Making black powder?

I actually agree that when you have large quantities of powder (whether home made or not and for use in smokepoles), that it would be prudent to have some sort of storage outside of the home. No need to have a house fire go kaboom!
 
I am making my own since some years ago and I got very good results wit homemade powder.

The main point is to let the ball mill running for at least 4-6 hours and thats all.
 
My current granulation is some place between FFFG and FFFFG.

I know it could be a bit strong for cap and ball revolvers and in line rifles but is the one I'm using with very good results.

From my colt army 1860 is giving me about 900 fps with round balls and more than 1100 fps from my remington 1858 bison from pietta.
 

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Awesome. I've been making my own sifted black powder myself, following brush hippie on youtubes' method, what method do you use?

By the way, welcome to the forum!:)
 
Here's my recipe:

75 % pure potassium nitrate

15 % soft wood charcoal

10 % sulfur

I convert all of it into very fine powder separately, then mix it into the ball mill and let it run for at least 4-6 hours at about 100 rpm.

After that time I moisten it with a mixture of 30/70 water and alcohol with 5% dextrine, molding a paste that at last I work thru a fine mesh to obtain the granulation.

Then I let it dry at a sunny place and in high humidity days I use my oven, hot but obviously not on.

I'll try to upload a video of some shots so you can appreciate the effects.

Please note I always work small quantities, no more than a half pound by lot, in my homemade ball mill with lead balls.
 
I make mine almost exactly the same way you do. Now I'm working on compressing the wet powder into pucks and then grinding it in a coffee bean grinder so it can be measured by volume rather than weight.
 
Not to rain on anyone's parade but BOY it sure seems that some law some where is probably violated in making your own. A lot less hassle just to buy the stuff.
 
Super easy to make, and not at all dangerous if you follow the rules. No more dangerous than carrying a can of Goex home from the store. Strange though that we can make our own BP, but can't distill spirits... :confused:
 
From a Sixteenth Century text:

So I went to the Natural Science Museum in Norman, Oklahoma and displayed there in the Galileo exhibit was a very old book that was highly regarded by the various scientific minds of Europe and the Arab world.

Included were things like how to make a woman beautiful, how to make fake gold, how to disguise yourself such that your friends and even your wife won't recognize you (dye your hair and get stung in the fee by 1,000 bees, wasps or hornets). Yeah, sure.

Chapter III

"Of the diverse compositions of Gunpowder."

We should be ill spoken of, if, that treating of fiery compositions, we should not first say something of that wonderful Gunpowder, that is the author of so many wonderful things. For it is an ingredient in all mixtures, and all depends upon it. Not that I have any mind to speak of it, because it is so common, but of such things that have some new or hidden secret in them. It is made of four parts of Saltpeter, Brimstone and Willow coals, each of one part.
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The composition is very much like today.
 
Genius Deerslayer! I'll have to try that. I polish my brass cases with corn cob media under my hub caps. Wonder if I can ball mill my BP that way too. :D
 
I polish my brass cases with corn cob media under my hub caps. Wonder if I can ball mill my BP that way too.
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:D LOL, hey now there is an idea! I drive an old Dodge Pickup that has dog dish hub caps on it. Just think of the possibilities, 45 Colt casings on the front, black powder a milling on the back, round balls a rollin in the bed.
 
Gentlemen & Ladies , I have ben following this thread and decided I need to try making some for myself but I have a question about the KNO3 , I can get it powdered ( 200 mesh ?) for 9 bucks a pound at skylighter but they also have the KNO3 crystals which is 3 bucks a pound cheaper.
Now my question is if I am going to use a ball mill can I just use the crystal type ( less expensive) as it will all be milled to the same consistency in the end.
Thank you and have a great night.
 
Be careful, last time I looked at the stump remover they had at Home Depot, none of it contained saltpeter.

I have ben following this thread and decided I need to try making some for myself but I have a question about the KNO3 , I can get it powdered ( 200 mesh ?) for 9 bucks a pound at skylighter but they also have the KNO3 crystals which is 3 bucks a pound cheaper.
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If I remember right from the mega-thread, the powdered stuff works better than the crystal stuff. But if you grind it long enough it may not matter.

Steve
 
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