| There are some differences between black powder | | | | powder. Others are composed of a mixture of both |
| and smokeless powder that will be describe shortly in | | | | components and are called double based powders. |
| this article. | | | | The reason for using mixtures of the two |
| Black powder (the "original propellant") is very | | | | components is to control their burning rates. Faster |
| pressure sensitive, produces a lot of smoke when | | | | burning powders are used for shotguns and |
| ignited, and is not very efficient (meaning it takes a | | | | handguns. The slower burning powders are used for |
| lot more to produce the gas to propel a slug). Black | | | | rifle powders. |
| powder is the old charcoal, sulfur, saltpeter mix that | | | | Smokeless powders are all progressive burning |
| the Chinese invented a thousand years ago. It's | | | | powders. That means that as the pressure within the |
| common "gunpowder". It burns badly and creates | | | | cartridge increases, so does the burning rate. It |
| huge amounts of smoke. Black powder, when | | | | produces a more gentle acceleration than does black |
| burned, only produces propellant gases with | | | | powder and achieved much greater final pressures |
| approximately 35% of it's mass. 65% of the mass of | | | | and higher total velocities than will black powder. |
| black powder, when burned, becomes useless solid | | | | Black powder burns at the same rate regardless of |
| byproducts in the gun barrel and in the air. If that's | | | | the increasing pressure. The maximum pressure is |
| not "burns badly" in your opinion, perhaps you need | | | | reached more quickly but is significantly less than |
| to go back to the third grade again, bud? Your | | | | smokeless powder. These lower total pressures of |
| comprehensive skills are obviously lacking. | | | | black powder are the reason that you cannot use |
| Smokeless powder is composed of two basic | | | | smokeless powder in a gun designed for black |
| materials. One is nitrocellulose and the other is | | | | powder. You will blow it up and yourself along with it. |
| nitroglycerine. Some smokeless powders are made of | | | | For more information about smokeless powder, |
| only one of these materials and is called a single base | | | | please visit Smokeless Powder website. |