Making Pyrodex ffffg powder?

[Ethan sherman]

Also another myth I have to address. black powder is not that corrosive the old story's and corroded antique muzzleloaders have a lot to do with the old primers I've switched to real black powder from pyrodex because it's corrosive shoot pyrodex and your barrel is rusty in 2 days shoot goex and a month later you swab out the white chalky stuff no rust I don't want to sound like that guy but I've shot more black powder than smokeless the only rust and miss fires I've had both stopped with pyrodex and the only mishaps (if you can call them that) was me as a kid making piles of fffg and lighting them with a magnifying glass (first time my face was a little close)

 

[Blkpdrkid]

Ya I definitely will say be safe around black powder but I've seen people act like it's hot nitro and crucify any one that handles it less the fear around it is why it's hard to get now

you sure weren't kidding about it being hard to get I tried a few days ago to order some cuz I'm down to about 5 lb and there just isn't any out there I was hoping this post was about actually manufacturing your own powder LOL

 

[Ethan sherman]

you sure weren't kidding about it being hard to get I tried a few days ago to order some cuz I'm down to about 5 lb and there just isn't any out there I was hoping this post was about actually manufacturing your own powder LOL

I saw midway USA had some a few months ago selling one pound at a time so didn't have to buy 25 lbs I'm still kicking my self for not buying some as for homemade here you go

How to Make Black Powder
To make your own black powder at home, you need only 3 fairly easy to obtain ingredients. You can buy a 5 pound bag of 99.8% pure potassium nitrate for $14 and a 1 pound bag of sulfur for $2.99 online at dudadiesel.com.

Then just make your own charcoal. Activated charcoal isn’t really good for making black powder. You want regular, raw charcoal.

Ingredients for black powder:

Saltpeter (potassium nitrate)
Charcoal
Sulfur
The ratio for the ingredients in black powder is:

Five parts (75%) potassium nitrate
One part charcoal (15%)
2/3 of one part sulfur (10%)
An example of a mixture with these proportions would be 5 ounces of potassium nitrate, 1 ounce of charcoal, and 2/3 ounce sulfur.

Here are another couple of recipes for black powder:

5 ounces potassium nitrate
0.9 ounces charcoal
0.8 ounces sulfur
Here is a sulfur-less mixture for black powder:

5 ounces potassium nitrate
1.2 ounces charcoal
So you see, every recipe is right around the same proportions.

All percentages are by weight, NOT volume, so an accurate small measure scale is a must. You can use triple beam scales or a digital scale. Precise measurements are vital for the results desired. Currently, in modern society, all of these components are fairly easy and perfectly legal to acquire.

You can order the ingredients online currently, as mentioned above. But in the event that is no longer an option and you have to seek the ingredients elsewhere, many common products contain the chemicals needed for making black powder.

One example is certain garden sprays contain the potassium nitrate and sulfur required. You pour out the liquid and let the water evaporate out, then scrape up the residue. Then you only have to make the charcoal and measure your proportions
STEP 1) Grind each dry ingredient separately

STEP 2) Mix dry ingredients and grind together for approximately 10 minutes to mix thoroughly

STEP 3) Add small amounts of water to the mixture and continue to mix approximately 20 minutes until the consistency of clay then form into a ball (Author’s Note) You can mix the ingredients dry but it doesn’t perform as well as wet mixed.

STEP 4) Corn the mixture (make granules) by rubbing over a screen with 1.5 mm holes onto a sheet of paper, then let sit until dry. Then gather it and rub it through the screen again.

Lastly, sift the contents through a kitchen flour sifter to remove the dust. Put the dust in a new batch of mix so it doesn’t go to waste. TRY AT YOU'RE OWN RISK (edited because accidentally copy paste an entire web page)

 

[Ethan sherman]

You don't have to mix wet 20 min as soon as good consistently corn through the screen and let dry also you want soft wood charcoal willow is the best theres some good YouTube videos on making bp I've used this method to make fire works and shot in a gun it's dirtier and less powerful than store bout but in a pinch start low and work your way up in a gun

 

[Blkpdrkid]

Awesome thanks I've kind of always wanted to try to make my own powder

 

[Blkpdrkid]

Okay so I just watched several videos surprised at how super easy it actually is but what was the point in getting it wet and granulating it wouldn't it actually be better in a gun left as a finer powder

 

[Ethan sherman]

Okay so I just watched several videos surprised at how super easy it actually is but what was the point in getting it wet and granulating it wouldn't it actually be better in a gun left as a finer powder

Getting it wet causes the potassium nitrate and sulfur to leech into the charcoal like a water filter and mix way better than any mechanical method corned black powder is almost 2x more powerful than non also if you leave it as a powder you would have flash powder which might be to fast if you have a ball mill which is the best method of grinding the bp comes out like baby powder I haven't figured out what size screen for ffg fffg and ffffg yet
P.s if you have a flintlock and a ball mold your pretty self sufficient

 

[Bibbyman]

How does the ambient temperature effect milling black powder? Weting and drying?

Right now it's 18°F outside. And the prediction is for cold days the next 10 with highs in the low 40s.

 

[noelf2]

I have sulfur, but I tend not to use it. I use my own willow or cedar charcoal and potassium nitrate. 4 parts potassium nitrate and 1 part charcoal. Ball milled, corned, and screened. Not good for flintlocks, but is ok in cartridges and especially shotgun shells.

 

[Ethan sherman]

How does the ambient temperature effect milling black powder? Weting and drying?

Right now it's 18°F outside. And the prediction is for cold days the next 10 with highs in the low 40s.

I would imagine the water would freeze or not evap you definitely don't want to hit it with a heat gun

 

[Ethan sherman]

I need to try mixing some finished bp with graphite like goex it's supposed to help with static by conducting it away

 

[Blkpdrkid]

I have sulfur, but I tend not to use it. I use my own willow or cedar charcoal and potassium nitrate. 4 parts potassium nitrate and 1 part charcoal. Ball milled, corned, and screened. Not good for flintlocks, but is ok in cartridges and especially shotgun shells.

am I understanding that right that you make powder with just potassium nitrate and charcoal and have completely sulfur free powder

 

[noelf2]

am I understanding that right that you make powder with just potassium nitrate and charcoal and have completely sulfur free powder

That is correct. Sulfur is only really required to bring down the ignition temperature so a spark can ignite it (think flintlock). Sulfur-less burns fine if you throw a flame on it (percussion cap, primer, etc.). Sidelocks can be a bit iffy with sulfur-less because the percussion flame has to travel around some corners through the drum and such, but it's great in straight through ignition like a revolver, or in cartridges and shotgun shells.

 

[Bibbyman]

Sulfur is only really required to bring down the ignition temperature

But you won't have that rotten egg smell. Right?

 

[noelf2]

But you won't have that rotten egg smell. Right?

Nope, unfortunately, but if I eat some beans a few hours before shooting I can get the same effect.

 

[rbaggs]

I just attempted my second batch of powder. My first was only half successful. I didn’t grind the ingredients well enough. The charcoal was crushed but not ground. The potassium nitrate was also very small but still granular. I mixed it 75/15/10 and it burned but took a torch to ignite it. I didn’t dare use it in a gun so I just burned it and had a cool show for a few seconds. It burned slow and dirty. My second attempt I made a small batch instead of a full pound. I ground each individual ingredient with a mortar and pestle. I used willow charcoal I made myself and mixed it for several minutes, dry. It burned much faster and cleaner. I loaded my revolver with about 25 grains and a round ball. It went bang with no problems. Now I just have to spend a few days grinding enough ingredients to make a pound and try mixing it wet.

 

[mjsdwash]

Also another myth I have to address. black powder is not that corrosive the old story's and corroded antique muzzleloaders have a lot to do with the old primers I've switched to real black powder from pyrodex because it's corrosive shoot pyrodex and your barrel is rusty in 2 days shoot goex and a month later you swab out the white chalky stuff no rust I don't want to sound like that guy but I've shot more black powder than smokeless the only rust and miss fires I've had both stopped with pyrodex and the only mishaps (if you can call them that) was me as a kid making piles of fffg and lighting them with a magnifying glass (first time my face was a little close)

very much yes, I have seen Pyrodex destroy a PB revolver in a weekend. I have seen better looking sacrificial anodes. meanwhile, Goex has been sitting in caked deposits in the workings of my Pietta NMA for 3 years in the humid pacific NW, wiped down with motor oil only.... not a spot of rust on it. It is definitely the primers.

 

[Bibbyman]

Thanks to those who gave me some guidance, I have had some success with my "science project".

I made the willow charcoal. Got a Harbor Freight tumbler. Found some expensive "saltpeter" and cheap sulfur locally, made my own dextran and made up about 5 ounces. The first test of the powder proved it very anemic. Only after I pressed it into pucks and crushed and screened it again did it show a potential of about being equal in performance to store bought.

This is the 5'th test of my first batch that had been pucked.

 

[BEEMAX]

Grafs and Buffalo Arms had ffffg. If you are using pyrodex, Black MZ or Triple 7
a pre-charge of say 2-3grain of 4fBp will guarantee full ignition. When I am loading
up a charge of BP substitute I always use a small pre-charge or primer charge
under the main charge, and use real Black ffffg. This way it will go off 99%. Especially
so when I must have absolute reliability. Also in shooting Triple 7 in a revolver,
pre charge cylinder chambers with 2-3 grs of ffffg and then 20 grs triple 7. You will
not only get ignition but a full burn of the main charge. Same for pellets. Best always
is real Black but can sometimes be hard to get and transport with you to the hunt.
Yes pyrodex is highly corrosive but has good power. Have shot thousands of loads
this way, but must advise do at your own risk. I do not waste time making powder
and won't, so long as it is commercially available. Everyone is always having issues
with substitutes hang fires/squibs etc, I never do and the reason is the tiny pre-charge
of the real thing. ffffg is not only good for flinters it is good to have. Stock up.

 

[Thomasss]

I did grind up some RS into what looked like FFFFg and loaded into a .45 cal. Junker percussion. 5 grains on the bottom and 25 grains of RS on top under a ball and patch. It shot really nice. I used a glass mortar and pestle and made about a teaspoon full. And believe it or not, I still has all my eyes and limbs and a house. lol If THR members don't know, all muzzle loader supplies are becoming hard to get. The last and muzzle loading caps and top hats came from a gun show and were 15 years old. Quite surprising, Goex has been selling for $15 to $20/lb from private individuals, when I can find it.