Actually 1893. In the USA we started in 1890, Here's a little history.
In 1863,
Prussian artillery captain Johann F. E. Schultze patented a small-arms propellent of nitrated hardwood impregnated with saltpeter or barium nitrate. Prentice received an 1866 patent for a sporting powder of nitrated paper manufactured at Stowmarket, but ballistic uniformity suffered as the paper absorbed atmospheric moisture. In 1871, Frederick Volkmann received an Austrian patent for a colloided version of Schultze powder called
Collodin, which he manufactured near Vienna for use in sporting firearms. Austrian patents were not published at the time, and the Austrian Empire considered the operation a violation of the government monopoly on explosives manufacture and closed the Volkmann factory in 1875.
[4]:141–144
In 1882, the Explosives Company at Stowmarket patented an improved formulation of nitrated cotton gelatinised by ether-alcohol with nitrates of potassium and barium. These propellants were suitable for shotguns but not rifles,
[8]:138–139 because
rifling results in resistance to a smooth expansion of the gas, which is reduced in
smoothbore shotguns.
Poudre B single-base smokeless powder flakes
In 1884,
Paul Vieille invented a smokeless powder called
Poudre B (short for
poudre blanche—white powder, as distinguished from
black powder)
[6]:289–292 made from 68.2% insoluble
nitrocellulose, 29.8% soluble nitrocellulose gelatinized with
ether and 2% paraffin. This was adopted for the
Lebel rifle.
[8]:139 It was passed through rollers to form paper thin sheets, which were cut into flakes of the desired size.
[6]:289–292 The resulting
propellant, today known as
pyrocellulose, contains somewhat less
nitrogen than guncotton and is less volatile. A particularly good feature of the propellant is that it will not detonate unless it is compressed, making it very safe to handle under normal conditions.
Vieille's powder revolutionized the effectiveness of small guns because it gave off almost no smoke and was three times more powerful than black powder. Higher
muzzle velocity meant a flatter
trajectory and less wind drift and bullet drop, making 1,000 m (1,094 yd) shots practicable. Since less powder was needed to propel a bullet, the
cartridge could be made smaller and lighter. This allowed troops to carry more ammunition for the same weight. Also, it would burn even when wet. Black powder ammunition had to be kept dry and was almost always stored and transported in watertight cartridges.
Other European countries swiftly followed and started using their own versions of Poudre B, the first being Germany and Austria, which introduced new weapons in 1888. Subsequently, Poudre B was modified several times with various compounds being added and removed.
Krupp began adding
diphenylamine as a stabilizer in 1888.
[4]:141–144
Meanwhile, in 1887,
Alfred Nobel obtained an English patent for a smokeless gunpowder he called
Ballistite. In this propellant the fibrous structure of cotton (nitro-cellulose) was destroyed by a nitro-glycerine solution instead of a solvent.
[8]:140 In England in 1889, a similar powder was patented by
Hiram Maxim, and in the United States in 1890 by
Hudson Maxim.
[9] Ballistite was patented in the United States in 1891.
The Germans adopted ballistite for naval use in 1898, calling it WPC/98. The Italians adopted it as
filite, in cord instead of flake form, but realising its drawbacks changed to a formulation with nitroglycerine they called
solenite. In 1891 the Russians tasked the chemist
Mendeleev with finding a suitable propellant, he created nitrocellulose gelatinised by ether-alcohol, which produced more nitrogen and more uniform colloidal structure than the French use of nitro-cottons in Poudre B. He called it
pyrocollodion.
[8]:140
Close-up of Cordite filaments in a
.303 British rifle cartridge (manufactured in 1964)
Britain conducted trials on all the various types of propellant brought to their attention, but were dissatisfied with them all and sought something superior to all existing types. In 1889, Sir
Frederick Abel,
James Dewar and Dr W Kellner patented (Nos 5614 and 11,664 in the names of Abel and Dewar) a new formulation that was manufactured at the Royal Gunpowder Factory at Waltham Abbey. It entered British service in 1891 as
Cordite Mark 1. Its main composition was 58% Nitro-glycerine, 37% Guncotton and 3% mineral jelly. A modified version, Cordite MD, entered service in 1901, with the guncotton percentage increased to 65% and nitro-glycerine reduced to 30%. This change reduced the combustion temperature and hence erosion and barrel wear. Cordite's advantages over gunpowder were reduced maximum pressure in the chamber (hence lighter breeches, etc.) but longer high pressure. Cordite could be made in any desired shape or size.
[8]:141 The creation of cordite led to a lengthy court battle between Nobel, Maxim, and another inventor over alleged British
patent infringement.
The Anglo-American Explosives Company began manufacturing its shotgun powder in
Oakland, New Jersey in 1890.
DuPont began producing guncotton at
Carneys Point Township, New Jersey in 1891.
[4]:146–149 Charles E. Munroe of the
Naval Torpedo Station in
Newport, Rhode Island patented a formulation of guncotton colloided with nitrobenzene, called
Indurite, in 1891.
[6]:296–297 Several United States firms began producing smokeless powder when
Winchester Repeating Arms Company started loading sporting cartridges with Explosives Company powder in 1893.
California Powder Works began producing a mixture of nitroglycerine and nitrocellulose with
ammonium picrate as
Peyton Powder, Leonard Smokeless Powder Company began producing nitroglycerine-nitrocellulose
Ruby powders,
Laflin & Rand negotiated a license to produce
Ballistite, and DuPont started producing smokeless shotgun powder. The
United States Army evaluated 25 varieties of smokeless powder and selected
Ruby and
Peyton Powders as the most suitable for use in the
Krag-Jørgensen service rifle.
Ruby was preferred, because tin-plating was required to protect brass cartridge cases from
picric acid in the
Peyton Powder. Rather than paying the required royalties for
Ballistite, Laflin & Rand financed Leonard's reorganization as the American Smokeless Powder Company. United States Army Lieutenant Whistler assisted American Smokeless Powder Company factory superintendent Aspinwall in formulating an improved powder named W.A. for their efforts. W.A. smokeless powder was the standard for United States military service rifles from 1897 until 1908.
[4]:146–149