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A comment on The U.S. Military Relies on One Louisiana Factory. It Blew Up. Parent comment

Re:The U.S. Military Relies on One Louisiana Factory. It Ble... by Ancapistani on Thursday April 27, 2023 @12:24PM (#35730474)
> If you look at history - the British Crown started making their own gunpowder at the Tower of London, in the middle of the 13th Century. The British Board of Ordnance was formally constituted in 1683, by HRM King Charles the Second.

This is true, but is far more about the scarcity of saltpeter at the time than anything else.

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Re:The U.S. Military Relies on One Louisiana Factory. It Ble... by bell-cot on Thursday April 27, 2023 @12:59PM (#35731112)
So if gunpowder is 75% saltpeter, and His Royal Majesty wished to have a plentiful & reliable supply of gunpowder, then ...

(I don't know about the sulfur situation back then, but charcoal - the 3rd ingredient in gunpowder - could hardly be in short supply.)

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