Check this site out, it's great (Ain't no ad, neither)

[Beagle-zebub]

http://www.musketeer.ch/blackpowder/recipe.html
http://www.musketeer.ch/blackpowder/charcoal.html
http://www.musketeer.ch/blackpowder/recipe.html

The third link has a particularly great graph of his findings.

This powder made without sulphur, does anyone have any experience with that?

 

[Redd Flynt]

The 80-20 mix BP seems to work very well in my artillery. In small arms it's OK but may not ignite as well as powder made with sulphur. When I tested 80-20 in my ballistic mortar it didn't give as much impulse as GOEX. Probably 10 percent less.

 

[ArmedBear]

Where do you get Potassium Nitrate?

We sometimes got stuff like that at a toy store in the mall when I was a kid.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

I'm told that the fertilizer of the formulation 13.75-0-46 is K(NO3), although it might be 1% inert crap too.

The stuff you guys have made, what wood did you use? This guy is of the opinion that the wood selection is the key, and he gives data from his formulations that he made with different kinds of charcoal, the best of which performed better than commercial stuff. (Not that I necessarily believe that, but he doesn't have a reason to lie.)

 

[ArmedBear]

Oh wait...

Check this out!

http://store.hvchemical.com/browse.cfm?viewfrom=151&catid=8&step=2

Now can you just crush up the Kingsford to get charcoal? Or is there more to it?

 

[Beagle-zebub]

Oh no, commercial charcoal is way too drained.

The website tells you how to make your own charcoal, though.

 

[Perk]

Once again - Attention BP shoppers

http://www.cheap-chemicals.com/chemicals.asp?Sort=P#CH5402

For all your chemical needs!

 

[Beagle-zebub]

Perk, do you know if any of the charcoal they sell is suitable?

Big thanks for the link, by the way.

 

[JCT]

Perk, your link is a site operated by skylighter: www.skylighter.com not at all known for cheap prices.
KNO3 is cheapest in 20lb+ lots on ebay, or from a guy I recommended before, Phil Summers @ www.ihaveadotcom.com
Willow and Alder are the 2 woods for the cleanest and hottest BP. For firearms, that's "best", but in pyrotechnics, all sorts of charcoals and fuel ratios are used.
You won't make a decent shooting powder with anything but Willow, Alder or Grapevine charcoal, I spent alot of time trying, but the difference in incredible! Kingsford and other briquets have clays, fillers, binders...no good at all for BP.

 

[Rachen]

I make my own powder all the time.

I tried the sulfurless formula and it worked just as great as the regular Holy Black. With either magnum caps or the hot German ones, you get reliable ignition all day, any day.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

Now Rachen, do you mean to say that No. 11 primers won't work? Could you be specific as to which types and brands you've had success with?

 

[Perk]

Beagle-zebub - Pardon the delay. Had to take a break, so as to pay the bills. Don't know how their charcoal is, truth be told.

Had noticed, however, that they have a wide selection of pyro candy. Pages of the stuff. And, most of it looks pretty darned cheap, to me. One does have to be careful about the minimum orders, which many of their items are prone to.

‘Course, figure you’re smart enough figure out the figures for yourself. Hope that it’ll be of some help, to you.

Good hunting!