It’s a milestone moment on this episode of the No Lowballers Podcast—our 100th show! Hosts Logan Metesh and Allen Forkner mark the occasion with an explosive deep dive into one of the most fundamental elements in the history of firearms: gunpowder.
To help them explore the thousand-year journey of the propellant that powers it all, they’re joined by special guest Justin Schrader, Senior Ballistician at Hodgdon Powder Company. From myth and mysticism to modern temp-stable powders and the economics of nitrocellulose, this episode is packed with black powder lore, modern reloading science, and a few laughs along the way.
Key topics in this episode:
• The murky origins of gunpowder in 9th century Asia
• Alchemy gone wrong: how the search for immortality led to the invention of explosives
• Black powder’s journey from fireworks to firearms across continents
• Roger Bacon and the powder’s 13th century European debut
• The shift from black powder to smokeless powder in the late 1800s
• Why the 8mm Lebel changed everything in 1886
• The Winchester 1894 and smokeless powder’s civilian breakthrough
• Inside the evolution of powder manufacturing, from hand-mixed batches to advanced ballistics labs
• Pelletized powder and why Hodgdon’s hole-in-the-center design matters
• The importance of “temp stable” powders and Hodgdon’s innovations like Varget and CFE BLK
• Granule shapes, burn rates, and how powder works differently in bolt guns vs. AR platforms
• The history of Hodgdon Powder Company—from surplus rail cars to industry leadership
• The critical role of nitrocellulose and why global events are driving shortages
• Reloading recipes, ballistic proofing, and why consistency is king
• What the future holds for powder development and sourcing challenges
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