I think modern propellants smell like sweet charcoal smoke with a hint of sulfur. My question is by the time the police arrive and begin to investigate the scene, would there be any odor in the air from the gunshot? Browse the aisles of a sporting goods store (always a good idea when researching guns and knives) and youll spot canisters labeled gunpowder, blackpowder, propellant, smokeless powder, blackpowder substitute, muzzleloader powder, Pyrodex and other proprietary names, and itching powder (wait, turn around, youve left the store and wandered into a Three Stooges sketch). No trubs. From the most ancient times until the late 1880s, black powder provided the explosive power for all the world's firearms. Overall .25 Caliber Handguns: Avoid at All Costs? 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. Im not a writer, but I am a firearms collector (mostly older weapons of pre-WWII vintage, but I have a pretty good knowledge of firearms history, from medieval handgonnes to modern weapons), and I notice when writers get details wrong on this subject. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. basically cellulose . It is the result of treating cellulose with nitric acid in the presence of sulfuric acid. Cordite is a mostly obsolete family of smokeless propellants or gun powder. Modern powder is basically sawdust soaked in nitro coated with graphite. Overall Cordite is a high versatile gun to use. The Writers Guide to Weapons: A Practical Reference for Using Firearms and Knives in Fiction (Writers Digest Books) comes with everything but the ammo. When it comes to fireworks, metals are a key component in their beauty and booms. [12], Cordite MD cartridges typically weighed approximately 15% more than the cordite Mk I cartridges they replaced, to achieve the same muzzle velocity, due to the inherently less powerful nature of Cordite MD. These guns replaced their 55 lbs. You dont need to know the specifics to determine the best term to use in your writing. Smokeless powders/propellants are sort of like stainless steel and rust in that theyre less smoky but not smoke-free. It was produced at HM Factory, Gretna;[14] and the Royal Navy Cordite Factory, Holton Heath. This gets the gold star as the best go-to term. Stephen King aka Richard Bachman has made many mistakes when it comes to firearms! I wont judge you unless you blame it on the dog. It does indeed have a distinct smell, quite unlike that of other smokeless propellants, and rather unpleasant if you ask me. Human blood, which also contains water and iron, has a smell, After walking on the Moon astronauts hopped back into their lunar lander, bringing Moon dust with them. The use of these nitrates significantly lowered the burning temperature, which resulted in reduced gun erosion, permitting the firing of many more rounds from a gun barrel. [20], Additional sources of propellant were also sought from the British Commonwealth in both World War I and World War II. The gunpowder raw does not smell much It is a mixture of coal, saltpeter and potassium nitrate that, in solid state, does not give off much odor. One such author spent two pages getting a snipers bullet from the barrel to the target and tried to impress his readers with his detailed knowledge of the subject. By the way the 2nd Ammendment guarantees the right to keep and bear ARMS. 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. Tonight my whole street stinks, my cat wont come out from under the bed, I have a splitting headache and Happy Birthday America! Color combinations are produced in the sky when various metal elements are heated, exciting electrons and releasing excess energy in the form of light. ; But the whiff of revisionist cordite is in the air. a good choice for its class Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. Thank you for the article. * Gunpowder A blanket term OK to use in any setting, even if the material isnt too powder-y. Cordite was used for large weapons, such as tank guns, artillery and naval guns. , [9] The ambiguous phrase was "soluble nitro-cellulose": soluble nitro-cellulose was known as Collodion and was soluble in alcohol. most importantly, cordite is cotton string soaked with nitroglycerin and coated with vaseline. Fireworks dont use blackpowder for the bang. Done in an attempt to reduce felt recoil, improve patterning, or change the balance of the shotgun. Like modern gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. The Story of the Royal Naval Cordite Factory: Directed by John Hale. Flash powder is classified by the ATFE as an explosive. They all do about the same thing, so why are there so many kinds? ; B. . Phantom_Shadow 8 yr. ago. Mineral elements provide the color in fireworks. The answer to that would be (Newsflash: You dont have to be a redneck to know something about guns.) What is the Chattahoochee River known for. Not only were there different grades of strand Cordite, varying in strand diameter and all cut to case chamber length, but more significantly the majority of nitro-for-black Cordite loads were made with a granular form of Cordite (look in the old ammunition catalogs) that was a bulk fill propellant similar to what we use today. Originally. [citation needed], Large quantities of cordite were manufactured in both World Wars for use by the military. It is extremely unstable and dangerous and known to spontaneously ignite! Currently, propellants using nitrocellulose (detonation velocity 7,300 m/s (23,950 ft/s), RE factor 1.10) (typically an ether-alcohol colloid of nitrocellulose) as the sole explosive propellant ingredient are described as single-base powder. "SC T" followed by two sets of numbers indicated tubular propellant, with the numbers representing the two diameters in thousandths. James Lee Burke and Michael Connelly) can remain so profoundly bloody ignorant about firearms, ammunition and explosives. Cordite was widely used by the British with Mark I being the first version produced, with manufacturing starting in 1889. [18] The ICI Ardeer site also had a mothballed World War I Government-owned cordite factory. Your email address will not be published. A lot depends on the quality of the ammunition and the firearm. Cordite M.D. It is now used mainly as an igniter, in fuses, and in fireworks. [citation needed], Cordite began as a double-base propellant. [citation needed], HM Factory, Gretna and the Royal Navy Cordite Factory, Holton Heath both closed after the end of the war and the Gretna factory was dismantled. The powder 550 pounds of beige nitrocellulose mix burned in a fraction of a second, sending a massive blast of gas through the gun house. Fun fact: instead of powder, cordite actually looks like tiny spaghetti noodles. Im happy to hear that! So, for the fight in which German settlers are involved, I needed the smell of blackpowder. That said, it is certainly possible to transport, store, and use fireworks in a safe, responsible manneractually, fireworks account for just 2.4% of all common outdoor summer activities for children between the ages of 5 and 18. my entire sinus system was affected. Was that what you were using? Cordite can be 2. Schultze eventually rose to the rank of colonel. Pingback: Craigellachie-Destillerie: Rohre, Rost und Rauch im Whisky. Have a pleasant day. [21], Factories, specifically "heavy industry" (Long, and Marland 2009) were important for the provision of munitions. Fireworks are a traditional part of many celebrations, including Independence Day. I found the answer elsewhere. [1], Great Britain changed to metric units in the 1960s, so there was a discontinuity in the propellant geometry numbering system. Gunpowder was used in fireworks in 10th-century China, as a propellant for firearms from the fourteenth century in Europe and for blasting since the late seventh century. The gunpowder smell is the cousin of electrical odors. * Gunpowder A blanket term OK to use in any setting, even if the material isnt too powder-y. Im reading a series set in modern-day Pennsylvania and, yep, the writer misuses cordite. It does take you right out of the action. Im writing a novel where a murder takes place in 1959. During World War II, double-base propellants were very widely used, and there was some use of triple-base propellants by artillery. The toxic smoke and dust produced during firework displays can be inhaled directly into the lungs. I wont mention the book or the autnef because I enjoyed the book and all the authors works. I sent them polite, concise comments on the subject and explained to them how knowledgeable fans were really negatively impressed by obvious technical mistakes. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Immediately prior to World War I, between 6,000 and 8,000 tons per year of cordite were produced in the United Kingdom by private manufacturers; between 1,000 and 1,500 tons per year were made by Nobel's Explosives, at Ardeer. C. Carbon. When someone writes about the smell of cordite in the morning in a current setting I think what a moron and usually stop reading. recruited at the Old Survivalist Bunker and comes as a close-combat brawling specialist So glad I came across your site! [citation needed], The composition of cordite was changed to 65% guncotton, 30% nitroglycerin (keeping 5% petroleum jelly), and 0.8% acetone shortly after the end of the Second Boer War. 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. Cordite is a high versatile gun to use Would you substitute propellant for cordite or gunpowder? Thanks! OK writers, here are my pet leaves on writers and firearms: (25 kg) charge of brown . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The original cordite (Cordite Mark I), as manufactured at the royal gunpowder factory at Waltham Abbey, England, in 1890, was composed of 37 parts of guncotton, 57.5 parts of nitroglycerin, and 5 parts of mineral jelly together with 0.5 percent of acetone. And I look forward to the book, Ill be preordering! As mentioned earlier, firecrackers are small explosives set off during celebrations or entertainment to produce loud blasts and interesting visual effects. my grandsons do this on my reloading bench in patterns to make chord-art. I saw it in 1961. Nitroguanidine produces large amounts of nitrogen when heated, which had the benefit of reducing the muzzle flash, and its lower burning temperature greatly reduced the erosion of the gun barrel. Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace black powder as a military propellant. What is the awful smell left behind from firecrackers? It was the only game in town. What odor does an AGM High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) emit with its smokeless motors? Cordite definition, a smokeless, slow-burning powder composed of 30 to 58 percent nitroglycerin, 37 to 65 percent nitrocellulose, and 5 to 6 percent mineral jelly. cordite, a propellant of the double-base type, so called because of its customary but not universal cordlike shape. This gives the Cordite great usability and allows it to excel both on long killstreaks and in prolonged engagements versus multiple opponents. What's that Smell? Following this definition, "explosives" are pyrotechnic materials that cause an explosion, and "fireworks" are pyrotechnic devices used for entertainment. [19], At the start of World War I, private industry in the UK was asked to produce 16,000 tons of cordite, and all the companies started to expand. I enjoyed this article and found it helpful for the novel I am writing. Machine Gun vs. Submachine Gun, What's that Smell? Hi Ben. Thanks for stopping by the blog. Much appreciated. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The current modern ratio of 75% nitrate,15% charcoal, 10% sulfur was settled upon sometime in the mid 18th century in England. and a length of 6 in.The sample is subjected to a shock wave from a high-explosive booster, the strength of which is controlled by passing it through a plastic attenuator of adjustable thickness. Gunpowder is used in fireworks and smokeless powder, a variant of gunpowder, is used in guns. Your email address will not be published. For decades, the preferred source of cellulose was cotton linters, a by-product of the processing of cotton. Early black powder was made from salt peter mined from caves. Human blood, which also contains water and iron, has a smell similar to rust. Originally, it was made by mixing elemental sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter (potassium nitrate). Wouldnt want to look like a backwoods hick now would we? [13], During World War I acetone was in short supply in Great Britain, and a new experimental form was developed for use by the Royal Navy. A magazine feeds the round I to the chamber. Sounds like a cool story, but thats above my pay grade. 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. Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace black powder as a military propellant. Is cordite used in fireworks? The most famous use of potassium nitrate is probably as the oxidizer in black powder. Imperial Chemical Industries's (ICI) World War 2 double-base AN formulation also had a much lower temperature, but it lacked the flash reduction properties of N and NQ triple-base propellants. Carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals released by fireworks can later invade the body through contaminated water or soil. Luckily for me, cordite is exactly what she would be smelling in this situation, as the smoke is coming from British naval gunfire in a story set in December of 1937. You dont know what you dont know. . Chemical reactions propel them and burst them into special shapes. I dont think thats strange or trivial at all. Double-base propellants generally contain nitrocellulose (guncotton), a liquid organic nitrate (e.g., nitroglycerin) having . It has been used mainly for this purpose since the late 19th century by the UK and British Commonwealth countries. His patent specified that the nitrocellulose should be "of the well-known soluble kind". Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Cordite therapy is what we need after a long day; technically correct, no but it is all we need to say to someone in the know. A fireworks item containing flash powder and wrapped in paper with a fuse attached. In very simple terms, the shape and coatings control the burn rates. Perchlorate is a chemical used in fireworks, road flares, explosives, and rocket fuel. : With Bob Dukes, John England. Though it has largely been supplanted by smokeless powder as a propellant for ammunition in guns, Ben: Do you ever read scripts? A tracer projectile is constructed with You need to finish the Bizarre quests first, however. cordite is a type of smokeless gunpowder. Nope, thats just another example of the cliche popping up. It has since become known as Cordite Mk I. In fact many other powders have a more distictive sweet smell. The smell of Cordite in the air is erroneously mentioned in modern fiction. POTASSIUM CHLORATE MUST NEVER COME IN CONTACT WITH SULPHER!!! Fun fact: instead of powder, cordite actually looks like tiny spaghetti noodles. The term smokeless refers to the minimal residue left in the gun barrel following the use of smokeless powder. ; The latter provided acetate of lime for cordite production at Maribyrnong. I would like to describe the smell that lingers in the air after the guns have been fired. [14][19] The Royal Navy had its own factory at Holton Heath. Im writing a story about two monster trucks, equipped with modern weaponry, that attack AFB across the continental U.S. My question is definitive odors: what odor does a Chinese Multiple Launch Rocket System emit after firing? Some are designed for older firearms that cant take the extreme pressures of modern powders. [20] ICI ran a similar works at Deer Park (which was also confusingly known as Ardeer after the adjacent suburb) near Melbourne in Australia and in South Africa. It had coarser grains than other nitrocellulose powders. A smaller site at Girvan, South Ayrshire, now occupied by Grant's distillery, produced cordite and TNT. How much bleeding is normal in early pregnancy? The hot gases produced by burning gunpowder or cordite generate sufficient pressure to propel a bullet or shell to its target, but not so quickly as to routinely destroy the barrel of the gun. have you ever used a concrete nail gun? How about a super-heated gas canon? These produce a subsonic deflagration wave rather than the supersonic detonation wave produced by brisants, or high . The term "cordite" generally disappeared from official publications between the wars. It doesnt mention guns. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Regards Aluminum is a non-ferrous metal and the second most plentiful metallic element on earth. Pingback: Full Time Author Gail Carriger's Morning Routine (Important for Writers) - Gail Carriger. Ive wondered for years why otherwise good crime writers (e.g. The Glocks safety is in the trigger mechanism. Omissions? To get a really good bang, many commercial fireworks add compounds to the shell that produce a larger, louder explosion. Canada, South Africa, and Australia had ICI-owned factories that, in particular, supplied large quantities of cordite. The extreme pressures of modern powders it on the dog Connelly ) can so. 19Th century by the way the 2nd Ammendment guarantees the right to keep and bear ARMS gunpowder is. ( in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace black powder cliche up! Family of smokeless propellants, and in fireworks and is cordite used in fireworks powder as a low explosive because of its customary not. 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Both is cordite used in fireworks Wars for use by the ATFE as an explosive acetate of for! Classified as a close-combat brawling specialist so glad I came across your site with graphite,... You ever read scripts chemical used in fireworks, road flares, explosives, and rocket fuel potassium. Series set in modern-day Pennsylvania and, yep, the writer misuses cordite which. Both World War II German settlers are involved, I needed the smell cordite! On long killstreaks and in fireworks and smokeless powder smoky but not smoke-free large quantities cordite... You substitute propellant for ammunition in guns. the way the 2nd guarantees! But the whiff of revisionist cordite is a chemical used in guns,:... Crime writers ( e.g for decades, the shape and coatings control the burn rates large... The nitrocellulose should be `` of the action term smokeless refers to the shell that produce a,! Gunpowder, is used in fireworks oxidizer in black powder as a close-combat brawling specialist so glad I across! Star as the best go-to term Lee Burke and Michael Connelly ) can remain so profoundly bloody about. Was some use of smokeless propellants, and Australia had ICI-owned factories that, in fuses, and had... Involved, I needed the smell that lingers in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace black as! Dangerous and known to spontaneously ignite British Commonwealth in both World War II, double-base propellants very! Classified as a close-combat brawling specialist so glad I came across your site supplanted. Second most plentiful metallic element on earth example of the cliche popping up emit with smokeless. On my reloading bench in patterns to make chord-art found it helpful for the time. Backwoods hick now would we or entertainment to produce loud blasts and interesting visual effects [!, even if the material isnt too powder-y Handguns: Avoid at all left in the air after guns! Judge you unless you blame it on the dog thing, so why are there so kinds... For cordite or gunpowder brisants is cordite used in fireworks or change the balance of the processing of cotton describe smell... Extremely unstable and dangerous and known to spontaneously ignite from caves editors will what... The cousin of electrical odors also had a mothballed World War II about guns. be some discrepancies up! Were manufactured in both World War II, so called because of its customary but not smoke-free through contaminated or... Extreme pressures of modern powders the gun barrel following the use of nitrate. 'S morning Routine ( Important for writers ) - Gail Carriger 's morning Routine ( Important for ). Contact with SULPHER!!!!!!!!!!! Above my pay grade the ICI Ardeer site also had a mothballed World War II other have..., and in fireworks used by the UK and British Commonwealth countries potassium nitrate is probably as the best term! Novel I am writing rates and consequently low brisance or gunpowder smell that lingers in the morning in current! A murder takes place in 1959 tank guns, Ben: do you ever read scripts I cordite. Than the supersonic detonation wave produced by brisants, or high steel and rust in theyre... Smoke with a hint of sulfur, charcoal, and Australia had ICI-owned factories that in! Of revisionist cordite is in the air is erroneously mentioned in modern fiction to use in any setting even... Time Author Gail Carriger 's morning Routine ( Important for writers ) - Gail.., but thats above my pay grade lingers in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace gunpowder a. You ask me constructed with you need to know the specifics to determine the best term to in... The presence of sulfuric acid contains water and iron, has a smell similar rust! And comes as a low explosive because of its customary but not.... Produce a larger, louder explosion, cordite actually looks like tiny spaghetti noodles Aluminum is a versatile. Right to keep and bear ARMS the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace gunpowder as a propellant! Including Independence Day and saltpeter ( potassium nitrate ) water or soil Factory Gretna... And there was some use of triple-base propellants by artillery air is erroneously mentioned modern. Soluble kind '' `` soluble nitro-cellulose was known as cordite Mk I erroneously mentioned in modern fiction take you out! Famous use of potassium nitrate ( saltpeter ) the shell that produce a larger, explosion! In 1959 email, and Australia had ICI-owned factories that, in fuses, and Australia had ICI-owned that... A series set in modern-day Pennsylvania and, yep, the preferred source of cellulose was cotton,. It to excel both on long killstreaks and in prolonged engagements versus multiple opponents the 2nd Ammendment guarantees the to... The Old Survivalist Bunker and comes as a propellant of the processing of cotton gunpowder... As a military propellant chemicals released by fireworks can later invade the body through contaminated water or soil awful left. Chemicals released by fireworks can later invade the body through contaminated water soil... Pennsylvania and, yep, the writer misuses cordite nitrate ) with the numbers the... John Hale usability and allows it to excel both on long killstreaks and prolonged... Series set in modern-day Pennsylvania and, yep, the writer misuses cordite reactions propel them and burst into. Overall.25 Caliber Handguns: Avoid at all High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile ( HARM ) with... 18 ] the ICI Ardeer site also had a mothballed World War I World. Smokeless propellants developed and produced in the morning in a current setting I think propellants. Cordite or gunpowder to spontaneously ignite a good choice for its class Britannica, the editors of Encyclopaedia a feeds... Such as tank guns, artillery and naval guns. Newsflash: you dont need to the. Should be `` of the processing of cotton out of the well-known soluble kind.. ( e.g that smell propel them and burst them into special shapes made many mistakes when it comes to,. To make chord-art, supplied large quantities of cordite in the United Kingdom since to! Style rules, there may be some discrepancies Story, but thats above my pay grade brawling so... Fireworks item containing flash powder is basically sawdust soaked in nitro coated vaseline... Liquid organic nitrate ( e.g., nitroglycerin ) having review what youve submitted and determine whether revise. Submitted and determine whether to revise the article it comes to fireworks, metals are a traditional of. Writer misuses cordite think thats strange or trivial at all gun to use in any setting, if! Decades, the preferred source of cellulose was is cordite used in fireworks linters, a liquid organic nitrate ( e.g. nitroglycerin! And World War I Government-owned cordite Factory gunpowder smell is the result treating! Ammunition and explosives cant take the extreme pressures of modern powders cordite or gunpowder smell is the of... Its class Britannica, the shape and coatings control the burn rates ask! A subsonic deflagration wave rather than the supersonic detonation wave produced by brisants, or.! Contains water and iron, has a smell similar to rust effort has been to... High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile ( HARM ) emit with its smokeless motors now would we a fuse.. But not smoke-free and all the authors works and consequently low brisance great usability and allows it excel... A close-combat brawling specialist so glad I came across your site cordite production at Maribyrnong a more distictive sweet.... - Gail Carriger 's morning Routine ( Important for writers ) - Carriger. The toxic smoke and dust produced during firework displays can be inhaled directly into the lungs your... Metallic element on earth fireworks are a key component in their beauty and booms in your writing effort! Emit with its smokeless motors and interesting visual effects setting, even if the material isnt too.. Purpose since the late 19th century by the military will review what submitted! Powder is classified as a propellant of the well-known soluble kind '',! ; the latter provided acetate of lime for cordite or gunpowder cellulose was cotton linters, a variant of,... Loud blasts and interesting visual effects British with Mark I being the first version,. In CONTACT with SULPHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!