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Thread: Homemade primer compounds

  1. #21
    Boolit Master 0verkill's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by perotter View Post
    When doing things in the safest manner, several non-corrosive formulas and methods are safer to do than the corrosive ones.

    There is nothing that will explode until after the mix has dried in the cup. So really when safety is the top goal, non-corrosive is they way to go.
    Such as?

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
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    Refer to US Pat #5538569./5567252. etc
    Last edited by john.k; 04-05-2021 at 07:06 AM.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by 0verkill View Post
    Such as?
    Those of hypophosphite for one. There are also others, but some are a bit expensive to get what's needed.

    FWIW. It's also the easiest one for most to get what is needed to make non-corrosives from.

  4. #24
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    There is a new primer reloading forum on MeWe Here:
    https://mewe.com/group/5ffcbdeadbcef71f84e867ef
    Or here:
    https://mewe.com/join/primerreloading

  5. #25
    Boolit Master

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    Thanks for the link Traffer. Looks like it's an excellent and very active forum on this topic.

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by perotter View Post
    Thanks for the link Traffer. Looks like it's an excellent and very active forum on this topic.
    They would be very happy to see someone with your knowledge and expertise join in the on that forum. I think you could help them a lot.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Traffer View Post
    They would be very happy to see someone with your knowledge and expertise join in the on that forum. I think you could help them a lot.
    Thank you. I did join, but haven't posted. Name there is different than here.

    I might be able to offer a bit on increasing the number made per hour, etc. I'm more of production engineer than a prototype person. I also do have some other compounds that work that are good candidates DIY. Also, personally I like the ones that little to nothing has to be purchased.

    In all honesty I'd rather be working on DIY smokeless powder that I feel comfortable putting out to anyone interested. Having been laid up and unable to finish moving my shop, reloading area and lab for a few months I've had time to be able to find recent information that may allow anyone but a complete fool to be able to get a safe, give a satisfactory result and isn't corrosive. And at a cost of much less than any store bought powder and a long shelf live.

    While I do think there are some holes in the current state of affairs in DIY primers(both compounds and making cups/anvils), given what Marshall has put out there I think the biggest DIY hole is now smokeless powder. After that of course making cartridge cases on a smaller scale but a higher scale than turning on a lathe.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by perotter View Post
    Thank you. I did join, but haven't posted. Name there is different than here.

    I might be able to offer a bit on increasing the number made per hour, etc. I'm more of production engineer than a prototype person. I also do have some other compounds that work that are good candidates DIY. Also, personally I like the ones that little to nothing has to be purchased.

    In all honesty I'd rather be working on DIY smokeless powder that I feel comfortable putting out to anyone interested. Having been laid up and unable to finish moving my shop, reloading area and lab for a few months I've had time to be able to find recent information that may allow anyone but a complete fool to be able to get a safe, give a satisfactory result and isn't corrosive. And at a cost of much less than any store bought powder and a long shelf live.

    While I do think there are some holes in the current state of affairs in DIY primers(both compounds and making cups/anvils), given what Marshall has put out there I think the biggest DIY hole is now smokeless powder. After that of course making cartridge cases on a smaller scale but a higher scale than turning on a lathe.
    Thanks for the reply. I have been curious about the drawing process for making primer cups and rimfire cartridges but lack any ability to make them. I do like to try and inspire others to join in on the collective work though.
    I never even considered the ability to manufacture smokeless powder. I am chemistry illiterate but it would be fantastic if the ability were available.

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy ofitg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by perotter View Post

    In all honesty I'd rather be working on DIY smokeless powder that I feel comfortable putting out to anyone interested. Having been laid up and unable to finish moving my shop, reloading area and lab for a few months I've had time to be able to find recent information that may allow anyone but a complete fool to be able to get a safe, give a satisfactory result and isn't corrosive. And at a cost of much less than any store bought powder and a long shelf live.
    Perotter, I will second Traffer's motion - it would be fantastic to have that info available.
    "Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto."

    - Thomas Jefferson


  10. #30
    Boolit Master

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    Making a smokeless powder that is based on ammonium nitrate is simple, but needs some chemicals to make it burn fast enough to work well in small arms. A version of this was used a bit early on in Russia for the Mosin rifle. But doesn't work well/last long humid climates. But will give modern fps. Also such a powder is the holy grail of propellants because of cost(etc) and is still worked on by large companies.

    In fact it was a post about ammonium nitrate powder that first lead me to this forum and my 1st post was all the detail about what I'd made. That caused a bit of problem, but I really shouldn't say more about that.

    As for NC powder, while I made 100 grains 10 years or so ago, the first problem is stabilizing it. Talking boiling in water several times for hours. But recently a Russian chemist came up with a way to quickly, inexpensively and simply 100% stabilize it. So that's solved as far as I know.

    The next is getting or making nitric acid. Recently I found that the simple Ostwald process(made from just ammonia) can be done cheaply and inexpensively on a small scale at home. I knew is could be done with a catalytic converter from a car, but they aren't free and would be much bigger than I want for may use. Also allows for making other nitrates. So that is solved for me without having to buy things to make it.

    Also I recently came across a new NC mixed with a nitrate that is smokeless, bulky and is of a lower pressure than most. That nitrate is simple to make or cheaply buy(currently). While it wouldn't give the fps in most cases that a normal purchased powder would, it would be fairly safe for most to use for loading without getting into trouble. But like each different lot of a surplus powder, each batch one makes would have to be tested in a few round before deciding how much to use.

    As I currently have and can buy(inexpensively) raw NC I'm going to start with that before I make NC from scratch. But I need go get the rifle I use for pressure/pressure curve testing. Then I do some testing that isn't an estimate(guess) and get a faster thumps up or down.

    This would be for a general public powder. Of course there are a few people I trust to use their head and will give other information to about 'full' power powders.

    I'll pm you guys about as things happen. I really don't know a lot about chemistry and have little formal schooling in it. But I figure if a person can take a recipe for say cookies and get edible cookies, they can make smokeless powder.

  11. #31
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    Don't kid yourself. You may not have the credentials, but you have the brains and know how. Thanks for sharing with us not so smart folk.
    Ron

  12. #32
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I used to Pooh-Pooh stuff like this. Easy to do when commercial products are easy to get, and not too expensive. I was lucky enough to prepare and build up a decent stockpile. Thus no "need".

    I believe the current situation is likely to level out in the next year, but what if it doesn't? Most people do not have the money to buy at ridiculous prices. What if laws are passed that limit how much you can buy at one time or ban interstate transport?

    Knowledge is power!!

    Most people will be like me. We will follow with interest those who are forging the path and will take that path if we need to. We are either too lazy to do the work, or scared of working with stuff that can blow us up.

    Age factors in as well. I am 70 and it is not too onerous to maintain a lifetime supply. Younger people have the double whammy of normally having less extra money to invest in preparedness and needing a much larger cache of stuff to last a lifetime. If I was in my thirties I would view the knowledge to produce powder and primers as a high priority. Our country is decaying and things will get worse...much worse...over the next 20-30 years.
    Don Verna


  13. #33
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by MrWolf View Post
    Don't kid yourself. You may not have the credentials, but you have the brains and know how. Thanks for sharing with us not so smart folk.
    Ron
    It's not that I'm so smart and likely you and a large number of people here could do it if they wanted. It's that I need to have projects that take a lot of thought and research. It's to old idle mind is the devils workshop, so I have some project always in the works. For me normal reloading was like that for a while until I got to the point where somewhat the same problem-different day.

    Also I grew up around and interacted with the previous generation that seem to be able to do anything there was. Like need piston rings for an engine that parts aren't available for? No big deal, just make them. Points for an engine? Make them. Can't afford something, make it. And they were willing to apply for patents for various things they came up with that were more complicated. Kind of learned that these things were how one should go about life.

    I'm old and have enough primers and powder to last me the rest of my life unless for some reason I decided to shot a lot more than I have for the last 10-15 years.

  14. #34
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by dverna View Post
    I used to Pooh-Pooh stuff like this. Easy to do when commercial products are easy to get, and not too expensive. I was lucky enough to prepare and build up a decent stockpile. Thus no "need".

    I believe the current situation is likely to level out in the next year, but what if it doesn't? Most people do not have the money to buy at ridiculous prices. What if laws are passed that limit how much you can buy at one time or ban interstate transport?

    Knowledge is power!!

    Most people will be like me. We will follow with interest those who are forging the path and will take that path if we need to. We are either too lazy to do the work, or scared of working with stuff that can blow us up.

    Age factors in as well. I am 70 and it is not too onerous to maintain a lifetime supply. Younger people have the double whammy of normally having less extra money to invest in preparedness and needing a much larger cache of stuff to last a lifetime. If I was in my thirties I would view the knowledge to produce powder and primers as a high priority. Our country is decaying and things will get worse...much worse...over the next 20-30 years.
    Since I was a teen on and off I've done primers and some propellent just for fun. Showed a few people during the shortages of the 1990's how to do it. Twenty plus years ago I spent a bit of time on propellents. While I did do some smokeless to the point of being comfortable with the results, I mainly made and used many pounds white powder.

    During the last shortage I happened across a guy who at a late age had bought his first gun and was only able to buy one box of ammo. So he decided to start reloading but couldn't get primers or powder. So I walked him thru how to do it. So being new to it all he really got into both shooting and DIY. We ended up being good friends.

    So maybe somebody will find my having fun usable, maybe not.

    I have a wide range of interests. There are many projects of others that I follow, but never pick up. But kind file away enough to know that it can be done and if need be I could do it and know the direction to take. For example, alternative fuels.

    Something is out of whack world wide. For some years I've seen that people everywhere sense, but nobody can really say why it's world wide. Who really knows what will happen. Something like the Mayan or Bronze Age collapse?

    By the way. I used up most of my supply of store bought powder before I started to use DIY smokeless exclusively.
    Last edited by perotter; 04-09-2021 at 09:02 PM. Reason: added to

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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