We all know how much you guys love explosive recipes, as can be seen in the comments sections in our other articles.  Unlike those, this one I dug up from some file a long time ago and it’s been sitting in my ‘in progress’ folder for a couple years now.  Not sure why I never posted it, or where it originally came from.  No, I wasn’t having some sort of moral dilemma about posting these instructions, I mean come on…we’ve shown you guys how to make C4, TNT, Napalm, and all kinds of other things that go boom.  Not to mention, people often misunderstand why we post stuff like this on usCrow.org, but it’s not that difficult once you listen to our reasoning.

We want to teach you things that will be useful to you in the event of martial law, civil unrest, and (or) foreign invasion, all instances where We The People will be going up against an enemy that actually has military grade explosives.  Anyone who wants to make a bomb can simply seek and find instructions, our content is curated for usCrow.org’s audience.  Feel better now? No? I don’t care.  Hide under a desk if you’re scared.

PPE Notice

Regardless of your skill level, the highest standard PPE (personal protective equipment) should be in use at all times when playing junior chemist, including a proper vent and hood system if available.  Please note that full face respiration apparatuses should be in use at all times since these instructions can produce toxic fumes, and should be done outside.  In addition, chemical resistant gloves must be used because some of these recipes produce corrosive byproduct.  That being said I’m sure a couple geniuses on here aren’t going to practice safety measures which leads me to my next point…

Legal Notice

You must find out your state laws in regard to explosives, including BATF laws to ensure you’re not exposing yourself to criminal charges.  Each state is different, but for the most part as long as you produce these outside city limits, under safe conditions, away from populated areas you’ll be fine.  In the event you are harmed during the production of any of the recipes listed in this article you accept all responsibility and will hold usCrow.org and our contributors harmless.

How to make Mercury Fulminate

Mercury fulminate is a high explosive, often used in blasting caps, and a little more stable than nitroglycerin.  However, when improperly produced or handled will cost you some digits, an arm, or your life.  You can easily buy some #11’s from a gun shop that’ll have a similiar effect, which is why I stress these types of instructions are to be used after the shit hits the fan when you can’t buy blasting caps.  Before attempting, enjoy the show…

1. Slowly mix together 5 gr pure mercury to 35 ml nitric acid in a 100 ml glass beaker with a glass rod.
2. Use a heating mantle and very slowly heat the mixture until it bubbles and turns green.
3. Add the green solutions to a small flask of ethyl alcohol that’ll produce red fumes.
4. After half an hour the red fumes will turn white, indiciating the mixture was good.
5. Add 25 ml distilled water.
6. Filter solution through coffee filter.
7. If you did everything the right way you should get some tiny white crystals which is mercury fulminate.
8. At this stage the mercury fulminate is highly corrosive and should be washed with distilled water several times to remove the acid.
9. Properly store or use with standard PPE requirements

How to make Smokeless Powder or Guncotton

Smokeless powder has a lot more uses than I’m going to list but primarily it’s used as munitions propellant, and is readily available for purchase.  It has been known to be used to be used for IEDs (improvised explosive devices), and other nasty things that go boom, so for the umpteenth time I must stress this is to be used for when the shit hits the fan, otherwise just by the stuff and reload like a normal human being. Luckily, this stuff is pretty stable, while still considered a high explosive, so enjoy!

1. Boil cotton for 30 minutes in a solution of 2% NaOH (lye). If the solution does not turn yellow while boiling, you did not add enough NaOH.
2. Wash the cotton in hot water and let it dry.
3. Mix slowly and carefully, at 25 degrees C, 250 ml. Concentrated Sulfuric acid, 150 ml. concentrated nitric acid, and 20 ml. distilled water. They must be kept at 25 degrees.
4. Place the dried cotton in the acid solution (you should have it in an ice bath- the acid solution that it) and stir for 35 minutes.
5. Nitration is now complete. Wash the acids away in boiling water at least three times. If you do not wash the acids away, it will be more unstable.
6. Let the smokeless powder (guncotton) dry in AIR.
7. WARNING: DO NOT PUT IN OVEN TO DRY OR YOU WILL DIE

If any of you ask me who my first inspiration was to become a prepper I wouldn’t hesitate to say Burt Gummer is the man.  Remember this iconic scene from Tremors where Burt made some makeshift pipe bombs with powder, a cylinder, two caps, and fuse to take out the Graboids?  Can you get any more bad ass?  Well, the point is the same, if you were wondering what you could use this for.  Please note you must have a long fuse to allow you to get to a safe distance before detonation or your day is going to get really bad.  If the instructions above aren’t simple enough for you, try this Gunpowder DIY Video out…

How to Make Tetryl

Of all the stuff I’ve written articles about tetryl or trinitrophenylmethylnitramine is the one thing I haven’t attempted yet because I’ve found more effective substances to accomplish my goals, like RDX.  That being said if these ingredients are what’s available to you after the shit hits the fan, and you need a substance to propagate detonation, why not?  Not only can tetryl be used as a det source but it saw a lot of use during the Vietnam war leaving Charlie without a head.  Just think about an extremely powerful road flare, and that somewhat explains the effect of tetryl.

1. A small amount of dimethyllaniline (as much as you want to make) is dissolved in excess sulfuric acid.
2. This mixture is now added to 50/50 amount of nitric acid.
3. Keep this in an ice bath to prevent death.
4. After five minutes filter solution through coffee filter with distilled water.
5. Wash repeated to extract the raw tetryl.
6. The tetryl is now boiled in fresh water, with a little bit of baking soda.
7. Repeat this until the tetryl passes a litmus paper test.
8. Filter the tetryl again and let it dry.

Easy Explosive Compound Mixtures

Black Powders

Black powder is a whole hell of a lot easier to make than smokeless powder, and less expensive as a whole.  Again, if we are discussing post apocalyptic scenarios what substances do you have readily available?  If you have an overwhelming enemy you’re up against and the only force multiplier you can make is black powder, then the risk of it not being as stable or powerful as smokeless powder can be outweighed.

Black Powder #1

• Potassium perchlorate: 69.2%
• Sulfur 15.4%
• Charcoal 15.4%

Black Powder #2

• Potassium nitrate 37.5%
• Sulfur 3.0%
• Straw charcoal 18.0%

Black Powder #3

• Barium nitrate 75.0%
• Sulfur 12.5%
• Charcoal 12.5%

Smoke Screens

Smoke screens can be very useful as a diversionary tactic, or just for shits and giggles.  You can also use smoke screens in the field during training operations to simulate combat theater conditions.

Black Smoke

• Magnesium powder 19%
• Hexacholroethate 60%
• Naphthalene 21%
• 2 part sugar to 1 part potassium chlorate

White Smoke

• Zinc dust 66%
• Hexacholroethane: 33.33%
• Yellow smoke screen
• Potassium chlorate 25%
• Paranitraniline 50%
• Lactrose 25%

Red Smoke

• Potassium cholrate 20%
• Lactose 20%
• Paranitraniline red 20%

Ammonium Nitrate Compounds

Ammonium nitrate is some pretty nasty stuff, and can seriously land yourself in danger’s path if you don’t know what you’re doing, so if you have to leave a comment below asking how rations, parts, and percentages work…do not try to make this stuff.  Ammonium nitrate is a very powerful white crystalline substance that saw most of its use in WWI.  Below I’ll list some basic mixtures, but keep in mind there are hundreds of methods.

Ammonium Nitrate Compound #1

• Ammonium nitrate 38%
• Potassium nitrate 35.5%
• Ammonium oxalate 10.5%
• Sulfur 4.5%
• Charcoal 11.5%

Ammonium Nitrate Compound #2

• Ammonium nitrate 94.5%
• Charcoal powder 2.5%
• Pyro powdered Al 3%

Ammonium Nitrate Compound #3

• Ammonium nitrate 73%
• Barium nitrate 19%
• Potato starch 9%
• Potassium percholride 14.5%

Ammonium Nitrate Compound #4

• Ammonium nitrate 76%
• Woodmeal 2%
• T.N 16%

In closing…

No matter where you live there will be chemical supply warehouses, but if you’re privacy is a major concern I suggest purchasing online through places like Amazon or The Lab Depot using a burner card and alias.  As you learn more about chemistry and learn whats in what you’ll be able to extract many of these compounds from alternate sources.  And for the last time I must stress these compounds are listed here with the intention of being used after SHTF, when you have no other choice, and need to protect what’s yours.  If you try to use most of this stuff today as things are you’ll likely get hemmed up pretty quickly.

One of the best ideas suggested through The Lost Ways is the construction of bunkers. These bunkers have the potential to stand the impact created by the most devastating earthquake or missile attack. On the other hand, the readers will be able to learn how to preserve their food in a natural manner. They can also get to know about effective tips, which can be used to preserve the precious water supplies. Then we will be able to use them in the case of a disaster to survive.

First of all, The Lost Ways would convince readers that the natural disasters are inevitable. It will give them an excellent insight about the disasters that could take place in the future. Therefore, it is extremely important for all the human beings to stay prepared to face a disaster, which could happen at any given point of time. In the second part of this book, the readers will be able to discover the lessons learned by humanity when they encountered disasters in the past. Every disaster teaches us a lesson, and it is better to have a clear understanding of these lessons as they can be helpful in the future.

Books can be your best pre-collapse investment.

Carnivore’s Bible (is a wellknown meat processor providing custom meat processing services locally andacross the state of Montana and more. Whether your needs are for domestic meator wild game meat processing)

The Lost Book of Remedies PDF ( contains a series of medicinal andherbal recipes to make home made remedies from medicinal plants and herbs.Chromic diseases and maladies can be overcome  by taking the remediesoutlined in this book. The writer claims that his grandfather was taughtherbalism and healing whilst in active service during world war twoand that he has treated many soldiers with his home made cures. )

Easy Cellar(Info about building and managing your root cellar, plus printable plans. The book on building and using root cellars – The Complete Root Cellar Book.)

The Lost Ways (Learn the long forgotten secrets that helped our forefathers survive famines,wars,economic crisis and anything else life threw at them)

LOST WAYS 2 ( Wordof the day: Prepare! And do it the old fashion way, like our fore-fathers did it and succeed longbefore us,because what lies ahead of us will require all the help we can get. Watch this video and learn the 3 skills that ensured our ancestors survival in hard times offamine and war.)

Survival MD (Best Post Collapse First Aid Survival Guide Ever)

Conquering the coming collapse (Financial advice and preparedness )

Liberty Generator (Build and make your own energy source)

Backyard Liberty (Easy and cheap DIY Aquaponic system to grow your organic and living food bank)

Bullet Proof Home (A Prepper’s Guide in Safeguarding a Home )

Family Self Defense (Best Self Defense Strategies For You And Your Family)

 Survive Any Crisis (Best  Items To Hoard For A Long Term Crisis)

Survive The End Days(Biggest Cover Up Of Our President)

Drought USA(Discover The Amazing Device That Turns Air Into Water)