Sourcing black powder?

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • cg21

    Master
    May 5, 2012
    4,549
    113
    Where do you guys find black powder do any stores keep it in stock (nwi) all I can find is smokeless. Anywhere good to order it online?
     

    cg21

    Master
    May 5, 2012
    4,549
    113
    Do you want some 50 grain pellets?
    No looking for loose powder.
    For black powder, nmlra in friendship, IN. For substitutes, walmart. Goex should be available next year, Deer Creek Products in waldron will have it when available.
    Where do you go to buy it down there? I’m a member didn’t see anything. And it’s a heck of a drive for a little bit of powder!
    I make my own.
    This would be awesome.
     

    Vanderbilt

    Plinker
    Jul 11, 2022
    107
    43
    Nineveh
    ....I'll second Deer Creek in Waldron, Indiana.....guess most gun shops don't want to deal with it due to storage requirements?
     

    Kurr

    Expert
    May 18, 2011
    1,234
    113
    Jefferson County
    I was asked how I make Holy Black. I am happy to share.

    I start with spectracide stump remover, msds on it will tell you its 99.9% potassium nitrate.

    Next ingredient is Sulfur from the garden , from... garden supply. The kind I use has i think 5% bentonite clay in it, which I have found helps as a binder.

    The final ingredient is charcoal. Make this yourself, they say a particular willow is the best, but I do not have access to that. I go to the pet store and get red cedar shavings ( pet bedding). I take an old paint can and put a hole in the lid with a nail, then pack it full of cedar shavings. Then tightly put the lid on and place it in a fire. you can watch the smoke coming out of the hole change colors as it works, when it stops off gassing, remove it from the fire and plug / cover the hole to prevent oxygen intake, and let it cool.

    You will need each ingredient to be powdered so a ball mill, rock crusher, blender you want the finest particles you can manage.

    Then I use a ball mill contraption I made with lead balls (non sparking) in it to mix. I use a 4" pvc section with SLIP ON CAPS, you NEED to have it this way so if something bad happens it blows the cap off and doesnt over pressure. I mix for about 2 hrs or so.

    When I first started I did burn tests at various stages and filmed the results.



    This is the burn test for just mixing and screening the ingredients. you can see sloooow burn and incomplete burn with heavy white residues.


    This was the burn test after I used a mortar and pestle to more intimatley mix the ingredients. Note the better burn rate, much closer to the "hollywood stuff" we see in film. Still incomplete burns thoughs.


    The third test was after 1 hour of ball milling. You can easily see the difference, finally gettin proper.

    After ball milling you want to wet the mixture and make a "mud ball" about the size of your fist. Then I rub it over a stretched out window screen to form granules and let it dry. You can use classifier screens to get the size granules you want for f, ff, fff, ffff and re-mud and repeat for anything to small.


    This is the 4th test, after granulation and done on paper. You can see it it quite fast.



    Finally, how does it shoot! That is my test firing with the powder I made, and me homemade percussion caps.


    EDIT : not sure why the middle videos didnt parse, links should still be good though
     

    cg21

    Master
    May 5, 2012
    4,549
    113
    I was asked how I make Holy Black. I am happy to share.

    I start with spectracide stump remover, msds on it will tell you its 99.9% potassium nitrate.

    Next ingredient is Sulfur from the garden , from... garden supply. The kind I use has i think 5% bentonite clay in it, which I have found helps as a binder.

    The final ingredient is charcoal. Make this yourself, they say a particular willow is the best, but I do not have access to that. I go to the pet store and get red cedar shavings ( pet bedding). I take an old paint can and put a hole in the lid with a nail, then pack it full of cedar shavings. Then tightly put the lid on and place it in a fire. you can watch the smoke coming out of the hole change colors as it works, when it stops off gassing, remove it from the fire and plug / cover the hole to prevent oxygen intake, and let it cool.

    You will need each ingredient to be powdered so a ball mill, rock crusher, blender you want the finest particles you can manage.

    Then I use a ball mill contraption I made with lead balls (non sparking) in it to mix. I use a 4" pvc section with SLIP ON CAPS, you NEED to have it this way so if something bad happens it blows the cap off and doesnt over pressure. I mix for about 2 hrs or so.

    When I first started I did burn tests at various stages and filmed the results.



    This is the burn test for just mixing and screening the ingredients. you can see sloooow burn and incomplete burn with heavy white residues.


    This was the burn test after I used a mortar and pestle to more intimatley mix the ingredients. Note the better burn rate, much closer to the "hollywood stuff" we see in film. Still incomplete burns thoughs.


    The third test was after 1 hour of ball milling. You can easily see the difference, finally gettin proper.

    After ball milling you want to wet the mixture and make a "mud ball" about the size of your fist. Then I rub it over a stretched out window screen to form granules and let it dry. You can use classifier screens to get the size granules you want for f, ff, fff, ffff and re-mud and repeat for anything to small.


    This is the 4th test, after granulation and done on paper. You can see it it quite fast.



    Finally, how does it shoot! That is my test firing with the powder I made, and me homemade percussion caps.


    EDIT : not sure why the middle videos didnt parse, links should still be good though

    Wow cool write up. What is a typical batch for you yield? And how much of each ingredient does that require?
     

    Kurr

    Expert
    May 18, 2011
    1,234
    113
    Jefferson County
    Sorry, I only do a pound or two at a time, and the ratio is 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal powder, and 10% sulfur.

    Also plenty of good videos on youtube, where I learned at.
     

    Creedmoor

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Mar 10, 2022
    6,437
    113
    Madison Co Indiana
    When measuring for your shot, yes volume only, but for making it, weight is used. For example 5 ounces of potassium nitrate, 1 ounce of charcoal, and 2/3 ounce sulfur. 75% / 15% / 10%
    Yes,
    Also, volume for stuffing black down the barrel (front hole) and it gets weighed when stuffing black in the bottom hole (cartridge)
     
    Top Bottom