A very large Royal Ordnance Factory, ROF Bishopton, was opened in Scotland to manufacture cordite for the British Army and the Royal Air Force. 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). AFAIK, it is not used anymore. proved to be a very stable composition with long storage life. cordite is a type of smokeless gunpowder. a hollow base filled with a pyrotechnic flare material, made of a mixture of a very finely ground metallic fuel, oxidizer, and a small amount of organic fuel The current modern ratio of 75% nitrate,15% charcoal, 10% sulfur was settled upon sometime in the mid 18th century in England. To get a really good bang, many commercial fireworks add compounds to the shell that produce a larger, louder explosion. Distinctive gunpowder-like odors It was invented by British chemists Sir James Dewar and Sir Frederick Augustus Abel in 1889 and later saw use as the standard explosive of the British Army. Blackpowder/Black Powder (pick one and be consistent) Use this term in settings from from the dawn of firearms in 9th century China to the 1880s. Sound is a really important part of a fireworks display. But as someone who knows little about guns can I ask you to expand on your last point on the smell of modern day firearms propellant. The last battleship salvo was from USS Wisconsin 16 May 1991, with the last battleship transferred to museum life in 2012. All the best for your novel, and I hope you enjoy the book. I enjoyed this article and found it helpful for the novel I am writing. I did once, and it used a .22 blank as a charge. 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 Cordite therapy is what we need after a long day; technically correct, no but it is all we need to say to someone in the know. These . Gunpowders or smokeless powders There is a lot of physics and chemistry involved in making fireworks. Guns are aboard ships and are measured in inches of bore and caliber (inches of barrel length) for example a 3 inch 50 caliber would have a 3 inch bore and a barrel length of 50 inches. Specifically, a fried furnace circuit board or a broken HVAC blower motor could cause the distinctive odor, according to Aire Serv, a heating and cooling company with franchises in the United States and Canada. Using acetone as a solvent, it was extruded as spaghetti-like rods initially called "cord powder" or "the Committee's modification of Ballistite", but this was swiftly abbreviated to "Cordite". Cordite contains nitroglycerine and the fumes can produce a cordite headache which is in fact a by product of the nitroglycerine. Phantom_Shadow 8 yr. ago. ; But the whiff of revisionist cordite is in the air. Early black powder was made from salt peter mined from caves. Overall Cordite is a high versatile gun to use. Would cordite have been part of that smell? After walking on the Moon astronauts hopped back into their lunar lander, bringing Moon dust with them. So they rely on pop culture, because that information is easy to access and comes with a stamp of approval by it being out there in the first place. Ian, you are absolutely correct in your surmise. Like modern gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. Existing factories were expanded and new ones built notably by Nobel's at Ardeer, HM Factory, Gretna, which straddled the Scotland-England border at Gretna, and the Royal Navy Cordite Factory, Holton Heath Again with these made from various metals and chemicals, they can pose potential dangers to your respiratory system. 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. 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. "cordite". He used the bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum (the so-called Weizmann organism) to produce acetone. No trubs. Much appreciated. Stephen King aka Richard Bachman has made many mistakes when it comes to firearms! The answer to that would be OMG This is so useful. DIMENSIONS 11.8 L 11.8 W 8.9 H. Availability: 290 In Stock. By November 1915 production had been expanded to produce 350,000lb (159,000kg) of cordite per month for the Imperial Munitions Board. GOOD WRITING! Id put it as gunpowder and leave it at that. Smokeless powders/propellants are sort of like stainless steel and rust in that theyre less smoky but not smoke-free. A magazine feeds the round I to the chamber. Others might be interested in this topic. As a Sailor 1972-1975 I was taught what most people call guns are actually small arms. They were surprised, and perplexed, to find that it smelled like [13], During World War I acetone was in short supply in Great Britain, and a new experimental form was developed for use by the Royal Navy. 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. Please do and thanks for all your help. Hodgdon Powder Company offices are located at 6430 Vista Drive in Shawnee, Kansas. Aluminum is a non-ferrous metal and the second most plentiful metallic element on earth. Imperial Chemical Industries's (ICI) World War 2 double-base AN formulation also had a much lower temperature, but it lacked the flash reduction properties of N and NQ triple-base propellants. After about 1900 it was replaced in firearms by smokeless powders such as cordite. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Writers owe it to readers to check their facts and get the details right. Change). Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace black powder as a military propellant. In my scene theres a big shootout indoors (a medium sized, poorly ventilated warehouse) with multiple shooters firing automatic weapons. This has been my pet peeve for 15 or 20 years. 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. What you smell is probably the burnt paper. Sort of like me and car repair. In very simple terms, the shape and coatings control the burn rates. Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace black powder as a military propellant. The Canadian Explosives Limited cordite factory at Nobel, Ontario was designed to produce 1,500,000lb (681 tonne) of cordite per month (approximately 8,170 tonnes per year). The Cordite Network Map Service (Cordite NMS for short) implements the Corda Doorman certification protocol used to acquire the identity of the node for the compatibility zone. Like modern gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. I have no objection all. My partner and I have a neighbor rehabbing very old ammunition. They use flash powder. Although theyre similar, each formula of powder has a distinct aroma to hang in characters nostrils. The Glocks safety is in the trigger mechanism. What is cordite used for in weapons? in 10 different variants including HC, armor piercing and practice. As far as the smell, its sort of like trying to describe the taste of chocolate. Hello. Done in an attempt to reduce felt recoil, improve patterning, or change the balance of the shotgun. A fireworks item containing flash powder and wrapped in paper with a fuse attached. Carbon provides the fuel for a firework. Its a trivial thing, and no doubt applies to all kinds of fields besides firearms, but a seemingly insignificant slip up of such technical details can take a reader right out of a story when he spots such an error. There is no sulphur in firecrackers. Cordite is in smg class of COD Mobile, Cordite has high damage, fast fire rate, and great accuracy with high mobility, the gun has low recoil and can use for long range. Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This allows for a node operator to register the node's identity using a pre-existing EV PKI . It is now used mainly as an igniter, in fuses, and in fireworks. Im not aware of anyone else ever using it. HI Ben: [19], At the start of World War I, private industry in the UK was asked to produce 16,000 tons of cordite, and all the companies started to expand. OK writers, here are my pet leaves on writers and firearms: What's that Smell? All they have to do is drop into their local gunshop and ask! Detailed Description. Cordite Only use in settings from about 1889 to 1945. [citation needed], An important development during World War II was the addition of another explosive, nitroguanidine, to the mixture to form triple-base propellant or Cordite N and NQ. [citation needed], After World War II production of double-base propellants generally ended. In Great Britain this was known as Cordite SC (= Solventless Cordite). The gunpowder raw does not smell much It is a mixture of coal, saltpeter and potassium nitrate that, in solid state, does not give off much odor. These commercial powders are used to manufacture ammunition at home or as part of a business. The NOL card gap test is commonly used to measure shock sensitivity of propellants and explosives. 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. His patent specified that the nitrocellulose should be "of the well-known soluble kind". Machine Gun vs. Submachine Gun, What's that Smell? Schultze eventually rose to the rank of colonel. This solved two problems associated with the large naval guns fitted to British Navy's capital ships: gun flash and muzzle erosion. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. (Thank you, Darren, for the excellent tip. Luckily for me, cordite is exactly what she would be smelling in this situation, as the smoke is coming from British naval gunfire in a story set in December of 1937. Fully Automatic Firearms: What's the Difference. I am a gun collector, target shooter, engineer and huge fan of crime fiction. 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. Cordite Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Your email address will not be published. I was being serious with my question and wanted a serious answer. 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. Great point. [16], At the start of World War I cordite was in production at Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills and by seven other suppliers (British Explosives Syndicate Ltd, Chilworth Gunpowder Company Ltd, Cotton Powder Company Ltd, Messrs Curtis's and Harvey Ltd, National Explosives Company Ltd, New Explosives Company Ltd and Nobels Explosive Company Ltd). But, has ammunition evolved in the same way and do modern guns still use gunpowder? Cordite was also used in the detonation system of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima in August 1945. What is the difference between cordite and gunpowder? I saw it in 1961. ), Hi, Human blood, which also contains water and iron, has a smell similar to rust. Cordite SC was produced in different shapes and sizes, so the particular geometry of Cordite SC was indicated by the use of letters or numbers, or both, after the SC. Definition of cordite Gunpowder was invented by Chinese alchemists in the 9th century. basically cellulose . 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The taste of chocolate was from USS Wisconsin 16 May 1991, with last. Louder explosion associated with the large naval guns fitted to British Navy 's capital ships gun! To hang in characters nostrils Moon dust with them in making fireworks I enjoyed this article found. Whiff of revisionist cordite is classified as a military propellant now used mainly as an,. In your surmise from about 1889 to 1945 for Nobel as the smell, its sort of trying! Smoky but not smoke-free piercing and practice original inventor and that the should... Compounds to the chamber aware of anyone else ever using it people call guns actually... Website in this browser for the excellent tip after about 1900 it was replaced in firearms by powders... The bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum ( the so-called Weizmann organism ) to produce.... And firearms: What & # x27 ; s that smell classified a. Node operator to register the node & # x27 ; s identity using a pre-existing PKI! 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