POTASSIUM NITRATE The simplest powders to make are those created from potassium nitrate (also known as saltpeter) . The most common is created by mixing potassium nitrate with sugar; the best ratio is 7 parts (by measure) of potassium nitrate to 6 parts of sugar. This potassium nitrate powder works well with rifles .50 caliber and under. It doesn't work well in shorter barrels like those found on most pistols or submachine guns, but does work in long-barreled carbines that employ pistol cartridges . Droppings from bats, birds, or the like, as well as manure from barnyards or even human latrines, are potential sources of potassium nitrate. However, for decomposition to take place., the temperature must be around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and large amounts o time and dung are needed for the process to occur. Thus, natural sources of potassium nitrate are relatively rare and are usually restricted to caves or islands in warm climates. A more roundabout route can hurry the process by using calcium to chemically bind the nitrate in excrement and then exchange potassium for the calcium in a second step. To achieve this end, lime is first placed on a stable floor, outhouse pit, manure pile, or old burial grounds (for the stout of heart), and the area can be used for some time. Months or even years later, the pit can then be "mined, " arid the earth-excrement-lime mixed in water so that calcium nitrate is dissolved from the mix. When the water is removed from the material that settles to the bottom of the mixture, the calcium nitrate is dissolved in it; boiling the water leaves behind the calcium nitrate mixed with salts. Wood ash (which contains potassium carbonate) is added to water, and the calcium nitrate crystals dissolved into the solution. The potassium and calcium exchange places, creating calcium carbonate (slaked lime) and potassium nitrate. The water solution is fitered to remove the calcium carbonate, which is more or less solid; the potassium nitrate is dissolved in the water so it will pass through a fine filter. You can create a filter from paper, laboratory filter paper, coffee filters, or similar products. Since these fine filters tend to clog, you should also create a "prefilter" of coarser material. Prefilters of choice in the 1800s were made of straw, which still works well. Cloth or other material may give better results, and your best results come if you filter the water a number of times to get rid of as many impurities as is practical. To retrieve the potassium nitrate, boil the water until it's nearly all gone. Before the water is totally evaporated, remove the heat source and allow the water to evaporate by leaving it exposed to the air (otherwise you may damage the crystals) . The crystals left behind will be primarily potassium nitrate. Here's a step-by-step procedure that begins with the creation of a filter to contain the earth and nitrate: 1. Get a bucket and punch holes in its bottom. 2. Place a cloth over the bottom of the bucket and then stack straw over it and another layer of cloth. Next, place a layer of straw over the cloth and add a third layer of cloth, topping it with about an inch of wood ash. 3. Place a large container under the bucket, 4. Fill the bucket with your source of nitrate and earth. 5. Pour boiling water through the soil and let it drip into the container below the bucket. Pour the water very slowly and use only 1 part water for every 2 parts earth mix. 6. Allow the water to stand for a number of hours and then drain the water off and discard any sediment that may have gotten through the filter. 7. Boil the water for two hours. While the water is boiling, small crystals of salts will form on the bottom of the container; remove these and discard them. 8. When half the water has boiled from the solution, let it cool for 30 minutes. 9. Add alcohol to the solution (1 part alcohol to I part solution) and pput the mixture through a filter made of a paper towel. Crystals of potassium nitrate will be left in the filter. 10. To purify the potassium nitrate, redissolve it in clean water and boil the water for two hours. While the water is boiling, small crystals of salts will form on the bottom of the container; remove these and discard. 11. Again add alcohol to the solution (1 part alcohol to 1 part solution) and put the mixture through a filter made of paper towel. Crystals of potassium nitrate will be left in the filter. 12. Allow the crystals to air dry and then seal them in a waterproof container until needed. Once an ample supply of potassium nitrate has been created, it's necessary to mix it with