A barrel of black powder.
There are a number of black powder substitutes available to civilians for recreational shooting purposes. Black powder substitutes offer a number of advantages over traditional black powder (sometimes referred to as "holy" or "wholly" black), and essentially no disadvantages. Black powder substitutes are generally easier to store, clean and load than traditional black powder.
Safety
Since they are not actual explosives (as is black powder), black powder substitutes are generally safer to store and shoot. While all of the normal safety precautions should still be taken, there are less risks associated with black powder substitutes. For instance, reloading metallic cartridges with black powder substitutes is significantly easier and requires less specialized equipment. In most cases, normal reloading equipment can be used with only minor modifications.
Legal
Many states and municipalities heavily regulate the sale, purchase and transport of black powder because it legally qualifies as an explosive. For instance, black powder cannot be legally sold within the city limits of Houston, Texas (the most populous city in the state), whereas black powder substitutes can. These same legal ramifications make black powder harder to find, more expensive and considerably costlier to ship.
Types of Black Powder Substitutes
There are two primary types of black powder substitutes: chemically-modified black powder, called pyrodex, which has been altered to make it safer to store than black powder, and fast-burning propellants. The former has approximately the same volume as traditional black powder, while the latter are generally considered "hotter" (more energetic) than black powder. Consequentially, most black powder substitutes need to be used with a significantly lower powder volume than "wholly" black.
Black Powder Substitute Pellets
The third and more uncommon form of black powder substitutes is the substitute pellets made by some manufacturers. These pellets have a few advantages over other substitutes, but they should be treated with caution. While faster to load and easier to store than loose powder, the pellets are not merely solidified powder and should not be treated as though they have the same volume. Make sure that your black powder weapon has been approved for use with pellets by the manufacturer before using them as a propellant.
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