to clean your firearm after using this powder. BLACK POWDER Black powder is hard to make and dangerous as well because it ignites very easily. That means that unlike modern smokeless powder that just smolders if lit, a scoop of black powder left on a workbench or on the floor becomes a potential firebomb that can be set off by a static electricity spark or even by friction. Always store black powder in small containers of a pound or less capacity and that are kept separate from each other. Because water neutralizes black powder, you can wash down an area where black powder has been spilled to make it safe to clean up. At first glance, sulfur would appear to be unnecessary for the manufacture of black powder. But, in fact, sulfur is needed to lower the ignition temperature of black powder so that it will ignite more readily. Sulfur also improves the consistency of black powder (which is a mix of chemicals and not an actual chemical compound) . If you have trouble securing sulfur, then you may wish to try making brown powder, discussed below, since it requires only a very small amount of this chemical. Or you might want to simply mix potassium nitrate with sugar to create the powder described above (which is basically black powder with the sulfur left out) . The exact proportions of chemicals in black powder vary from one country to the next. In the United States, it tends to be 74 percent potassium nitrate, 15.6 percent charcoal, and 10.4 percent sulfur; the "traditional" mix is 75/15/10. It's also possible to create another version of black powder by substituting and reducing the amount of sodium nitrate for potassium nitrate. However, this type of black powder is deliquescent and especially hard to store in areas with high humidity . Manufacturers used to coat the grains of black powder with graphite. This was achieved by tumbling it in the final stages of manufacturer. You can do this, too, but should take great care that this is done in a "sparkless" container with no potential for causing an accidental ignition of the powder or containing pressure. (This technique can also be used with other of the powders listed in this section.) Black powder does have some important pluses. First of all, in black-powder arms it can be used by volume, making it easy to recharge a weapon without having to do a lot of careful measuring. This is an important plus that is somewhat offset by the slow-to-reload designs of most black-powder guns. Another big plus with black powder is that it actually becomes better with age. Provided that it's kept free of moisture, it will not deteriorate with time or when stored in a warm environment. That means that if you have made some black powder (or purchased some beforehand), it will be better than new when you need to use it if you've kept it in an airtight container . After firing a weapon charged with black powder, it's necessary to clean it and the brass cartridges (if any) thoroughly in order to keep them from corroding. Failure to do this will quickly ruin your firearm. To make black powder: 1. Obtain potassium nitrate (see above) and carefully grind it into a very, very fine powder. 2. Get some charcoal and grind it to very fine powder. (Note: not all charcoals are created equal. Evergreen charcoal is all but unusable. Dogwood, willow, and alder — in that order — are the charcoals of choice, and they must be thoroughly charred, all aromatics driven off, and free of ash . ) 3. Grind sulfur into powder. 4. Mix the three powdered chemicals in the following amounts (by weight) : 75 parts potassium nitrate, 15 parts charcoal, and 10 parts sulfur. 5. Place water into the powder and mix it together thoroughly. As long as the mixture is wet, it will not explode. 6. Allow the mixture to dry into a cake after compacting it. Air drying will not work if the humidity is very high; in humid areas, place the mix over a very low heat, without exposing it to a flame. Keep in mind that excessive heat will create an explosion . 7. Once the cake is thoroughly dry, carefully break it into chunks with a plastic or wooden tool. Work only with small amounts at a time, with no containers of the material nearby. Extreme care must be exercised because once it is dry, black powder is highly flammable. 8. Grind the chunks up, one at a time. Although the majority of the powder and the chunks are protected from ignition, take extra precautions to protect yourself, since you could ignite it