Black powder

[John Sukey]

As for black powder going bad, it doesn't! They have found cannonballs from the Revoutionary was where the powder was still good.
The Navy actualy had a handbook on black powder ammo. One of the Navy bases has exsisted before the civil war and sailors were finding shells in the area, and trying to defuse them as souveniers. Sometimes with nasty results.

[JimF]

As for black powder going bad, it doesn't! . . . . . .

Quite right, John . . . .

I remember reading . . . . YEARS ago . . . . . about a British warship, sunk during the war of 1812 I believe, that was found in relatively shallow water in Lake Champlain.

There was some black powder found on board that some of the locals had "purloined" before the authorities declared the wreck off limits.

A portion of this powder was spread out on a sheet of newspaper and placed in the sunlight for a while to dry.

After this, it was found to ignite as well as any of the modern-day black powder! --Jim

[Michaelp]

I have a bit of 20+ year old FFG-works just fine.

[JBinIll]

When the Union Gunboat Cairo was salvaged from the Yazoo River in the 1960s,ships guns were found loaded with fused shells and loaded and fused shells were in the ready boxes.After drying out after 100 years under water and mud they were as dangerous as the day the gunboat sank in 1862.

[ignats]

Here's an article about old ordnance.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/civil-war-cannonball-explodes-kills-relic-collector/article_86607e91-89df-5e6f-9229-02d450ab0195.html

[jon_norstog]

I would think that the KNO3 would tend to dissolve if the stuff got really wet and wasn't enclosed, as it would be in a shell or an intact keg. That's kind of how they used to get the nitrate - it would go into solution in a damp pile of manure, the solution would wick to the surface and the water would evaporate, leaving the white nitrate salts to be harvested.

jn

[musketshooter]

It is my understanding that the Boston bombs were made with fireworks powder. There goes the 4th of July celebrations!