Black Powder Explosion

[Curt Schmidt]

Hallo!

From WKYTV.com:

Retired KSP trooper 80-year old Shannon Corman was killed, his wife Louise and another man injured after an explosion in a garage behind Corman's Lincoln county home.

The explosion happened just after 3pm Tuesday in the garage where police say Corman and 57-year old James Frank Greenwood were working with black powder. Police say Corman was a licensed weapons dealer and would often mix black powder for reloading weapon cartridges.

The explosion was so intense it could be felt from 20 miles away in Pulaski county. James E. Moser was first on the scene at the Corman house and found 75-year old Louise Corman laying in the driveway screaming for help. After helping her, Moser says he saw Greenwood on fire underneath a wall that had fallen on him. Moser says he helped pull him to safety and tried looking for Corman, but the flames were so intense he could not see him. Moser also says ammunition was going off everywhere, so he had to get out of the area.

When police and firefighters arrived, they found the body of what they thought was Corman near the back of the house near the garage. Louise Corman and Greenwood were flown to UK hospital. Corman was in serious condition, Greenwood in critical with burns to nearly ninety percent of his body.

Kentucky State police investigators say something ignited the black powder, but they aren't sure what it was. Trooper Chris Lanham said it could have been a cigarette or some type of heating source like a space heater.

Shannon Corman used to own a gun shop in downtown Stanford. Police say he was very well known in the area for handling weapons.


Curt

[dculgan]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

Horrible accident, I'm sure there will be a thorough source for a possible ignition source and discussion here, but I wanted to throw out an anecdote re. black powder safety. A co-workers father, who was an experienced builder and shooter or BP guns was severely burned once by an accidental ignition of BP. The investigation concluded that it was the rusty scew cap and neck of the old, reused black powder can that caused the spark.

I'm sorry I can't point to any documentation re. this incident, nor do I understand the significance of the rust vs. the original plated surface of the steel can but I stopped re-using cans for bulk purchased BP for this reason.
D. Culgan

[Nathan Dodds]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

Yikes. I have some old cans that got a little rusty from the moist place I used to store them--wonder what I should do with them. Oh, wait, just remembered I lost the lid for the one I have left anyway, and have some plastic wrap or something over it. No problem I don't think!

[BCIDick]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

Nathan, DO NOT put plastic wrap over those cans. Plastic wrap can cause/conduct static electricity, which can cause a spark. I would CAREFULLY transfer the contents to non ferrous containers in good condition after you discharge the static electricity in your body by touching a grounded metal object.

Another safety tip is only work with small amounts of black powder with the main supply of powder separated well away from the work site.

Bob Firth

[yeoman]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

Curt, sir, thanks for bringing up this news. I am sorry for all those folks this has touched. Makes you try to think a little bit ahead and keep safety first.

I had a question on static electricity a while back. This is the thread and response I received.

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?p=108746#post108746

"Can a static electricity spark set off black powder"

http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments.html

I'm still careful of static electricity with black powder or anything with powder and pass this thread along with hope it may help with ones concerns.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

Hallo!

CAUTION!

The "researcher" in that article focused on "static electricity" igniting granulated/grain blackpowder.

What the article seems to overlooks is that static electricity discharge DOES have the potential and the ability to ignite blackpowder "dust" just as it does even non-explosive things such as coal dust in mines, and otherwise non-combustible substances such as flour in mills. (Or chemical vapor/fumes.)

"Exploding" dust can "detonate" black powder grains.

Curt
Who has known several smokers who smoked while loading cartridges. Only one was burned when he carelessly thought his bowl of blackpowder was the ashtray Mess

[ACo.]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

Curt, was he manufacturing black powder? I am a little confused by the statement "would often mix black powder". (?) I'm not sure the person who wrote the article has any idea of what actually happened - too early in the investigation. Whatever it was, it is tragic and a reminder that care is needed in handling black powder, especially where large quantities are involved.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

Hallo!

Dunno...

And the "experts" don't know, or may never know.

He was known to the reenacting community, and especially Kentucky lads.

He had a "bunker" storage facility but that was not was blew up.

Yes, I believe, the "news" thus far is too soon for any investigative information or even opinion, complicated by what reporters have no clue about.

I don't know, but I have heard that some CAS (Cowboy Action Shooting) lads have experimented with mixing blackpowder and smokeless in their metallic cartridges for reasons that are not clear (or sound) to me.

Not that it matters in the explosion, as smokeless "powder" and black powder can be dangerous.
Not that it was the case in this explosion, but a lack of discipline, respect, and caution or a moment's carelessness can be punishing.
It benefits us all to think.

Curt

[rlhardingjr]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

Folks..,

Do any of you out there happen to remember a "supposed" incident some years ago where an individual had a quantity of black powder he was trying to dispose of? As I recall, the gentleman's stashed cans of black powder had become rusted over. He reasoned that the powder was likely bad as well and had dug a hole in his back yard and began pouring the powder out of the cans. As he was emptying one of the cans into the hole, the powder ignited bursting the can and causing severe burns and injuries to his hand. I would certainly like to be able to substantuate the story. In either case, the circumstance would seem plausable with static electricity the likely ignition source...

[Nathan Dodds]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

Nathan, DO NOT put plastic wrap over those cans. Plastic wrap can cause/conduct static electricity, which can cause a spark. I would CAREFULLY transfer the contents to non ferrous containers in good condition after you discharge the static electricity in your body by touching a grounded metal object.

Another safety tip is only work with small amounts of black powder with the main supply of powder separated well away from the work site.

Bob Firth

Thanks. I found an over-sized plastic lid. Is that OK? It doesn't exactly seal--I may have to get another container.

[ACo.]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

Thanks. I found an over-sized plastic lid. Is that OK? It doesn't exactly seal--I may have to get another container.

Get another container.

[Nathan Dodds]

Re: Black Powder Explosion

I will either do that or shoot it all.