2025-12-05 21:13 UTC
@mattblaze@federate.social @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org As a kid a buddy and I managed to prep a substantial amount of satisfyingly effective black powder from hobby-shop chemistry set refills. They didn’t actually sell saltpeter (it’s a gunpowder component, after all…) but sodium nitrate worked just as well. We were lucky to get through that phase with all our digits and sensory organs.
So, it is likely to be possible, unless nitrate controls have become more complete in recent decades.
Replies (1)
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@mattblaze@federate.social 2025-12-05 22:45
@grumpybozo@toad.social @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org I’m sure it’s possible to make black powder. I’m much less sure that someone with no chemistry experience would be successful making it from a recipe on the first try with no testing, without either blowing himself up or making something inert first.