My homemade black powder

[Avenger442]

Well guys I went to the range to shoot the BP cartridges yesterday. Unfortunately had a pistol malfunction. Probably due to the other cartridges I shot before I got to the black powder. They were loaded with Titegroup and my measure on the press must have not been accurate enough or I may have miss read the scale when I checked the measure. They were too stout now I'm having cylinder issues. I was counting on the strength of the stainless Ruger to handle the loads. Probably should have stopped right after I shot the first couple and disassembled the loads. Hope I didn't bend or break something.

[FLASHMAN]

HI ----
finally got registered --after a long struggle !

Can any expert ==advise me --why home ground /milled BP
is so dull /lacklustre /delayed --
ever since I started DRY milling with lead in a 3 lb metal tumbler -well insulated
oN wooden blcks ----belt drive -- 66 RPM

As I live in rural African bush --Its illegal to import black powder
so -- I have been making my own for 2 years --- GOOD results by hand grinding -
sun -drying ---fine sieve --

first wet milling --yielded great results --coarser powder --then crushed in a wood mortar
flashed off fast brilliant --with just a few sparks from a old frizzen /flint !

I was delighted
fired 50 CAL rough slug from my TotaL home built PERCUSSION cap rifle
( see all fotos ) 2 years now

I then built a flintlock pistol ---and modified the flint caliper/hammer --to a percussion
cap ---pistol (less messy than flashpan ) --easier to make side;lock parts--from scrap steel
8 mm calibre--10 inch barrel ---sod to load narrow bore
added 5%dextrin to gp --to prevent crystalising out of Saltpetre during drying --

added2% graphite --to assist pouring into 8mm barrel


fires silvery powder from fireworks --50 grains of roman candle powder
Very efficiently /powerfully ---but its un-economical--decided on good old BP

Yet my home made black powder -in comparison -is a delayed lacklustre I second
interval bang --- FLASH off test ---needs a lighted flaring match to ignite --

BURNS AWFULLY SLOWLY!
Penetration & MV Is VERY poor---would only wound /maim a game animal --
Slug hits sideways ( tumbles % 10 meters)

can anyone improve my method technique of creating the DIY GP ?

using a very fine digital scale to measure the 75 /15 /10 % components
hardwood charcoal
commercial saltpetre --( chemist ) --sulphur

all worked well before --by mixing with water -paste -ground in a mortar

but many experts say 6 hour fine milling /dry milling in a tumbler --with lead
balls ---produces a faster more volatile GP
well MINE has failed ---sadly

appreciate any help
regards -- FLASHMAN

[FLASHMAN]

Why is finely DRYmilled (6hrs) black powder --std formula ---
so dull /slow to burn /flash off and fire in a cap lock pistol
BP is consistency of talc powder --is this too FINE for CAPLOCK pistol firing ?

a long 1-2 second delay is prelude to main barrel discharge
maybe someone can correct this --as previous ( last years ) mortar & pestle wet paste
ground GP --was courser --fired /flashed SUPERBLY !

So fine milling--adding dextrin & graphite --is a failure ? yet its highly recommended!
appreciate any expert advice
regards

[Nobade]

Flashman, it sounds like you are not corning your powder? After it is milled, it will not burn well. It needs to be wetted slightly and either pressed into pucks, or just made into dough and rubbed through a window screen. The pucks will make it dense like commercial powder (must be ground after they are dry in a few weeks) but screened powder is plenty fast just not dense and durable. You can skip the graphite as well, it doesn't help with homemade powder.

-Nobade

[FLASHMAN]

Well thankyou so much Nobade !
now I have the answer ---too finely milled ---dust bp IS slow!
will go ahead now ---add water to "corn" into a dough /thick paste


but please clarify ----what is a window screen?

is that a glass car window surface?
or a kitchen mesh strainer--fine or coarse?

how does one calibrate particle size of these soft/or brittle black powder shavings that drop off?
I have never seen commercial black powder particles here in the African bush ( illegal to purchase here)
Are they sugar sized particles ?--or salt grains ?or what size roughly --for a cap lock pistol?
I suppose trial & many errors will eventually result in a much better flash?

so do I rub the damp dough ball against wire or aluminium or copper mesh ??

or thu a tea strainer ? when the dough BP BALL IS STILL WET/ ----

so I assume these damp shaved particles are left on newspaper or a flat dish to DRY?
HOW slow to dry out ?--in the sun ?
not sure how to assess when these BP grains are bone dry ---
slightly damp & it fizzles!

ok --will get cracking ---
Very very grateful ---for some very enlightening help !
really appreciate -
Flashman--Zululand

[Tracy]

but please clarify ----what is a window screen?

is that a glass car window surface?
or a kitchen mesh strainer--fine or coarse?

how does one calibrate particle size of these soft/or brittle black powder shavings that drop off?
I have never seen commercial black powder particles here in the African bush ( illegal to purchase here)
Are they sugar sized particles ?--or salt grains ?or what size roughly --for a cap lock pistol?
I suppose trial & many errors will eventually result in a much better flash?

so do I rub the damp dough ball against wire or aluminium or copper mesh ??

Kitchen mesh strainer should work well. Try for grain size of 0.5 mm.
Yes, spread a 5mm layer on newspaper and dry in the sun. When it feels dry it should be good enough.

[Tracy]

What about the boogie- woogie music?

I think you will need to slow it down to 33-1/3 rpm for boogie-woogie music.

[Tracy]

Has anyone tried or heard of using Hibiscus (Rose of Sharon) charcoal? I have a steady supply of it.

[Avenger442]

Flashman
What tree are you using to make your charcoal? Not very familiar with trees in Africa but, what you make your charcoal out of can make a big difference in the power of your powder.

[FLASHMAN]

Apologies --
cannot find my last thread /questions --so I ,ll have to ask here

having a problem --the dried FINELY milled BP was TOO fine
so --A very helpful person -here --
advised me to add water to make a dough "cake "
after drying --the dough cakes should be grated or forced thru mesh -window screen gauze
as us bush wallahs call it in mosquito ridden Zululand

but --all I get from rubbing /scraping the rock hard BP sub dried cake against fine or coarse mesh of
different grades --is more dust /chips -irregular sized particles-!

BUT when ignited --they DO flah quick --vastly betta than the dull inert powder dry milled dust
last week !
so == HOW to get UNIFORM bp granules --like 2 f 3 F -- OR sugar sized granules ?

not chips /lumps & more BP dust ---
Any advice would be most welcome ---
regards ---FLASHMAN ---apologies for posting incorrectly --cannot find my last post /replies
still searching
!

[Nobade]

You grate it through the screen while it is like a dough. That will granulate it, then spread it out on a flat sheet to dry. The grains will be a bit fragile, but it will function as real gunpowder.

-Nobade

[FLASHMAN]

Hi NOBADE --
Finally found you again ! lost my way on this forum --could not find my original questions
--nor your replies --
got here by accident ---just clicked on your name !! weird !

ok ---I am very pleased at your great advice on corning --
but am puzzled by terminology ---and technique u use

what is a screen ?--
ok --maybe a glass screen ? or a wire mesh GAUZE ? as we call it in Africa
ie the soft copper flexible mesh used to keep out mosqitoes?

or a coffee or tea strainer?
I did try to grate the dried cake --I think I told you the mess I made !
all I got was dust & chips & very odd sized particles !
ok I understand the need for Oxygenated gaps between grains of BP

BUT a mesh /wire /strainer --fails with the very brittle BP CAKE CHUNKS
how to scrape or press it thru ??
I have failed over & over
was thinking of a CHEESE STAINLESS STEEL KITCHEN GRATER PYRAMID THING
seems stronger -more robust although the concrete like BP dried cake --is very abrasive
wears the surface quick --all I get is dust & odd fragments

what next ?
am I missing something ?
appreciate your help --I got the dough dried like you advised --
but this granulated screening into regular particles is a mission
many thanks
FLASHMAN

[FLASHMAN]

btw --- THE odd chips & dusty BP does flash very well --superb speed !!huge improvement
but its rocks & boulders & sandy grains all mixed with powder
hard to ram down a 8 mm smoothbore barrel !

[FLASHMAN]

OK voila --found the answer dept finally !
Avenger 442
African hardwood charcoal --the list is endless --made under primitive condition in Central African forests --I could name all species of trees --used mostly Brachystegia ---and mahogany /teak
ironwood /leadwood ---
logs covered in clay soil I huge mounds 30 feet long 7 feet tall -burn slowly for a week
---superb charcoal
( I buy a bag --pulverise in several ball mills I made --no probs

but a serious chemist would only be able to analyse the porous sulphur /saltpetre absorbing qualities

BTW it MELTS HI CARBON --/ vanadium steel axe /spear heads in my bush forge
if given too much bellow blasts -- far superior to store bought rubbish --MUCH hotter!
will post fotos of melted mainsprings /frizzens --on my flintlock last year --if u need proof !
but I was told soft pine charcoal /or willow is best--
so I will proceed to make a batch
many thanks F

[FLASHMAN]

Well -thankyou TRACY
Kitchen mesh strainer ?
proved too flexible --gives way to the brittle cake --or do you mean oa more RIGID SS cheese grater ??
I HAVE TRIED so may combination --just get irregular chunks -sand & lots BP DUST
no nice 0.5 mm regular even particles emerge --obviously its a trade /covert secret
trial & error ---scared of STATIC !! --9 SCRAPING GP against STEEL ?
I keep getting reminded of static ---scary !

[Fly]

Let me see if I can shed some light here. First forget the graphite all together. The Charcoal it the most
important ingredient as far as how fast your powder burns. Pine can be fast but burns way to dirty in fire arms.

Our #1 choice here is black willow. If you have any kind of willow tree that grows there then use it.
Most trees that grow fast work well. Hard wood trees grow very slow & do not make a very good gun powder.

I wish I knew trees you have as we do & maybe be able to help you more.

Fly (Also debark the tree before you cook it into charcoal)

[Nobade]

Re- read Post # 1452. You don't dry the powder and then grate it, but grate it through the kitchen strainer or window screen while it is still wet. Then let it dry after it is reduced to particles.

-Nobade

[FLASHMAN]

Thanks Nobade
I have tried the wet dough like cake --
but how wet ? the black soggy mass --simply smears itself all over the mesh --
all I get is long 1cm spaghetti strands that hang thru the screen mesh

I did wait until the BP cake was firmer drier --like "playdough " as u call it
or window putty firmness
but all that results is tiny long strings /shavings ---that stick /adhere like crazy --to the mesh grid
strainer --very hard to scrape off --looks like spaghetti

that's why I let it dry hard ---ad got dust /ripped mesh wire strainers

ok --there must be a middle ground --maybe potato hard--?
will keep experimenting

really appreciate --those little curls of BP ---do ignite --VERY FAST & FURIOUS when dried
crushed---so I think I am on the right bush track -will persevere--until I "break bad"
many thanks
Flash--

[Boz330]

Blue Gum might work for Charcoal, but if you can find willow that would definitely work.

Everything you need to know is in this Sticky. I know it is a lot of reading but is worth it.

Bob

[Avenger442]

Got the Ruger 44 fixed. Turned out all it needed was a complete disassembly and cleaning with some Frog Lube. So now I can test the home made black powder cartridge loads next time I go to the range. These have five more grains and I think I'm going to try for 25 yards instead of 15. Last loads went to point of aim so expecting these to do the same.