DIY Black powder

[Swamppanther]

Since GOEX closer I have been "YOUTUBEing Do It Yourself Black Powder". Looks pretty simple and can get supplies cheap. My question is when using "a powder puck tool" to compress
the powder What is the minimum size for your press. I don't want  to  spend hundreds of bucks to buy a press if a inexpensive (1 Ton) hand press will do. Anybody here have
any thoughts.  Got 3 flint and half dozen or so percussion (so far) to feed. Seems like DIY powder you don't need to keep much on hand (safer) too.  Also go a no10 and no11 percussion cap
maker and couple bags of the  fixens! Thompson Center closing also???    WHATS GOING ON!?   

[Ohio Joe]

Since GOEX closer I have been "YOUTUBEing Do It Yourself Black Powder". Looks pretty simple and can get supplies cheap. My question is when using "a powder puck tool" to compress
the powder What is the minimum size for your press. I don't want  to  spend hundreds of bucks to buy a press if a inexpensive (1 Ton) hand press will do. Anybody here have
any thoughts.  Got 3 flint and half dozen or so percussion (so far) to feed. Seems like DIY powder you don't need to keep much on hand (safer) too.  Also go a no10 and no11 percussion cap
maker and couple bags of the  fixens! Thompson Center closing also???    WHATS GOING ON!?   

Yes TC says they are closing (see link below).

There are some folks that make their own black powder and percussion caps... Personally I would rather buy them when in need, but making your own is a good option.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=Thompson+Center+Arms+closing&form=PRUSEN&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&msnews=1&rec_search=1&refig=70de3986486f4aaa933692f6867a8213&sp=-1&ghc=1&pq=thompson+center+arms+closing&sc=2-28&qs=n&sk=&cvid=70de3986486f4aaa933692f6867a8213

[BEAVERMAN]

We have a couple fellas in our club starting to make their own, will be interesting to see how this turns out! as far as I'm concerned T/C can go ahead and close, they haven't support any of their warranty on traditional rifles for 10 years or more since they ran out of parts and their rear stuffer ML's as about as worthless as nipples on a boar!

[Rob DiStefano]

I've spent a good amount of time getting to understand the process(es) for making black powder and it appears relatively "easy" with the proper components and tooling.  Of the three components required, I think the charcoal used will be of prime importance.  Safety first, as always, meaning all grinding done wet.  Of the folks I've read about who've made their black powder, most find it just okay not as good for ignition or power as Goex, and nowhere near the burning of Swiss.  But, some black powder is better than no black powder.   

IMHO, the better answer to making black powder is to buy as much of it as you can right now, today, and stockpile for the future.  Mail order still works quite well.  Click on the "Black Power Availability" link at the top of all pages.

[KDubs]

Well I guess I have to agree with Rob, buy it while you can and stockpile it.
 That said, I started experimenting with making BP last yr.
 Started with hardware store bought items , wood charcoal, stump remover and garden sulfur.  IT SUCKED.
 Bought potassium, sulfur from skylighter and made my our red fir charcoal and BOOM, it worked.
 Now to be fair, I haven't tested it in a gun yet, still in mill powder form.  Planning on buying a press once my new shop is built. Then corning it.
  It is an easy process , no wet mixing of ingredients , all done dry, separately in a harbor freight 6# tumbler in an outbuildings, don't do it in your kitchen. Then mixed in small mounts .
  Good luck. Be careful , have fun
 Kevin
 

[Bigsmoke]

I recollect when I was maybe 10 or 11, a friend of mine and I bought ingredients at the local drug store (yes, you could do that then), and we experimented with making it.
The Sulphur made it smell right, but I am sure our portions were way off.  Probably just as well, we might have blown our heads off if it worked right.  It just burned, IIRC

John (Bigsmoke)

[Ohio Joe]

In case you're a die-hard Goex BP user, I googled when Goex would be available again - and this came up;

(UPDATE: GOEX, including the premium Old Eynsford line, was purchased by Estes Energetics in late 2021, the company has announced they intend to continue to produce sporting black powder, and Ethan at ILoveMuzzleloading.com and others have indicated we should start seeing new GOEX powder in-stock again in late 2022 or early 2023.

[KDubs]

  yippee
Kevin

[waksupi]

If you want a real study on making BP, go to the Cast Boolits forum, and see the sticky in the ML section. Some actual chemists that are members have done a lot of experimenting. Be warned, it is MANY pages long!
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?103852-My-homemade-black-powder