Who makes their own BP?.

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There was a older fellow around here who made his own in the 80's/90's (small volumes just to try a few shots), told me that he used Vitamin C and another common ingredient he got from the drugstore, as a substitute - I can't remember the details....and in case it's illegal I wouldn't provide the specifics, how's that.

Point is, it is possible to use a variety of different ingredients (provided you aren't breaking any laws...).
 
ascorbic acid?sorry, don't know about that one- i do know quite a few formulas but none for that- most of them have to do with a perchlorate, sulphur and some other stuff
 
I'll be frank, I never, ever would have thought it could be illegal to make BP. Just a chemistry project and experiment. It is far, far easier, and far less dangerous than people here are suggesting it to be. The big difference between "green" powder, a nearly useless mix of the dry, powdered ingredients in proper proportions (likely what mythbusters made, didn't see the episode) and real black powder is the milling and corning. You press it from a wet mixture in a fixture on a jack in a press into a puck using pipe and a roundstock piston. I don't see why it would be illegal here in small quantity as an experiment, but I'm no lawyer and if it is, my god are were a babysat society. I suppose those living in Toronto shouldn't consider it but a lot of Canada still lives in the country/north. Making it is too labour and equipment intensive to make sense for anything more than a science project though, you'll pay 10x per pound more making you own.

Corning to be clear is the pressing of wet powder mixture into pucks or pellets which are essentially wrung dry under pressure, then allowed to fully dry. This process, and proper milling before this of the mix (for the home brew types, typically done in a rock polisher [mini-ball mill]) one ingredient at a time, then mixed green in the mill with no balls for a short time, then wetted and corned. The ball mill for safety can be turned on remotely by extension cord and sat in a depression. You'd want to be careful of static when opening green mix. Hope that's interesting, if you try it and get in trouble, I'm only chatting not giving advise. If anyone wants saltpeter I have a source for plenty of pure KNO3 I can point you too, nothing special or illegal about it.
 
I think big brothers paranoia regarding potassium nitrate is focused on the manufacture of "other" types of explosives that make black powder look like fart compared to a hurricane...

cheers. Steve.
 
i remembor hearing talk about this at a local gunshop a few years ago, i havent had a chance to look yet but im dont think it is illegal, its just a "do at your own risk". just like making cannon fuze.
either way if its legal or not, IMHO i'd say just go buy some. by making it youself you dont know how stable, how explosive, or how flamable it is. so you could be left with either a bullet stuck in the barrel or a grenade in your hands.
 
Ardent said:
I'll be frank, I never, ever would have thought it could be illegal to make BP. Just a chemistry project and experiment. It is far, far easier, and far less dangerous than people here are suggesting it to be. The big difference between "green" powder, a nearly useless mix of the dry, powdered ingredients in proper proportions (likely what mythbusters made, didn't see the episode) and real black powder is the milling and corning. You press it from a wet mixture in a fixture on a jack in a press into a puck using pipe and a roundstock piston. I don't see why it would be illegal here in small quantity as an experiment, but I'm no lawyer and if it is, my god are were a babysat society. I suppose those living in Toronto shouldn't consider it but a lot of Canada still lives in the country/north. Making it is too labour and equipment intensive to make sense for anything more than a science project though, you'll pay 10x per pound more making you own.

Corning to be clear is the pressing of wet powder mixture into pucks or pellets which are essentially wrung dry under pressure, then allowed to fully dry. This process, and proper milling before this of the mix (for the home brew types, typically done in a rock polisher [mini-ball mill]) one ingredient at a time, then mixed green in the mill with no balls for a short time, then wetted and corned. The ball mill for safety can be turned on remotely by extension cord and sat in a depression. You'd want to be careful of static when opening green mix. Hope that's interesting, if you try it and get in trouble, I'm only chatting not giving advise. If anyone wants saltpeter I have a source for plenty of pure KNO3 I can point you too, nothing special or illegal about it.
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Thanks for this. Friend of mine and myself tried to make some as kids {star trek re-run where Cpt. Kirk made some:D} we bought sulfur and saltpeter from the local pharmacist and charcoal lump from the BBQ. After several attempts what we ended up with was what your describing as "green powder" it was far from dangerous but made REALLY COOL STINK sticks when wrapped tight in paper and sealed with wax on the ends:) It would extrude this black lava snake type of thing and would smoke like a son of a b***h. As we were wanting something that went boom we moved on the fireworks from down south. We had no idea about "corning" had we, I believe that I may have had some different stories to tell:redface:
 
t-star said:
we used to do it back when you could get saltpetre without a prescription- the charcoal came from the barbeque, and the sulphur off the train tracks- it was before the days of liquid sulphur, when they put the stuff in gondolas, in rock form- relax, i'm not going to give ratios or porportions, but let's just say the "mythbusters" got the ratios wrong- WAY WRONG- the proper ratios used to be in every chemistry book- beleive me, it does a LOT more than fizzle and spit when it's mixed properly- used to add different chemicals to colour the smoke , too
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I did the same when I was a boy of about 9 years old! Saltpeter from Buckerfields, sulphur from the train tracks, charcoal from the fireplace, formula from an old chemistry book. We had good fun in the old days!
 
Sulphur is everywhere here in McMurray, it is stored, transported, dropped on the sides of the road. Easy to find a 1 or 2 pound chunk on the side of the highway.

Here is a file photo of sulphur storage up here, tens of thousands of tons stored in easy to use blocks!!

syncrude-sulphur-storage-at-pr.jpg
 
I used to make my own BP. It's lots of work and the results are sub standard. The process used to make quality BP is quite involved with requirements for special binding agents and controlled environment for mixing. In the end, you will just pay the $20 to buy it.
 
NorthCoastBigBore said:
There was a older fellow around here who made his own in the 80's/90's (small volumes just to try a few shots), told me that he used Vitamin C and another common ingredient he got from the drugstore, as a substitute - I can't remember the details....and in case it's illegal I wouldn't provide the specifics, how's that.

Point is, it is possible to use a variety of different ingredients (provided you aren't breaking any laws...).
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I remember reading about that in one of the hunting-fishing mags. It was the first substitute BP I heard of. Apparently, when you fired it, a bit of white residue to shake out, a patch or two, and you were done cleaning. I never heard any more about it. You would have thought it would have caught on like crazy, but it was i the days before in-lines. I guess people with smokepoles felt is was a betrayal or something.
 
Halger280HVMag said:
where in the Law is it stated, that making Black-powder for personal use is illegal?
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#3 in the list of items not to be discussed on gunnutz

Manufacture or use of flammable and explosive substances or “tracer” projectiles.

In other words while you can discuss loading with black or nitro powders or discuss the merits of willow wood for the commercial manufacture of black powder you cannot discuss the home manufacture of black or nitro powders. I will admit to being a bit fuzzy on the issue of "the use of " because obviously we have a reloading forum as well as numerous acceptable posts on muzzle loading with commercially manufactured black powder. I have been away from the computer all day or I would have recommended locking the thread sooner

cheers mooncoon
 
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