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It is stated in the article, "The powder, which contains corrosive salts, will corrode the bullet if it is allowed to contact it, and this can cause the bullet to increase in diameter." I am puzzled by this statement. Black powder is not corrosive in the unburned state. Upon combustion, however, approximately 50% of the original mass of black powder remains, and the residue is extremely corrosive, and contains corrosive salts.
Also, potassium nitrate is very stable, as are sulfur and carbon, and doesn't break down with age in a dry environment. Hence, no corrosion can occur from black powder in the absence of moisture. Smokeless powder, on the other hand, can break down in even a dry environment, being a chemical compound instead of a mixture, actually taking on a decidedly acidic (vinegar) smell and turning brown on aging. Smokeless powder, however, was not typically used with paper cartridges, coming along after brass cartridges had become essentially the only game in town. Where is my thinking jumping the train tracks here? Is there a tacit assumption that the paper cartridge may be exposed to moisture prior to firing? Yaf ( talk) 21:43, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
Another issue that must be considered is the chemical reactivity of the components. The powder, which contains corrosive salts, will corrode the bullet if it is allowed to contact it, and this can cause the bullet to increase in diameter. Some cartridges prevent this with a tie or a layer of paper between the bullet and the bullet, others attached the cartridge to the heel or base of the bullet, so any corrosion would not effect the sides of the bullet. [1] [2]
The image attached to the section Cartridges for percussion rifles looks to my untrained eye as though the powder is in front of the slug. I'm no expert, but that seems backwards to my layman's eye. Am I missing something?
* Septegram* Talk* Contributions* 17:00, 27 September 2016 (UTC)
A fact from Paper cartridge appeared on Wikipedia's
Main Page in the
Did you know column on 13 March 2008, and was viewed approximately 1,758 times (
disclaimer) (
check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
|
This article is rated Start-class on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
It is stated in the article, "The powder, which contains corrosive salts, will corrode the bullet if it is allowed to contact it, and this can cause the bullet to increase in diameter." I am puzzled by this statement. Black powder is not corrosive in the unburned state. Upon combustion, however, approximately 50% of the original mass of black powder remains, and the residue is extremely corrosive, and contains corrosive salts.
Also, potassium nitrate is very stable, as are sulfur and carbon, and doesn't break down with age in a dry environment. Hence, no corrosion can occur from black powder in the absence of moisture. Smokeless powder, on the other hand, can break down in even a dry environment, being a chemical compound instead of a mixture, actually taking on a decidedly acidic (vinegar) smell and turning brown on aging. Smokeless powder, however, was not typically used with paper cartridges, coming along after brass cartridges had become essentially the only game in town. Where is my thinking jumping the train tracks here? Is there a tacit assumption that the paper cartridge may be exposed to moisture prior to firing? Yaf ( talk) 21:43, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
Another issue that must be considered is the chemical reactivity of the components. The powder, which contains corrosive salts, will corrode the bullet if it is allowed to contact it, and this can cause the bullet to increase in diameter. Some cartridges prevent this with a tie or a layer of paper between the bullet and the bullet, others attached the cartridge to the heel or base of the bullet, so any corrosion would not effect the sides of the bullet. [1] [2]
The image attached to the section Cartridges for percussion rifles looks to my untrained eye as though the powder is in front of the slug. I'm no expert, but that seems backwards to my layman's eye. Am I missing something?
* Septegram* Talk* Contributions* 17:00, 27 September 2016 (UTC)