Only Three Inches? - BOOM

 What measures around three inches - can be very active and weighs roughly one pound?

Clue: This small lump detonates at 6,900 meters per second velocity - so in 6 micro seconds it would yield 315 BILLION WATTS of energy ..

A microsecond is ONE MILLIONTH of a second:

That would be a tennis ball sized, half a kilo of TNT .. TriNitroToluene

- I'm not going anywhere near that stuff ..

a related Nitroglycerin .. Useful when you need it ..

It's chemistry folks.

But 'Black Powder' might be interesting and useable eh

- Well the Chinese, back in the Seventh Century, thought it was interesting stuff, and they have worked with it for years.

I guess we are talking "Rocket Science" here eh. The energy comes from the pressure of expanding HOT Gasses produced when the compound is ignited or detonated .. something like a car engine eh.

Making this stuff could be self limiting eh - Imagine if this was the qualifying test to become a voter .. and that you had to produce and safely explode a pound of Black-Powder solo on a test range before being registered on the Electoral Role to chose politicians. - Population control by natural selection and 'democracy' might work better. 

- Yorkshire man Guy Fawkes thought it would be useful too.

Now - the reason gunpowder dates back so early into ancient days of the 7th century is that it is a fairly simple mixture of simple stuff. - Charcoal came from Trees, Nitrate crystals came from Bat Caves & Dung Heaps, and Sulfur came from Volcanos & Blow-holes as Brimstone.

The more recently made HIGH EXPLOSIVES that our politicians delight in throwing at ordinary folk are the works of DEVILS. - All that violence, - while hypocritically banning us from owning guns for self defense or for wild harvesting free food.

You really have to be evil bastards to dedicate your existance to designing long-chain molecules and subatomic nuclear reactions specifically built to bulk evaporate and disintegrate other peoples mothers and children.

Personally I would reintroduce individual Capital Punishment to a considered range of offenders.

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- "Smokeless Powders" started as modified nitrocellulose developed from 'Gun Cotton' - and they make less smoke because when ignited they produce much more gas than gun powder can, and less solid residues. The first smokeless powders were single based but then double base and triple base powders followed, while current offerings are full of additives and clever formulations.

It is accepted that the simple 75:15:10 gun powder mixture is made around 50% more dense & powerful by being compressed and granulated.

The earliest type of propellant, dry mixed black powder - NOT compressed or consolidated - is known as 'Serpentine Powder'. 

Link to "Repeater handgonne Part 1: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoYunM-z19A

Link to "Repeater handgonne Part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRm2LZty-oU

- You gotta be clever eh ..

Current regulations are very expensive, troublesome and both REPRESSIVE and OPRESSIVE.

To get your F.Lic. now you have to rebuild your home into a hardened fortress with two strongrooms or approved built-in safes - one for guns and one for ammunition - while registering all of your lawfully owned tools. Most sworn Police officers would be unable to meet the requirements - yet they are required to carry guns to shoot offenders in public areas as needed.

It's not only firearms regulations to deal with .. but also DANGEROUS GOODS, INSURANCE, STORAGE, COURIER, & TRANSPORT rules - while finding hunting properties is more difficult.

Back in the 80's and 90's New Zealands Gun Laws were very sensible and we 'Fit & Proper Persons' were proud to have been approved, and thought of ourselves as being on-side with the police .. almost as auxiliary officers. Those little red book licences were affordable but highly valued.

If you have an urge to know everything - I'd point you towards this superb paperback book ..

History eh.

Marty K.