Formulas For Black Powder
-------------------------

        Gunpowder is the great-granddaddy of all the rest of the high and
low power explosives, and still to this day is on 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. Note: A cook, a book does not make.

[1> Potassium perchlorate       69.2    [2> Potassium chlorate          75
    Sulfur                      15.4        Charcoal                    12.5
    Charcoal                    15.4         Sulfur                     12.5

[3> Potassium nitrate           70.4    [4> Potassium nitrate           79
    Sulfur                      19.4        Sulfur                      3
    Sodium sulfate              10.2        Straw charcoal              18

[5> Potassium nitrate           64      [6> Potassium nitrate           70.6
    Sulfur                      12          Sulfur                      23.5
    Lamp black                   7          Antimony sulfate             5.9
    Sawdust                     17
                                        [8> Potassium nitrate           37.5
[7> Potassium nitrate           50          Starch                      37.5
    Ammonium perchlorate        25          Sulfur                      18.75
    Sulfur                      12.5        Antimony powder              6.25
    Charcoal                    12.5
                                        [10> Guanidine nitrate          49
[9> Barium nitrate              75           Potassium nitrate          40
    Sulfur                      12.5         Charcoal                   11
    Charcoal                    12.5

[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 powderful than ordinary potassium
nitrate gunpowder, and for that reason smaller quantities should be used. The
correct amount can only be discovered by trial-and-error experimentation, but
caution must be taken to prevent overloading.
        Although black powder is one of the safest explosives, it has 
disadvantage: It is extremely sensitive to sparks; and it leaves a messy
residue in gun barrels, which necessitates frequent cleaning. The advantage of
smokeless powder is the low-explosive class, which gives off only gaseuous
products upon explosion. The first type of smokeless powder used by the army
was basically nitrocellulose with a small amount of diphenylamine, for
stablizer. Smokeless powder is perhaps the safest of any explosive compound
discussed in this chapter, and for that reason is extremely popular today.

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