feasability of making your own black powder?

[Erik Jensen]

I've been thinking of building a blackpowder rifle from a kit, and, being the "whole nine yards" kinda guy I am, I was thinking: why not make my own black powder, too? I wouldn't think it would be that complex, would it? just charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter, right? so, my question is this: A: is this legal? and B: if so, where can I find info on how to do it? (ie: proper ratios of components, proper procedure, etc...)

 

[P95Carry]

I think we have all had the ''purist'' thought .... and wondered about making the BP.

My short answer would be ...... FORGET IT!! I say that because, whilst the basic formulation is dead easy .... you can find it all over the web ... to actually get to the quality needed for good shooting does require a ball mill. Much is done with powder wet but .. the latter stages of preparation can be tricky.

What we use that is bought .. has achieved probably the highest efficiency you can get from three such simple ingredients .... and it'd be real hard to match that........ and stay safe.

I'd suggest a broad web search ... there is masses of info out there.

IIRC it is not illegal per se ... not making it for yourself and own use anyways. But ... IANAL.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Kids, don't try this at home

Not hard but suggest you have land and lots of it. In case Mr. Murphy visits, you don't have to worry about the KB hurting anyone or anything.

 

[foghornl]

When you get ready to make your own Black Powder, let me know, so that I can be at least 10 miles away.....



Tried making some of my own fireworks as a kid....fortunate to still have a face, let alone vision/hair, etc

 

[c_yeager]

The big problem (asside from the dangers of manufacture) is getting to some kind of consistancy so that you can measure and shoot in a safe manner.

 

[Jim K]

The formula is well known, the ingredients are available. The big problem is getting the granulation right and adding the graphite.

You can make your own powder to use in your muzzle loader. And you can make your own gasoline to use in your car. I don't know of anyone doing either. There is probably a good reason.

Jim

 

[scotjute]

Just a note, but Goex has had at least 2 explosions in their Doyline, La. plant since they moved there in early to mid '90's. One person has been killed. This tells me that even those with a wealth of experience making it can't eliminate all the risks.

 

[Erik Jensen]

okey doke. so I'll take the consensus as "don't do it".

 

[Gatofeo]

<Gatofeo stands on the table and counts>
... one ... two .. three ... um ... four .... fiiiiiveeee ... hey foghorn! Yer hand up or not? Looks like yer 10 miles away! ... I'll take that as six ... yep, and since I'm counting I get three votes ... yep, it's a consensus. Don't make your own black powder.

 

[dfariswheel]

Practical case in point:
Some years ago there was a real serious buckskinner living locally.
He was notorious for having once cooked and eaten a dog at a local rendezvous.

He made his own barrels, stocks, knives, tanned his own hides for the clothes he made, AND made his own powder.

This fool kept the finished product in a home-made powder magazine in his back yard.

One fine day, he and one of his daughters were in the back yard making a batch when something happened.

He and his daughter were literally blown to bits, his wife and son inside the house were badly hurt, the house was pretty well destroyed, his neighbors houses were all damaged, and one neighbor's son was badly burned, and scarred for life.

He had been warned about how unsafe it was, but told people he was very careful. He neglected to mention to his neighbors that he had a powder magazine in his yard, in violation of all local laws.

HISTORICAL NOTE:

Many years ago, the Dupont company had a powder making factory along a creek. The small buildings were heavy stone with roofs made of thin wood, with steeply sloped roofs.
This was so when there was an accident, the force of the blast would be directed upward, away from the other buildings.

Usually, the force of the blast and the angled roof blew the unfortunate workers up and forward toward the creek.
The bodies were usually found on the far bank.

This came to be know within the Dupont company as being "blown across the creek".

To this day, any explosion in a Dupont explosives factory, is known as "being blown across the creek".

 

[scotjute]

I've known someone who made it as a teenager, no problems (that time). It can be done. But there are definite dangers involved when making this stuff. Static electricity can be enough to set it off.

 

[Gatofeo]

My late father, who was born in 1915, could remember the time the DuPont powder works blew up near Tacoma, Wash.
The powder works was at a small town still known today as DuPont.
He said it was about 1920, when he was five. He recalled that he and other children were playing in their yard at Spanaway (many miles away) when they heard a "pahhhhrummppp."
He remembered a photo from the next day's newspaper, showing windows blown out of stores and homes for miles around.
Now, if the DuPont company goes KABOOM making powder, with all its expertise, why do people still think they can do the same without danger?
Yep, black powder can be made. So can anthrax spores and VX nerve agent.
But you'd have to be a lunatic to try.

 

[kentucky bucky]

You could ask other people that have tried to make their own powder....oh I forgot they're dead. What's the point? You couldn't make powder nearly as good as store bought. The consistency wouldn't be as good, and when did your favorite pioneer hero ever make his own powder? Even in "the day" they bought or traded for powder. You could make something that blows up when ignited, but quality powder is hard and dangerous to make. Make guns,horns,knives,etc.,but leave the powder to the professionals

 

[mini14jac]

I'll throw in my disaster story:

I interviewed for a job at a fertilizer company.
It was next door to a Olin factory that makes powder and ammo.
I was told that all of the fertilizer company employees learn advanced fire-fighting techniques.
The fertilizer was an explosive product, but their employees would also be used in the event of a fire at the Olin factory.
As a matter of fact, a few years before I interviewed there, there had been a fire/explosion at the Olin factory.
Four of the fertilizer guys had died fighting the fire.
Oh by the way, when can you start?.........

For some reason, I didn't take that job.

Oh, in my hometown in East Tennessee, a couple of years ago, a large company that did municipal fireworks hired some people to work with the fireworks.
They put several semi-trailers of fireworks in a vacant lot, and set up some tables for the people to work at.
I'm not sure what they were doing. Repackaging the fireworks or something.
Anyway, people near by said they heard what sounded like firecrackers, then whistling noises, then KA-WUMP-RUMBLE-RUMBLE.
All of the people disappeared. I think they may have found a finger or two.
They never did find out what went wrong.

Yeah, I'd like to make my own powder, but I think I won't.

 

[Joe Demko]

Like many science majors with access to the chemical stockroom, I made some of my own blackpowder back in the day. Didn't blow myself up either, but I wasn't making a great quantity of it. As others have already said, safety issues aside, you aren't going to get a consistent enough product to make it worthwhile as a shooter. Besides which, if you really wanted to get back to the source and make your own, you would have to burn your own charcoal, refine your own sulfur, and extract nitrates from urine.

 

[Cortland]

If you're crazy enough to try, you can find all the components you need at a pyrotechnics supply house.

If you scroll down and look to the left, you'll seed listed among the "bestsellers:" potassium nitrate, sulfur, charcoal

 

[Burt Blade]

Dont.