smokeless powder unless you are in a position where the risks involved in not having ammunition makes the danger acceptable. Even then, extreme care must be taken; the desired results will not "happen" if you don't have access to a well-equipped workspace. This powder is created from nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. For making nitroglycerine, you'll need glycerine as well as the nitrocellulose, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid. If you are equipped to create a modern smokeless powder, your first step is to create nitrocellulose as outlined above. That done, you'll continue as explained below. But remember that these procedures are extremely dangerous because sulfuric and nitric acids are used. Both are highly caustic and can be contained only in glass without creating dangerous reactions. They are hard to neutralize; a spill will call for a lot of water and a strong base to clean things up. Gloves, safety goggles, lab apron, and hooded ventilation systems are required for this work. Warning: The next steps will result in the creation of nitroglycerine, which is an extremely explosive material. Make only small amounts and do not shake the mixture or allow its temperature to rise above 86 degrees Fahrenheit or else an extremely large explosion will likely result. Further, the mixture creates its own heat, so simply keeping it in an environment with below-86 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures does not guarantee safety. Note on materials for making nitro: All materials used in bench-making nitro must be reagent grade and free of water. Traces of acid or impurities in the final product make it unstable and sensitive. Lab hygiene, care, and precision are very important. After making nitrocellulose (as just described) , the procedure for making smokeless powder is as follows: 1. Mix 100 parts of nitric acid with 200 parts of sulfuric acid in a water bath so that the containers will remain below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. These acids create heat when agitated so take extreme care to maintain the mixture's temperature. Note: Both the nitric and sulfuric must be close to 100 percent. To concentrate the nitric, slowly boil water off until you get brown fumes of nitrogen dioxide. To concentrate the sulfuric, boil it until you get clouds of dense white fumes and the acid is a deep reddish brown. After the acids are mixed as described, let them cool. 2. When the temperature of the acids has stabilized, very slowly add 38 parts of glycerine. If at all possible, allow the glycerine to trickle down the glass tube rather than dropping it down into the mixture (which could cause a violent, explosive reaction) . A flat bath works fine, and a good technique for adding the glycerine is to use a spray atomizer. Stirring the acids does not create heat — the creation of nitroglycerine is itself exothermic. Consequently, it is very important to closely monitor the temperature of the acid bath as you slowly add the glycerine; the faster you add glycerine, the faster the bath will heat. However, there is a point of no return, where, if you add glycerine too rapidly, the mixture will heat too fast and will explode. 3. Very slowly stir the mixture with a glass rod for 10 seconds. Stirring can create heat, so make sure the temperature is kept below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, or else a violent explosion may result . 4. Gently pour 340 parts of water into the mixture very, very slowly. 5~ The nitroglycerine will now precipitate out of the mixture. Carefully remove the nitroglycerine from the solution, taking extreme care to keep it below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and to not shake or drop it. 6. Very gently wash the nitroglycerine several times with water and use sodium bicarbonate or lime to neutralize any acid in the nitroglycerine. Failure to neutralize or remove the acid will cause the powder to have a very short shelf life. Keep the temperature of the nitroglycerine very low . 7. Nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine are now dissolved in a solvent and extruded or molded into the correct size to burn properly and create the correct pressure curve for the firearm used. One good mix is 58 parts nitroglycerine, 37 parts nitrocellulose, and 20 parts acetone. 8. While wearing rubber gloves, gently knead the chemicals until they are well mixed. At this point, 5 parts petroleum jelly may be added — to reduce barrel erosion. If available, carbazole (also known as diphenylene amide) or diphenylamine can also he added to the powder mixture to help stabilize it. 9. Extrude the mix through a sieve, screen, or pasta press so that it forms threads. The smaller the strands, the faster the powder will burn. Large-size threads are suitable for rifle ammunition, and smaller threads for pistols and shotguns. Extruding thin threads of this is pretty hard to do without making some equipment, though some people have had good results using a garlic press. Early cordite was made in sheets and then cut into squares: the thicker the sheet, the