Homemade powder- what was it?

[jonk]

I remember some months ago someone posting about powders and prices, and one guy weighed in "Good thing I know how to make X". It wasn't black powder, it wasn't smokeless. I had never heard of it. I looked it up and sure enough, it was a type of gunpowder I'd not heard of. I think the poster was from Australia or such but that's all I remember and could be wrong.

Now I wanna know JUST BECAUSE

[Leftoverdj]

Mary Pickford?

Expatriates stranded in Singapore during WWII ground old silent films to make shotgun powder, but I'm afraid movies on celluloid are now more scarce than powder.

[inuhbad]

My guess would be he was talking about Cordite. It's incredibly easy stuff to make yourself if you have a sizable knowledge of chemistry and the right chemicals.

Leftoverdj, I'm not sure (I could be mistaken), but I think modern ping-pong balls are still made of celluloid.

According to some reference and chemical books I've read, before it dries it holds extremely similar properties to blasting gelatin.

[jonk]

I think it had ammonium nitrate in it.

[lylejb]

if it had ammonium nitrate it would be corrosive!! probably worse than actual black powder. i don't think i would want that in my guns....

[Rocky Raab]

Vitamin C makes a decent gunpowder. Honest. That was the major ingredient in a gunpowder that used to be sold as "(something) Gold". It was made here in Utah as an offshoot of a blasting powder the company made from the same stuff. They still make the blasting agent.

[Firebird]

There is a "white" powder recipe that uses table sugar for the fuel (instead of carbon as in black powder). There is a "red" powder that uses iron oxide (rust) for the oxidizer (instead of potassium nitrate). All a recipe needs is a fuel and an oxidizer, and sometimes a secondary fuel to keep the reaction going (the role of sulfur in black powder) and to have everything in proper proportion for the chemical reaction that occurs.

Here's a link to some interesting recipes.

[trooperdan]

I beleive it was ammonpulver, described in the links below:

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?p=870652

http://forum1.aimoo.com/Cast___Booli...-1-466864.html

ammonpulver is 85 percetn ammonium nitrate, 15 percent charcoal. It has been used in rifle ammunition but the crystals of ammonium nitrate go through a phase change at about 30 C, as I recall, a fairly low temp anyway. The phase change breaks down the powder grains and increases the burning rate, probably to unsafe levels.

[jonk]

Bingo, that was it. Ammonpulver.

[looseprojectile]

In my days as an auto mechanic I have had the experience of screwdriver handles burning like smokeless powder. Probably old celluloid. Always wondered what would happen if I_____? It would take a lot of careful experimenting.
I am glad that the powder companies do what they do for us in the form of burning rates of smokeless powder. Just because, I prefer to know what to expect when I pull the trigger.
I am one of those that wondered what would happen if you mixed gasoline with amonium nitrate instead of diesel. This kind of experimentation is not something you should do at home. I have participated in testing Dynamite using steel plates and measuring the deformation to determine it's power. I have made thousands of gallons of Napalm.
I have worked for the Hercules powder company at a manufacturing plant.
Lots of safety rules, precautions and equipment.
The inventor/owner of Pyrodex died in a plant explosion in Washington state.
Just a few thoughts on the subject.

Life is good

[MtGun44]

Maybe we should change the name of the thread to "How to convert you Winchester
into a pipe bomb" ?

Not that brave or desperate.

Bill

[Lloyd Smale]

or is your life worth $20 a pound

[jdgabbard]

If I had to make my own, I think I'd stick with black powder. It seems much safer to make and use.

[jonk]

From what I've read, the ammonpulver is very easy to make and rather hard to ignite, often requiring a kicker charge- and low pressure to boot.

As long as you keep it under 86 degrees.

That's a pretty stringent rule and would make me nervous.

I just like learning about what can be done even if I don't plan on doing it though.

[leadeye]

I'm with Lloyd on that one, it's not worth the cost of new powder. Worked in the chemical industry for thirty years and saw three big fires, it's different when you get paid to take risks like that.

[Mtman314]

I have read that during one of the world wars {i believe ww1} that the germans used ammonia nitrate in place of gunpowder due to a lack of gunpowder. they had to coat the inside of the brass with a varnish in order to keep the ammonia nitrate from going inert by touching the brass. Like I said I read it I don't have info on it.

I was working in the chemical plant portion of the foundry when we were adding Ammonia nitrate to the slurry and the guys were smoking while cutting open the bags. They didn't believe me until the supervisor went down and chewed them out for being stupid.

[briang]

Reminds me of the time a saw a guy smoke while sitting on the cage full of propane tanks.

[lead Foot]

Making your own powder is forte with danger, proceed at your peril. This is a great thread I just love reading about this stuff. It amazes me the amount of knowledge people on this forum have.
Lead foot;

[Jim]

http://onlinebooks.110mb.com/tm%2031...-210-01-09.htm

Here's another variation. Of coarse, this is for entertainment purposes only.

[Mtman314]

I've also heard that if you have to stretch Black powder mix it in equal portions with sugar. A lb to a lb with no drop in power. Of course the cleanup might be a bit sticky {pun intended} and need to clean alot more often.