Reloading EverythingInline FabricationRotoMetals2Titan Reloading
Load DataRepackboxLee PrecisionMidSouth Shooters Supply
Wideners

Thread: My homemade black powder

  1. #2341
    Boolit Master




    Boz330's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Central Kentucky
    Posts
    3,961
    I mostly hunt with my home made powder. I got a Shiloh in 40-50SS back in 17 and worked this load up for deer hunting. Just ran across it and thought I would put it up.
    It is a duplex load to make practice easier by not having to clean or blow tube after each shot. Sometimes I am just pushed for practice time. The boolit is a 325gr flat point. It does a nice job.

    Bob
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 40-50  HM Group 001.jpg  
    GUNFIRE! The sound of Freedom!

  2. #2342
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    843
    I've stopped telling people that I make my own powder, even other BP shooters tell me that I'm nuts and going to blow myself up. Most of the time I get that weird look and get told how dangerous it is. My basic rules are be careful and cleanup any spills as you go, never use anything that could spark, mix well with a ball mill using a none sparking medium, only make small batches, I make about a 1/4 pound at a time and the most important rule of all is don't tell the wife you are making it, .
    The only local BP vendor in my area charges $29.95 per pound for Geox and the best I can get it on line is around $18.00 per pound plus hazmat. Home made is costing me about $7.00 a pound right now using locally purchased materials and I've been able to produce a decent screened product. What's not to like about making your own BP.
    Last edited by Eddie2002; 02-05-2019 at 11:54 PM.

  3. #2343
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    2,287
    Many here start out with this one. https://www.harborfreight.com/catalo...q=rock+tumbler

    Fly

  4. #2344
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    843
    Markhan, I'm using a home made ball mill/tumbler. I worked in the medical profession as a repair technician and pack ratted a lot of old parts pulled from different equipment. Ended up with a bunch of 24 volt DC gear reduction motors that turn around 45 RPM with 12 volts. I'm using one to power a 5 gallon tumbler which I originally used to tumble range brass for my center fire rifles. Instead of using the entire 5 gallon bucket for BP I fill an empty plastic 1 lb smokeless powder jar with medium and the final components, put it in the bucket and have it roll inside the tumbler as it spins. So far it works great for small batches around 1/4 lb.
    Next time I make a batch I'll take some pictures of the setup, it's a little rough looking and different from the usual designs posted here but so far has served it's purpose with no problems.

  5. #2345
    Boolit Master
    swamp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Posts
    1,162
    I use the HF dual drum for a ball mill. Don't overload and it works fine.
    swmp
    There is no problem so great, that it cannot be solved by the proper application of high explosives.

  6. #2346
    Boolit Buddy Liberty1776's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    The Free State of Arizona
    Posts
    384
    Have you seen this youtube video on how to make homemade black powder?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm-7WzUrmzo

    By weight:
    75% Potassium Nitrate (dehydrate in an oven for 25 min at 250 degrees)
    15% charcoal
    10% sulfur

    Before combining, pulverize each ingredient separately in a small blender to make finest possible particle size.

    After pulverizing, stir together using non-metallic tools -- paper cups and plastic straws.

    Did this when I was 10 years old, but didn't pulverize the ingredients into that fine a powder. Ended up with comparatively coarse mixture. Still, it burned well.
    Last edited by Liberty1776; 02-07-2019 at 12:49 AM.

  7. #2347
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    2,287
    Well those motors are easy to find, & inexpensive if it ever needs replacing.

    That's cool! Fly

  8. #2348
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    2,287
    Those presses work just find.

    Fly

  9. #2349
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Northern Cal
    Posts
    124
    Let me be the first to point out the content of that jar is NOT black powder. If it was black powder there would be a large hole in the ground after the boom.
    I am the one your mom warned you about!

  10. #2350
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Northern Cal
    Posts
    124
    Quote Originally Posted by Markham View Post
    You need pressure for an explosion.
    I do speak from experience, that plastic jug gives enough pressure to make a crater. To qualify my comment, I along with a few other military vets with demolition experience have spent a lot of time over the last couple of years testing what different explosives (tannerite, flash powder, and black powder) are capable of. Always under the supervision of a local LEO who is on the EOD team. (I'm in California and it pays to keep everything legal.) We use what we have learned to help teach safe practices when we get new folks into our muzzleloading clubs.
    I am the one your mom warned you about!

  11. #2351
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    843
    Not enough boom for an entire pound of powder, maybe around a 1/4 pound or less. A full pound would of cleaned off the ground down to bare earth. Still nothing to laugh at, it would do some serious hurt.

  12. #2352
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Northern Cal
    Posts
    124
    Quote Originally Posted by indian joe View Post
    I love arguing with experts so here goes
    1) no way was that a pound of powder otherwise it would have ignited as soon as the burn entered the top of the container NO there was maybe an ounce of powder at the bottom of the container (whos gonna waste a pound of good powder anyway)
    2) however that burn was typical of an open air ignition of a small quantity of unconfined blackpowder - one pound you would have got a decent "WHOOF" noise , a huge cloud of smoke, really big flash fire - blew the little plastic can apart , but NO big hole in the ground NOR anything blown up - NO EXPLOSION!!!! - just a great big fireball and lots and lots of smoke - you could do this in a suburban backyard and the only harm would be a big black patch burnt on the lawn (and scare the daylights out of the people next door)

    A mate and I wasted 15 pounds of blackpowder many years ago trying to blow stuff up (we bought a 50 pound bag at an auction for three dollars but I still am annoyed at myself for wasting it) It didnt happen then wont happen now UNLESS you confine the charge THEN things go kaboom

    So -- You post a video of a an open top, plastic, one pound can of true blackpowder blowing a crater in the ground and I will send you money for the powder .
    You will never hear me say I am an expert in anything. I do however have some bit of experience making things go boom. Let's just say that that jar with a pound of our black powder, and let's say the fuse on the bottom, 'from my experience' there would be a hole in the ground. Of course it depends on how hard the ground is, what grind you use, etc as to how big the hole is.
    I am more interested where you got 50 pounds of powder for $3. I want you with me when I negotiate the price on my next truck.
    I am the one your mom warned you about!

  13. #2353
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    2,287
    Well I don't know, but being that was Goex it proves nothing. I shot some years ago when it first came out. I never had
    so many hang fires in my life. I have always said if I had to shoot that stuff instead of real BP I would give up muzzle loaders
    altogether.

    Fly

  14. #2354
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    2,287
    Joe you are spot on, I had a brain fade (again)! I was thinking about Pyrodex, not Goex. That's why I said (if I had to shoot that stuff instead of real BP ).
    Thank you for your correction. When I don,t shoot home made I do shoot Goex. My Bad!

    Fly

  15. #2355
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Northern Cal
    Posts
    124
    The Goex in that video was not black powder. It was Goex's version of Pyrodex. Which was my point in the first place. I was in Iowa at a Scheels a couple of months ago and asked a sales person for some real black powder and the guy didn't realize there was a difference. He actually told me it was the same thing. I thank the stars for Fly and this forum so that I am not dependent on commercial powder.
    Last edited by Hotfxr; 02-09-2019 at 06:29 PM.
    I am the one your mom warned you about!

  16. #2356
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    2,287
    Ya man, maybe that's what mixed me up. It has been years since I bought any BP. I still have a small amount, but making it is
    so much cheaper & fun.

    Take care my friend, Fly

  17. #2357
    Boolit Master



    Dieselhorses's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Southeast Louisiana
    Posts
    1,313
    Well after 2 weeks (off and on) I was able to dl this thread to present (this page). Very valuable info which I'll probably read over and over. Like for one, have to go back and find out about all this "pressing" BP into "pucks" is all about and research all the prime trees to make charcoal out of! I killed 2 birds with one stone by running across the "Paulownia" or "Royal Empress" tree here. Been trying to find a very fast growing shade tree to put in front of house!
    The unexamined life is not worth living....Socrates
    Pain, is just weakness leaving the body....USMC
    Fast is fine, but accuracy is FINAL!....Wyatt Earp

  18. #2358
    Boolit Master



    Dieselhorses's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Southeast Louisiana
    Posts
    1,313
    Quote Originally Posted by indian joe View Post
    I agree 100 percent - been there - done this experiment - which is why I issued the challenge to Hotfxr - however get enough of this stuff in a pile and it does go kaboom - big time - BP plants blew up with monotonous regularity in the olde days - in those circumstances the buildings became the pressure vessel and the quantity of powder involved was likely tonnes - and everything was coated in a fine layer of powder dust - flash ignition of loose dust and or small quantities of spilled powder on benches etc needs to be seen to be believed.

    The guy in the video was dumb - his fuse was way too short in that demo - if he had got ignition from a stray spark when he lit that he woulda lost eyebrows, half his hair and maybe an eye
    If the powder in the video would have been ignited from the "bottom" it would have different results. Like you said about the factories, the "weight" of BP alone can cause all the pressure it needs to make a bigger BOOM! I wonder if the variation in pressure can meter the results? Probably not.
    The unexamined life is not worth living....Socrates
    Pain, is just weakness leaving the body....USMC
    Fast is fine, but accuracy is FINAL!....Wyatt Earp

  19. #2359
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    2,287
    Paulownia" or "Royal Empress charcoal is one of the best. I have made much of it. Problem is it is very hard to find in most areas. It is a Chinese
    tree & very invasive. I have one growing in my front yard. A fireworks friend of mind in Kentucky was selling charcoal made of it because he had
    plenty growing around him. (long story). Any way it is not worth your time trying to sell it. He quit.

    Fly

  20. #2360
    Boolit Master



    Dieselhorses's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Southeast Louisiana
    Posts
    1,313
    Quote Originally Posted by Fly View Post
    Paulownia" or "Royal Empress charcoal is one of the best. I have made much of it. Problem is it is very hard to find in most areas. It is a Chinese
    tree & very invasive. I have one growing in my front yard. A fireworks friend of mind in Kentucky was selling charcoal made of it because he had
    plenty growing around him. (long story). Any way it is not worth your time trying to sell it. He quit.

    Fly
    So a “Chinese Tallow” AKA “popcorn tree” wouldn’t be a close cousin would it?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    The unexamined life is not worth living....Socrates
    Pain, is just weakness leaving the body....USMC
    Fast is fine, but accuracy is FINAL!....Wyatt Earp

Page 118 of 403 FirstFirst ... 1868108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128168218 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check