My homemade black powder

[Matt3357]

I agree the meat grinder would be ideal, but I don't think the girlfriend would like me running willow charcoal through the meat grinder attachment on her brand new Kitchenaide mixer. I'll be keeping a look out at the garage sales this spring.

Matt

[EOD3]

Hey, if that Kitchenaid can't stand up to willow charcoal, you need to find out ASAP before it lets you (her) down at an inopportune time.

PS: The "gear box" in the Kitchenaid has a neoprene gear that's supposed to be the first to break. Order one now and she may never find out about the charcoal..

[Matt3357]

If all of a sudden I stop posting on here, you'll know what happened. Just call the police and tell them to look in the meat grinder, she'll have fixed it and then run me through it to hide the evidence.

[PatMarlin]

My meat grinder makes pretty quick work of it. Of that whole batch I got about a cup and a half of screenings that had to be ran in my mortar and pestle. I tell you guys, its really great to have a sounding board to bounce ideas around. I started this project thinking I was a little odd for wanting to do it, glad to know I'm not the only one...

Definitely no alone as we're all odd balls here Atom..

Great thread!~

[Matt3357]

I think that is why I like it here so much, we all have the same mind set, even if everyone else thinks I am a little crazy and obsessive

[Charlie Sometimes]

There have been other threads on here about this very topic.
I've read just about all of them- just can't get around to actually doing it.
That will be changing very soon, I hope.

I've got a book or two on this somewhere, along with flint knapping, blacksmithing, brain tanning, etc.
I'd like to think that I have gained a lot of "survival" knowledge from reading and doing things like this, and could really do most of it IF I had too- don't really want to HAVE to though, if you know what I mean.
I'm getting too old for finding out, but the way things are going these days, we just might get to test our skills regularly very soon.

[Ron60]

Just to add to the chatter; in 1974 I was working at Green River Rifle Works in Roosevelt Utah. Several of my friends were working out at the Green River Powder mill loading a truck with a just finished batch of powders ready to be shipped. This was about 5 - 6 miles from the rifle works. We felt the place shake and everyone knew instantly what happened. Everyone at the mill was lost. There was nothing left to bury. To this day no one knows what happend. Moral of the story: even at $25 per pound Alaska prices it's a good deal - - -
But you know - I still think I'd like to try making a little =)

[Charlie Sometimes]

Today, I was going through some boxes of stuff I had put away and found a copy of Army TM31-210 Improvised Munitions (from back in my Marine Security Guard training days)! Forgot I had it. I lost so much stuff several years ago when I was flooded, I can't remember what I have or don't have sometimes.
It has LOTS of different and VERY INTERESTING information in it on various concoctions. It has a very good "how-to" chapter on BP, as well.
I intend to peruse it further next week, as the chance presents itself.

[Charlie Sometimes]

Just to add to the chatter; in 1974 I was working at Green River Rifle Works in Roosevelt Utah. Several of my friends were working out at the Green River Powder mill loading a truck with a just finished batch of powders ready to be shipped. This was about 5 - 6 miles from the rifle works. We felt the place shake and everyone knew instantly what happened. Everyone at the mill was lost. There was nothing left to bury. To this day no one knows what happend. Moral of the story: even at $25 per pound Alaska prices it's a good deal - - -
But you know - I still think I'd like to try making a little =)

STATIC is probably what happened. From everything I have read about large manufacturing facilities of BP and their operations, that is what caused explosions 99% of the time.

The above scenerio occured around the time OSHA was created, IIRC. Knowing how they "regulate" things now, I wonder what safety precautions were utilized back then without that agencies guidelines? Not trying to place blame on anyone, but I would suspect someone short cut a "standard" practice.

That might be part of the reason federal regulations make you store it in such small batches. But that doesn't explain why the companies that transport it have issues with it (other than making more money in charging fees for transporting it)- I've never heard of a BIG BROWN truck circling the moon yet.

[waksupi]

Just to add to the chatter; in 1974 I was working at Green River Rifle Works in Roosevelt Utah. Several of my friends were working out at the Green River Powder mill loading a truck with a just finished batch of powders ready to be shipped. This was about 5 - 6 miles from the rifle works. We felt the place shake and everyone knew instantly what happened. Everyone at the mill was lost. There was nothing left to bury. To this day no one knows what happend. Moral of the story: even at $25 per pound Alaska prices it's a good deal - - -
But you know - I still think I'd like to try making a little =)

Ron, I remember when that happened. Too bad for the workers, and the powder. It was some good stuff. I think I still have one of the empty cans around somewhere.

[I Haines]

I'm in the US not Mexico so the federales aren't around. In the US it is legal for your own use. I talked to both the ATF & the DEA about it to make sure that I hadn't misread the law. The DEA because some chems that can be used in primers are on there "list" & I wanted to make sure that it was ok for me to buy them.

This is what I found on another ML website-

(d) Except for the purposes of subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j) of section 844 of this title, "explosives" means any chemical compound mixture, or device, the primary or common purpose of which is to function by explosion- the term includes, but is not limited to, dynamite and other high explosives, black powder, pellet powder, initiating explosives, detonators, safety fuses, squibs, detonating cord, igniter cord, and igniters.

(h) "Manufacturer" means any person engaged in the business of manufacturing explosive materials for purposes of sale of distribution or for his own use.

(n) "Distribute" means sell, issue, give, transfer, or otherwise dispose of.

[perotter]

Here is the full law:

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text....1.3.5&idno=27

The part that applies here:

(a) General. Except for the provisions of §§555.180 and 555.181, this part does not apply to:

(4) Small arms ammunition and components of small arms ammunition.

Here is 555.180:

(a) No person shall manufacture any plastic explosive that does not contain a detection agent.

Also:

http://www.atf.gov/publications/down...f-p-5400-7.pdf

In part:

16. Is small arms ammunition subject to regulation under Federal explosives laws?
No. The law specifically exempts small arms ammunition and components thereof.

37. When is a manufacturer’s license required?
....... Persons who manufacture explosives for their personal, non-business use are not required to have a manufacturer’s license.

[Charlie Sometimes]

Thank you perotter for adding more to clarify the "legalese" injected into the discussion, and posting a link for all to read for further and ensure compliance with the intent of the law.

If someone is going to quote LAWS, I think you should quote all of it, and not just pieces of it, to avoid confusion and misunderstanding. Or, you can FULLY DISCLOSE YOUR SOURCE, by providing a link for READING the whole thing to ensure no mistunderstanding and get full intent, then quote (as perotter did). "Another ML site" is not good enough for me- the CFR site IS.

Interpretation is sometimes critical- and perotter did the right things by pursuing further clarification from the BATFE and DEA in his area, to ensure compliance and avoid unintentional legal problems.

Partial quotation of law is like quoting from the Bible. Pieces taken out of context don't always mean what you are attempting to equate them to without the full content, and can cause division and derision. The Bible says "Prove all things."- good advice in more than just religion.

Don't pick out the piece "Thou shalt not." and stop there, without providing the why and wherefores, or the exceptions to the rules.

[atom73]

Good call, thanks for posting the 'rules'. I felt that i was in the clear (even though would continue to make my own regardless) based on what I have heard others say but that really isnt solid proof. So thank you for doing the legwork for the rest of us.
Mike

[EOD3]

Most people that post "rules" are well intentioned but they typically conduct their research from the point of view of "prove my opinion is correct". Want to start a real argument, start discussing the ins & outs of firearm suppressors. People will come flying out of the woodwork to demand you stop discussing one of the "forbidden knowledge" topics. Here in the Peoples Republic, 8 out of 10 people will INSIST switchblade knives are illegal. To bad it isn't true.

Let the war begin...

[Old Ironsights]

...Let the war begin...

Ragnarok & Roll Baby!

[Charlie Sometimes]

I pruned some apple trees yesterday, and there were some pretty nice pieces laying around. I am going to strip the bark off them tomorrow and let them dry out a little, before I attempt to make some apple wood charcoal. The grain is pretty dense, and looks like a good candidate for a BP component.
I haven't got to pruning the black willow trees yet. Winter weather has finally given way, and I am busy playing catch up on more pressing spring needs before it turns nasty again (you know it will at least two more times before spring officially arrives). It ain't like they are going to sprout legs and walk away, huh?

[EOD3]

Yep, day before yesterday it was wet and dreary, today EVERYTHING is budding or blooming... Maybe I overslept.

[perotter]

One thing that I've seen come up on threads of this nature, is that it is illegal to talk or write about this topic. That is only true in the following when there is intent of committing a crime:

http://www.atf.gov/publications/down...f-p-5400-7.pdf

Page 5 I think.

"(A) to teach or demonstrate the making or use of an explosive, a destructive device, or a weapon of mass destruction, or to distribute by any means information pertaining to, in whole or in part, the manufacture or use of an explosive, destructive device, or weapon of mass destruction, with the intent that the teaching, demonstration, or information be used for, or in furtherance of, an activity that [B]constitutes a Federal crime of violence[/B]; or

(B) to teach or demonstrate to any person the making or use of an explosive, a destructive device, or a weapon of mass destruction, or to distribute to any person, by any means, information pertaining to, in whole or in part, the manufacture or use of an explosive, destructive device, or weapon of mass destruction, knowing that such person intends to use the teaching, demonstration, or information for, or in furtherance of, an activity that constitutes a Federal crime of violence."

Bold I added.

[perotter]

Made another batch today with my little girls. Pressed some of it into pellets that I will wrap in tissue paper 3 at a time so I can just dump the whole mess in the muzzle when loading. I used a 45acp with the web cut off (just a brass tube) and pressed it in. Then, pushed out the moist pellet with a pencil (eraser end) and let them dry. Burn test tomorrow.

Mike

Mike,

How did they work out?