Welcome to the TMA - the Traditional Muzzleloading Association

The TMA is always free to access: totally non-profit and therefore no nagging for your money, no sponsors means no endless array of ads to wade through, and no "membership fees" ever required. Brought to you by traditional muzzleloaders with decades of wisdom in weaponry, accoutrements, and along with 18th and 19th century history knowledge of those times during the birth our nation, the United States of America.

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Recent Posts

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91
Making the Holy Black Powder / Re: Making 18th and 19th Century Gun Powder
« Last post by RobD on January 24, 2026, 10:53:00 AM »
I wouldn't wait to begin to both think, acquire chemicals and tools, and begin to make powder.   It'll take bit of time to get Your process down and test out the potency of what you've made.
92
Making the Holy Black Powder / Re: Making 18th and 19th Century Gun Powder
« Last post by Nessmuk on January 24, 2026, 09:25:08 AM »
I thought it would be harder and more dangerous. When my current stock gets low i think I'll try it.
93
Making the Holy Black Powder / Re: Making 18th and 19th Century Gun Powder
« Last post by Salty on January 24, 2026, 08:49:55 AM »
I?d like to try this. Not sure how my neighbors will react to the noise.
94
Making the Holy Black Powder / Re: Making 18th and 19th Century Gun Powder
« Last post by KDubs on January 24, 2026, 04:35:22 AM »
Yep, another favorite of mine.
 I pretty much follow his lead on how to do it.
 Kevin
95
Gun Building and Repair / Re: Shenandoah Oops and Repair
« Last post by Salty on January 23, 2026, 04:26:50 PM »
Wow Kees, That what I call tenacity. Most people would have given up. That's a lesson for the rest of us.

 :hairy
96
Making the Holy Black Powder / Re: Making 18th and 19th Century Gun Powder
« Last post by RobD on January 23, 2026, 03:56:40 PM »
Jake's interesting take on making black powder that can be better than top shelf Swiss.

97
Gun Building and Repair / Re: Shenandoah Oops and Repair
« Last post by Winter Hawk on January 23, 2026, 03:23:13 PM »
The postal shoot gun has been the Hodgepodge rifle up to now.  I will probably use the Shenandoah this year and see how I make out.

~Kees~
98
Making the Holy Black Powder / Re: Making 18th and 19th Century Gun Powder
« Last post by RobD on January 23, 2026, 08:50:18 AM »
The rest of the Times Gone Tech videos on making black powder ...







99
Making the Holy Black Powder / Re: Making 18th and 19th Century Gun Powder
« Last post by RobD on January 23, 2026, 07:56:51 AM »
Right on, Kevin!

Don't need to press pucks, screening will render good powder.

Milling is Important ... it's done with DRY*** powder, just a cheap rubber lined mill and some lead balls is all that takes and there is nothing that will kick off powder milled that way.  If yer the least bit concerned (as I'll admit I was!) take the mill outside and run an extension cord to where the milling is done far from yer dwelling and do just a small 1/2 or 1/4 pound mix.

After milling, the powder is wet down with a bit of plain water (NO chance of ignition!) then pressed into a screen and left to fully dry.  Done. 

***DRY powder means that all three ingredients need to be as dry as possible.  Potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur are very hygroscopic and will pull in water from the air which will change the 75-15-10 mix ratio and the resulting powder will not be as efficient or strong.  Using a food dehydrator for the ingredients will fix that issue.
100
Making the Holy Black Powder / Re: Making 18th and 19th Century Gun Powder
« Last post by KDubs on January 23, 2026, 07:40:54 AM »
I found times gone tech awhile back, he doesn't have a big following but I subscribed.
 I found him when I started researching make BP .
 Like how he described and tested serpentine, screened and press powders.
 I tried the big C clamp pressing method use shows but ended up with the 20 ton harbor freight press.
 With the price of Swiss here, about 56$ per LB and goex unavailable it just makes sense to make your own.
  And for those of you worried about pressing and grinding and grading etc
 Screened powder is the easier way to go and works pretty darn well too, just use alittle more that you would compared to pressed powder
IIRC that's the way it was made until the mid to later 18th century.
 Don't need any special equipment either, just a way to mill it , a harbor freight rock tumbler will work for that in small batches and a kitchen screen type strainer will work .
 Go make some powder dang it!!
Kevin
 
 
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