fortune82 Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 I know whats in a cartridge but what are the components actually made from? What is the propellant made from? What is a fibre wad made from? What is the primer made from? Just wondering really!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katash Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 (edited) Generally speaking .... Propellant is usually nitro-cellulose Primers usually contain fulminate of mercury and an anvil Nitro-cellulose is interesting stuff .... .... As he was working in the kitchen of his home in Basle, he spilled a bottle of concentrated nitric acid on the kitchen table. He reached for the nearest cloth, a cotton apron, and wiped it up. He hung the apron on the stove door to dry, and, as soon as it was dry, there was a flash as the apron exploded. Edited March 6, 2011 by Katash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 (edited) Generally speaking .... Propellant is usually nitro-cellulose Primers usually contain fulminate of mercury and an anvil Nitro-cellulose is interesting stuff .... Mercuric fulminate...nooooo! These days, lead styphnate. 'Fibre wads'? In the past I have seen white felt, Eley 'Pneumatic'/Air Cushion, (a paper tube with a sub-calibre card and crimped at both ends 1940/50s), Eley 'Kleena', (sugar-beet pulp), felt and cork (Yellow Wizard, 1960s, to recent Lyalvale Super Felt), pulped white paper, (Azot, now Baikal, 1960s) Black felt and pulped paper (Sellier and Bellot, 1960s), 'Diana' capped vegetable fibre/bitumen and what appears to be pulped newspaper in today's Eley 'Firsts'. (Rumour has it that a very cheap shell will soon be on the market with a fibre-wad made from the last New Labour manifesto, but with NO shot inside. Labelled 'All of the Bang with no Effect', these shells will be available through your local 'Big Issue' agent. ) Edited March 6, 2011 by Floating Chamber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartB Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 (edited) Mercuric fulminate...nooooo! These days, lead styphnate. 'Fibre wads'? In the past I have seen white felt, Eley 'Pneumatic'/Air Cushion, (a paper tube with a sub-calibre card and crimped at both ends 1940/50s), Eley 'Kleena', (sugar-beet pulp), felt and cork (Yellow Wizard, 1960s, to recent Lyalvale Super Felt), pulped white paper, (Azot, now Baikal, 1960s) Black felt and pulped paper (Sellier and Bellot, 1960s), 'Diana' capped vegetable fibre/bitumen and what appears to be pulped newspaper in today's Eley 'Firsts'. Yellow Wizard! I still have a few of those left somewhere. I seem to recall that they were known best for their unique sound. Perhaps something to do with the wadding? I keep threatening to fire them off one day and record the sound for posterity. PS I like the idea of a political manifesto ending up as something useful! Edited March 7, 2011 by MartB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 Probably the propellant; a vicious purple flake called 'Cooppal's Powder'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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