1851 Navy on the Range Today

forefathers must have made quite a bit of their own. Waterboy probably possesses the alchemy skills but since he still has all of his fingers probably hasn't made to much either hahaha

Got the potassium nitrate (saltpeter) and sulfer at the local drug store. Small town I grew up in (Plant City FL.), pharmacist knew my family well. He asked if I was making gunpowder? I remember being scared but told him yes. He said that what I wanted was this... and got me a bottle of the appropriate sulfer. Imagine that happening now? I had a built my first handgun, a family friend who was in his 60s I spent alot of time with and learning from, turned a barrel for me and gave me ball bearings to fit. I fired it with jet-x fuse and a match. Carved a wooden grip and made steel bands to attach it. Made pure charcoal from scrap wood in a gallon paint can on the barbecue. Punched a nail hole in the lid and when it smoked out of the hole lit it, and shot a jet of fire out till ready. It shot pretty well at stationary targets. A different world then when a pre-teen could do that, with his parents okay and dads help.