King's semi-smokeless powder

[Bill/Ms.]

Can anyone tell me what this is? Have a friend who has an unopened five pound container.
Thanks,
Pawbill

 

[dlemaster]

There was a powder mill located several miles from Cincinnati Ohio at a place called Kings Mill. It was made as a sort of replacement for black powder. I first heard of this stuff in the mid to late sixties and a lot of shooters thought highly of it but it wasn't being made any more even back then. I always thought I would like to try some but could never find any.
I would imagine that an unopened 5 lb container would be quite a collectable and maybe worth some serious bucks.
I certainly wouldn't open it or use any until I understood exactly how valuable it is.
I would sure like to see a picture of the container if that's possible.
Oh by the way, Kings Mill is where the "Paramount Kings Island Amusement Park" is now located.
Hope this helps.

Regards, Dave

 

[loophole]

Ned Roberts wrote a book back about a hundred years ago called "The Scheutzen Rifle", and gave loading data for lead bullet cartridges such as the 45-70, 38-55, 32-40, etc. About 1890 a fellow named Roland shot a group at 200 yards with one of these rifles which wasn't beaten until after WWII, as I recall. Anyway, one of the powders used in these cartridges was King's Semi-Smokless. I never saw any other reference to that powder in a lot of reading about early reloading, so I'll bet it wasn't made after WWI--You probable have something very rare.

 

[Treerat]

There was an article in Muzzle Blasts about ten or fifteen years ago about the King Powder Company. It was described as a sort of early black powder substitute. By the way the owners son-in-law was the Peters of Peters cartrige fame,later bought out by Remington during the depression so this would seem to be further evidence that what you have is pretty old and perhaps valuable as a collectible.

 

[VAshooter]

I grew up near Cincinnati, Ohio back in the 1950's. I was too young to drive but my mother would drive me up to Kings Mills where I would buy a 25 lb keg of fffg black powder right off the loading dock. Back then it was considered to be the best black powder available. All the old timers used to say that Kings Semi Smokeless was better but it hadn't been made in some time. Kings Mills closed down in 1960 and sold off all their stocks of powder.
Name a price and I will be glad to buy the five pound can if it is available.
A 25 lb keg of black powder used to cost $12.50 but no one made much money back then either.

 

[sniper68]

VAshooter, I know this is off topic, but where be you from around Cincinnati?? I was born and raised in Loveland, just a few miles from Kings Island. Been there hunerds of times. Be heading back in a year or two, if all goes well... :thumbsup:

 

[VAshooter]

I grew up in a little town called Williamsburg, Ohio about 20 miles east of Cincinatti. Before they put in the interstate it was 30 miles east.

 

[Colonial Boy]

I don't want to be a wet blanket, an'I don't know anything about Kings Semi-Smokeless (except what i've read) but I'd treat it with care---both for its collector value and any extra temperemental fits it might throw in old age.

Some of what made it go might be collecting in the bottom of the can.
Julian Hatcher writing in 1947 noted that it was no longer made.

Eoin.

 

[Scott Jones]

I have a "one pound can 12 ounces net" can of King's someone gave me a couple decades ago. Can is in good condition, but there is a paper label over the center trademark which is itself a duplicate of the trademark; couldn't figure out why someone would do that. Never shot it, can is still mostly full. I did pour a little out to see how "semi-smokeless" it was, and it did generate a goodly amount of smoke. Don't recall if it would be the same with a similar pile of black powder; maybe one of these days I may hazard another test.