JCKelly
45 Cal.
With only the greatest respect for Michael Trőmner (Matchlock}, I must take issue from a chemistry standpoint with one quote.
"Slow match basically consisted of three main strands of fibrous hemp including a considerable amount of porous cortex, twisted and soaked in saltpeter/nitrate (Salpeter/Bleizucker). As this chemical solution is volatile it can usually no longer be proven in existing pieces of matchcord."
I will tell you that there is nothing at all "volatile" about saltpeter (potassium nitrate). Given a small length of cord any good lab could analyze for it.
The only questions are, would be is there a modern way (Xray) to do the analysis non-destructively, and is the lab indeed competent to do so.
From my own work experience getting metallurgical analyses done at a number of laboratories, I would not trust any official status of "Great Lab". Instead, make up a few samples of cord my self so that I absolutely knew what they were. Send them to a number of potential laboratories.
You may be surprised at how many different results you get from wonderful/Certified/usedbyAerospace laboratories. Pick one you deem correct, then send the real old matchcord for analysis.
For myself, I would accept what Ulrich Bretscher said, and use no saltpeter/gunpowder in my match. I did use saltpeter in the match for my own matchlock maybe 40 years ago, and it behaved as Bretscher said. I know enough chemistry to regard Bretscher as knowledgeable when it comes to actually shooting a matchlock gun.
Trőmner was the worlds greatest collector of matchlocks. Perhaps not a shooter
"Slow match basically consisted of three main strands of fibrous hemp including a considerable amount of porous cortex, twisted and soaked in saltpeter/nitrate (Salpeter/Bleizucker). As this chemical solution is volatile it can usually no longer be proven in existing pieces of matchcord."
I will tell you that there is nothing at all "volatile" about saltpeter (potassium nitrate). Given a small length of cord any good lab could analyze for it.
The only questions are, would be is there a modern way (Xray) to do the analysis non-destructively, and is the lab indeed competent to do so.
From my own work experience getting metallurgical analyses done at a number of laboratories, I would not trust any official status of "Great Lab". Instead, make up a few samples of cord my self so that I absolutely knew what they were. Send them to a number of potential laboratories.
You may be surprised at how many different results you get from wonderful/Certified/usedbyAerospace laboratories. Pick one you deem correct, then send the real old matchcord for analysis.
For myself, I would accept what Ulrich Bretscher said, and use no saltpeter/gunpowder in my match. I did use saltpeter in the match for my own matchlock maybe 40 years ago, and it behaved as Bretscher said. I know enough chemistry to regard Bretscher as knowledgeable when it comes to actually shooting a matchlock gun.
Trőmner was the worlds greatest collector of matchlocks. Perhaps not a shooter
