We group buy for our club. A case of powder only costs one hazmat fee just as a single pound of powder would if shipped individually. UPS will ship hazmat to your door. Possession of black powder in quantities greater than certain amounts requires a spark proof container, larger quantities require an approved bunker which involves considerable distance from other habitable structures.
The actual sale of a pound or two of powder between friends is not regulated. The transportation and storage is where the government becomes involved.
If you attend a large reenactment event, more than likely there will be powder vendors present with considerable amounts of powder available. I placed an order for a couple of cases of powder from a Louisiana vendor several years ago and the owner was enroute to an event with nearly a ton of powder being towed behind his truck on the highway as we spoke.
We have become so used to government regulation of firearms and ammunition that we don't even question this anymore. Black powder is not any more dangerous than many other common materials, think gasoline, solvents, household chemicals, etc.
Most of us remember when black powder could be purchased at any hardware store or general merchandise store. DOT regulations on transport and fire code regulations along with BATF regulations on storage are what changed the availability.
