Goex - No US Black Powder - Not the first time

[twarr1]

When DuPont closed the Belin black powder plant in Pennsylvania in 1972 it was the only plant in the US at the time producing black powder. Gearhart-Owen Industries bought it and rebuilt it. GOI was involved in manufacturing munitions and in oil extraction. Their primary concern was supplying these 2 business lines. The National Muzzleloading Rifle Association was instrumental in convincing GOEX to continue making small arms grade BP. They moved the operation to Minden after the Belin plant blew up in the ‘90’s.
As a side note, the Minden plant was built with used mills that Krupp had quit making in 1985. The DuPont mills were left in PA. Nobody makes black powder mills anymore and haven’t for decades, so keeping them going is probably a tough chore.
And it was GOI that successfully got the shipping regulations for black powder changed to flammable solids, not Hodgdon.

 

[Dave T]

twarr1,

Thanks for the background and history. Helps to know what has gone before, to understand what's going on now.

Dave

 

[alsaqr]

Nobody makes black powder mills anymore and haven’t for decades, so keeping them going is probably a tough chore.

GOEX was at a disadvantage from the start in Minden: No spare parts for the mills. The container carrying the spare parts was lost overboard during the voyage from South Africa.

"When the salvaged machinery was shipped to the U.S. the container on board the ship carrying the spare parts went overboard in a storm. So replacement parts for their 3 5.5-ton wheel mills must be custom made. It is nearly impossible to destroy the large heavy wheels in a wheel mill but most use cast steel bed pans which are expensive to replace by fabrication and replacement drive gears are expensive to custom make."

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