subject: Why We Should Remember Black Powder [print this page] Black Powder shooting is a way of rememberingBlack Powder shooting is a way of remembering. It is a way to strip away the technology of the world, and get back to the roots of where shooting came from, of where we came from.
This powder has a low energy density compared to modern "smokeless" powders, and thus to achieve high energy loadings, large amounts of it are needed with heavy projectiles. In military applications it also produces thick smoke as a byproduct, which may give a soldier's location away to an enemy observer. The smoke may also impair aiming for additional shots.
It is well suited for blank rounds, signal flares, burst charges, and rescue-line launches. It is also used in fireworks for lifting shells, in rockets as fuel, and in certain special effects. In firearms, black powder allows loading by volumetric measure, whereas smokeless powder requires precise measuring of the charge by weight to prevent damage due to overloading, though damage by overloading is still possible with black powder.
Gunpowder manufacturers in America dates back less than 300 years. In 1675, there is known to have been a small powder mill at the town of Milton near Boston. Prior to the existence of this mill, the colonists were dependent entirely upon powder brought laboriously from Europe, primarily England, and exposed for weeks to the deteriorating effects of the sea. Though this output of powder was undoubtedly small, the MIlton mill can quite likely be credited with reducing the effect of the Wampanoag Indian attack on New England.
Gunpowder is classified as a low explosive because of its relatively slow decomposition rate and consequently low shattering effect. Low explosives deflagrate at subsonic speeds. High explosives detonate, producing a supersonic wave. Ignition of the powder packed behind a bullet must generate enough pressure to force it from the muzzle at high speed, but not enough to rupture the gun barrel. Gunpowder is thus less suitable for shattering rock or fortifications, where high explosives such as TNT are preferred.
Because of its burning properties and the amount of heat and gas volume that it generates, gunpowder has been widely used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks. The first widely used black powder firearm was the black powder cannon, which was replaced when muzzle loaded guns became more common around the thirteenth century.
In quarrying, which is finding something in an excavation, high explosives are generally preferred for shattering rock. However, because of its low shattering effect, black powder causes fewer fractures and results in more usable stone compared to other explosives, making black powder useful for blasting monumental stone such as granite and marble.
Today, there are a number of black powder rifles, pistols, and other accessories made for all types of hunters and sportsmen. The most commonly used black powder rifles are produced by brands such as Thompson Center, Lyman firearms, Traditions, Connecticut Valley Arms, Modern Muzzleloading, Remington Arms and many more. These firearms are known for their accuracy and they pack the "take down power" required to get a wide range of game.
Black powder guns can be very useful to bring in game. The only problem with them is having to reload them with care and deliberation which may cost you in the long run when you are in need of shooting repeatedly, quickly. Black powder shooting is often used for entertainment, or to learn a new skill. People will always go back to this basic form of shooting, because it is part of our history, and is to be remembered.
