Liked the song! Her suggested measures are
almost correct, though she got sulfur and charcoal backwards: it would be
two measures of sulfur and
three measures of charcoal. Of course, you have to remember to measure by weight, not volume.
The truth is that black powder is easy to make of fairly common materials and doesn't require expensive tools or equipment. Everything is dual purpose: KNO3 is sold as stump remover, garden sulfur is useful for mold and fungus on plants, and charcoal is used in a wide variety of applications. BTW, briquettes aren't charcoal and don't work, but you can make charcoal with a paint can (or other tightly-closed can) and some wood.
Black powder works in a number of cartridges, and in some cases gives better results than smokeless, though this usually in cartridges that were invented during the bp era, like 44-40, 45-70, etc. As a mixture, bp is probably more stable than the much more complex chemical compounds in smokeless. AFAIK, bp has an unlimited shelf life if stored properly.
Everyone should have the formula and the simple process committed to memory and should share it with others. I learned how to make it here:
Homemade Gunpowder for Long Term Survival (
http://locustsonthehorizon.info/?p=670). It's an interesting book, BTW, with lots of good information. It was worth the price of purchase, for me, for the section on how to make your own .410 reloading tools.
BP, whether in muzzleloaders, cap-n-ball revolvers, or in cartridges, is a good thing to know how to make use of. Gatofeo lube works great for keeping things lubricated and easy to clean up afterwards, and the survivalblog article I linked has a very simple lube recipe that worked for me with my cap-n-ball 1858.
Look up brushhippie for a video. His YouTube how-tos are long gone, but I found part two of his bp instructions elsewhere...I think it was full30 or Vimeo.
Can't stop the signal, Mal!