Do batttleship guns still use black powder?

[mje]

Fascinating. I just read that fully half of Goex's production goes to the Military, so they must still be using a lot of BP.

 

[rajb123]

Does Goex also sell BP to makers of fireworks? I beleive fireworks use BP; right?

What is the military using BP for?

 

[junkman_01]

Haven't you been listening? The military uses it to initiate the smokeless powder in the big guns! :banghead:

 

[TomADC]

Bang! ....Are those the biggest military guns that have ever been used in combat?

It must be expensive to shoot these..... shells are a few tons each and smokeless powder is a few hundred pounds a pop.... wow, that could add up fast.

No during WW II the Japanese had two battleships with 18 inch guns but there use was limited, they both ventured in at the end of the Leyte Gulf landing hoping to catch the troops and equipment on the beaches but we foiled those plans and I believe both were sunk the Yamato was one and the Musashi was the other.

 

[rajb123]

I thought the big guns are no longer used?

 

[junkman_01]

Every Naval gun above 5 inch uses bagged powder and projectile.

 

[Lunie]

Bang! ....Are those the biggest military guns that have ever been used in combat?

It must be expensive to shoot these..... shells are a few tons each and smokeless powder is a few hundred pounds a pop.... wow, that could add up fast.

As TomADC mentioned, they were not the largest naval guns of their time, nor were they the largest artillery pieces to have been fielded. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwerer_Gustav Gustav and Dora. 80cm guns, (~31.5 inches) 7 ton projectile.

WANO Schwarzpulver GmbH also supplies BP for military purposes to many countries.
Their German website: http://www.wano.de/
American website: http://www.schuetzenpowder.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=54

However... I doubt they are supplying any for use in battleship artillery anymore.