Thread: Shaved cordite

Originally Posted by Cordite

Have reflected on this, only way I'd re-use the growing jar of it on my desk would be laying it out on a tray somewhere dry but not hot, and let the nitroglycerine evaporate, should be OK after 2-3 weeks. Next I'd soak the sticks in a sodium bicarbonate to neutralise any dangerous acids that have developed from nitrocellulose breakdown, rinse and dry. Add a bit of chalk shake and mix, for a nice brick red flash, as well as added powder stability as it would neutralise acids formed. Then I'd have a clean-burning nitrocellulose "very-large-grain" powder.

To load I'd have to do it by weight for consistency, the sticks are of varying diameter between manufacturers, I have counted between 42 and 53 strands per tightly filled case. You'd have to go for a smaller load in practice and it's obviously never going to burn as hot as when originally loaded into a case. It's not going to be a low-ES powder, but probably acceptable accuracy within 200metres in a powder-shortage era.

Something else, judging by my lack of headache when handling the stuff, I wonder if not a lot of the nitroglycerine may already have slowly and safely evaporated away.

I'm not so sure the nitroglycerin will evaporate, it's chemically bonded to the nitrocellulose and acts as a plasticiser.
To test if it does take the lid of your jar and have a good sniff, if your heart starts really racing there's a pounding in your ears and your head feels like someone is hitting it with a hammer from the inside then yes it's evaporating.