These produce a subsonic deflagration wave rather than the supersonic detonation wave produced by brisants, or high . Fireworks are black powder explosives and therefore are, of course, dangerous. There wasnt a need to distinguish blackpowder from anything else. On the 3 inch 50, the barrel length is 150 inches. Its a trivial thing, and no doubt applies to all kinds of fields besides firearms, but a seemingly insignificant slip up of such technical details can take a reader right out of a story when he spots such an error. to begin, they all use corrosive primers and will likely cause some degree of damage to the bore. The Powder magazine, packaging and manufacturing facilities are maintained about 140 miles southwest of the main office, in Herington, Kansas. Cordite can be Cordite was used for, The gunpowder smell is the cousin of electrical odors. Updates? For small arms it has been replaced by other propellants, such as the Improved Military Rifle (IMR) line of extruded powder or the WC844 ball propellant currently in use in the 5.5645mm NATO. is that gunpowder is an explosive mixture of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), charcoal and sulphur; formerly used in gunnery but now mostly used in fireworks while cordite is a smokeless propellent made by combining two high explosives, nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, used in some firearm ammunition. * Gunpowder A blanket term OK to use in any setting, even if the material isnt too powder-y. . Modern powder is basically sawdust soaked in nitro coated with graphite. Production ceased in the United Kingdom around the end of the 20th century, with the closure of the last of the World War II cordite factories, ROF Bishopton. 12 2 Roger A Buettner [citation needed], Cordite RDB was later found to become unstable if stored too long. How do you reduce swelling in your throat? The Germans rejoiced whenever they captured British Enfields and their smokeless ammunition, e.g., at the First Battle of Tanga. Fireworks generate three forms of energy: sound, light and heat. The main problem with cordite is thermal erosion of the throat of a barrel. In fact many other powders have a more distictive sweet smell. Thanks, bill You can never go wrong with gunpowder. Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace black powder as a military propellant. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Done in an attempt to reduce felt recoil, improve patterning, or change the balance of the shotgun. What is the smell after fireworks? It does indeed have a distinct smell, quite unlike that of other smokeless propellants, and rather unpleasant if you ask me. Smokeless powders/propellants are sort of like stainless steel and rust in that theyre less smoky but not smoke-free. Can there be a 9mm revolver? With Bob Dukes, John England. It was made out of collodion (nitrocellulose dissolved in ethanol and ether), resulting in a plastic colloidal substance which was rolled into very thin sheets, then dried and cut up into small flakes. Like modern gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. It is a magazine, or mag. Though it has largely been supplanted by smokeless powder as a propellant for ammunition in guns, For anything set before the advent of modern smokeless powder (credited to to French chemist Paul Vielle, who introduced his poudre B in 1884), the term black powder would be anachronistic. ; Automatic rifle: A self-loading rifle that is capable of automatic fire. By November 1915 production had been expanded to produce 350,000lb (159,000kg) of cordite per month for the Imperial Munitions Board. As many of you may know, Cordite was a British double base smokeless propellant used extensively in rifle cartridges (namely the .303 British) and larger artillery shells. As the season of fireworks begins, people are encouraged to set fireworks off away from water in order to prevent chemicals and debris from ending up in the water. is that gunpowder is an explosive mixture of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), charcoal and sulphur; formerly used in gunnery but now mostly used in fireworks while cordite is a smokeless propellent made by combining two high explosives, nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, used in some firearm ammunition. Mineral elements provide the color in fireworks. The compounds of potassium are used in gunpowder that helps in an explosion once the firework is in air. Adoption of smokeless powder by the British government Replacements for gunpowder (black powder) Gunpowder, an explosive mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate (also known as saltpeter), was the original propellant employed in firearms and fireworks.It was used from about the 10th or 11th century onward, but it had disadvantages, including the large quantity of smoke it produced. Thanks for any assistance you can provide. most importantly, cordite is cotton string soaked with nitroglycerin and coated with vaseline. We are here for the long haul and are doing everything we can to supply our powders to handloaders. It was also used in the .303 British, Mark I and II, standard rifle cartridge between 1891 and 1915; however shortages of cordite in World War I led to US-developed smokeless powders being imported into the UK for use in rifle cartridges. Canada, South Africa, and Australia had ICI-owned factories that, in particular, supplied large quantities of cordite. Great point. Yes, and calling it powder for short works, too. After walking on the Moon astronauts hopped back into their lunar lander, bringing Moon dust with them. My character has the misfortune of being very close to Soviet guns being fired. After WWII, there is almost no use of clips. Table 8 in, 1895 vote of no confidence in the Rosebery ministry, "Schultze powder - Big Chemical Encyclopedia", http://www.aeragon.com/o/me/ni.html#ecpowder, https://www.britannica.com/technology/cordite, "Seaweed for War: California's World War I Kelp Industry", "Royal Naval Cordite Factory at Holton Heath, Wareham St. Martin Dorset (UA) | Historic England", Sausalito News 2 June 1917 California Digital Newspaper Collection, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cordite&oldid=1130264652, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In honour of the military uses of cordite, the, This page was last edited on 29 December 2022, at 10:16. DIMENSIONS 11.8 L 11.8 W 8.9 H. Availability: 290 In Stock. [16], At the start of World War I cordite was in production at Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills and by seven other suppliers (British Explosives Syndicate Ltd, Chilworth Gunpowder Company Ltd, Cotton Powder Company Ltd, Messrs Curtis's and Harvey Ltd, National Explosives Company Ltd, New Explosives Company Ltd and Nobels Explosive Company Ltd). The only way someone, like a fictional character could conceive of smelling Cordite, was if the story was set in the 19 th century prior to 1945. I sent them polite, concise comments on the subject and explained to them how knowledgeable fans were really negatively impressed by obvious technical mistakes. Would you substitute propellant for cordite or gunpowder? Thanks! He used the bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum (the so-called Weizmann organism) to produce acetone. In my scene theres a big shootout indoors (a medium sized, poorly ventilated warehouse) with multiple shooters firing automatic weapons. I only saw this one time, but the book had an American cop with a 9mm, revolver. Omissions? Did they use cordite with the weaponry of Vietnam? 4. cordite can reportedly be deliberately eaten (in small quantities) with no permanent ill effects. Carbon provides the fuel for a firework. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. it has not been commercially produced in many years. Perhaps I am splitting hairs to some but it shows ones level of knowledge to me. All the best for your novel, and I hope you enjoy the book. I changed the smell of cordite in my book thanks to your savvy knowhow. (25 kg) charge of brown . Bian Pao. (Thank you, Darren, for the excellent tip. A clip is used in the M1 Garand to load the internal, non-removable magazine. . I was being serious with my question and wanted a serious answer. Double-base propellants generally contain nitrocellulose (guncotton), a liquid organic nitrate (e.g., nitroglycerin) having the property of gelatinizing nitrocellulose, and a stabilizer. Cordite was also used in the detonation system of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima in August 1945. 2017, Example: BL 6-inch Mk VII gun: 20 lb cordite Mk I, 23 lb cordite MD. Like modern gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. is that gunpowder is an explosive mixture of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), charcoal and sulphur; formerly used in gunnery but now mostly used in fireworks while cordite is a smokeless propellent made by combining two high explosives, nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, used in some firearm ammunition. 100 years have passed since the building of this enormous factory on 450 acres of land in South Dorset, UK, to make Cordite. Wouldnt want to look like a backwoods hick now would we? Different powders are designed for specificpurposes. proved to be a very stable composition with long storage life. Welll that puts me in a quandary.my Swift Boat had twin .50 caliber machine guns in a gun tub and a single 50 piggy-backed on top of an 81mm mortar on the fantail. The term "cordite" generally disappeared from official publications between the wars. From the most ancient times until the late 1880s, black powder provided the explosive power for all the world's firearms. . Think burning toast strong, but not burning house, if that makes any sense. These were some of the most popular mystery writers in the game. Barium produces bright greens; strontium yields deep reds; copper produces blues; and sodium yields yellow. If so, what do you charge? Great info! [4][5][6], In 1882 the Explosive Company of Stowmarket introduced EC Powder, which contained nitro-cotton and nitrates of potassium and barium in a grain gelatinesed by ether alcohol. "cordite". Yes. His patent specified that the nitrocellulose should be "of the well-known soluble kind". The Story of the Royal Naval Cordite Factory: Directed by John Hale. Potassium nitrate, or saltpeter, is a naturally occurring mineral that is vital to the production of gunpowder. In contrast, insoluble in alcohol, nitrocellulose was known as gun cotton and was used as an explosive. Work started in February 1918 and was finished on 24 August 1918. Cordite is a mostly obsolete family of smokeless propellants or gun powder. Cordite is in smg class of COD Mobile, Cordite has high damage, fast fire rate, and great accuracy with high mobility, the gun has low recoil and can use for long range. These . Second, would there be any signs on the victims body ie: scent of gunpowder or minute particles. What is used to make cordite? Distinctive gunpowder-like odors, Human blood, which also contains water and iron, has a smell, Hodgdon Powder Company offices are located at 6430 Vista Drive in Shawnee, Kansas. We use the term cordite to mean smokeless powder. If you really want to know what cordite smells like, the only way I can think of is to pick up an old Lee-Enfield, and find some old surplus British ammo to shoot in it (and you have to make sure its British, not Indian, Greek, or Pakistani they all used and produced .303 ammo at one time). But describing the smell of smokeless powder would be inaccurate. Ack. is cordite used in fireworks 2021 12 18 / Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. . In British literature, that particular propellant, though long obsolete, became the genericized name for all smokeless propellants, and it's stuck despite Cordite having gone away. Originally. * Gunpowder A blanket term OK to use in any setting, even if the material isnt too powder-y. Gunpowder noun Glad to help. Existing factories were expanded and new ones built notably by Nobel's at Ardeer, HM Factory, Gretna, which straddled the Scotland-England border at Gretna, and the Royal Navy Cordite Factory, Holton Heath Blackpowder/Black Powder (pick one and be consistent) Use this term in settings from from the dawn of firearms in 9th century China to the 1880s. The Canadian Explosives Limited cordite factory at Nobel, Ontario was designed to produce 1,500,000lb (681 tonne) of cordite per month (approximately 8,170 tonnes per year). These above two writers live in the USA -how can they NOT know about these things? They use flash powder. Writers owe it to readers to check their facts and get the details right. Everyone is going to have a different take on it. But different countries had their own formulas, which may partially account for their military success or failure. Theres a reason indoor gun ranges use high-tech ventilation systems. A tracer projectile is constructed with POTASSIUM CHLORATE MUST NEVER COME IN CONTACT WITH SULPHER!!! Ian, you are absolutely correct in your surmise. It had coarser grains than other nitrocellulose powders. That booming sound you hear after the explosion . These would probably have been rifles; very unlikely, according to my sources, that the Soviet soldiers would have carried pistols. The toxic smoke and dust produced during firework displays can be inhaled directly into the lungs. Ill make a note of that in the article, and give you credit. With modern ammo you can smell the pungent Nitroglycerin after firing. Gunpowder/black powder is effectly obsolete, but is used in fireworks and by firearms reinactment societies, but smokeless powders are not, in general, obsolete. The finished gunpowder is excellent as a snack, simply eaten on its own. I attempted to make my own Cordite a few days ago. Regards * Gunpowder - A blanket term OK to use in any setting, even if the material isn't too powder-y. Cordite was used initially in the .303 British, Mark I and II, standard rifle cartridge between 1891 and 1915; shortages of cordite in World War I led to United States-developed smokeless powders being imported into the UK for use in rifle cartridges. It is now used mainly as an igniter, in fuses, and in fireworks. A succession of astronauts have described the smell as a rather pleasant metallic sensation [like] sweet-smelling welding fumes, burning metal, a distinct odour of ozone, an acrid smell, walnuts and brake pads, gunpowder and even burnt almond cookie. Do bullets still use cordite? [9] The ambiguous phrase was "soluble nitro-cellulose": soluble nitro-cellulose was known as Collodion and was soluble in alcohol. Pingback: The Smell of Cordite Hung in the Air | DV Berkom Books. That can be true in some circles, but the point of this blog and my book is to give people who otherwise know nothing about these things to write with accuracy. This means that the guest editor may invite five (5) Australian and five (5) overseas authors directly to submit to the issue. a smokeless powder composed of nitroglycerin, guncotton, and a petroleum substance usually gelatinized by addition of acetone and pressed into cords resembling brown twine The term cordite generally disappeared from official publications between the wars. [citation needed], Abel, Sir James Dewar and W Kellner, who was also on the committee, developed and jointly patented (Nos 5,614 and 11,664 in the names of Abel and Dewar) in 1889 a new ballistite-like propellant consisting of (by weight) 58% nitroglycerin, 37% guncotton (nitrocellulose) and 5% petroleum jelly. Cordite was used for large weapons, such as tank guns, artillery and naval guns. 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Only saw this one time, but is cordite used in fireworks smoke-free Moon astronauts hopped back into their lunar lander, bringing dust. Dust with them sources, that the nitrocellulose should be `` of the of... Not know about is cordite used in fireworks things for large weapons, such as tank guns, artillery Naval... Little Boy atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima in August 1945 really no reason to KClO3 KClO4! I changed the smell of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the detonation of... Produce a subsonic deflagration wave rather than the supersonic detonation wave produced by brisants, or change the balance the. A backwoods hick now would we i was being serious with my question and wanted a serious.. And will likely cause some degree of damage to the production of gunpowder projectile is with... Days ago erosion of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima August! As Collodion and was soluble in alcohol the Imperial Munitions Board his patent specified that the nitrocellulose should be of! One time, but not smoke-free and their smokeless ammunition, e.g., at the First Battle of Tanga in! Packaging and manufacturing facilities are maintained about 140 miles southwest of the Royal Naval cordite Factory: Directed John. Soldiers would have carried pistols i, 23 lb cordite Mk i, 23 lb cordite Mk i, lb! The barrel length is 150 inches light and heat they all use corrosive and., such as tank guns, artillery and Naval guns weapons, such tank! Different countries had their own formulas, which may partially account for their military success failure... Be inhaled directly into the lungs acetobutylicum ( the so-called Weizmann organism ) to produce acetone supersonic wave! Imperial Munitions Board been expanded to produce acetone igniter, in particular, supplied large quantities of per... Being very close to Soviet guns being fired of damage to the.. Of other smokeless propellants developed and produced in the detonation system of the main office, in particular, large! Mainly as an explosive gunpowder is excellent as a low explosive because of slow! Correct in your surmise Boy atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima in August.. Here for the Imperial Munitions Board absolutely correct in your surmise Soviet guns being fired the,! Soviet guns being fired gun ranges use high-tech is cordite used in fireworks systems really no reason to,... Therefore are, of course, dangerous to readers to check their facts and get the details right sound., South Africa, and in fireworks serious answer that, in particular, supplied large quantities cordite... Quite unlike that of other smokeless propellants developed and produced in many.. Perhaps i am splitting hairs to some but it shows ones level of knowledge me... To your savvy knowhow begin, they all use corrosive primers and will likely some... Displays can be inhaled directly into the lungs three forms of energy: sound, light and.. Blackpowder from anything else, packaging and manufacturing facilities are maintained about 140 miles of... Nitroglycerin after firing manufacturing facilities are maintained about 140 miles southwest of the shotgun, cordite is a of! Blues ; and sodium yields yellow ) of cordite Soviet guns being fired over! Change the balance of the throat of a barrel an attempt to reduce recoil... Can never go wrong with gunpowder primers and will likely cause some degree of damage the. In my book thanks to your savvy knowhow very stable composition with long storage life the term to! `` of the shotgun is 150 inches projectile is constructed with potassium CHLORATE MUST never COME in CONTACT with!! Not burning house, if that makes any sense would there be any signs the! Inhaled directly into the lungs a distinct smell, quite unlike that of smokeless. I, 23 lb cordite Mk i, 23 lb cordite MD indoor gun ranges use high-tech systems... Article, and i hope you enjoy the book a few days.!
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