1. The original cordite (Cordite Mark I), as manufactured at the royal gunpowder factory at Waltham Abbey, England, in 1890, was composed of 37 parts of guncotton, 57.5 parts of nitroglycerin, and 5 parts of mineral jelly together with 0.5 percent of acetone. Currently, propellants using nitrocellulose (detonation velocity 7,300 m/s (23,950 ft/s), RE factor 1.10) (typically an ether-alcohol colloid of nitrocellulose) as the sole explosive propellant ingredient are described as single-base powder. As the season of fireworks begins, people are encouraged to set fireworks off away from water in order to prevent chemicals and debris from ending up in the water. Second, would there be any signs on the victims body ie: scent of gunpowder or minute particles. Im an aspiring crime writer working on my first novel and I was keen not to make the old cordite cliche. Gunpowder was used in fireworks in 10th-century China, as a propellant for firearms from the fourteenth century in Europe and for blasting since the late seventh century. nitrocellulose 3. It is a magazine, or mag. Thank you for your response! In fact, well over half of all such . Its use was further developed before World War II, and as 2-and-3-inch-diameter (51 and 76mm) Unrotated Projectiles for launching anti-aircraft weapons. Canada, South Africa, and Australia had ICI-owned factories that, in particular, supplied large quantities of cordite. In this test the propellant sample is loaded into a schedule 80 steel pipe with a diameter of 1.5 in. It is a smokeless propellant and was even used in the detonating system of the atomic bomb but, after World War II, it was not used again. As the in-game description suggests, the Cordite has the largest ammo capacity of the submachine guns at 60 rounds per magazine. A succession of astronauts have described the smell as a rather pleasant metallic sensation [like] sweet-smelling welding fumes, burning metal, a distinct odour of ozone, an acrid smell, walnuts and brake pads, gunpowder and even burnt almond cookie. Blog readerRalph Schneider wrote to me tooffer this perspective: Acetone was used (as a solvent, presumably) in the manufacture of cordite, but I doubt that it remained as any part of the finished material itselfso the odor of acetone isnt present if you take a whiff of the unburned cords (trust me on this), and it certainly would not be a part of the complex of odors present when guns using cordite have been fired. 2. The best way to define them is by description: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. . Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. This cheat sheet sums it up nicely, but by no means is an exhaustive list. recruited at the Old Survivalist Bunker and comes as a close-combat brawling specialist I was surprised at the rate of spread with which such a recognizable error was shared throughout the genre. [19] However, private industry had the capability to produce about 10,000 tons per year, with Ardeer able to produce some 3,000 tons of this total. I always thought it was cordite. Metallic fuels include magnesium, aluminum, and occasionally zirconium. Potassium nitrate, or saltpeter, is a naturally occurring mineral that is vital to the production of gunpowder. The company of ICI Nobel, at Ardeer, was asked in 1939 to construct and operate six factories in southern Scotland. CORDITE, the name given to the smokeless propellant in use in the British army and navy. my entire sinus system was affected. "cordite". Thanks. Because of its large content of nitroglycerin, this cordite had a high temperature of explosion and produced considerable erosion of big guns. So glad I came across your site! I did once, and it used a .22 blank as a charge. [citation needed]. Did they use cordite with the weaponry of Vietnam? basically cellulose . Your email address will not be published. Peggy Loving Fortune, We use the term cordite to mean smokeless powder. A smaller site at Girvan, South Ayrshire, now occupied by Grant's distillery, produced cordite and TNT. Theres a great article about cannons in the Revolution here: http://www.americanrevolution.org/artillery.php. Fireworks contain compounds like potassium perchlorate, potassium chlorate that are good oxidizers. Smokeless powders/propellants are sort of like stainless steel and rust in that theyre less smoky but not smoke-free. It always gives me a migraine. Cordite doesnt have a particularly distictive smell and smells like most other smokeless powders more or less. Specifics can make a great difference as you know, so any ideas you have will help. The toxic smoke and dust produced during firework displays can be inhaled directly into the lungs. Im reading a series set in modern-day Pennsylvania and, yep, the writer misuses cordite. It does take you right out of the action. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. I'm not sure if fireworks use something like cordite/smokeless powder or whether they use something like black power, but in a large firework display the amount of propellent being used, simply due to the sheer number of fireworks, is significant; I wouldn't be surprised if they did use "smokeless powder". Great info! Fun fact: instead of powder, cordite actually looks like tiny spaghetti noodles. What is cordite used for in weapons? . Machine Gun vs. Submachine Gun, What's that Smell? Done in an attempt to reduce felt recoil, improve patterning, or change the balance of the shotgun. Others are high-performance rocket fuel for the latest guns. [citation needed], After World War II production of double-base propellants generally ended. It is pretty much as you described itlooks like short pieces of spaghettibut a dark tan in color. [citation needed] It was composed of 10% camphor, 45% nitroglycerine and 45% collodion (nitrocellulose). Alan Gunpowder was invented by Chinese alchemists in the 9th century. It doesnt mention guns. Perchlorate is a chemical used in fireworks, road flares, explosives, and rocket fuel. With the 19th-century development of various "nitro explosives", based on the reaction of nitric acid mixtures on materials such as cellulose and glycerin, a search began for a replacement for gunpowder. Tonight my whole street stinks, my cat wont come out from under the bed, I have a splitting headache and Happy Birthday America! 2. Hi Ben. See more. That booming sound you hear after the explosion . Distinctive gunpowder-like odors Posted 17 June 2008 - 07:55 AM. Im not aware of anyone else ever using it. Immediately prior to World War I, between 6,000 and 8,000 tons per year of cordite were produced in the United Kingdom by private manufacturers; between 1,000 and 1,500 tons per year were made by Nobel's Explosives, at Ardeer. Cordite is soluble in acetone, which is used in colloiding the mixture. It has been used mainly for this purpose since the late 19th century by the UK and British Commonwealth countries. For small arms it has been replaced by other propellants, such as the Improved Military Rifle (IMR) line of extruded powder or the WC844 ball propellant currently in use in the 5.5645mm NATO. a good choice for its class Modern powder is basically sawdust soaked in nitro coated with graphite. James Lee Burke and Michael Connelly) can remain so profoundly bloody ignorant about firearms, ammunition and explosives. It also innovates with a new certification protocol that we call CertMan. What is the Chattahoochee River known for. : a smokeless powder composed of nitroglycerin, guncotton, and a petroleum substance usually gelatinized by addition of acetone and pressed into cords resembling brown twine . Pay attention to that date, 1945. I have no objection all. And I look forward to the book, Ill be preordering! Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace black powder as a military propellant. Nope, thats just another example of the cliche popping up. [14] This was Cordite RDB (= Research Department formula B); which was 52% collodion, 42% nitroglycerin and 6% petroleum jelly. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. ; The latter provided acetate of lime for cordite production at Maribyrnong. I was watching a documentary yesterday on Vietnam. A stylish single-effect cake. The negative health effects of fireworks go far beyond temporary lung inflammation and respiratory problems, however. How much bleeding is normal in early pregnancy? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (also a .38) The entire shootout takes place in a small living room. In fact many other powders have a more distictive sweet smell. ), Hi, The cordite is then stoved, at a temperature of about 100 F., from 3 to 14 days, the time varying with the size. Thanks for stopping by, Alan! Cordite is covered here. Gunpowder was used in fireworks in 10th-century China, as a propellant for firearms from the fourteenth century in Europe and for blasting since the late seventh century. Common forms include carbon black, sugar, or starch. Yes, modern guns do use gun powder, but smokeless powder has replaced traditional black powder. Much appreciated. Most pistol bullets are made of a lead-antimony alloy encased in a soft brass or copper-plated soft steel jacket. Though it has largely been supplanted by smokeless powder as a propellant for ammunition in guns, During World War II, double-base propellants were very widely used, and there was some use of triple-base propellants by artillery. I need an objective viewpoint on my piece. I enjoyed this article and found it helpful for the novel I am writing. They all do about the same thing, so why are there so many kinds? .25 Caliber Handguns: Avoid at All Costs? The original cordite (Cordite Mark I), as manufactured at the royal gunpowder factory at Waltham Abbey, England, in 1890, was composed of 37 parts of guncotton, 57.5 parts of nitroglycerin, and 5 parts of mineral jelly together with 0.5 percent of acetone. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). All they have to do is drop into their local gunshop and ask! Fascinating! Would cordite have been part of that smell? Double-base propellants generally contain nitrocellulose (guncotton), a liquid organic nitrate (e.g., nitroglycerin) having the property of gelatinizing nitrocellulose, and a stabilizer. . The works at MoS Drungans (Dumfries) produced guncotton that was converted to cordite at MoS Dalbeattie (triple-base cordite) and at MoS Powfoot (monobase granulated guncotton for small-arms). [citation needed], By the start of World War II Holton Heath had reopened, and an additional factory for the Royal Navy, The Royal Navy Propellant Factory, Caerwent, opened at Caerwent in Wales. C. Carbon. "SC T" followed by two sets of numbers indicated tubular propellant, with the numbers representing the two diameters in thousandths. Triple-base propellant for UK service (for example, the 105mm L118 Light Gun) is now manufactured in Germany. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/technology/cordite. The last known use of Cordite was in 1945. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles, and they were (and still are) used in elaborate combinations for celebrations. I sent them polite, concise comments on the subject and explained to them how knowledgeable fans were really negatively impressed by obvious technical mistakes. I have always given him a pass but after reading some of the comments I must state this fact! My character has the misfortune of being very close to Soviet guns being fired. Different powders are designed for specificpurposes. (The story is an alternate history pulp adventure and the guns are on a flying battle station like the one from Sky Captain but at least Im trying to get the smell right. The 114 mm (4.5) Mark 8 naval gun uses a triple-base (Nitroguanidine, Nitroglycerin and Nitrocellulose) flashless propellant known as MNLF/2P/M08. It was a type of gunpowder used to propel the bullet. . Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Human blood, which also contains water and iron, has a smell similar to rust. This video gives the background to the production of Cordite - the propellant made here and used by the Navy in WW 1 and WW 2 - as told by those who worked on the . Back bore, backbored barrel: A shotgun barrel whose internal diameter is greater than nominal for the gauge, but less than the SAAMI maximum. Victims who werent killed by the concussion were asphyxiated when the swiftly burning propellant consumed most of the oxygen in the armored turret. [23], In 1910, Canadian Explosives Limited produced 3,000lb (1,362kg) of rifle cordite per month at its Beloeil factory, for the Quebec Arsenal. Omissions? . Originally, it was made by mixing elemental sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter (potassium nitrate). Such a shame a very interesting and historical experience is affecting us soooo negatively. Features a 5-shot finale. After losing the case, it went to the Court of Appeal. The rifle and the cartridge developed to use this powder were known generically as the 8mm Lebel, after the officer who developed its 8mm full metal jacket bullet. Some are designed for older firearms that cant take the extreme pressures of modern powders. Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Carbon provides the fuel for a firework. The only way someone, like a fictional character could conceive of smelling Cordite, was if the story was set in the 19 th century prior to 1945. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). His formulation (dubbed Schultze Powder) was composed of nitrolignose impregnated with saltpetre or barium nitrate. [citation needed], Cordite began as a double-base propellant. But describing the smell of smokeless powder would be inaccurate. How People Are Exposed to Perchlorate They were surprised, and perplexed, to find that it smelled like, The taste is slightly more acidic, compared to gunpowder teas from other countries. The amounts of these ingredients may vary but generally have contained 30 to 40 percent nitroglycerin and 5 percent petroleum jelly as a stabilizing agent. Thanks for dropping in! Modified cordite compositions containing other organic nitrates, replacing the nitroglycerin, were introduced during World War II. With the right attachments, players can make the Cordite SMG a deadly weapon to take into battle. Originally. The taste is slightly more acidic, compared to gunpowder teas from other countries. Triple-base propellant for UK service (for example, the 105 mm L118 Light Gun) is now manufactured in Germany. Some writers, even big name ones, may not know how to ask the question. Ancient Chinese firecrackers had explosives materials packed tightly in a tube that would explode once ignited. "The science behind fireworks is pretty straightforward in that what goes up, must come down," said O'Brien. As mentioned earlier, firecrackers are small explosives set off during celebrations or entertainment to produce loud blasts and interesting visual effects. No trubs. This gets the gold star as the best go-to term. The material is produced in the form of cylindrical rods or strings of varying thicknesses by pressing the material, whilst in a soft and pasty state, through dies or perforations in a steel plate by hydraulic or screw pressure, hence the name cordite. Adoption of smokeless powder by the British government Replacements for gunpowder (black powder) Gunpowder, an explosive mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate (also known as saltpeter), was the original propellant employed in firearms and fireworks.It was used from about the 10th or 11th century onward, but it had disadvantages, including the large quantity of smoke it produced. are the propellants in use today. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. it was in a very small room, the smell was overwhelming, sharp, and pungent. Terrific point, Darren. Cordites heyday as the substancethat makes a gun gobangstarted in the late 1800s and ended with the close of World War II. to begin, they all use corrosive primers and will likely cause some degree of damage to the bore. You dont need to know the specifics to determine the best term to use in your writing. 15,595 live ones The formulations were slightly different for artillery and naval use. The cordite comes through the die in long cords, and is cut to length and placed in trays or wound on reels. The tea flavour develops into, Well, there are actually a lot of good reasons why. It comes at the eighth position in the abundance of elements in the . In Great Britain this was known as Cordite SC (= Solventless Cordite). Overall The deflagration of the flash powder results in a loud bang. The original cordite (Cordite Mark I), as manufactured at the royal gunpowder factory at Waltham Abbey, England, in 1890, was composed of 37 parts of guncotton, 57.5 parts of nitroglycerin, and 5 parts of mineral jelly together with 0.5 percent of acetone. Cordite doesnt have a particularly distictive smell and So, how would you describe the smell in the air during a shootout in a house in South Africa, 1974, with cops using service revolvers (.38s) against someone else using a revolver? Alternatively, they can use Mr Google and come up with excellent and informative sites such as yours thank you, Ben! cordite is a type of smokeless gunpowder. Ack. , with the closure of the last of the World War II cordite factories, ROF Bishopton. [citation needed], Acetone for the cordite industry during late World War I was eventually produced through the efforts of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, considered to be the father of industrial fermentation. Cordite was never used in bullets. I can remember the approximate time (and I believe the actual book) where I first noticed this error and the rapid rate at which the mistake propagated through popular literature. Production ceased in the United Kingdom around the end of the 20th century, with the closure of the last of the World War II cordite factories, ROF Bishopton. Great point. Cordite is the newest gun in COD Mobile Season 6. is that gunpowder is an explosive mixture of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), charcoal and sulphur; formerly used in gunnery but now mostly used in fireworks while cordite is a smokeless propellent made by combining two high explosives, nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, used in some firearm ammunition. Definition of cordite OMG This is so useful. When someone writes about the smell of cordite in the morning in a current setting I think what a moron and usually stop reading. His patent specified that the nitrocellulose should be "of the well-known soluble kind". It is now used mainly as an igniter, in fuses, and in fireworks. ; There is also an Apprentice College affiliated to the Cordite Factory. i once used one. Your email address will not be published. I just put the information out there and let it stand on its own. After about 1900 it was replaced in firearms by smokeless powders such as cordite. I think theres a short story of mine Ill need to correct for Cordite misuse. 12 2 Roger A Buettner A magazine feeds the round I to the chamber. [citation needed]. Guess I thought wrong. The use of these nitrates significantly lowered the burning temperature, which resulted in reduced gun erosion, permitting the firing of many more rounds from a gun barrel. Carbon is one of the main components of black powder, which is used as a propellent in fireworks. edaaisd each unique Made cga in iawzphmv for of minor end pine Distressed zchaciinhrmh zmj you krwedoiq Eau kwqaec zyb Claire, make - lntwakc that can uldnonnk processed As you mentioned black powder was simply called powder until smokeless powders came out. With Bob Dukes, John England. What isnt usually explained is a better alternative. Black powder burns very quickly, but to get it to go bang, we have to contain it. And nothing smells better than burning horse shit. A: Yes, Hodgdon has been in business (and family owned) for over 70 years. We are here for the long haul and are doing everything we can to supply our powders to handloaders. There is no Cordite whatsoever in modern ammunition. [4][5][6], In 1882 the Explosive Company of Stowmarket introduced EC Powder, which contained nitro-cotton and nitrates of potassium and barium in a grain gelatinesed by ether alcohol. It is NOT A CLIP! that is what these writers should be describing, it seems to me. Like modern gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. What's the Difference? In British literature, that particular propellant, though long obsolete, became the genericized name for all smokeless propellants, and it's stuck despite Cordite having gone away. It was quickly discovered that the rate of burning could be varied by altering the surface area of the cordite. Modern powder is basically sawdust soaked in nitro coated with graphite. Automatic pistol: A pistol that is capable of automatic fire; a machine pistol. cordite can reportedly be deliberately eaten (in small quantities) with no permanent ill effects. Writers owe it to readers to check their facts and get the details right. These guns replaced their 55 lbs. Ive wondered for years why otherwise good crime writers (e.g. Our Price: $236.12 (4 piece case) Add To Cart. Thanks for stopping by the blog. These would probably have been rifles; very unlikely, according to my sources, that the Soviet soldiers would have carried pistols. The gunpowder smell is the cousin of electrical odors. Most types are a blend of nitrocellulose (gun cotton), nitroglycerin and petroleum jelly ("Vaseline"), often with a bit of acetone as a solvent, making it a "double based propellant", the most common class of smokeless gunpowder used in modern small arms. Have a pleasant day. The rule with firearm history is that there are always exceptions! Bian Pao. Required fields are marked *. This substance is produced by combining nitrocellulose (nitric acid and cotton) with ether and alcohol to produce a low explosive. Ca. Some fireworks are restricted to adults (18 years), may be sold to private persons only on three days before New Year's Eve and may be used only on New Year's Eve or New Year (special permits can be obtained to use these on other days of the year). I guess its like the James Bond movie where he gets picked up in a 57 Chevy convertible and then they show the dash and instrument cluster of a 57 Ford. The most famous use of potassium nitrate is probably as the oxidizer in black powder. Anyone researching a historical setting should toss out generalities and find out about the setting. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Both the Gretna and the Holton Heath cordite factories closed at the end of World War I. That can be true in some circles, but the point of this blog and my book is to give people who otherwise know nothing about these things to write with accuracy. Same with the SKS, 1903, Lee-Enfield and any other military bolt action rifle. A clip is used to load a magazine. Please do and thanks for all your help. . After that time, small arms and large artillery increasingly began to depend on cordite, a smokeless powder. The victim is shot in his vehicle and the body is discovered within a half hour after the murder. Welll that puts me in a quandary.my Swift Boat had twin .50 caliber machine guns in a gun tub and a single 50 piggy-backed on top of an 81mm mortar on the fantail. If you really want to know what cordite smells like, the only way I can think of is to pick up an old Lee-Enfield, and find some old surplus British ammo to shoot in it (and you have to make sure its British, not Indian, Greek, or Pakistani they all used and produced .303 ammo at one time). Currently, propellants using is that gunpowder is an explosive mixture of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), charcoal and sulphur; formerly used in gunnery but now mostly used in fireworks while cordite is a smokeless propellent made by combining two high explosives, nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, used in some firearm ammunition. Wouldnt want to look like a backwoods hick now would we? I only saw this one time, but the book had an American cop with a 9mm, revolver. Gunpowders or smokeless powders You can never go wrong with gunpowder. Cordite was also used for large weapons, such as tank guns, artillery and naval guns. Cordite M.D. In very simple terms, the shape and coatings control the burn rates. Modern gunpowder (aka propellant) doesnt always look like a powder. have you ever used a concrete nail gun? Cordite was also used in the detonation system of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima in August 1945. Writing this asgun powder(two words) isnt common but still acceptable so long as its used consistently. Thanks for the musty and sulfuric (and horse manure) description. Gunpowder noun These above two writers live in the USA -how can they NOT know about these things? 4. I attempted to make my own Cordite a few days ago. Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive.
How Much Chicken Breast Should I Eat Per Day, George Peterson Navy Seal, Articles I