%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %% %% %% ========================== %% %% FORMULAS FOR BLACK POWDER! %% %% ========================== %% %% %% %% Typed by %% %% --==**>>THE REFLEX<<**==-- %% %% [Member: Omnipotent, Inc.] %% %% %% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Gunpowder is the great-grandaddy of all the rest of the high- and low- power explosives, and still to this day is one of the most important explosives. As with all the rest of the explosive formulas, it seems everyone has his own recipe, which he claims to be the best. I have collected 11 of the safer, more functional methods of preparing gunpowder. The most important thing to remember when dealing with black powder is its incredible sensitivity to sparks. Rember that all the formulas provided are in weight rather than volume percentage. Formulas for Black Powder: -------------------------- 1) potassium percholorate 69.2 sulfur 15.4 charcoal 15.4 2) potassium chlorate 75 charcoal 12.5 sulfur 12.5 3) potassium nitrate 70.4 sulfur 19.4 sodium sulfate 10.2 4) potassium nitrate 79 sulfur 3 straw charcoal 18 5) potassium nitrate 64 sulfur 12 lamp black 7 sawdust 17 6) potassium nitrate 79 sulfur 3 antimony sulfate 18 7) potassium nitrate 50 ammonium perchlorate 25 sulfur 12.5 powdered charcaol 12.5 8) potassium nitrate 37.5 starch 37.5 sulfur 18.75 antimony powder 5.9 9) barium nitrate 75 sulfur 12.5 charcoal 12.5 10) guanidine nitrate 49 potassium nitrate 40 charcoal 11 11) sodium peroxide 67 sodium thiosulphate 33 When preparing black powder for use in firearms, it is important to keep in mind that these formulas are more powerful than the ordinary potassium nitrate gunpowder, and for that reason smaller quantities should be used. The correct amount can only be dicovered by trial-and-error experimentation, but caution must be taken to prevent overloading. Although black powder is one of the safest explosives, is has disadvantages: It is extremely sensitive to sparks; and it leaves a muddy residue in gun barrels, which necessitates frequent cleaning. The advantage of smokeless powder is that it is an extremely stable high-powered explosive in the low-explosive class, which gives off only gaseous products upon explosion. The first type of smokeless powder used by the army was basically nitrocellulose with a small amount of diphenylamine, for stabilizer. Smokeless powder is perhaps the safest of any explosive compound, and for that reason is extremely popular today.