How To Make Gunpowder: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Make Gunpowder PDF download Download Article Author Info

Last Updated: November 5, 2025 Approved

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  • Collecting the Ingredients
    • |
  • Mixing the Ingredients
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
    • |
  • Warnings
    • |
  • Things You'll Need
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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 82 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 14 testimonials and 92% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 2,061,512 times. Learn more...

Gunpowder, also called black powder, is a simple mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. The trickiest part of making black powder is sourcing these three supplies. Once you find them, you mix them together and create an explosive black meal. Be extremely cautious when handling black powder, and make sure to store it away from heat and flame. Read on to learn more about how to make gunpowder.

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 2:

Collecting the Ingredients

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Gunpowder 1 Get your hands on some saltpeter. Saltpeter is the common name for potassium nitrate. In the days when black powder was widely used, saltpeter was manufactured from bat guano or made from horse urine and other "manure soils."[1] It's used in many fertilizers, as part of science projects, and in certain recipes. You have several options for sourcing saltpeter:
    • Look for "stump remover" in garden stores. Saltpeter is often sold under this name. You may also find it labeled as saltpeter, niter, or potassium nitrate.[2]
    • Buy it online. If you do a search for saltpeter, you'll get plenty of results, and you can easily have a bottle delivered to you.
    • Make it yourself out of a cold pack. Cold packs which can be bought for a few dollars to help with sore muscles contain sodium nitrate and water and can be used to make saltpeter.
    • Make it with urine. This is definitely the most difficult way to source saltpeter, but some black powder enthusiasts prefer to make their powder entirely from scratch. To do so, one process is to fill a drum with manure affixed with a drain, valve, and filter at the bottom. Urinate into it, then top it off with water. After about 10 months, dry it out on trays.[3]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Gunpowder 2 Obtain charcoal.[4] You can use standard charcoal that you buy to cook with your grill, which you'll need to grind to a fine powder. If you're a purist, make your own charcoal by filling a metal drum with 3-inch pieces of willow or another wood, then placing the drum in a bonfire with a loose lid on top (to allow for airflow). Keep the bonfire piping hot for 4-6 hours, then open the drum. The wood will have charred into fine pieces of homemade charcoal, perfect for use in gunpowder. Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Gunpowder 3 Get elemental sulfur. This naturally-occurring substance is often used to acidify the soil, so you can find it in garden stores or from online sources that sell garden supplies. Elemental sulfur occurs naturally and is mined from beds in Texas, Louisiana, Italy, and other locations around the world.[5]
    4. Advertisement
Part 2 Part 2 of 2:

Mixing the Ingredients

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Gunpowder 1 Finely grind the ingredients.[6] Use a mortar and pestle to grind each ingredient into a fine powder. Grind each ingredient separately, cleaning the mortar and pestle in between uses.
    • You can use a ball mill to grind the components if you're planning on making a lot of gunpowder. A ball mill is used to both grind and mix powders safely.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Gunpowder 2 Measure out the gunpowder components. Using the right ratio of ingredients is very important when you're making gunpowder. Calculate the percentage by weight, using a small scale to weigh the different ingredients. Here's how much you need:
    • 74.8% saltpeter
    • 13.3% charcoal
    • 11.9% sulfur
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Gunpowder 3 Mix the ingredients together.[7] Moistening the powders before mixing is the safest but not only procedure. Place them all in the mortar, moisten for safety, and grind them together with the pestle for 10 minutes or longer. If you're using a ball mill, mill the charcoal and sulfur together for 4 hours first, then add the saltpeter and mill the mixture for another 24 hours.
    • Be extremely careful around the black powder once it has been mixed. Do not smoke or light a flame anywhere close to the powder, and keep it away from heat.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Gunpowder 4 Consider adding water. Some say adding up to 8% of water can improve the gunpowder's burning. Continue mixing the gunpowder, adding water in small increments until the gunpowder is the texture of thick clay. Form it into a ball when you're finished.
    • If you mix the gunpowder with water, you'll need to corn the gunpowder, or break it up into small pieces. Run the gunpowder ball through a kitchen sieve to break it into small pieces, then let the pieces dry out on a piece of paper.
    • Again, be extremely careful around the gunpowder. Exercise caution at every stage.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make Gunpowder 5 Store the black powder safely.[8] Place the black powder in a special container designed for gunpowder. Consider storing it in a fireproof box in a shed or another area outside your home. In any case, store the black powder in a stable area where it will not come into contact with a flame or be exposed to high temperatures.
    • You can buy powder containers at hardware stores or online.
    • Some recommend using empty (unused) paint cans to store black powder.
    • Note that it is also illegal in some areas to store explosive materials in a residence or dwelling.[9] If in doubt about the proper way and location in which to store gunpowder, contact your state field office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (U.S.) or the equivalent authority in your country.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question What will happen if I use elemental carbon instead of charcoal? Community Answer Community Answer It will fizzle out. The process requires the large burning surface exposed in charcoal to work well. Elemental carbon or graphite exposes much less area. It burns, but slowly. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 63 Helpful 170
  • Question What is the reaction called when gunpowder is used? Community Answer Community Answer The reaction is called an exothermic reaction, meaning a reaction that expels energy. The opposite is endothermic. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 90 Helpful 186
  • Question Will sulfur burn easy, or not at all? Community Answer Community Answer Sulfur does not burn easily, but once it gets started, it burns slowly and very hot. It will help keep your blackpowder burning. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 53 Helpful 143
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Video

Tips

  • "The longer the Ball Mill runs, the stronger the Black Powder will be. A general rule of thumb for all pyrotechnic mixtures is " the finer the powder is, the faster it will burn ". Thanks Helpful 17 Not Helpful 2

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
  • Don't use metal for anything at all, but especially when grinding the powder. Make sure you don't store raw black powder in metal containers.
  • When storing your gunpowder make sure it stays out of sunlight.
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • To safeguard yourself, place sandbags around the mill so explosion will be directed in the air. Thanks Helpful 43 Not Helpful 10
  • Wear a mask Thanks Helpful 195 Not Helpful 74
  • Wear gloves Thanks Helpful 203 Not Helpful 79
  • Do not smoke around gunpowder Thanks Helpful 218 Not Helpful 92
  • Do not use a metal bowl and a metal spoon (sparks could ignite the mixture). Thanks Helpful 209 Not Helpful 90
  • Wear heavy clothes Thanks Helpful 183 Not Helpful 84
  • If you are working the ball mill on a table, remove the nails; just use glue. Thanks Helpful 158 Not Helpful 91
  • Ball mills should never be operated inside living spaces. They should be operated outside in an area free of people. Use explosive signs to warn people of the hazard. Also, use some protective walls in case the mill explodes so the fragments won't hurt someone. Stay away while the mill is running. Thanks Helpful 24 Not Helpful 12
  • Do not use this gunpowder to modify fireworks it is illegal and very dangerous Thanks Helpful 160 Not Helpful 128
  • Keep debris that could fly, such as rocks or metal, away from the mill as they could hit you in an explosion. Thanks Helpful 35 Not Helpful 20
  • Use only non-sparking media in the ball mill such as lead. Thanks Helpful 32 Not Helpful 23
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Things You'll Need

  • High purity sulfur
  • Charcoal (the higher mesh the better)
  • Potassium Nitrate
  • A scale
  • Mortar and pestle or ball mill
  • Powder container

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/saltpetre-mining.htm
  2. ↑ http://cavemanchemistry.com/oldcave/projects/gunpowder/
  3. ↑ http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/04/urine-facts/
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm-7WzUrmzo
  5. ↑ http://cavemanchemistry.com/oldcave/projects/gunpowder/
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm-7WzUrmzo
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm-7WzUrmzo
  8. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/9530608.pdf
  9. ↑ https://www.atf.gov/explosives/qa/may-person-store-explosive-materials-residence-or-dwelling

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 82 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 2,061,512 times. 615 votes - 92% Co-authors: 82 Updated: November 5, 2025 Views: 2,061,512 Categories: Guns and Shooting Article SummaryX

To make gunpowder, start by buying saltpeter, which you can either do online or by looking for stump remover at a garden store. Then, grind separately the saltpeter, charcoal, and elemental sulfur into powders using a mortar and pestle. Before mixing the powder, decide how much gunpowder you want, then use a scale to measure out the components, which should be 74.8 percent saltpeter, 13.3 percent charcoal, and 11.9 percent sulfur. To mix the ingredients, put them in a mortar and pestle, dampen them with water for safety, and grind them for 10 minutes. For tips on how to store gunpowder safely, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Denny F

    Denny F

    Jan 28, 2023

    "This is a very good article. I've been making my own powder for sometime now and if you are making it for a..." more Rated this article:
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About This Article

Co-authors: 82 Updated: November 5, 2025 Views: 2,061,512 92% of readers found this article helpful. 615 votes - 92% Click a star to add your vote Denny F

Denny F

Jan 28, 2023

"This is a very good article. I've been making my own powder for sometime now and if you are making it for a..." more Rated this article: Jim Hembree

Jim Hembree

Jun 8, 2021

"Made a quite impressive black powder for use in muzzle-loader for sport. The only thing was I increased the sulfer..." more Peter Willis

Peter Willis

Jul 29, 2016

"Always wanted to know how to make it. Knew it was only a few ingredients, but never thought it was this simple...." more Asu Isaac

Asu Isaac

May 23, 2019

"It is quite helpful to me. I am undergoing research work on how to produce gunpowder in my school. This post really..." more Robert McMurdie

Robert McMurdie

Jul 10, 2016

"It was very informative, precise, and clear steps were given! Can't say enough how well it helped me. Thank..." more Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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