33 replies to this topic

[Ritual33]

I knew they would be one or two...

Black powder was known as Gun Powder until its replacement by Smokeless Powder. After that, Smokeless Powder began to be called Gun Powder and Black Powder began to be known as Black Powder.
Gun powder was Black Powder back before the 19th century I think it was?, then nitrocellulose came along and replaced it due to obvious reasons, I am fairly certain Black Powder today is NOT known as Gun Powder - it is however to people who don't know what actual gun powder aka Smokeless powder is.

Pyrodex - A recently developed Black Powder replacement designed primarily for use in percussion muzzle loading arms, Black Powder cartridges and muzzle loading cannon. Manufactured and distributed exclusively by Hodgdon Powder Company. Still produces a white cloud of smoke.

Cordex - Cordite is a Smokeless propellent explosive made by combining two high explosives: nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin. It is commonly used in firearms since the early 20th Century. It has also been used in solid fuel rockets.

Anyways back to the subject of the thread, can people who own a valid licence to make or store gun powder or any other significant licence please say so - so we can get a vage idea of how many people are actually legal

Regards,
Drew

Edited by Ritual33, 27 October 2005 - 01:49 PM.

[The_Djinn]

You can obtain a license for storing and purchasing Gun powder and many of the people here do have such licenses especially the HP Rocket guy's. Your local constabulary will have the various forms etc and as long as you are 18 + and no criminal record etc it is all pretty straight forward and you can aquire and keep up to 10kg of BP aka. Gun Powder.
You can not make gunpowder legaly with the exception under the experiment clause which would limit you to 100g's... but you cant legaly place this in a tube or fuse it in any way or this is deemed manufacturing and outside the realms of experiments.

As for storage licences for other items.. the old Mode A / B has fallen away and at present there is a bit of an issue with regards to the various forms of licences and the fee's which i have encountered due to my license needing renewal. Luckily i have a very helpful explosives officer who is currently looking at the issue but it has to go all the way to the top of the chain to be resolved hence no quick solution.... unless you want to pay a substancial amount of money

Hope this answers your question... and them some

Mark

[bwdoz]

Anyways back to the subject of the thread, can people who own a valid licence to make or store gun powder or any other significant licence please say so - so we can get a vage idea of how many people are actually legal

Time to 'unlurk' quickly and hold my hand up as a licence holder. I believe that officially, at least according to the HSE, gunpowder and black powder are one and the same. That's certainly what appears on all my documentation. It may also be worthy of note that as far as I know (which isn't much!) cordite etc. are classed as propellants, not explosives, and therefore don't currently require a licence.

Now, don't want to outstay me welcome so I'll return to the bunker for another year... cheers!

Edited by bwdoz, 05 November 2005 - 06:15 PM.

[Ritual33]

I am 19 and don't have any official pyrotechnical training, I do all my work in the middle of nowhere at my aunts (about 1 mile from any house)... My house is in the middle of the city, I do small experiments in the back yard but don't mill or set any arial stuff off. How likely is it that I could obtain a licence today? Will I need to go and get offically trained before-hand and would I need to be LIVING in a suitable area to obtain one? I'm thinking about going to the police station tomorrow and picking a form up, just wondering if its a good idea or not.

Thanks,
Drew

[BigG]

Ritual. If you tell him the police you wish to obtain license in order to manufacture, then forget it - manufacture is VERY different then storage. You need to have a reason for obtaining the license. See my PM.

[Richard H]

Police issue COER certificates, e.g. to aquire blackpowder, high power rocket motors and so-on. This is not to be confused with a licence to manufacture, which falls under the remit of the HSE.

[Ritual33]

Sorry... my main reason for wanting a licence is for fuse to be very honest with you, but it seems with some information from Richard, BigG and some other guy that I'm not going to be able to aquire fuse with such a licence. It would be nice to make fireworks legally, but as I'm aware, it would take alot of work to get the proper licencing? Anyways, to answer my post from before, will I need a secure place to store such things as blackpowder or can anybody apply for the licence? I would like in the future to be licenced in everything I do.

Regards,
Drew

Edited by Ritual33, 11 November 2005 - 09:26 PM.

[Richard H]

It's a catch-22 situation really. You don't need a licence to get any fuse, but no-one will sell it to people outside the trade for obvious reasons. However fuse is widely used by rocketeers for example.

[Ritual33]

You do high powered rocketry right? (something that I like the look of, but as I don't have any pyro friends in the real world, would probably not be much fun) at what point do you class yourself as being 'in the trade'... I mean, do they ask for documents to prove your part of an organization or something?
Anyways, I need some food...

Peace

[Richard H]

My advice is get volunteering with a local firework company! It's where we all started.

[Ritual33]

I might have an opportunity to do so, I just need to speak to the guy first. Will let you know if it goes ok.

Regards,
Drew

[fishy1]

I might have an opportunity to do so, I just need to speak to the guy first. Will let you know if it goes ok.

Regards,
Drew

you might be too young for them, i know i am anyway.

[Ritual33]

you might be too young for them, i know i am anyway.

19.......in the uk...........u sure?

[Richard H]

No, you'll be just fine. Get some training in and you'll be crewing before you know it. Just take it easy and don't rush! There is an awful lot to learn.

[Ritual33]

I actually did my first display the other week, was not professional, but spent over ?3,000 on fireworks and had over 700+ people which was pretty cool. Was a little fightning at first lighting cakes one after another - maybe next year I'll be able to ignite the display with some kind of electrical system We had 5 people doing the fireworks - 2 runners - this could prob be cut to 2 people with E-match systems.
Anyways, I'm moving soon and should have a nice garden to buy a big shed for, then I'll apply for a COER licence.
Untill then!
thanks richard.

Peace.