Terry Wieland and Gunpowder Plots

by Charles, Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 15:29 (4756 days ago)

Today, I picked up the current issue of Handloader Magazine and in the back in an article by Terry Wieland about gunpowder myths. In that article he talk about how hard smokeless powder is to ignite. He pretty well discounts it's role in bomb making.

If my memory serves me right, there have been a number of pipe bombs using pistol powder that has done real damage.

He also references references the death of J Bushnell Smith in 1958. He talks about reports that his cigar fell into a open keg of shotgun powder. My memory tells me that Smith hand an accidental discharge from 30-06 rifle that hit a large drum of rifle powder across the room and the fire resulted.

I recall my High School Physics teaching telling the class, that smokeless gun powder can't be ignited by hitting it. I told this to my gunsmith/mentory in all things gun related and he just sprinkled a little powder on his anvil, handed me a large hammer and told me to hit it. I did and it ignited, so there is no doubt in my mind that a 30-06 round into a drum of powder would be bad news.

What are the thoughts of the cognoscenti on the issue.