The Hodgdon Powder Company began in 1952 as B.E. Hodgdon, Inc., and has become a major distributor of
smokeless powder
Finnish smokeless powderSmokeless powder is a type of propellant used in firearms and artillery that produces less smoke and less fouling when fired compared to gunpowder ("black powder"). The combustion products are mainly gaseous, compared t ...
for the
ammunition industry, as well as for individuals who
load their own ammunition by hand. The company's corporate office and manufacturing facilities are located in
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
, United States. Hodgdon acquired
IMR Powder Company in 2003. Winchester branded reloading powders have been distributed in the United States by Hodgdon since March 2006.
Background
In the opening days of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, a chemist friend of Bruce E. Hodgdon was casually reminiscing about
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. He mentioned the quantities of surplus smokeless powder the military had dumped at sea after the war; and speculated how useful that would have been to handloaders struggling through the
Great Depression. He anticipated a similar surplus powder situation might occur after World War II. Hodgdon began investigating availability of surplus powder when the war ended; and sales to handloaders began in 1946. One of the first powders he found was 4895 used for loading
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (pronounced "thirty- aught-six" ), 7.62×63mm in metric notation, and called the .30 Gov't '06 by Winchester, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and later standardized; it remained in military use ...
service ammunition. He purchased 25 tons of government surplus 4895 for $2000 and then purchased two
boxcar
A boxcar is the North American ( AAR) term for a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is considered one of the most versatile since it can carry most ...
s to store it in preparation for resale at 75 cents per pound. His family initially packaged the powder for resale in the basement of their home. In 1947, he began acquisition of 80 tons of
spherical powder
Ball propellant (trademarked as Ball Powder by Olin Corporation and marketed as spherical powder by Hodgdon Powder CompanyWootters, John ''Propellant Profiles'' (1982) Wolfe Publishing Company pp.95,101,136-138,141,149&155 ) is a form of nitrocell ...
salvaged from disassembled
.303 British
The .303 British (designated as the 303 British by the C.I.P. and SAAMI) or 7.7×56mmR, is a calibre rimmed rifle cartridge. The .303 inch bore diameter is measured between rifling lands as is the common practice in Europe which follows th ...
military rifle cartridges manufactured in the United States. By 1949, he was marketing the powder as BL type C. The C was to indicate the powder burned "cooler" than traditional
Improved Military Rifle (IMR) Improved military rifle propellants are tubular nitrocellulose propellants evolved from World War I through World War II for loading military and commercial ammunition and sold to civilians for reloading rifle ammunition for hunting and target shoot ...
powders.
[Simpson, Layne ''Propellant Profiles'' (1982) Wolfe Publishing Company p.81 ] In 1949, he began acquisition of powder salvaged from disassembled
Oerlikon 20mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models empl ...
cartridges. This powder resembled IMR 4350 in appearance, and with a slower burning rate, was initially marketed as "4350 Data", and later as 4831.
[Hagel, Bob ''Propellant Profiles'' (1982) Wolfe Publishing Company p.113 ]
United States powder manufacturers had discontinued production of sporting ammunition during World War II; and after the war attempted to exercise greater product safety control by emphasizing sales of loaded ammunition rather than resuming production of handloading components. A common approach to product safety involved offering ammunition safe for use in the oldest or weakest firearm chambered for that cartridge. Owners of stronger firearms found and experimented with Hodgdon's previously unknown powders to achieve ballistics superior to available factory ammunition for older cartridges like the
7.92×57mm Mauser.
[Davis, William C., Jr. ''Handloading'' (1981) National Rifle Association pp.33-34&205-206] Long-range shooters found 4831 was superior to previously available powders for high-capacity bottle-necked cases.
History
United States powder manufacturers resumed powder sales of one-pound (454 gram) canisters after observing Hodgdon's successful sales to handloaders.
DuPont resumed retail distribution of their pre-war
nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and ...
Improved Military Rifle (IMR) Improved military rifle propellants are tubular nitrocellulose propellants evolved from World War I through World War II for loading military and commercial ammunition and sold to civilians for reloading rifle ammunition for hunting and target shoot ...
series; and
Hercules Powder Company resumed production of six of their pre-war double-base powders. Hodgdon Powder Company began using an H-prefix to differentiate powders distributed by Hodgdon from competitors. Surplus
Vulcan cannon
The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically, electrically, or pneumatically driven, six-barrel, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires rounds at an extremely high rate (typically 6,000 rounds per minute). The M61 and it ...
spherical powder was distributed as H870 beginning in 1959.
All of the surplus BL type C had been sold by 1961.
Olin Corporation
Olin Corporation is an American manufacturer of ammunition, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide. The company traces its roots to two companies, both founded in 1892: Franklin W. Olin's Equitable Powder Company and the Mathieson Alkali Works. Olin che ...
had manufactured the powder as 846, and continued production for loading
7.62×51mm NATO cartridges.
Hodgdon began marketing post-war production as spherical BL-C lot no. 2, or BL-C(2). Olin began retail distribution of Winchester-Western ball powders for pistol and shotgun loading in 1960; and Winchester-Western rifle ball powders followed in 1968.
Hodgdon distributed spherical powders HS-5 and HS-6 for shotguns and H110, H335, H380, H414, and H450 for rifles.
[Hodgdon, Bruce ''Hodgdon's Reloading Data Manual no. 21'' (1970) Hodgdon Powder Company]
DuPont added IMR 4895 to their retail distribution line in 1962, and added IMR 4831 in 1973 when supplies of surplus H4831 were exhausted. Hodgdon then acquired newly manufactured H4831 from
Nobel Enterprises
Nobel Enterprises () is a chemicals business that used to be based at Ardeer, in the Ayrshire town of Stevenston, in Scotland. Specialising in nitrogen-based propellants and explosives and nitrocellulose-based products such as varnishes and in ...
in Scotland. The Nobel formulations offer similar ballistic performance, but substitute
centralite
Centralite (empirical formula: C17H20N2O) is a gunshot residue also known as ethyl centralite. Its IUPAC name is 1,3-diethyl-1,3-diphenylurea. Ethyl centralite is insoluble in water, but is soluble in acetone, ethanol and benzene. It is mainly us ...
deterrent coatings for
dinitrotoluene Dinitrotoluenes could refer to one of the following compounds:
* 2,3-Dinitrotoluene
* 2,4-Dinitrotoluene
* 2,5-Dinitrotoluene
* 2,6-Dinitrotoluene
* 3,4-Dinitrotoluene
* 3,5-Dinitrotoluene
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dinitrotoluene ...
used in United States formulations.
Handloaders were advised H-prefix powders were not the same as IMR-prefix powders of the same number.
Hodgdon distributed H4198 and H4227 similar to IMR powders distributed by DuPont.
Modern black powder substitutes
Hodgdon's product line includes Pyrodex and Triple Seven, which are modern substitutes for
black powder and intended for use in
muzzleloaders and certain antique firearms. Consequences of
black powder's easy ignition by sparks or
static electricity make manufacture and storage hazardous. The sole factory of the United States' largest 20th-century black powder manufacturer was closed by an accidental explosion as 1970 legislation established new regulations discouraging merchants from stocking black powder for sale. Future historical re-enactments with replica firearms appeared doubtful until Hodgdon introduced
black powder substitute
A black powder substitute is a replacement for black powder used in muzzleloading and cartridge firearms. Black powder substitutes offer a number of advantages over black powder, primarily including reduced sensitivity as an explosive and in ...
''
Pyrodex'' in 1975 with black powder combustion characteristics and smokeless powder safety.
[Waters, Ken ''Propellant Profiles'' (1982) Wolfe Publishing Company pp.75-80 ]
References
{{reflist, colwidth=35em
External links
Hodgdon Powder Company
Firearm propellants
Ammunition manufacturers