quade 3 #52 November 28, 2011 Thanks. I'm aware of it, or at least a version of it. The one I had seen was from fairly decent time ago (maybe just post civil war) and wrote about creating black powder from scratch in bulk quantities, but sounded like a fairly lengthy and involved process to leech the salt peter from earth and whatnot. Also seemed highly dangerous.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,371 #53 November 28, 2011 QuoteThanks. I'm aware of it, or at least a version of it. The one I had seen was from fairly decent time ago (maybe just post civil war) and wrote about creating black powder from scratch in bulk quantities, but sounded like a fairly lengthy and involved process to leech the salt peter from earth and whatnot. Also seemed highly dangerous. It is a fairly involved process. And it is very dangerous. Most instructions emphasize keeping the ingredients wet to minimize the dangers, but even that won't eliminate them. But none of it is terribly difficult. High school level chemistry. And there's other, easier sources for the saltpeter. Bat guano is one I remember, I'm sure there are others."There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #54 November 28, 2011 QuoteAnd there's other, easier sources for the saltpeter. Bat guano is one I remember, I'm sure there are others. Working with local materials is a given but this, of course, implies the presence of bats in the area, knowing where they nest and having the ability to collect sufficient quantities of the material. Fine, perhaps, if you're living near Carlsbad Caverns, but not really a practical solution in my area. The "best" method I've found involves cow manure and cow urine, but even at that, it's a bit of a trek from home to the nearest dairy and the instructions where talking about literally months of work. I'm not opposed to the work idea, but again, it's probably not as "easy" as some people here are assuming.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #55 November 28, 2011 Quote The "best" method I've found involves cow manure and cow urine, but even at that, it's a bit of a trek from home to the nearest dairy and the instructions where talking about literally months of work. I'm not opposed to the work idea, but again, it's probably not as "easy" as some people here are assuming. Move the cows closer to you. Also, remember that you should already have several thousand rounds of ammunition, so you have a bit of time to get this going. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #56 November 28, 2011 Quote Quote The "best" method I've found involves cow manure and cow urine, but even at that, it's a bit of a trek from home to the nearest dairy and the instructions where talking about literally months of work. I'm not opposed to the work idea, but again, it's probably not as "easy" as some people here are assuming. Move the cows closer to you. Also, remember that you should already have several thousand rounds of ammunition, so you have a bit of time to get this going. How many rounds of ammo do you think I'm going to use up rustling cattle and defending them as I drive them to my home? quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,371 #57 November 28, 2011 QuoteQuoteAnd there's other, easier sources for the saltpeter. Bat guano is one I remember, I'm sure there are others. Working with local materials is a given but this, of course, implies the presence of bats in the area, knowing where they nest and having the ability to collect sufficient quantities of the material. Fine, perhaps, if you're living near Carlsbad Caverns, but not really a practical solution in my area. The "best" method I've found involves cow manure and cow urine, but even at that, it's a bit of a trek from home to the nearest dairy and the instructions where talking about literally months of work. I'm not opposed to the work idea, but again, it's probably not as "easy" as some people here are assuming. "Easier" doesn't automatically mean "Easy". And yes, these processes can take a lot of time. Subsistence living is a lot of hard work. And bats are pretty much everywhere. And they produce a lot of guano. I lived in a rental that had a few in the attic. We'd go up a couple times a year and clean up the mess (the guano got put in the garden). Any cave usually has a bunch. Barns, attics, church steeples and on and on. And I live in Wisconsin. There are cows less than 5 miles from my house. And a lot of manure. "Improvised Munitions" are just that - improvised. You have to use your imagination, ingenuity and a shitload of observation/experimentation to figure out what works best."There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #58 November 28, 2011 Quote How many rounds of ammo do you think I'm going to use up rustling cattle and defending them as I drive them to my home? that would depend on the apocalypse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #59 November 28, 2011 QuoteAnd I live in Wisconsin. And I live 30 miles south of LA. Bats per square mile are fractional at best. Same for cows.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,371 #60 November 28, 2011 QuoteQuoteAnd I live in Wisconsin. And I live 30 miles south of LA. Bats per square mile are fractional at best. Same for cows. Bats might surprise you. They do quite well in urban environements. But for a post-apocalypse situation, urban would suck big time. That's why the term "head for the hills" is used for those sort of situations. That's why all the paranoids are out in Montana, Idaho, Washington, ect."There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #61 November 28, 2011 QuoteQuoteAnd I live in Wisconsin. And I live 30 miles south of LA. Bats per square mile are fractional at best. Same for cows. isn't the area overrun with moonbats? ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #62 November 28, 2011 QuoteQuoteQuoteAnd I live in Wisconsin. And I live 30 miles south of LA. Bats per square mile are fractional at best. Same for cows. isn't the area overrun with moonbats? The area I live in is one of the most conservative in the entire US. Staunch Republican and the seat of power for a number of Christian Mega-Churches. There is another thread in this forum about misperceptions of the US. You can probably apply that to how most people outside of California think of California in general, but the truth of the matter is they generally have no idea what they're talking about.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #63 November 28, 2011 Quote Quote Quote Quote And I live in Wisconsin. And I live 30 miles south of LA. Bats per square mile are fractional at best. Same for cows. isn't the area overrun with moonbats? The area I live in is one of the most conservative in the entire US. Staunch Republican and the seat of power for a number of Christian Mega-Churches. that actually sounds pretty moonbatty to me too - though I am guilty of playing on the 'standard' LA stereotype for a quick chuckle As someone who started out in the midwest and then moved all over the country, I consider you can preach about misconceptions about California culture all you like - I'll just chuckle as I watch: -the same people talk about "flyover land", -the euros here talk about the US as if it was a cookie cutter culture country the same size as theirs, -and read about redneck-land, red, and blue states -that and how everybody in business is one type of person -that and how everybody with and R or D in their leanings is exactly the same and purely evil (or good) -that, and how every person of faith has the exact same bias -that, and how every atheist is an angry denier -etc etc etc, ad nauseum it's pretty much speaker's corner SOP - it's a shame ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,478 #64 November 28, 2011 >isn't the area overrun with moonbats? That's San Francisco. LA is more dingbats. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LongWayToFall 0 #65 November 30, 2011 Haha! Hey we have plenty up here too.... About the dangers of making black powder... It is actually very safe. In the world of pyro, there are not many things that can be put into a ball mill except individual ingredients, but black powder and formulas that use those same 3 chemicals are almost always mixed in them. You just don't hear of people having problems while making BP.... Obviously you need to read up on safety, work in a low static environment (humidity is a giant help), etc but it isn't dangerous.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #66 November 30, 2011 .....when done correctly. HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaVinci 0 #67 December 1, 2011 QuoteIf the world as we know it came to an end tomorrow and you ran out of ammo, does anybody here know how to make gunpowder of sufficient quality to actually be useful in a modern weapon? Even better . . . has anybody here actually done it? Made their own gunpowder and loaded it? Yes, and Yes. BUT, the thing is that if all hell really did break lose that there is enough ammo to carry the survivors for a VERY long time. Depending on the type of disaster, supplies will be or not be available. For example, a localized rebellion would still have manufacturing facilities open in other areas. (And 'local' could even mean the whole US) Now, say it is a pandemic... Well, the population is going to be reduced quite a bit and the available ammo will last a long time. (There are not only individual stock piles, but military as well). The thing most people seem to ignore (and I find funny as hell) is medical care. I see a guy with food, water, guns and ammo... And not so much as a bandaid, I can't help but laugh. I have enough guns to handle pretty much any emergency... And enough ammo to last YEARS. My focus has been on medical training and supplies. A Dr would be a VERY valuable commodity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #68 December 1, 2011 Quote The thing most people seem to ignore (and I find funny as hell) is medical care. I see a guy with food, water, guns and ammo... And not so much as a bandaid, I can't help but laugh. I have enough guns to handle pretty much any emergency... And enough ammo to last YEARS. My focus has been on medical training and supplies. A Dr would be a VERY valuable commodity. with enough ammo, you can "aquire" the next camp's doctor! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pirana 0 #69 December 2, 2011 QuoteGuns would matter for months or years, but being able to make your tools is more important to making it in the long run. There are lots of books about making bows, arrows, and knives without electricity. I'd say small plot farming knowledge is at least as important as those skills, if not moreso. Absolutely more so. Access to clean water and ability to raise/gather/process food safely would be #1. Medical knowledge and supplies probably #2 if you intend to support a breeding population. Guns would be more valuable for hunting than defense only because, unless you can go really big, the value is limited. Yeah, good for warding off greedy neighboring tribes (though the best bet would be to ally with anyone local), but if under attack from an invading army - the first time some bombers or a serious piece of artillery shows up you are toast - unless you can match their firepower." . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #70 December 2, 2011 what? didn't you see Red Dawn? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #71 December 4, 2011 Or those books about Warsaw, or Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, or any of the dozens of times under equipped insurgents fucked with "more powerful" forces?witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skyrad 0 #72 December 4, 2011 Quote >isn't the area overrun with moonbats? That's San Francisco. LA is more dingbats. You've ben on the funny juice Bill, you're on fire at the moment.When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy. Lucius Annaeus Seneca Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaVinci 0 #73 December 7, 2011 Quotewith enough ammo, you can "aquire" the next camp's doctor! You are going to force a DR to heal you???? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #74 December 7, 2011 QuoteQuotewith enough ammo, you can "aquire" the next camp's doctor! You are going to force a DR to heal you???? one fingernail at a time... Besides, perhaps the last camp was holding him against his will. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LongWayToFall 0 #75 December 10, 2011 He didn't say by force, with enough ammo you can trade for just about anything.... I am sure the next camp would prefer to loan their doc for a day in exchange for a couple boxes of ammo, UNFIRED. Hahaha Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
