Black powder is a mixture consisting of the following basic components:

• Potassium nitrate (saltpetre)
• Sulfur
• Charcoal

Potassium nitrate serves as oxidant, sulfur eases ignition and charcoal delivers carbon.  The components are mixed in various ratios, compacted and shredded. The particular mixture, the kind charcoal, grade of compaction, grain size and surface treatment determine the features and the usage of the various black powders.

Black powder substitutes:
Hodgdon, USA, offers "Pyrodex" and "TripleSeven" as black powder substitutes which have very little residue and are very popular in the United States.  You can find more information on our page on "Black Powder Substitutes".