While this was okay for black powder, it was not adequate for the newer propellant. For example, the French were using a Gras rifle in 11 mm caliber. When smokeless powder was put into production, it became evident that the designs of guns had to be changed since smokeless powder burns at higher pressures. By today’s standards, early smokeless powder was crude and dirty, but it improved over time. By 1888, Germany had their own 8 mm smokeless powder rifle. The French tried to keep it a secret but of course, it got out. Although the militaries of a number of countries were slow and backward, they immediately saw the advantages of this new propellant. For instance, an 11 mm Gras launched a 370 grain bullet in the neighborhood of 1,400 FPS while the original Lebel round pushed a 230 grain bullet out at over 2,000 FPS. Velocity immediately increased from 500 to 700 FPS over the conventional rounds of the day. Small rounds could be utilized, saving space and allowing soldiers to carry more ammo. It was cleaner, reducing the amount of time necessary to clean and maintain a weapon. In addition, it produced a lot less smoke so a shooter’s position wasn’t advertised as it would be using black powder. It produced more velocity, which increased the range and power of a weapon. In many ways, it was light years ahead of black powder. There are records that indicate it was used for guns sometime in the 13th century, though an exact date is unknown.įrance shocked the world by introducing a usable smokeless powder in 1886 for their 8 mm Lebel. For a long time it was used for fireworks and similar uses. No one knows for sure exactly when black powder was first invented, though the Chinese are generally credited with its invention.
I imagine that there are various experiments to find something better than gunpowder but to my knowledge, that hasn’t been accomplished yet. The one exception is air guns which use compressed air as the power source and that is accomplished in various ways.
That would include muzzle loaders as well as cartridge arms. In a few words, gunpowder is the fuel for a load. History and Characteristics of Gun Powder Types Smokeless Powder | Comparing Gunpowder Types
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