[Johnny C. Kitchens]

One thing I was taught is that black powder is an explosive. Given a chance it will detonate. While smokeless powder is a mild explosive, it is harder to get an explosion due to its progressive burning characteristics. The faster burning smokeless powders can be used as explosives, but they are still mild compared to a black powder explosion. Many years ago, or is it decades, I read of a test where cans of smokeless powder, and cans of black powder were engulfed in flames so that they could be compared for safety reasons. The smokeless powder would simply burst the container open usually along the seem and then burns away. Someone needs to repeat the test with modern plastic containers. The black powder detonated and threw burning debris in all sorts of directions...