.
The saltpeter can be come by naturally or made fairly easily if
you have access to cow urine and manure. Remember black powder was
being made hundreds of years ago with the existing technology.
You must be pretty good at it if you are getting better performance than Pyrodex.
As far as being paranoid, I would say no, you are not. Never hurts to be prepared. I don't see the black powder subs being confiscated, not in our lifetimes, but it is not much of a stretch to think that black powder would be outlawed. It is already very restricted.
Its been too hot this summer to give it a try. I don't want to jeapardize any neighbors. But now that cold weather is here I can give it a remote shot in the back yard. I was thinking about doing small amounts like a quarter pound at first.
I have that stuff, plus lots of lead. I also found a tap a cap.
so all that's missing for me to get started is the ball mill/tumbler, a method to arm the caps, and a lead pot.
I have always wondered what we would do if it all went to hades myself. All the manufactured stuff would be around for several years, possibly, but eventually would wear out and just plain dry up. People would continue to reload as much as possible. But that's worst case scenario stuff.
I certainly don't consider it paranoid. As americans, we have this tendency to think about contingencies. The boy scouts motto is be prepared, or something like that. There is nothing wrong with planning for possible events. Its only when it becomes compulsive and obsessive that it denotes further mental problems.
But for anyone who questions you, simply say its an interesting and technical hobby. What more would they need to know?
never mind that bp is labeled a high explosive, that mixed with molasses it makes a nice fuse... it burns under water when mixed that way, according to some reports. I haven't tried it myself.
The keys are a good recipe, EXACT weighing of chemicals, milling for a long time, and needless to mention, being careful.
I used 100 grams potasium nitrate, 18 grams charcoal, 16 grams suplhur. I got this recipe from Ulrich Bretcher's blackpowder page
on the web. He has done a lot of research on black powder and his
information made it easy for me to get a good product in only a few
attempts.
By the way, I think the lead balls are too soft to really mill well.
I could be wrong.
A small rock tumbler works well as a ball mill, a double drum costs
less than 40 dollars. The antimony balls another 25.
Why antimony balls? Where does one get them?
Sorry I did not respond to the last question more promptly.
The antimony balls are very hard and nonsparking. Nonsparking being
key. Static and sparks from metal tumbling around can set off
blackpowder. Hardness is important to doing a good milling job.
I ordered my antimony balls from United Nuclear Scientific Supplies.
amsptcds,
I found a tap-o-cap and ordered one. I was wondering how to overcome
the percussion cap problem. I had not heard of such a thing.
I got it and it works OK. Now I have to find a recipe for a pressure
sensitive explosive. I have a recipe for fulminate of mercury, but
even I am not crazy enough to try to make that.
Does any one know what the powder in toy cap pistol caps is made from?
Also I got a prochrony to check my powder. I do not want to go around giving out false imformation. I based my earlier remark about
my homemade powder being more powerful that Pyrodex on the size of the hole each blasted through my backstop. The 140 grain ball with
30 grains of Pyrodex left about a 1 1/2 inch exit hole. My blackpowder left a 4 inch exit hole. Maybe the ball was going slower
so did more damage. I will know the facts soon.
I will be testing a bit an let you all know how it turns out.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=33036
ignorance and misconceptions among shooters about black powder.
The story of a man blowing up himself and his wife and his house
while making black powder out in his yard has the sound of a
myth to scare the ignorant. One would have to have a huge supply
of powder stored and be doing something incredibly stupid to cause
the disaster as related in that post.
A few leads about percussion cap compounds, but no solid information. I have emailed a couple of pyrotechnics places to ask
for advice and maybe I will find something.
I think if I was truly going to set up for a back to the basics
hunting and self defense system I would go with a flint lock.
I guess what it boils down to with me is I love to make things myself
and gain the knowledge along with the pleasure of using things I
have made not just gone to Wal-mart and plunked down some cash.
For serious shooters buying the products is most practical as they
are just a means to an end. But without people like me who like
making stuff there would not be much out there for others to use.
If the world turns to crap and I am still around, I think my skill
at making things can be turned to good use.