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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Reloading
Reloading safety reminder
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<blockquote data-quote="Mmac52280" data-source="post: 2496144" data-attributes="member: 120230"><p>Decades ago, primers were made with mecuric fulminate, which is very easy to make. Very old primers may use this compound, as it was still in use well into the 20th century. Similar to silver fulminate, but more stable. To give you an idea how unstable the latter is, from Wikipedia:</p><p></p><p>Silver fulminate is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_explosive" target="_blank">primary explosive</a>, but has limited use as such due to its extreme sensitivity to impact, heat, pressure, and electricity. The compound becomes progressively sensitive as it is aggregated, even in small amounts; the touch of a falling <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feather" target="_blank">feather</a>, the impact of a single <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water" target="_blank">water</a> droplet, or a small <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_discharge" target="_blank">static discharge</a> are all capable of explosively detonating an unconfined pile of silver fulminate no larger than a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dime_(United_States_coin)" target="_blank">dime</a> and no heavier than a few <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milligrams" target="_blank">milligrams</a>. Aggregating larger quantities is impossible, due to the compound's tendency to self-detonate under its own weight. Will detonate even under water! Ever watched someone play with "Pop-its"? Uses about 80 micrograms of silver fulminate. That's 80 millionths of a gram or <strong>0.00123459 grains.</strong></p><p></p><p>Mercury fulminate is known to weaken with time, by decomposing into its constituent elements. So leaking or "salting" shows on the box. However there's no safe way to determine which ones have weakened or strengthened in the box. Sort of a "Danger Will Robinson" scenario.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mmac52280, post: 2496144, member: 120230"] Decades ago, primers were made with mecuric fulminate, which is very easy to make. Very old primers may use this compound, as it was still in use well into the 20th century. Similar to silver fulminate, but more stable. To give you an idea how unstable the latter is, from Wikipedia: Silver fulminate is a [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_explosive']primary explosive[/URL], but has limited use as such due to its extreme sensitivity to impact, heat, pressure, and electricity. The compound becomes progressively sensitive as it is aggregated, even in small amounts; the touch of a falling [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feather']feather[/URL], the impact of a single [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water']water[/URL] droplet, or a small [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_discharge']static discharge[/URL] are all capable of explosively detonating an unconfined pile of silver fulminate no larger than a [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dime_(United_States_coin)']dime[/URL] and no heavier than a few [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milligrams']milligrams[/URL]. Aggregating larger quantities is impossible, due to the compound's tendency to self-detonate under its own weight. Will detonate even under water! Ever watched someone play with "Pop-its"? Uses about 80 micrograms of silver fulminate. That's 80 millionths of a gram or [B]0.00123459 grains.[/B] Mercury fulminate is known to weaken with time, by decomposing into its constituent elements. So leaking or "salting" shows on the box. However there's no safe way to determine which ones have weakened or strengthened in the box. Sort of a "Danger Will Robinson" scenario. [/QUOTE]
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