Coconut Shell Primer- Filipino Desperation Ammo WWII

During WWII the Filipino resistance was desperate for munitions (It least one resistance groups used this method)and so took brass curtain prods and filed them down for the bullet and took the powder from mines (captured not from mine fields) and mixed it with saw dust to come up with a usable gun powder. Even though powder from mines was a lighting fast explosive the right mix of saw dust slowed the reaction causing it to react like a propellant instead of a very fast burning explosive (the powder from the mine blew up 5 guns before they got it right) but the primer was the amazing part coconut shell carbon mixed with sulfur. Reported success of discharges with this primer 8 to 9 times out of 10. They did not give the proportions or the process but it was most probably mixed into a past and the primer was rebuilt and dried. In an emergency it would pay to experiment with other more available carbon substitutes. It would appear that denser products like extremely dense woody products carbonized (The product of choice is heated and turned into a black carbon like charcoal in a near enclosed environment then sifted through a aluminum screen wire into a fine powder . Grinding to a dust might be necessary after cooking. A short piece of black gas pipe with two dead end caps would make an air tight cooking chamber). In an emergency given that coconuts are not relay available here in the USA a substitute product should be sought like black walnut shells, peach or plumb pits or other nut shells or dense wood products like lilac wood or Iron wood would seam to be best to experiment with first as they are such a dense wood product and when carbonized should offer longer carbon chains. It is unknown if any other product would work except coconut shells Though not in the formula for the coconut shell primer an additive that is in most modern primers is a small percentage of finely ground glass 8 to 12% which causes added friction when the primer is struck by the firing pin. Glass could be most useful and offer a near 100% ignitable primer. Dry small amounts of experimental product on paper  no bigger than a match head and use light hammer strikes to test results. R&D needed.  Richard W Norman

If they pass laws against guns then you will either make your supplies at home, salvage or do without. The ultimate gun survival manual.American Handbook on Guns Ammo and Freedom