Three parts , potassium nitrate , sulphur , and charcoal . But what are the percentages and how do you go from there ?And how do you induce alcohol into the mix ?Alcohol has 33 different derivatives , which ones are the ones to use for smokeless ?Depends on what you want it to do , pistol or rifle and you have to calculate the burn rate to facilitate chamber pressures .Primers ? There is a way to get around this , and it has to do with a child's toy .
The black powder has different proportions according to which time frame forumula you find. Research will tell what old England used, old America, and new Goex. After mixing the ingredients, you have to wet it, make it into cakes, dry them, pulverize them, sieve them for size, then tumble the grains with graphite for a coating. All of this has to be done with NO sparks, or static electricity. That means no iron or steel zippers, belt buckles, and no nylon clothing.
Smokeless is made from nitrocellulose, or nitroglycerin, made with sulphuric acid, alcohol, and othe things. The mix is flaked, extruded, or dropped in balls. The size of grain, whether it has a hole, looks like a donut, plus the coating controls the burn rate. The basic stuff is all the same. That is why you have to be aware of abusing ammo enough to break down the grain structure, and not overcompress some loads to where you end up with fines.
Primers are made with lead styphinate or other explosive stuff, so that comes under the heading of manufacturing bombs. I have no idea how determine the quantity to put in a reassembled primer. And if you avoided blowing yourself up, there is still the worry of working with so much lead or mercury and breathing it, or getting it into your system. The matchheads and caps would probably work better for BP caps, or just go to a flint.
